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Land of the Free IV

Stockport (NY). Submitted by Laetitia Hussain.

Hudson Final Assessments for 2010

Get yer red hot document here, as an Excel spreadsheet: Click to download

Analysis to follow soonish.

The ‘Hole’ Story

According to a Register-Star account of last week’s meeting of the Hudson Common Council Police Committee, members of the audience lodged the following allegations, among others:

Some in attendance at the meeting said they have heard [American Glory owner Joseph] Fierro say he has city officials “in his pocket,” that he “owns the city” and that the police do whatever he wants because he’s “the new sheriff in town.”

The identities of those making the statements were not specified, and the story has set off another long flame war at the Reg-Star site (which regularly allows anonymous, inflammatory and even borderline slanderous comments, even though the paper doesn’t accept unsigned letters in its print edition).

Similar rumors about American Glory were already rampant locally in the weeks leading up to the meeting, circulating almost from the moment the eatery opened. Even in Hudson, it’s rare for a new business to spark so much controversy so quickly. For the most part, local merchants and restaurateurs understand that the more activity, the merrier for everyone, so subsequent countercharges of jealousy or excessive competitiveness seem misplaced.

That said, this site has no direct knowledge of the validity of the rumors, and common sense suggests that it’s highly unlikely that Mr. Fierro actually has anyone in his pocket.

More within the realm of possibility is that one or more persons involved with the restaurant might imagine the establishment has more power than it does. For example, the otherwise innocuous annual event depicted in this Facebook photoset (found by a regular reader) might have been misconstrued as earning American Glory more than the ordinary goodwill.

It’s in the interest of every Hudson establishment to have good relations with its neighbors. The City’s main street businesses depend heavily on positive word of mouth and referrals. Sure, for a few months most any new business in a small town can be popular, since everyone wants to check out the new kid on the block. During that honeymoon period, it may be possible to shrug off the neighbors. But it’s when that novelty wears off—and the slower months of January through March roll around—that quality services and community relations start to really count.

Land of the Free III

Free in Taghkanic (NY). Third in an occasional series.

Land of the Free II

Stockport (NY). Submitted by Laetitia Hussain.

Land of the Free

Free in Greenport (NY). First in an occasional series.