GOOD FOOD BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER

After the events of September 11th, the fledgling Columbia Greens organization convened a gathering in Hudson's Seventh Street Park for the purpose of allowing resident to express views in a peaceful setting, Seventy-five people attemnded the evenand afterward, Reverend Leif Erickson invited participants to move down to Warren Strret to the First Presbyterian Church.

Ericson soon relaized that food was a way to bring people fo fiverse ethnic backgrounds together, even when tehre was a langage barrier. Four years later, Hudson saw the ruits of these ideas - approximately 100 people attended the 4th annual International Community Dinner and Festival at the First Presbyterian Church.

"It went very well," said one of the event's organizers, Karen Fishkoff of Harlemville. "We had a wider participation fromt he various national and cultural ethnic groups than in the past."

On this year's list of performers were a wide range of different musical talents: Grandma's AngelsA grouos of young performers from the State Street AME Zion Chruch to Bengali Singer Khakede Ghani.

Also performing was Kaori Washiyama on the violin; Gaeltara, Irish instrumentalists with Hilary Schrauf, Eric Everson and Neal Warshaw; Doug Stalker, composer-musician; Juan Bastilio Sanchez, a Nicaraguan singer and guitarist; David Gallardo, a flutist and drummer; and the Bel Kongo Hatian ensemble with Azouke Sanon, Ayizan Sanon, LiFaite Valcin and Canes Vertus. A Small stipend was ofered to performers, though not all of them accepted any money.

A grant through the Haitian Community Development Project was used in part to pay for food and supplies. Generous contributors included Hawthorne Valley Farm Store, Ginsberg's, Price Chopper, Shop-Rite and the Salvation Army.