Mayor Supports Tech Friendly Branding Effort

As the Daily Freeman reports today, the mayor is calling on residents to volunteer. James Sottile also cited accomplishments in the city under his watch, and suggested “promoting the city as a place for Web-based entrepreneurs” the Freeman wrote adding that he sees Kingston as an “upstate digital tech-friendly city.”

He must have got Mark Greene’s proposal. As reported here by Kingston Citizens on Jan. 22, Greene suggested in a report to Sottile and majority leader Bill Reynolds that the city market itself as a “Digital Tech-Friendly City.”

To read Greene’s full report, click here.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Uptown Snow Removal

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City workers got to work on Wall Street early today, removing snow and ice that was piled high from two snowstorms.

Earlier this week several business owners complained out loud that the snow was eating up much of the parking, and making it difficult to park on Wall and North Front streets.

Pictured above is snow that was bulldozed in front of the courthouse before it was loaded onto dump trucks.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Kingston Food & Gardens Open House

Kingston Food & Gardens, an organic and natural foods buying club said today this it will open its doors this Saturday, Feb. 7, night during the First Saturday Art Walk. The storefront, located at 33 Broadway on the Rondout, will be open between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

“Come learn about the benefits of the buying club and why organic products are better and healthy for you and your family,” the buying club said in a statement. “Yearly membership is $36, which allows members to experience up to 30 percent off the price of goods found at retail venues.”

“It’s so important that people eat clean, organic food,” said Kingston Food & Gardens President Jennifer McKinley. “Whole grains such as brown rice, millet and quinoa are essential for healthy bodies. We also offer members hundreds of other products such as raw cheeses, yogurt, agave, lentils, nuts, seeds and dried fruit. At the moment, our products are sourced from one of the largest national distributors of organic products. We are also working with a local distributor who specializes in fresh, biodynamic and organic local produce and dairy. And we are in the process of working with local growers, farmers and other producers to bring in their products as well.”

For more information, email us at: kingstonfoodandgardens@gmail.com

Working Together

Here’s in interesting story in The New York Times about a landlord in New York City offering to help out a retail tenant who owes close to $14,000 in back taxes. Why is the landlord helping? Because the retail leasee is a good tenant that draws traffic.

The lesson here is that the recession is causing businesses and property owners to reconsider prior “power dynamics” — which often favored building owners. Flexible arrangements are now a necessity as tough economic times create a more symbiotic relationship between between tenant and landlord.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Tubby Row Renovation

A notice is circulating around Spring Street informing folks of a renovation that is in the works at the famed Tubby Row building on the street.

The notice urges residents to attend a special zoning and planning board hearing on February 9 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The project calls for creating 18 housing units in the structure. The unidentified creator of the notice questions where residents of the renovated project will park.

I’m not sure how many units are in the current structure, but would be interested in learning more about this. Alderman Mike Madsen wrote about the project on his blog. You can read it here. Madsen said he alderman Bob Senor have concerns about the project and its impact.

There concerns echo prior worries over a proposed communal living facility proposed by Common Fire last year. That project never took flight, and like Tubby Row, parking was a concern.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz