Bob Bullock has stepped down as the director of the state's Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission, raising further questions about next year's planned celebration of the Hudson River and its exploration by Europeans.

One of the celebration's highlights will be a 22- day kayaking journey running the river's full length.According to the Times Union, the commission has been plagued by troubles, from infighting and a funding shortage to the replacement of its chairperson and the departure of three executive directors in the past three years.

Meanwhile, much more needs to happen to prepare for the kickoff to the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic 1609 voyage. This celebration will also commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the inaugural run of steamboat pioneer Robert Fulton's Clermont, and the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's discovery of the lake named for him.

Despite current setbacks, the commission's new executive director, Tara Sullivan, promises that the celebrations will be "grand" and will feature scores of boaters, yacht clubs, marinas and riverfront organizations that will extend from the Big Apple to the Canadian border.

The celebrations still do not have a major corporate sponsor and they have failed to draw significant interest from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.