Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson 1st Ward Supervisor Sarah Sterling has announced she will not seek re-election in November. Sterling, a Democrat, has served as a county supervisor for 10 years. First Ward resident and Hudson Housing Authority Commissioner Claire Cousin is running and hopes to take Sterling's place. Sterling plans to spend more time on the Hudson Parks Conservancy and her artistic pursuits after leaving office. A 20-year Hudson resident, Sterling is a photographer and real estate agent. She received backlash from residents and Mayor Kamal Johnson at a February 2 forum organized by the Hudson Democratic Committee, when she compared Bliss Towers to a prison. Cousin was among those who spoke out against the comment, saying it reflects a larger issue in the ward. “The fact that you consider the high-rise as a prison or that those words could even come out of your mouth says a lot about why the black and brown community in your ward hasn’t been engaged for so long,” Cousin said at the forum. Cousin said her desire to run pre-dated Sterling's comments. Sterling said she was misunderstood during the forum. “I apologized right then if my language somehow offended anybody, but I was really trying to advocate for the best housing possible,” she said. Sterling will continue in her role as secretary of the Columbia County Economic Development Committee, vice chairwoman of the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency and Capital Resource Corporation, chairwoman of the Hudson Parks Conservancy and associate real estate broker for HOUSE Hudson Valley. Petitioning begins March 2 to qualify for the June 22 Democratic primary. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.