Berkner’s path into children’s music began in an unexpected way. Early in her career, she split her time between playing in rock bands at night and working as a preschool music teacher during the day. That contrast eventually led to a turning point.

“I just remember thinking… ‘Why am I even here?’” she said, recalling a late-night bar performance.

The following day, performing at a children’s birthday party offered a different kind of energy — one that stuck.

“It is so much nicer to have people want to hear music that I’ve written,” she said.

That experience led her to leave the cover band scene behind and focus on writing and performing for children, a decision she said “made me a lot happier.”

Her background as a teacher continues to shape her work. Berkner builds her songs with participation in mind, often incorporating movement and call-and-response elements to engage young listeners.

“I want to see that they’re actually doing it… and that they get it,” she said.

At the same time, her music is designed to resonate with parents as well.

“Oh yeah, that’s very intentional,” she said.

Over the years, Berkner has adapted alongside major changes in the music industry, from cassettes and CDs to streaming and YouTube, where her work now reaches millions of families worldwide.

Her Peekskill performance will feature a mix of classic songs like “We Are the Dinosaurs” and “The Goldfish,” along with newer material and lesser-performed favorites.

The earlier sensory-friendly show will offer a more flexible environment, with adjusted lighting and sound and a welcoming, judgment-free space for audience members to move and engage as needed.

For Berkner, the goal remains the same as when she first made the shift into children’s music: creating a shared experience that connects families.

“There’s this incredible connection… between adults and kids,” she said.

Tickets for both performances are available through the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater.

“I grew up around the scars,” said Brian Wrightson, a rural broadband specialist from Archbald.

Wrightson recently spoke with Radio Catskill after reading reporting on proposed data center projects in the region. He is also running for Pennsylvania State Senate in District 40—a point he disclosed during the interview—but said his concerns come from his experience living and working in the area.

Lessons 

For Wrightson, the issue is personal—and historical.

He describes a region still marked by the legacy of the anthracite coal industry, where economic growth once came at a lasting environmental cost.

“I could drive around pretty much any part of northeastern Pennsylvania… and see the scars,” he said.

He remembers waterways that were once heavily polluted, later restored through years of cleanup.

“But those scars are still here,” he said.

That history, he says, should guide how communities approach new large-scale development.

Industry on the rise

Data centers—the facilities that power streaming, cloud computing and artificial intelligence—are expanding rapidly.

Wrightson says their growth is unavoidable.

“Data centers are coming. They’re definitely coming,” he said.

But he says the speed and scale of that growth raise questions about long-term impacts—especially on land, water and infrastructure.

Across the Delaware River Basin, dozens of data centers are already active or proposed, and the region’s location between major metro areas makes it a likely target for more.

Who decides where they go

For Wrightson, the central issue is local control.

“If you come into my neighborhood, it’s on my terms,” he said.

He argues that large facilities should not be placed near residential areas and should instead be sited in locations that minimize disruption.

“They should never be placed next to residential communities,” he said.

He also questions whether the economic benefits often highlighted—like tax revenue—will outweigh the costs for the people who live nearby.

Calls to slow the process

Wrightson is among those calling for a pause in new development.

“I truly believe that the state itself needs to put a moratorium… even for one year,” he said.

He says that would give municipalities time to update zoning laws, coordinate regionally and prepare for potential impacts.

Without that, he worries development could spread quickly, putting pressure on natural resources and changing the character of local communities.

The Borscht Belt Comedy Club will host Venezuelan comedian Laura Bolivar on Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. at Shadowland Stages Studio on Market Street. The show will be performed entirely in Spanish, part of a growing effort to expand comedy offerings beyond English-speaking audiences.

Bolivar, who has been based in New York City since 2015, said her comedy is deeply rooted in her experience as an immigrant adjusting to a new language and culture.

“When I came here, I didn’t speak any English at all,” she said. “So a lot of my material comes from those mistakes… trying to speak another language, adapting to a new country, making new friends.” 

Before finding stand-up, Bolivar studied journalism and worked in media in Venezuela. She initially turned to comedy as a way to improve her English, enrolling in classes and performing short sets in front of classmates.

“I was just doing it for fun,” she said. “But then I realized I was having so much fun—and I felt close to my dreams again.” 

Over time, she began performing in both English and Spanish, discovering that each language shaped her performance differently.

“In Spanish, I feel like I can go faster, be more free,” she said. “In English, I’m more structured—what I write is what I say.” 

That flexibility has helped her connect with a wide range of audiences, from Latin American communities to non-Spanish speakers curious about the experience. In one recent show, she recalled a woman translating each joke in real time on her phone.

“She told me, ‘I don’t speak any Spanish—I’m translating every joke you’re saying,’” Bolivar said. “That was so sweet.” 

The upcoming Ellenville performance is part of a broader trend. Spanish-language comedy has been growing in popularity, especially in cities like New York, where audiences are eager to laugh in their native language after spending much of their day working in English.

“People want a space where they can laugh in Spanish, remember how they were raised, and see someone with the same experience,” she said. 

Organizers say the show is also about expanding the legacy of the Borscht Belt, the Catskills region long known as a launching pad for American stand-up comedy. Bringing in bilingual and Spanish-language performers is one way to keep that tradition evolving.

The April 18 show is aimed at Spanish speakers, bilingual audiences, and even those still learning the language—what organizers describe as “Duolingo lovers” looking for a fun, immersive experience.

For Bolivar, performing in the Catskills carries added meaning.

“This is the right moment for shows in Spanish,” she said. “People want to see it.”

The show takes place Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. at Shadowland Stages Studio in Ellenville.

According to county officials, the effort is part of a broader push to strengthen the local farm economy, as agriculture continues to evolve beyond its traditional roots.

In a conversation with Radio Catskill, The Reporter editor Lillian Browne said the momentum is being driven in part by renewed energy within the county’s Department of Economic Development.

“There’s been a resurgence of really positive energy,” Browne said, pointing to new staff — including agricultural specialist Lindsay Whitbeck — who are helping connect farmers with funding opportunities.

Whitbeck, a farmer herself, is working directly with producers to navigate a growing list of grants and low-interest loan programs. Those opportunities are available to a wide range of agricultural operations — from crop growers to livestock and dairy producers. 

The support is not limited to established farms. Browne said a key focus is helping new and beginning farmers enter the industry.

“Folks who want to go into agriculture but need a little help… can apply for these grants,” she said, noting that trainings and one-on-one guidance are available to help applicants build strong proposals. 

Those trainings include assistance with business planning — a critical step in securing funding — as well as connecting farmers with the right programs for their specific operations.

Among the opportunities highlighted is the “value-added producer grant,” which helps farmers expand their businesses. For example, a farm raising cattle could use funding to process and sell beef directly to consumers.

While each grant has its own timeline and requirements, farmers can find updated information through the county’s economic development website or by contacting staff directly.

The investment comes at a time when agriculture in the region is shifting.

Delaware County, once heavily rooted in dairy farming, has seen that sector decline over the years. Rising costs, labor challenges, and federal pricing pressures have made it harder for traditional dairy operations to survive.

In response, many farms are diversifying.

“One of the things that’s been very successful here is agritourism,” Browne said. 

That includes experiences like farm stays and “glamping,” where visitors can spend time on working farms — blending tourism with agriculture and creating new revenue streams for farmers.

Local agencies — including the Watershed Agricultural Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the county’s economic development office — are also working together to support the industry’s transition and long-term sustainability.

Together, these efforts reflect a broader strategy: not just preserving agriculture in Delaware County, but reshaping it for the future.

That number is up from 21 last July. New York City’s waitlist alone has surged to over 17,000 — a tenfold increase in less than a year.

Radio Catskill’s Julia Kim had the chance to speak with DEC’s ADA Accessibility Coordinator Leah Akins, Accessibility Advisory Committee Chairman Jason Thurson and others about issues the policy is aiming to address, ongoing debates surrounding accessibility and environmental protection and future efforts to increase the accessibility of the outdoors. 

After more than half a century, humans are preparing to return to the Moon.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is expected to send four astronauts on a roughly 10-day journey around the Moon and back—marking the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo program. 

“It’s the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era,” said Jackie Faherty, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, in an interview with Radio Catskill. 

A New Era of Space Exploration

Faherty said the Artemis program represents a shift not just in technology, but in who space exploration is for.

“This is a celebration of opening the door for everyone to do space exploration,” she said. 

The Artemis missions are named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology—a symbolic contrast to the earlier program, which sent only men to the Moon.

Why Return to the Moon Now?

The last human mission to the Moon took place in 1972. After that, NASA focused on lower-Earth orbit missions, including the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

Now, attention is turning back to deep space.

Faherty said renewed interest is driven in part by global competition.

“China is now really making their push to establish a human presence on the moon,” she said, adding that the U.S. is “extra motivated to move in that direction again.” 

A Mission Focused on Testing

Unlike future Artemis missions, Artemis II will not land on the Moon. Instead, it will test the systems needed to safely send humans deeper into space.

“They’re testing technology… and how they fare in this new capsule and this new rocket,” Faherty said. 

The mission will use NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket—marking the first time astronauts will fly aboard it.

“It’s a technology test,” she said. “They’re just going to be testing all of the functionality.” 

Advanced Technology—But Same Challenges

While modern spacecraft are far more advanced than those used during Apollo, Faherty said the core challenges remain.

“The physics is all the same,” she said. “You’re still dealing with the gravitational force of the Earth and the moon.” 

She emphasized that experience—not just technology—is critical.

“You get good at landing on the moon when you land on the moon,” she said. 

Representation Matters

Artemis II will feature a more diverse crew than past missions, including a woman and an international astronaut.

Faherty said that visibility can have a lasting impact.

“Representation ends up inviting more people… inspiring more people to feel like they can do this tremendous thing,” she said. 

Traveling Farther Than Ever Before

The mission will take astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have gone before.

At certain points, the spacecraft will pass behind the Moon—cutting off communication with Earth entirely.

“They will be farther away from humanity… than anyone else has ever been before,” Faherty said. 

Looking Ahead

If successful, Artemis II will pave the way for future missions, including Artemis III, which aims to land humans on the Moon again.

For now, officials remain cautiously optimistic ahead of launch.

“Rocket launches can be notoriously delayed,” Faherty noted. 

Still, the mission marks a major step forward—bringing humans closer to the Moon, and opening the door to a new era of exploration.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a nonprofit focused on improving public health through community development, healthcare access, and policy.

Of all the measles cases in the United States this year, only four have been identified in New York. South Carolina has the highest number of measles cases in the country this year with 664. 

Parents in some states may be unaware of the severity of measles, in part because the disease had been largely under control for more than 30 years. Smith said that changed following President Donald Trump’s return to office.

“ I would point out is that these vaccines have been tested. They are safe, they’re effective, and in fact, they’ve been so effective that many parents now, haven’t had any direct experience with any of these illnesses,” said Dr. Smith. “Contrast that to our parents and grandparents who saw what these illnesses could do for their own children, for their neighbors, their friends. When these vaccines became available, the older generation jumped at the chance to ensure that their children, us, and people who are older than I am, were protected.”

Smith says there are trustworthy peer-reviewed sources for parents seeking information on measles, and other diseases that vaccines are available for. 

“ One source that’s like that is the American Academy of Pediatrics. I’m a pediatrician and I think that they’ve done a great job at wading through all of the confusion to be able to reinforce what the evidence continues to show about vaccines,” said Dr. Smith. 

The CDC has also reported that 92%-93% of measles patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. No deaths have been reported this year from measles but three deaths were reported in 2025.

The landfill, originally expected to close in 2025, is now seeking state approval to remain open and expand operations through 2040. For environmental advocates, the proposal is about far more than one community. They argue it is a test of whether New York will continue relying on mega-landfills or move toward a different model of waste management.

To discuss the issue, Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Yvonne Taylor, vice president of Seneca Lake Guardian.

Taylor described Seneca Meadows as a massive facility that already takes in about 6,000 tons of waste a day from 47 counties in New York, along with trash from other states and Canada. If approved, she said, the landfill would grow another seven stories higher and expand by 47 acres — becoming even more dominant over the surrounding landscape.

“This is already an enormous mountain of garbage,” Taylor said. “The proposal would make it even bigger, even taller, and keep it operating for another 15 years.”

For people living nearby, Taylor said the impacts are immediate and constant. Residents have long complained about overpowering odors, and she said schools located within a few miles of the landfill are sometimes forced to deal with the smell both outside and inside classrooms. She said families, teachers and students have reported headaches, nausea and difficulty concentrating.

But Taylor said the concerns do not stop at Seneca Falls.

She pointed to the landfill’s production of leachate — contaminated liquid created when rainwater filters through garbage. That leachate can contain PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” along with other pollutants. According to Taylor, millions of gallons are shipped to wastewater treatment plants around New York, even though those facilities are not designed to remove many of those contaminants.

“This waste doesn’t just stay in one place,” Taylor said. “It moves through communities and into waterways across the state.”

She also argued the landfill’s methane emissions make it a broader climate issue. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and Taylor said large landfills like Seneca Meadows undermine New York’s climate goals while prolonging dependence on a throwaway waste system.

The proposed expansion is now being reviewed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation through the state environmental review process. Taylor said the agency has sent the application back for more information multiple times, but a final public comment period has still not yet begun.

When it does, advocates expect the fight to intensify.

Taylor said opponents want the landfill to close when it reaches capacity, not be allowed to expand again. She argues New York already has the framework for a different path, pointing to the state’s solid waste management plan, which calls for stronger recycling, waste diversion and a move toward a more circular economy.

“This is really a question about what kind of future New York wants,” Taylor said. “Do we keep expanding mega-landfills, or do we finally start reducing the waste stream and building a better system?”

For communities like Sullivan County, where trash is hauled long distances to disposal sites like Seneca Meadows, the outcome could carry consequences far beyond the Finger Lakes.

The exhibit, “Women Shaping Democracy in Ulster County,” opens Wednesday at the Nina Postupack Archives Gallery on the second floor of the Ulster County Office Building at 244 Fair Street in Kingston. The event is free and open to the public.

The display features original voter registration books from the first elections after women gained the right to vote in New York in 1918, along with historical materials from the League of Women Voters of the Mid-Hudson Region and the Ulster County Archives.

Ashley Torres, commissioner of the Ulster County Board of Elections, said the idea for the exhibit grew out of a long-standing interest in preserving historical records that had remained largely out of public view.

“These are books that I’ve looked at for years,” Torres said. “They’ve been in our office for a long time, and I’ve always been interested in them.”

Torres said she began examining the records more closely around 2020 during the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote nationally. While reviewing one of the early registration books, she counted the names of the women who had signed up to vote in 1918.

Seeing those early records, she said, offered a powerful glimpse into the moment when women first began participating in elections in Ulster County.

The exhibit is also part of a broader effort to move older materials from the Board of Elections into the Ulster County Archives, where they can be preserved in a climate-controlled environment and made more accessible to the public.

Torres said the archives are better equipped to protect historic documents while also making them available to researchers and residents interested in local history.

Among the items on display are books documenting the first women voters in the county and materials tracing the work of the League of Women Voters in the Mid-Hudson region from the 1950s through today.

Torres said what she finds most compelling about the exhibit is that it highlights the role of everyday citizens in shaping democracy, not just elected officials.

“It’s about everyday citizens who took part in democracy, who voted, who worked together on a grassroots level to make the issues they cared about part of public life,” she said.

The exhibit also touches on how local women organized around issues such as environmental protection and child welfare, helping bring those concerns into the public sphere.

For Torres, the records also revealed a personal connection. While reviewing the voter books, she discovered the name of her own great-grandmother among the first women registered to vote in Ulster County.

“That made me really proud,” she said. “I think a lot of people would be interested in researching their own family ties if these records are digitized.”

County officials have discussed eventually digitizing the records, which could allow residents to search the historical documents online and explore their family histories.

Torres also pointed to a detail in the early voter books that she found especially meaningful: women were listed under their own names.

“When you look at our records, it is those women’s names,” she said. “Not Mrs. John Smith. It was their first name, their last name.”

That, she said, reflects the significance of the moment and the courage it may have taken for those women to register and vote for the first time.

“Being first is never easy,” Torres said. “It probably took a lot of courage to go and register and cast those first ballots.”

The exhibit opening will include remarks from Torres and Ulster County Clerk Nina Postupack. Organizers say they hope the display will encourage residents to reflect on the history of civic participation and the ongoing role local communities play in shaping democracy.

The exhibit will remain on display at the Nina Postupack Archives Gallery following the opening event.

The hazy skies and air quality alerts that summer exposed gaps in how the state responds to dangerous air pollution events. Now advocates are urging lawmakers to pass legislation that would better prepare communities when the air becomes unsafe to breathe.

The proposed Hazardous Air Quality Emergency Preparedness Bill would define hazardous air quality events as a state-recognized disaster. Supporters say that designation would allow New York to coordinate resources and respond more quickly during events like wildfire smoke or industrial pollution spikes.

Max Micallef, New York State Advocacy Manager for Clean Air Initiatives with the American Lung Association, said the 2023 wildfire smoke highlighted how unprepared many communities were.

“In June of 2023 the Canadian wildfires were in full force and all of New York State was affected,” Micallef said. “The skies were red and orange and filled with fine particulate matter and other pollutants that worsen lung disease.”

Despite the scale of the event, Micallef said hazardous air quality is not currently included in New York’s legal definition of a disaster.

“In New York State we have things like tsunamis and volcanic activity listed as disasters, but we don’t have hazardous air quality,” he said. “That’s absolutely ridiculous.”

The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas and Senator Pete Harckham, would change that by formally recognizing hazardous air events as disasters. That would give the governor authority to declare an emergency and release funding and resources to local communities.

Supporters say that designation would help municipalities respond more effectively by distributing protective equipment such as masks, improving air filtration systems in schools and senior centers, and ensuring the public receives timely health guidance.

The legislation would also require local governments to incorporate air quality emergencies into their comprehensive emergency management plans.

Health advocates say the stakes are high, especially for vulnerable populations.

“People with preexisting lung disease are going to be the most vulnerable,” Micallef said. “But we also see disproportionate impacts on communities that have historically faced higher levels of pollution.”

Supporters say climate change is increasing the likelihood of events that degrade air quality, including large wildfires. But the bill would also address industrial emissions spikes that can suddenly worsen air conditions.

While the legislation moves through the committee process in Albany, health experts say residents should stay informed about air quality conditions in their communities.

Micallef recommends monitoring local forecasts and air quality alerts and limiting outdoor activity when conditions become unhealthy.

“You can easily check air quality online by searching your city or town along with air quality,” he said. “And if you need to go outside during hazardous conditions, wearing a medical-grade mask can help reduce exposure.”

Advocates with the American Lung Association are encouraging New Yorkers to contact their state lawmakers and urge support for the bill as it moves through the legislature.

Supporters say stronger planning and coordination now could help protect communities from future air pollution emergencies.

“Clean air is not a luxury,” Micallef said. “It’s essential to the health and safety of every New Yorker

Photo by: natasaadzic from Getty Images

Radio Catskill’s Julia Kim had the chance to speak with Angelo Guisado, an attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights who specializes in immigrants’ rights, and Weldon McWilliams, who serves as chair of one of the oldest Black Studies departments in the nation at SUNY New Paltz on how the history of ICE goes much deeper than what Americans are seeing right now and may be foundational to how we understand this country.

Orange County has its own cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu. Waterfowl, raptors, and even skunks have been affected across the state. Thankfully, no humans have transmitted the virus in New York State since 2022. Haley Motola is an epidemiologist in the Sullivan County Department of Health, where she focuses on the spread of pathogens like bird flu.

Radio Catskill’s Benjamin Land spoke with Motola about the virus and what her department is doing to prevent the spread into Sullivan County.

“ So bird flu is actually part of the Influenza A family. H5N1 is the technical term where we call it HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza),” described Motola. “A kind of influenza that usually only impacts wild birds, especially waterfowl, has gotten into the commercial poultry industry as well as backyard chicken owners and the dairy production industry.”

The Cornell Wildlife Health Lab and the Sullivan County Department of Health recommend being on the lookout for dead birds, especially multiple species in one place. If you do happen to find a swath of deceased birds, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation recommends reporting it.

Another way to take precautionary measures against bird flu is by avoiding raw milk, especially if it has not been heated or tested, according to Motola.

“ We've seen spillover from poultry into dairy cows, which is concerning because it's a mammal. So it's closer to humans,” Motola said. “It's a very high risk dealing with something that's a biological substance that could be contaminated with bacteria.”

The Sullivan County Department of Health also recommends getting your regular flu shots as a means of lessening the severity of the symptoms of bird flu in the unlikely event of contracting the virus.

Scism remains in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center, according to State Police. He has been charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing, both Class A misdemeanors.

The shooting happened on February 16 at about 12:42 p.m., after State Police from the Ellenville barracks responded to a 911 report of a man walking along Queens Highway toward State Route 209 while holding what appeared to be a handgun.

According to State Police, troopers located a person matching the caller’s description and issued multiple commands for him to show his hands. Police say the individual did not comply and displayed what appeared to be a firearm, prompting troopers to discharge their weapons.

Scism was struck during the encounter. Troopers then provided medical aid at the scene before he was transported by the Kerhonkson-Accord Rescue Ambulance and later airlifted to Westchester Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized.

Investigators later determined the weapon in Scism’s possession was a pellet gun designed to resemble a .357 Magnum handgun.

Speaking on Radio Catskill’s Local Edition, reporter Chris Rowley said the incident took place along Queens Highway, describing it as an unexpected location for a police shooting.

Rowley said the pellet gun closely resembled a real firearm, which likely contributed to the troopers’ response.

“[It] looks just like a real .357 Magnum,” Rowley said.

Rowley also reported that troopers issued commands before opening fire, and that Scism did not comply. He said the individual raised the object toward officers, leading to the shooting.

Emergency responders credited troopers with providing immediate medical care after the shooting. 

According to Rowley, local emergency officials said the actions taken by State Police at the scene helped keep the man alive until he could be transported to the hospital.

Speaking to a full audience at the Rosendale Theatre, Metzger said the county remains focused on meeting residents’ needs despite what she described as uncertain national conditions.

“The State of the County is strong, despite these unsteady times nationally,” Metzger said. “We remain focused on what our residents need — housing that’s affordable, communities that are safe, a healthy environment and local economy, and services that support our residents’ well-being.”

Housing was a central focus of the address, with Metzger highlighting efforts expected to add close to 700 affordable homes across the county. Projects completed over the past year include developments in Highland, New Paltz, and Kingston, with additional projects in progress, including an affordable housing cooperative and a supportive housing project at the former Quality Inn site.

Shawangunk Journal editor Chris Rowley, who discussed the address with Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo, said Metzger’s emphasis on housing reflects a continued priority for the administration.

“There are a couple of things that jump out,” Rowley said. “But for a lot of people, everyone knows that Metzger is a hawk on getting more housing.”

While Rowley said the number of new units is significant, he noted the broader need remains.

“That’s a reasonable number,” he said. “Obviously we could use more, but that’s a reasonable number.”

Among the proposals highlighted in the speech is a plan to create a 10% property tax exemption for full-time Ulster County residents. Metzger said she is working with State Sen. Michelle Hinchey on legislation to pilot the exemption, which would shift more of the tax burden onto second-home owners.

Rowley said the proposal is likely to draw both support and opposition.

“That is guaranteed to be popular with one group and not with another,” he said. “But that’s often the way it is with tax policy.”

He added that policies aimed at easing financial pressure on residents could draw attention from other counties facing similar challenges.

“Anything that offers a county a little bit more income… they’ll snatch at it,” Rowley said.

Metzger also outlined efforts to address homelessness, including a $2 million investment to create small, community-based shelters operated by nonprofit partners. The shelters are intended to provide temporary stability for families as they transition to permanent housing.

Rowley said housing instability has wide-reaching consequences, particularly for children.

“These families have been priced out of their rental apartments or they’ve lost their house, and they are now adrift,” he said. “That’s a terrible thing. It’s destabilizing for kids.”

He said frequent moves can disrupt education and long-term stability.

“Homeless children are not going to do well in school,” Rowley said. “They may be in one place this week and in Kingston the next. Which school are they going to?”

The county is also pursuing longer-term housing solutions, including a proposed social housing pilot in partnership with Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha and Hinchey, aimed at expanding permanently affordable housing options.

In addition to housing, Metzger highlighted investments in mental health services, including a 24/7 Crisis Support Center and expanded counseling services for children, as well as public health initiatives such as air quality monitoring and testing for PFAS contamination in private wells.

Transportation improvements were also included, with new Sunday bus service in Kingston scheduled to begin March 1 and expanded paratransit service to meet increased demand.

Metzger also said she plans to work with county officials to establish a countywide standard requiring law enforcement agencies operating in Ulster County, including federal agencies, to display visible identification.

Throughout the address, Metzger pointed to federal immigration enforcement practices, tariffs, and spending cuts as factors that could affect local communities, emphasizing the role of local government in responding to residents’ needs.

Rowley said the address outlined a broad set of initiatives, but their impact will depend on how they move forward.

“There’s a lot here,” he said. “We’ll see how the legislature handles all that.”

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with the Chamber’s new President and CEO, who is stepping into the role at a time when Sullivan County continues to focus on strengthening its business community, supporting entrepreneurs, and promoting sustainable development.

In the conversation, the new leader outlined priorities for the Chamber, including expanding support for small businesses, increasing membership engagement, and strengthening partnerships with local and regional organizations. They also highlighted the importance of adapting to changing economic conditions and ensuring that businesses have the resources they need to grow and succeed.

The Chamber plays a key role in connecting businesses, advocating for economic development, and promoting the county as a place to live, work, and visit. Under new leadership, the organization is expected to continue building on those efforts while exploring new opportunities for growth.

The new President and CEO said they are looking forward to working with local businesses, community leaders, and residents to help move Sullivan County forward.

Feb 13 2025

Trout Fishing in the Catskills needs attention to detail.

Ecosystems around the world are delicate. The one in the Catskills that supports the historic fly fishing culture is also a fragile thing. 

“ They (flooding) erode the banks. They get rid of all the indigenous trees that the roots hold, the structure of the stream back,” Doug Kluthe explained. Kluthe is a licensed fly fishing guide based in Phoenicia, New York. Kluthe grew up in the area where he learned from his grandfather, a contemporary of fly fishing legends like Lee Wulff and Art Flick. Like the fly fisherman that came before him, Kluthe is also a conservationist.

And without those key trees and bushes, it prevents the flies from having a place to breed.”

The New York State Climate Impact Assessment has reported that as waters warm, conditions may not support fish species that require colder water, like the prized indigenous fish of the Catskills, brook trout.

Kluthe explained the trepidation he has experienced in recent times because of the sensitivity of New York’s native fish.

“ All of a sudden we're in a heat wave, for the last two weeks and they (clients) really wanna go fishing and the water is up to 69, 70 degrees,” said Kluthe.

“It's really hard for me to take people out and fish for trout 'cause I know there's a really good chance you're gonna kill these fish, so either I have to find water that's gonna be less affecting the trout's health, or I have to target different species.”

There is still plenty to learn and catch with Catskills Fly Fishing Guide Service. Check them out for my info on guided fishing experiences and how to be better stewards of the aquatic environment.

The event will take place on Saturday, February 14, 2026, from 12 to 8 p.m. in the brewery’s taproom. Organizers say the celebration is designed for couples, friends and anyone looking to mark the holiday in a relaxed setting.

Activities include a Polaroid kissing booth, where guests can capture moments with their partners, as well as ceramic figurine painting for those looking for a hands-on creative option.

Live music will be provided by Mike Brown from 2 to 5 p.m. Brown is a Grammy-nominated producer, engineer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of Temperamental Recordings.

In a recent conversation, Radio Catskill’s Jason Dole spoke with Rare Pear Radio host Kassie Carlson about the event and what attendees can expect.

Organizers encourage guests to stop by at any point during the day to enjoy the festivities.

Weston, who has been incarcerated for more than 17 years, has drafted what he calls the “Incarcerated American Vote Act,” a federal proposal that would allow most incarcerated people to vote. The plan would restrict voting only for people convicted of specific offenses such as treason, terrorism, or espionage.

“Voting is not just a civic duty,” Weston said. “It is a constitutional and human right.”

Across the United States, more than two million people are incarcerated, and in most states, those serving felony sentences cannot vote. Weston argues that broad restrictions leave a large portion of the population without representation.

“How can we say everyone is fairly considered,” he said, “when millions are excluded from the process?”

His proposal would allow incarcerated individuals to vote in elections tied to their last known residence and require prisons to provide access to voter registration and absentee ballots. 

Weston also points to legal precedent, including a 1974 Supreme Court decision that protected the voting rights of pretrial detainees, to argue that incarceration should not automatically strip constitutional protections.

At the center of his argument is a broader question about the purpose of incarceration.

In his written proposal, Weston says prison walls are meant to separate people from society, not from their constitutional rights. 

For Weston, the issue is personal. Now 33, he says he has spent more than half his life incarcerated and has never voted.

“I’ve developed an interest in participating in our democracy,” he said. “But I’ve never had the chance.”

The debate over voting rights for incarcerated people continues nationwide, with supporters framing it as a civil rights issue and critics arguing that certain convictions justify the loss of that right.

Weston is serving time for a 2008 homicide and two 2012 armed robberies. Court records show he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the stabbing death of Robert Kwiatkowski at age 15, and received concurrent sentences of up to 10 years for manslaughter and 15 years for each robbery.

Weston says his goal is simple: inclusion.

“If we believe in democracy,” he said, “then everyone should have a voice.”

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is temporarily shutting down all offices, phone lines, and online services across the state for a major technology overhaul — a move officials say will eventually make transactions faster and more reliable.

Starting Friday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m., every DMV office will close. Services will remain offline through Tuesday, Feb. 17, with offices and online systems expected to reopen Wednesday, Feb. 18.

During the shutdown, no in-person visits, online renewals, or phone assistance will be available.

Speaking with Radio Catskill, Russell Reeves, the Sullivan County clerk who oversees the local DMV, said the change is long overdue.

“This system has been outdated for years,” Reeves said. “There have been a lot of add-ons and patches. This upgrade is meant to replace all of that and fix many of the problems we’ve been having.”

Why the shutdown?

Reeves said frequent technical issues — including system crashes and equipment failures — can quickly create long lines and delays.

“When the computers go down for even 10 minutes and you’ve got a room full of people, it backs everything up,” he said. “We’re hoping this new system will streamline the process and shorten wait times.”

The state has been training local staff for months in preparation for the transition.

Expect a busy reopening

Even with the improvements, Reeves cautions there could be a rush once offices reopen.

“DMV is such an integral part of people’s lives,” he said. “Whenever we close, even for a day, we feel it. I expect it to be busy right after we reopen.”

His advice: don’t wait if your paperwork is urgent.

“If you need something done right away — a renewal, registration, anything to get on the road — come in the week before,” Reeves said. “Take care of it now so you don’t get caught in delays.”

What to know

Here’s the quick breakdown:

All DMV offices close: Friday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m.

No online or phone services during shutdown

Services resume: Wednesday, Feb. 18

Expect heavier traffic when offices reopen

There may still be some early hiccups as staff and customers adjust to the new system, Reeves added, but the long-term goal is smoother service and shorter lines.

Liberty to World as Told by Kort Wheeler, Liberty Town Historian and Middle School History Teacher

Town Historian and middle school history teacher, Kort Wheeler,  has his eyes on bringing Liberty back into the limelight. Wheeler was named the town historian for Liberty a year ago, and his essay was chosen by the National Association of Towns Builders of America in their “How Towns Have Shaped Our Country” project.

The project aims to promote the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and Wheeler is one of six finalists from New York that were chosen. 

Wheeler believes acceptance is the number one reason why Liberty is a quintessential American town.

“The acceptance factor is what separates liberty from other towns. Groups that were not necessarily welcome with open arms in other parts of the country were welcomed here,” said Wheeler.

His essay touches on the ‘Borscht Belt’ and how pivotal establishments like Grossingers Hotel and Golf were for the entertainment industry.

“So many entertainers started here. A lot of its roots came from the Catskills and Liberty.”

Wheeler grew up in the town he lives in today and can even trace his lineage all the way back to the Mayflower. Starting as a golf teacher, his wife was influential in guiding his career to teaching in an academic setting.

Wheeler remembers shopping on main street with his dad on Christmas eve in downtown Liberty and says today he says Liberty is a bit different.

“You can still go fishing. The accessibility with our parks have gotten better. Your perspectives change as you get older,” said Wheeler.

The 250th anniversary of the country has been marked by civil unrest in Minnesota and other parts of the country with an Immigration Control Enforcement presence. Wheeler believes his students are being affected by the current attack on civil liberties in the United States.

“It makes teaching certain parts of history easier because of the current conditions.”

Wheeler sent his essay to help put Liberty back on the map and wanted the judges and readers of his essay to understand that Liberty has not gone away. 

In an interview with Radio Catskill, Patricio Robayo spoke with Eric Aweh, director of music for the Liberty Central School District, who described the festival as “a celebration of collaboration” among schools and communities.

About 125 middle and high school students from Liberty, Monticello, Tri-Valley, Rockland, and Eldred will participate. The day includes an afternoon clinic with guest clinician Michael Berkowitz, an internationally known conductor and drummer whose career spans major orchestras and legendary recording artists.

The festival culminates with a public concert at 7 p.m., featuring a traditional finale in which all student musicians perform together.

The event will be held at Liberty Middle School. Admission is $5, with a $25 maximum for families. A snow date is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 8.

The latest “State of Tobacco Control” report from the American Lung Association gives New York an F for tobacco prevention funding, even as tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the state.

More than 28,000 New Yorkers die each year from tobacco-related illnesses, according to the report .

“It is devastating to see the federal government largely abandon its tobacco control efforts,” said Michael Seilback, assistant vice president of nationwide advocacy and state public policy for the Lung Association. “States need to ramp up their tobacco prevention efforts even more to protect residents from disease and addiction caused by tobacco use.”

How New York graded out

Each year, the Lung Association issues report cards on state policies proven to reduce smoking and save lives.

This year, New York received:

• A – Smokefree workplace laws
• B – Tobacco taxes
• B – Access to quit-smoking services
• D – Ending flavored tobacco sales
• F – Funding for prevention programs

Seilback compared the results to a student’s mixed report card.

“If my kids came home with an A, two Bs, a D and an F, it wouldn’t be going on the refrigerator,” he said. “We’d be figuring out how to bring those grades up.”

Billions in revenue, millions in prevention

One of the biggest concerns: funding.

New York collects roughly $1.5 billion each year from tobacco taxes and legal settlement payments tied to the industry. But only about $33 million is spent on prevention and cessation programs — far below what health experts recommend .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the state invest more than $200 million annually based on its population.

That shortfall, advocates say, means fewer public education campaigns, less community outreach, and fewer resources for quitlines that provide free nicotine patches, counseling, and support.

“When you see those hard-hitting ads or hear about free quit help, that funding is what makes that possible,” Seilback said. “Without it, those services shrink.”

New products, new challenges

While cigarette smoking has declined over the decades, health officials say the fight is far from over.

Newer products — including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches like Zyn — are gaining popularity, particularly among young people.

Use of nicotine pouches in New York has doubled in recent years, according to advocates, and many products remain untaxed or lightly regulated.

Flavored tobacco also remains a major concern. Sweet and fruity flavors can mask the harshness of nicotine, making it easier for teens to start using.

“Flavors make these products easier to swallow — literally,” Seilback said. “They’re designed to attract kids.”

Disparities in marketing

Seilback said the industry also targets lower-income communities and communities of color more aggressively with storefront ads and promotions.

Neighborhood “walk audits” in places like the Bronx have shown a higher concentration of tobacco marketing near schools and corner stores.

“There’s nothing accidental about it,” he said. “These companies know exactly who they’re targeting.”

What advocates want next

With federal tobacco enforcement scaled back in recent years, health groups say states must lead.

The Lung Association is urging lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul to:

• Increase funding for prevention and quit programs
• Tax all tobacco and nicotine products equally
• Strengthen enforcement against flavored tobacco sales

Despite the setbacks, Seilback says there’s reason for optimism.

“There was a time when people smoked everywhere — indoors, restaurants, offices. That’s unthinkable now,” he said. “We know these policies work. If we keep pushing, we can get to a tobacco-free future.”

The full report and state grades are available at Lung.org/sotc.

A new report from personal finance site WalletHub estimates smoking costs the U.S. economy more than $600 billion each year, factoring in medical care, lost productivity, and other long-term expenses. And in New York, the numbers are especially stark.

The report ranks New York third in the nation for the overall financial burden of smoking. Researchers found the average smoker in the state could face nearly $6 million in lifetime costs when accounting for out-of-pocket spending on cigarettes, higher health and homeowners insurance premiums, lost income from smoking-related illnesses, and missed investment opportunities.

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, who worked on the study. Lupo said many smokers focus only on the price of tobacco products, but the true cost stretches far beyond the checkout counter.

Those hidden expenses include increased health care use, time away from work, and financial opportunity costs — such as money that could have been invested or saved. The report also highlights ripple effects on families, workplaces, and communities, where secondhand smoke and higher group insurance costs can impact non-smokers as well.

Lupo says quitting sooner rather than later can quickly improve both health and finances, with savings adding up almost immediately.

The full report, including state-by-state rankings and cost breakdowns, is available at WalletHub.com

Lara was elected County Treasurer in November, stepping into the county’s top fiscal leadership role after more than a decade inside the Treasurer’s Office. She previously served 11 years as Deputy Treasurer, helping manage daily operations and learning the complexities of county finances from the ground up.

“I’ve learned it from the bottom up,” Lara said in an interview with Radio Catskill. “I know every part of this office — from stuffing envelopes to handling foreclosures and surplus funds. I’ve seen every side of it.”

A lifelong Monticello resident, Lara traces her family roots in Sullivan County back generations. She grew up locally, graduated from Monticello High School, and later worked as a paralegal for 17 years before joining county government. Public service, she said, runs in the family: her father served on the Town of Thompson council and her grandmother worked as town clerk.

That background shaped her decision to pursue the Treasurer’s role.

“I’m honored and grateful for the trust the residents of Sullivan County have placed in me,” Lara said. “I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of our County with dedication, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.”

The Treasurer’s Office plays a central — and often behind-the-scenes — role in county government. Lara’s team handles the flow of money in and out of county accounts, issues payroll and vendor payments, oversees accounting, manages real property tax services, processes room and solid waste taxes, and handles foreclosure proceedings.

“People think all we do is sign checks,” she said. “There’s so much more.”

As she settles into the position, Lara says one of her top priorities is making the office more visible and accessible to residents. She plans to increase communication through newsletters, public outreach, and visits to towns and community groups to explain how the county’s financial systems work.

“I want to be a face people recognize,” she said. “If you walk into a government office and don’t know who to talk to, that’s frustrating. I don’t want this office to feel like that.”

She hopes clearer communication can also reduce confusion around taxes and foreclosures — processes that many residents find intimidating.

“Taxes are people’s paychecks. They’re people’s savings,” Lara said. “They deserve to understand where their money is going and how everything works.”

That approach extends to small changes, too. For example, the office now takes extra steps to track down why returned mail doesn’t reach property owners, rather than simply assuming residents will follow up themselves.

“People can’t pay a bill they didn’t know they had,” she said. “If we can make the process a little less painful, we should.”

Lara steps into the role at a time when county budgets are under close scrutiny and financial forecasts remain uncertain. She said the Treasurer’s responsibility is to provide realistic revenue estimates and advocate for taxpayers while working alongside lawmakers and the county manager’s office.

“Our job is to be careful and responsible,” she said. “Every dollar counts.”

Ultimately, Lara says she wants residents to feel comfortable reaching out — even if their question isn’t strictly about the Treasurer’s Office.

“If someone needs help navigating county government, I want them to feel like they can come see me,” she said. “A smile and a little time goes a long way. We’re here to help.”

Kimberly Izar spoke with Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger earlier today about the latest storm conditions and what residents can expect in the coming days.

The system delivered widespread snowfall totals of at least 12 inches, with some communities seeing significantly more.

“We saw a widespread snowfall across the region of at least 12 inches,” said Ben Watts, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Binghamton. “There were some higher totals in the Catskills of 15 to even 17 inches of snow. In parts of Pike and Wayne counties, we even saw totals as high as 20 inches.”

Watts said the storm largely performed as forecasters expected.

“Results generally fell within the forecasted range,” he said. “For most of the region we were looking at 12 to 18 inches, possibly higher amounts in the Catskills. This was pretty much what we were anticipating.”

Travel concerns linger

While the heaviest snowfall has ended, slick conditions remain a concern.

Road crews have treated many main highways, but patchy black ice is likely, especially on secondary or untreated roads.

“Anyone out on the roads, just take it easy,” Watts said. “Be prepared for maybe some patchy black ice, just in case.”

Officials are urging drivers to slow down and allow extra travel time.

Heavy snow, but limited structural risk

Despite the storm’s high totals, Watts said the dense, compacted snow shouldn’t pose widespread structural issues.

Based on what forecasters observed, he does not expect serious roof damage from this system.

However, clearing snow can still be physically demanding.

“It is a pretty dense snow now that it’s settled, so it’s going to feel a little heavy when shoveling,” Watts said. “Take frequent breaks, stay hydrated, and don’t overexert yourself.”

Next threat: Arctic cold

Forecasters are now shifting their focus from snow to extreme cold.

It’s too early to say whether another storm system could arrive this weekend, but temperatures will remain well below normal all week.

“We are looking at a very cold week ahead,” Watts said. “Highs are only going to be in the teens and lows will be in the single digits or even below zero later in the week. That’s going to result in wind chills well below zero each night and morning.”

The National Weather Service warns that wind chills could dip into the negative single digits tonight, with another Arctic blast expected Thursday through Saturday.

Residents are advised to:

Dress in layers

Cover exposed skin

Limit time outdoors

Check on vulnerable neighbors and pets

On Friday, a judge in New York’s Southern District issued a two-week temporary restraining order halting the administration’s plan to withhold funding from three major programs serving low-income families and people with disabilities. The proposed freeze targeted five Democratic-led states — including New York — and involved more than $10 billion in funding for programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Child Care and Development Fund, according to reporting by The New York Times.

The pause came after attorneys general from the affected states filed suit, warning that even a short interruption could disrupt child care, employment, and essential services for hundreds of thousands of households.

“It’s very scary”

In an interview with Radio Catskill, Nadia Rajsz, chair of the Sullivan County Legislature, said the uncertainty alone is already taking a toll.

Rajsz questioned how funding aimed at children and working families could be used as leverage in political disputes.

Ripple effects felt locally

While the lawsuit focuses on statewide funding streams, local officials say the consequences would be felt immediately at the county level. Child care subsidies, food assistance, and other social services are often the backbone that allows families to stay employed and financially stable.

Rajsz emphasized that rising costs have already pushed many households to the edge.

What happens next

The temporary order keeps funds flowing while the legal challenge continues. The case will now move forward under a different federal judge, with further hearings expected in the coming weeks.

In an interview with Radio Catskill, Atiq Weston outlined his proposal, the Presidential Pardon Powers Act of 2025, which would allow U.S. presidents to issue pardons for state convictions, not just federal crimes.

Weston spoke from Woodbourne Correctional Facility, arguing that the Constitution’s pardon clause should be interpreted more broadly. He says presidents, as the nation’s highest executive authority, should have clemency power equal to or greater than that of state governors.

He tied the proposal to what he described as systemic problems in state prisons, including inadequate medical care, limited mental health services, and a lack of meaningful avenues for relief. Weston said expanding presidential pardon power could offer incarcerated people an additional path toward review and redemption.

Weston is urging lawmakers, advocacy groups, and the public to review the proposal and consider broader reforms to clemency and prison oversight.

The Christmas–Hanukkah Holiday Mashup runs from 4 to 6 p.m. on the penultimate night of Hanukkah. The event is part concert, part history lesson, featuring music by Larry Bush and Susan Griss of the Starlight Duo, along with stories behind some of the most familiar holiday songs in American culture.

Many of those well-known tunes, including White Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, were written by Jewish composers — a fact that often surprises people.

“The idea really grew out of a conversation,” said Andrew Jacobs, Board President of the Borscht Belt Museum. After the Starlight Duo performed at the museum earlier this year, he and Bush began talking about holidays and music. “Larry told me about the history of Christmas music and how many of the most endearing and famous songs were written by Jews. I thought that would make a great concert and event.”

Jacobs said the program also serves as a way to kick off the museum’s winter season. After recently installing heat in the historic building, the museum can now remain open year-round.

“This felt like a great way to welcome people in during the winter and bring the community together,” he said.

For Bush, the music itself tells a deeper story about American history. Much of the Great American Songbook — music from the 1930s through the 1950s — was written by Jewish composers working in New York’s Tin Pan Alley and on Broadway.

“That music emerged primarily from African American composers and Jewish composers,” Bush said. “These songs became enduring standards because they’re full of feeling, romantic lyrics, and beautiful melodies.”

Bush noted that many composers changed their names during that era, often to avoid antisemitism, which may be one reason their influence isn’t always widely recognized today. Still, their work helped shape American popular music for generations.

During Sunday’s program, the Starlight Duo will perform selected classics while offering short stories about the composers and their broader body of work. The concert will include just two traditional Christmas songs — White Christmas and The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) — alongside other standards from the era.

The event will also include a menorah lighting and light refreshments, including latkes and eggnog. Jacobs said the goal is to create a warm, welcoming space for people of all backgrounds.

“In a time when the days are short and things can feel heavy, this is really about coming together as a community and celebrating light,” he said.

The Christmas–Hanukkah Holiday Mashup takes place Sunday, Dec. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Borscht Belt Museum, 90 Canal Street in Ellenville. All are welcome, with a suggested donation of $15.

In a recent interview with Radio Catskill, Sullivan County Clerk Russell Reeves said his office has handled multiple cases in which scammers attempted to sell or transfer property without the owner’s knowledge.

“This is becoming more and more prevalent,” Reeves said. “It’s a big issue with property fraud — deed fraud.”

How the Scam Works

According to Reeves, scammers often obtain information from publicly available land records and then pose as legitimate property owners. Using fake or altered deeds, they attempt to sell property or take out mortgages, sometimes without the real owner realizing anything is wrong until it’s nearly too late.

In one case, Reeves said, a separated couple jointly owned a property. One party attempted to sell the property without the other’s knowledge using fraudulent notarization. That case ultimately led to an arrest.

In another instance, a Sullivan County property owner who was staying in Florida received a letter from the county clerk’s office notifying them of a pending property transfer. That alert helped stop the sale before it went through. Reeves said that case involved someone operating from outside the country and remains under investigation.

“These scams are happening across the country,” Reeves said. “It’s not just here.”

Seniors and Absentee Owners Targeted

Reeves said scammers often target seniors, absentee owners, and people who own multiple properties. In some cases, scammers list properties for sale through real estate agents without the owner’s consent.

He described a situation in which neighbors noticed a “for sale” sign on a property whose owner had repeatedly said they had no intention of selling. When contacted, the owner was shocked to learn their land had been listed. The listing turned out to be fraudulent.

“They’ll get a copy of a deed or create a fake deed,” Reeves said. “They pose as the owner, advertise the property, and once the money is gone — especially if it leaves the country — it’s very hard to recover.”

Two Victims, One Crime

Reeves emphasized that these scams often create two victims: the legitimate property owner and the buyer who unknowingly purchases stolen property rights.

“The buyer thinks they’re acting in good faith,” he said. “But once that money is gone, there’s usually no way to get it back.”

If a fraudulent sale goes through, the original owner must go to court to prove they are the rightful owner. While they may eventually recover the property, Reeves said the legal process can be costly and stressful.

How the County Is Fighting Back

Reeves said the county clerk’s office has implemented safeguards to catch suspicious activity. One key measure is sending notification letters whenever a property transfer or mortgage is recorded.

“These letters work,” he said. “They’re catching a lot of this stuff.”

To strengthen protections, the clerk’s office also offers a free Property Owner Fraud Alert system. Property owners can sign up online to receive email alerts whenever activity is recorded against their property.

“There’s no charge,” Reeves said. “If anything happens with your property, you get notified by email.”

For residents who may not use email — particularly seniors — Reeves recommends designating a trusted family member or friend to receive alerts on their behalf.

How to Sign Up

Residents can sign up by visiting the Sullivan County Clerk’s website and navigating to:

County Clerk → Land Records → Property Owner Fraud Alerts

The system allows users to monitor multiple properties and has proven to be an effective deterrent, Reeves said.

“If someone needs help signing up, they can call my office,” he added. “We’re happy to help.”

What to Do If You Suspect Fraud

If a property owner believes fraudulent activity has occurred, Reeves said the matter is referred to the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office for investigation and prosecution.

“Time is of the essence,” he said. “The sooner we know, the better chance we have of stopping it.”

Reeves encouraged all Sullivan County property owners — especially seniors and absentee owners — to stay alert and take advantage of the free monitoring tools available.

“This is serious,” he said. “We’re talking about hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of dollars. These are people’s homes and land.”

The credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, which could leave millions of families facing premium increases of more than $10,000 a year.

The Senate is expected to vote Thursday to extend existing ACA tax credits for three years. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Representative Josh Riley about the new bill.

John Liddle, Commissioner of Health and Human Services for Sullivan County, told Radio Catskill the program officially reopened on December 1 and is now operating normally.

“The funding had to move from the federal government to the state, and then to local fuel vendors,” Liddle explained. “That caused delays, but everything is now functioning as it normally would.”

How to Apply for HEAP

Residents can apply for HEAP or check on the status of an application in several ways:

• By phone at 845-807-0142
• By email at heap@sullivanny.gov

• Online at mybenefits.ny.gov
• In person at county social services offices

Liddle encouraged residents who believe their benefits should have renewed automatically but have not seen changes yet to contact the county directly.

“There have been some changes in regulations connecting HEAP and SNAP benefits, and that may be creating issues for some people,” he said. “If something doesn’t look right, we want folks to reach out so we can fix it.”

Only One Emergency HEAP Benefit This Year

Unlike recent winters, which included extra funding tied to pandemic relief programs, this season will offer just one emergency HEAP benefit, expected to become available January 1.

“In prior years, there were usually at least two emergency benefits,” Liddle said. “That was due to additional federal funding during and after the pandemic. That extra funding has now dried up.”

He also confirmed that furnace repair, clean-and-tune, and replacement benefits are currently cut off for this season. However, county officials are advocating for the state to restore some of those programs before winter ends.

“We’re hearing some hopeful signs behind the scenes, but there’s nothing official to announce yet,” Liddle said.

Warming Centers Open Across the County

With sub-zero temperatures already hitting the region, Sullivan County has activated overnight warming centers, operating seven nights a week from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. These centers are not shelters but provide a safe place to stay out of the cold.

Warming center locations include:

• Liberty United Methodist Church, Main Street, Liberty
• St. John’s Episcopal Church, St. John Street, Monticello (near Broadway and the Monticello Diner)

Liddle said usage is already higher than in past years due to the early cold snap. In emergency situations after hours, residents experiencing homelessness can contact local police to be connected with warming centers or hotel placements.

Looking Ahead

In addition to winter heating concerns, Liddle also highlighted ongoing pressure on childcare affordability and urged residents to raise the issue with state lawmakers as budget negotiations approach.

For now, county officials stress that anyone who needs help with heating costs should apply as soon as possible and not assume their benefit has renewed automatically.

But for decades, a quieter, lesser-known booth ran out of an old arcade in Sylvan Beach, New York. It operated on a stockpile of supplies bought in the 1990s and stayed alive thanks to one family's dedication. It wasn’t something you'd find trending online. It was a local fixture, hidden in plain sight.

Today Radio Catskill’s Jamie Case speaks with Emily Botehlo, a photobooth enthusiast, about the final season of the Sylvan Beach booth, its quiet legacy, and how it was passed from one passionate family to another.

Hour Children operates the residential nursery at Bedford and their website says the service is, “providing infants born during their mother’s incarceration with critical bonding time with their mother. During the day, while mothers are attending school, mandated programs, or working, the infants are cared for in the Child Development Center, which is staffed by Hour Children employees and women who are incarcerated at the facility.”

The 2025 United States Prison Nursery report explains:

“Prison nurseries are arguably beneficial for three key reasons: promoting mother-baby attachment, reducing recidivism rates among mothers, and enhancing parenting skills. Developmental science emphasizes the importance of the period between zero to two years for critical infant attachment formation and the stability provided by consistent caregiver interactions.”

Dr. Lorie Goshin helped run a study on attachment styles in preschool-age children that participated in the Bedford nursery program as babies. They had more secure attachment styles than toddlers who had been separated from their mothers due to incarceration. Goshin explains, “ Because of how we're parented from very early on, we develop representations in our mind of our own deservingness of care and how how predictable and caring the world will be.” But even among mothers with insecure attachment, their toddlers didn’t have one, unlike the sample group that was not in the prison nursery program. “ The findings were quite remarkable in that way,” says Goshin. 

Opposition to the program is usually based on whether the mothers retain their parental rights as wards of the state. Also, some people are concerned about putting babies in an environment like a prison. Although, unlike inmates, the children may come and go. Goshin explains that critics think, “If a mother is facing these charges, then she doesn't deserve to continue in her parenting role” but she “fundamentally disagrees” with this idea. She argues “people come into contact with law enforcement and with the criminal justice system for so many different reasons, many of which don't have anything to do with their parenting role, and/or could be resolved with proper support.”

Only 132 voters, or about six percent of those registered, cast ballots in the heavily Orthodox Jewish community. Residents later told state officials they didn’t know an election was happening.

Sen. James Skoufis, who chairs the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, launched a probe after receiving complaints. Investigators found the Village Board moved the election from March 2026 to October 2025 during a special meeting announced with just one hour’s notice. The village also switched its official newspaper to a weekly publication outside the area and stopped posting meeting minutes for months.

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Times Union managing editor Philip Pantuso, who said investigators uncovered further issues: no public notices about the election on the village website or social media, and reports that officials encouraged residents to request absentee ballots and hand them over to village staff.

According to the Times Union, a village official acknowledged in a phone interview that the election was moved to October because local yeshivas — key communication hubs — are closed that month.

The investigation also found the village never filed required state paperwork when extending board terms in 2021, potentially leaving the mayor and two trustees in their seats illegally.

Skoufis has asked Attorney General Letitia James to consider invalidating the election through a quo warranto proceeding. The Attorney General’s Office confirms it is reviewing the matter.

Village attorney Norah Murphy said the election was conducted “in full accordance with all applicable laws.”

Meanwhile, Chamika Hataurusinghe was accompanying her husband to the emergency room that night, for an infection on his finger. However, she ended up needing more urgent treatment. Hataurusinghe said she was ushered by nurses into the lobby as the fire alarm went off. She saw two men fighting in her direction so she stood up to move out of the way. That's when she noticed the pain in her leg.

"As soon as I stood up, I realized my left leg got like totally numb. And then I screamed... I was looking at the people and said, 'My leg hurts. My leg hurts.' And no one cared. I thought I'm in shock... And so I was looking behind and I saw the one guy was laying on the floor. Another lady came and she gave me a wheelchair, and she took me inside to the ER.... Then, doctors opened my towel and they said I got a gunshot. And then next day they told me that it has gone inside and they did a surgery and took the bullet out."

Radio Catskill also spoke to Ryan Greenbaum, Executive Assistant District Attorney. He said they can't give any more information unless charges are filed against the security guard. " We've acknowledged that we are conducting the investigation but we we're not in a position at this point to disclose any further details," he said. St. Luke's did not respond to requests for comment and the fire department, who came on scene, referred press requests to the City Manager, who also did not respond. This is an ongoing investigation.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., families can enjoy a breakfast buffet, holiday crafts, music, and photos with Santa in HPAC’s transformed “winter wonderland” ballroom. Director of Development Lourdesa Hunt says kids may even spot the Grinch. Parents can also arrange for Santa to give their child a pre-wrapped gift, a tradition Hunt says became “magical” during last year’s event.

Breakfast costs $15 for ages 4+ and $5 for ages 3 and under, with food served from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tickets sold out last year, so HPAC encourages families to purchase early at HPACNY.org.

The festivities continue into Holiday in Hurley, the town’s community-wide celebration featuring the annual tree lighting.

At 6 p.m., HPAC hosts “Faith in Christmas,” a free concert by local musician Faith Kelly, blending holiday music and storytelling. The event also serves as a donation drive for the Federation for the Homeless, accepting non-perishable food items and gently used winter clothing.

HPAC has a full month of programming ahead, including family films, charity screenings, comedy night, a sensory-friendly showing of Home Alone, and craft workshops.

More information is available at HPACNY.org.

“The launch of the Veterans Treatment Court reflects the Third Judicial District’s deep commitment to addressing the unique needs of those who have served our country. Through a combination of accountability and compassion, this court will provide veterans, many of whom are battling addiction or mental health challenges, with the support and structure necessary for positive outcomes,” said Judge Christina L. Ryba in the press release. Judge Debra J. Young added, "Veterans Treatment Courts are acutely aware of issues that are unique to military life, and as such are well positioned to offer rehabilitative options to our justice-involved veterans."

Radio Catskill spoke with Joey Drillings, the Chief Assistant Public Defender for the Ulster County Public Defender's Office. He used to work with Sullivan County's veterans court before moving to Ulster. He made it a condition of his contract that if one was established there, he would be able to work with it. " My father was saved by veterans. I wouldn't be here, literally wouldn't be here, if not for the veterans of the United States Army," said Drillings. 

Diabetes brings not only health challenges but also a growing financial burden, with medical costs more than double for those diagnosed. But there’s encouraging news, too: diabetes can be managed — and in some cases prevented — through lifestyle habits, early detection, and good medical guidance.

To help us understand what living with diabetes really looks like, we spoke with Dr. Scott T. Hines, an endocrinologist with Crystal Run Healthcare and part of Optum Health. In our conversation, Dr. Hines breaks down the different types of diabetes, explains why early screening matters, and offers practical steps people can take — especially during the tempting holiday season — to stay healthy.

Type 1 vs. Type 2: What’s the Difference?

Dr. Hines began by explaining the essential role of insulin, the hormone that moves glucose out of the bloodstream and into the body’s cells for energy.
 Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot produce insulin at all. While often diagnosed in childhood, adults can develop it too — and treatment requires insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetes, however, accounts for 90–95% of cases. In this form, the body does make insulin, but not enough to overcome insulin resistance — a condition where the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin. Genetics play a role, but lifestyle factors such as weight, diet, and activity level strongly influence risk.

Warning Signs — and Why Many People Miss Them

A striking point Dr. Hines made: by the time noticeable symptoms appear, diabetes is often already advanced. These symptoms include:

• Frequent urination
• Increased hunger without weight gain
• Blurry vision

To catch diabetes earlier, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening every 1–3 years for adults ages 35–70 who are overweight or obese. Early testing can help prevent complications long before symptoms develop.

Who’s Most at Risk?

Family history matters — but differently depending on the type:

• Type 1 diabetes: Only about 10% of people have a family member with it.
• Type 2 diabetes: Up to 70% of people have a first- or second-degree relative with the condition.

But genetics are only part of the equation. “Fat cells produce hormones that counteract insulin,” Dr. Hines explained. “With weight loss, exercise, and healthier eating, you reduce those hormones — allowing your body’s natural insulin to work more effectively.”

Lifestyle Changes That Make a Difference

The first line of defense for both diabetes and prediabetes is lifestyle change. But Dr. Hines stresses realistic, long-lasting habits — not extreme or restrictive diets.

His core advice:

• Moderation, not elimination. You don’t need to give up bread or pasta — just be mindful of how much and how often.
• Choose complex carbs and add fiber. Higher-fiber foods have less impact on blood sugar.
• Measure serving sizes. Knowing what a true “portion” looks like can make a big difference.
• Incorporate both aerobic exercise and strength training. Movement helps the body use glucose more effectively.
• Aim for gradual weight loss. Losing just 5–10% of body weight can significantly improve blood sugar control.

For people with prediabetes, these steps can sometimes reverse the condition entirely — or at least prevent progression to full diabetes.

Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

Thanksgiving and the winter holidays can be especially tough for people trying to manage blood sugar. Dr. Hines encourages people not to fear enjoying special foods — as long as they keep portion sizes in check.

“If you want a slice of pumpkin pie, have it,” he said. “Just don’t have a quarter of the pie.”
 And remember: it’s one day. What matters most is getting back to healthy routines afterward.

Understanding Medication Options — Including Insulin and Ozempic

Medication is often part of diabetes management, especially when lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough.

Today, treatment plans vary widely based on a patient’s:

• Heart health
• Kidney function
• Risk for low blood sugar
• Medication costs and insurance

Dr. Hines noted that insulin carries a lot of stigma, often due to stories from decades ago when it was used only in very advanced cases. Today, insulin may be introduced much earlier — sometimes temporarily — to bring blood sugar under control.

He also addressed the growing interest in medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound, which belong to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists. While originally developed for diabetes, some versions are FDA-approved for weight loss as well.

“These medications help people lose significant weight and improve heart health,” Dr. Hines said. For some patients, weight loss medications can even prevent the onset of chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

When Does Dialysis Become Necessary?

Dialysis is a treatment for end-stage kidney failure — a complication linked to many years of poorly controlled diabetes. Dr. Hines emphasized that patients who manage their blood sugar well dramatically reduce their risk of ever needing dialysis or a kidney transplant.

A Final Message: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Dr. Hines closed with a message of reassurance:

“Diabetes is not your fault. It’s a complex condition influenced by genetics and lifestyle. What matters most is taking small, sustainable steps — and working with your healthcare provider on a long-term plan.”

The ten-episode franchise, wrapping up December 4, brings NPR voices together to revisit the books that shaped them, challenged them, or stayed with them long after the last page. It’s thoughtful, surprising, and full of the kind of literary enthusiasm Andrew is known for.

Why Reading Still Matters

When asked what keeps his love of reading alive, Andrew laughed and admitted it isn’t always easy.

“There are some books where I’m in the middle thinking, woof, what am I doing?” he said. But the real fuel, he explained, is finding someone else who read the same book — whether he loved it or hated it — and diving into that conversation.

“That kind of enthusiasm is contagious,” he said. “Even if you had complicated feelings about the book, hearing somebody else’s joy sparks something.”

A Debut Novel That Surprised Him

One of Andrew’s picks this year for Books We Love is Among Friends by Hal Ebbott, a debut novel about two families vacationing together — until a major, unexpected twist sends everything spiraling.

At first, Andrew wasn’t sold. “The opening felt a little too flowery,” he admitted. “But then I’d hit a sentence that bangs. And then another. Watching a debut novelist swing like that — even when not every swing connects — made me fall in love with the book.”

The Horror Novel Everyone Was Talking About

Another standout this year is The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, a novel Andrew knew other contributors were eager to recommend.

The book blends:

• a native vampire story,
• an epistolary structure reminiscent of Dracula,
• time jumps,
• and deeply rooted Native history from the Midwest.

“It’s spooky, smart, and full of heart,” Andrew said. “And it’s perfect for readers who don’t normally pick up horror.”

Reading, Writing, and… Half Marathons

Despite hosting a daily book podcast, Andrew admitted that some days he barely reads at all. On days when he’s writing heavily about books, reading simply isn’t in the cards.

Audiobooks have helped — especially lately, as he trains for a half marathon.

“For this series, there’s been a lot of listening while sweating through a gnarly run,” he said with a laugh.

Nonfiction Picks Worth Your Time

Andrew highlighted a few nonfiction selections contributed by other NPR colleagues:

• Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly

A sharp, labor-focused look at how Spotify treats musicians — and how streaming reshapes the music industry.
Andrew compared it to analyzing automakers and auto workers: “You could write this book about Ford or GM. It’s really about how creators fit into an industry that depends on them.”

• Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs

A reflective, personal exploration of James Baldwin’s life, relationships, and legacy. Andrew praised the emotional depth and the way it reframed Baldwin for contemporary readers.

The Themes That Defined His Year

When Patricio asked whether his personal picks shared a theme, Andrew paused — then admitted something unexpected.

“I didn’t plan it this way,” he said, “but a lot of what I read this year ended up being about approaching middle age and feeling… uncomfortable about it.”

One example is The Ten-Year Affair by Erin Somers, a multiverse-styled novel about a woman with a stable life, two kids, and a simmering dissatisfaction she can’t quite name.

“It’s about imagining the roads you could have taken — and wondering why stability sometimes feels unsettling.”

Books Colleagues Made Him Revisit

NPR voices brought plenty of surprises.
Michelle Martin’s love for True Grit by Charles Portis, for instance, made Andrew rethink the power of the story — especially for young girls who saw a fierce, capable heroine take charge of her own narrative.

Another colleague convinced him to give Dune by Frank Herbert a second chance — a book Andrew abandoned as a teenager.

“Now I think I’m Dune-pilled,” he joked.

Reading With Kids: What’s Changing

As a father, Patricio asked Andrew about trends in children’s books. Andrew, who reads nightly with his two-and-a-half-year-old, said he’s become very choosy — especially with books destined to be read a thousand times.

He’s noticing a shift toward stories that go beyond simple moral lessons.

“We’re reading more ambiguous books,” he said. “Not Breaking Bad levels of ambiguity,” he laughed, “but definitely less didactic. It’s been fun to see kids’ books evolve that way.”

What’s On Andrew’s Nightstand

Right now, Andrew is juggling:

• a collection of stories and poems by Ishmael Reed, and
• a volume of annotated lyrics by John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.

Two writers known for their experimentation, rhythm, and voice — fitting picks for someone who lives in language every day.

Listen to the Full Conversation

Books We Love and Books We’ve Loved are available now through the Book of the Day podcast through December 4.

To help keep families safe, Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with John Hauschild, Sullivan County’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety and Fire Coordinator. He shared practical tips to help avoid common Thanksgiving hazards, from deep-frying disasters to kitchen fires and dangerous late-night drives.

Deep-Frying a Turkey? Be Careful. Very Careful.

Hauschild says deep-fried turkeys may taste amazing, but they’re one of the top causes of holiday fires.

The biggest danger? Hot oil overflowing when the turkey is lowered in.

That becomes especially dangerous when fryers are used in garages, on decks, or near houses, where flames can quickly spread.

His advice:

• Always deep fry outdoors, on level ground, far away from buildings.
• Make sure the turkey is fully thawed and dry before cooking.
• Lower it into the oil slowly to avoid splashing and burns.

“And remember,” he says, “you can get burned yourself if you’re not careful.”

Heavy Holiday Travel: Slow Down and Stay Sober

Thanksgiving is consistently one of the busiest travel days of the year, and Hauschild urges drivers to take it seriously.

He also warns that drinking with family can lead to risky nighttime drives.

Add unpredictable late-November weather—rain, ice, even early snow—and the risk increases.

Hauschild’s message is simple:
 Enjoy yourself, but be responsible. A split second is all it takes for something to go wrong.

Candles and Decorations: Simple Traditions, Serious Risks

Candles are a holiday favorite, but they’re also a common cause of house fires.

Hauschild says to keep candles far away from anything that can burn:

• Curtains
• Drapes
• Furniture
• Holiday decorations

And never leave them burning unattended.

“Make sure the candles are out before you go to bed,” he says.

Food Safety: Don’t Undercook the Turkey

While not a traditional fire call, food safety issues—like improperly cooked turkey—come up often during the holiday.

Undercooked turkey can lead to foodborne illness, and handling raw poultry improperly can contaminate surfaces. He also jokes about another Thanksgiving hazard:

If Something Goes Wrong, Call 911 First

If a fire starts or something feels out of control, Hauschild says the first step is always the same:

The fire department would much rather arrive early to something small than arrive too late to something big.

“Make sure everyone is safe before trying to put out a fire yourself,” he adds. “Grease fires, kitchen fires—they can escalate quickly.”

Holiday Heating Hazards: Chimneys and Space Heaters

Thanksgiving weekend also brings cold weather and the first big use of fireplaces and space heaters.

Hauschild says chimney fires are another common call this time of year.

“People fire up their stoves and fireplaces for the season,” he notes. “Make sure your chimney is cleaned.”

For space heaters:

• Keep them 3–4 feet from anything combustible
• Never leave them unattended
• Plug them directly into the wall—not an extension cord

A Final Message from the Fire Coordinator

As families gather, cook, travel, and celebrate, Hauschild hopes everyone enjoys the holiday safely.

But in Monticello, the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless is once again stepping up. They’ll be giving out turkeys tomorrow and hosting a full Thanksgiving dinner for anyone who doesn’t have the means to make one at home—or anyone who simply needs a place to belong for the holiday.

Executive Director Kathy Kreiter says their doors are open to everyone, and she’s already seen demand rise in the weeks since the shutdown. More neighbors are coming in for help, and the Federation is doing what it always does: make sure no one is left out this Thanksgiving.

With the increase in monthly premiums, the Congressional Budget Office estimates as many as 40% of currently covered Americans will drop medical coverage all together. 

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with Dr. Katherine Hempstead, Senior Policy Advisor at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation about affordable options in a time of crisis and how universal health care reform could help keep us all healthier.

Edison, who has toured with bands like Sonic Youth and the Ramones and wrote a book about Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, joined Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo in the studio this week with guitar in hand to preview the show.

For Edison, Gospel from the Garage is both a performance and a purpose.

He talked about tracing rock and roll back to its roots in Black church traditions, discovering spirituals on truck-stop cassette racks while touring with punk bands, and finding inspiration in musicians like Odetta, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Blind Willie Johnson, and the Staple Singers. Those influences shape the sound he brings into the church each year.

Last year’s concert happened during a blackout that lasted nearly a full week. Power returned only minutes before showtime.

During the studio visit, Edison performed a powerful rendition of the traditional “In My Time of Dying” along with a new theme song he plays with his band, the Edison Rocket Train. Both performances showed his blend of spiritual grit, blues rhythm, and rock-and-roll drive, a style he jokingly calls “go-go gospel with the shaking beat.”

He also spoke about teaching at Bethel Woods, the value of music education for both kids and adults, and his belief that even simple instruments matter.

If You Go

Second Annual Gospel from the Garage
Saturday, November 22
4 PM
Riverside United Methodist Church in Barryville
Route 97 by the river
Proceeds support local food pantries

Edison says he will bring protest songs, traditional spirituals, and his electric guitar back into the church for another year of high-energy, community-centered music.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers have passed a $50.1 billion budget that makes additional investments in public schools, creates a tax credit for lower-income people, and ends the state’s participation in a climate program.

The bills that made up the final package won bipartisan approval in the state House and Senate on Wednesday. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the legislation that afternoon.

The deal ends a four-month budget impasse that stopped the flow of billions of state dollars to schools, counties, and nonprofits that provide critical public services. It includes a mix of compromises designed to win enough support in the divided General Assembly.

“I could have stood here on June 30 and brought you a budget that looked really different, that didn't have education funding, that didn't focus on our workforce development, didn't have a tax credit for working families,” Shapiro told reporters at a news conference after he signed the budget. “I think the key when you're in these positions — I know the leaders feel the same way — is staying at the table.”

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Among what Democrats touted as wins: a $178 million reduction in public school districts’ reimbursements to cyber charter schools and more than $500 million in new funding for the poorest schools to help close an “adequacy gap.”

Republicans, meanwhile, celebrated the end of Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a key climate program that caps carbon pollution.

The impasse was primarily driven by deep, partisan disagreements about state spending. While Pennsylvania is flush with cash built up during the pandemic, its annual bills for services like Medicaid and education regularly outstrip the state’s annual revenues.

The final deal leaves the state’s $7.4 billion rainy day fund untouched, but does use almost $4 billion from other reserves.

Democrats had also sought new, recurring revenue to stabilize the state’s public transit agencies, including SEPTA in Philadelphia. Ultimately, SEPTA was allowed to tap a special state fund, and Democrats dropped the demand.

Both sides spent the months since the June 30 deadline trading private proposals and increasingly harsh rhetorical broadsides as closed-door talks ebbed and flowed with no results.

All the while, the consequences of the impasse continued mounting.

Public schools across the commonwealth cut programs, spent down their reserves, or took out loans as the state failed to make billions in critical payments. The strain also extended to safety net programs like rape crisis centers, nonprofits like those that run early childhood intervention programs, and county-administered services such as foster care and homeless assistance.

Ultimately, the final budget deal was more than a billion dollars less than what Shapiro initially wanted and more than $2 billion over what the GOP had advanced.

"If we were just going to spend $50 billion,” state Sen. Dawn Keefer (R., York) told reporters Tuesday, “why didn't we do it four months ago?"

Education spending

The budget provides $565 million to aid schools that were found to be inadequately funded under a 2023 court ruling.

“For two straight years, a bipartisan commitment to adequacy signals that lawmakers have made this a non-negotiable priority until full constitutional compliance is achieved,” PA Schools Work, a coalition including the plaintiffs in that suit, said. “That represents progress and integrity.”

Those dollars will mostly flow to schools in low-income communities with students who need extra help or that face high property taxes.

The budget also includes $125 million for school facilities and $100 million for school mental health and safety, but otherwise only boosts the state’s general school district subsidy by $105 million, or 1.3%

Instead, districts will collectively save $178 million through a change to how the state’s cyber charter schools are reimbursed, a longtime bipartisan priority.

Pennsylvania school districts must pay tuition to charter schools for any students within their borders who opt to attend one. Districts pay online-only cyber charter schools the same rate that it does for brick-and-mortar schools, despite the former’s lower overhead costs.

The budget received immediate pushback from cyber charter school officials, who argued that the toll to their finances may be even higher than estimated.

“Fair funding cannot be a right reserved only for students in brick-and-mortar school districts,” Karla Johnson, CEO at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, said in a statement. “It must also belong to the more than 65,000 children who attend Pennsylvania’s public cyber charter schools, and depend on them for their education and their future.”

The deal also included another bipartisan cyber charter school reform: mandating weekly wellness checks on students, wherein a teacher or administrator must be able to visibly see the student to ensure their well-being. The original legislation was spurred, in part, by the death of a 12-year-old cyber charter student.

The budget does not create taxpayer-funded school vouchers — a Republican priority — but it does expand a popular tax credit program that underwrites scholarships for Pennsylvania students to attend private schools. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit, or EITC, will grow by $50 million to a total of $590 million.

No new revenue sources

Matt Mizenko, a General Manager at Nomorobo, says his company was anticipating conmen taking advantage of the shutdown. He told WJFF, "We saw, generally speaking, an increase in just overall call volume of about 80%. The number of calls within that increase that we've had to block depends on the region, but it's been anywhere from 50% to up to 150% of normal." Mizenko says people were particularly vulnerable due to uncertainty about food stamps, immigration status, and healthcare premiums. "Because no one in the government is answering phones, it's very easy for a scammer to call and say they are from the IRS, Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration, and there's no way for the person that's being victimized to call and verify whether that's true or not, because those agencies just simply aren't there." 

Artificial intelligence is also making it easier than ever to contact people en masse. Algorithms can identify people in financial trouble, collect contact information for them, and even write the messages. Mizenko referenced the unpaid toll text quoted above and explained, " That's why it propagated so quickly, because it's basically no effort to spin those things up and you get a lot of money. If you can get 10 people to pay a $500 fine, you've now made $5,000."

Now that the shutdown has ended, Mizenko anticipates scams shifting back to ones that are usually prominent this time of year. Right now, that means taking advantage of open enrollment season for healthcare. Then, he predicts, "after the first of the year, we'll see the IRS scams pop up and then in the middle will be the package scams because people are worried about if they're going to get their packages for their holiday gifts."

As the technology gets more sophisticated and situations like a shutdown leave people particularly vulnerable, it's easier than ever to fall prey to a scam. " One of the most important takeaways that we got from (our) research survey was that anybody can be a victim and you should certainly not victim blame... scamming cuts across every demographic." 

The talk will be led by Rich Hascha, a longtime history enthusiast who has been piecing together the story of Cooks Falls through original postcards, old photographs, and years of research. What began as a personal curiosity has grown into an unexpected treasure trove of local history.

Hascha, who has fished and visited the area since the early 1980s, moved to Cooks Falls permanently in 2010. He said the project started almost by accident when a neighbor mentioned that a postcard of his house—dating back more than a century—was being sold online.

“I looked it up, and sure enough, there was my house on Maple Avenue in a postcard from the early 1900s,” Hascha said. “That opened the door. I started collecting more, reading up, and realizing just how vibrant this hamlet once was.”

Postcards were booming in the early 20th century. With cheap mailing costs and limited access to personal cameras, visitors relied on them to share their travels. Cooks Falls, despite its small size, produced hundreds of these cards—many of them real photographic postcards, some taken by German photographers known for high-quality equipment.

Through these images, Hascha discovered a Cooks Falls that looked nothing like the quiet hamlet people know today. In the mid-1800s and early 1900s, the area was home to thriving industries: acid factories, lumbering operations, bluestone quarries, and even a dye works facility that supplied dyes used for U.S. military uniforms during World War I.

“It was a very industrious area at one time,” Hascha said. “A lot of people don’t realize what was produced here, or how many locals were employed by these factories and mills.”

Tourism also played a major role in the region’s growth. The Ontario & Western Railway brought visitors from New York City to hotels throughout the Catskills. Cooks Falls became a popular stopover, home to multiple hotels—including the once-grand Francisco House and Mountain Lake Hotel.

Hascha’s presentation also highlights smaller, colorful pieces of local history: a nickel ferry that once carried passengers across the river, the dynamiting of a waterfall in the 1850s to move lumber downstream, and the massive log rafts—some 100 feet long—that floated all the way to Philadelphia.

Beyond industry and postcards, Hascha hopes audiences appreciate how much of this history survives because people held onto physical artifacts—items that don’t always persist in the digital age.

“Fifty or sixty years from now, there might not be a record of our lives the way there is for previous generations,” he said. “These postcards and photographs are pieces of someone’s story, and they still connect us.”

Saturday’s presentation doubles as a fundraiser for the Roscoe Shepherd’s Food Pantry. Attendees are encouraged to bring a canned good or make a small donation. There is no admission fee.

For Hascha—who jokes that he’s “not a big public speaker”—the goal is simple: share what he’s learned and keep this local history alive.

“The more people that come, the better,” he said. “If it fills the room, that just means more people care about keeping this history alive.”

The Rich History of Cooks Falls
Saturday, 3 p.m.
Roscoe O&W Railway Museum
7 Railroad Avenue, Roscoe, NY
Donations of canned food are encouraged.

The production features Carol Montana, Big Sky’s Artistic Director, and Margaret Bruetsch, a writer and actress from Cochecton, who discovered decades-old correspondence from their own relatives. What began as a personal act of remembrance evolved into a moving theatrical experience that connects the past and present.

“I found letters between my parents while cleaning out their house,” Montana said. “They couldn’t write much about what was happening because my father was in the Signal Corps, but reading them brought me closer to them. I wanted to share that feeling with others.”

For Bruetsch, the letters were a family treasure unearthed just in time. “My mom saved them before my great-grandparents’ house was demolished,” she said. “Reading through them was emotional—it felt like getting to know family I never met. Some were heartbreaking, but others were funny and full of life.”

Together, the two curated a selection of excerpts that blend humor, love, and loss. The performances also include displays of photos, a Purple Heart, and bound collections of the original letters for attendees to explore.

Shorts & Sweets Honoring Veterans: Dear Folks continues its run this Sunday, November 9, at 2 p.m. at the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum in Hurleyville. The final performance will take place Friday, November 14, at 5 p.m. at the Tusten-Cochecton Branch of the Western Sullivan Public Library in Narrowsburg. Admission is free, with donations benefiting the Historical Society.

For more information, call 845-985-3175 or visit the Big Sky Productions Facebook page.

However, Congressional reports and medical records show evidence of this concerning pattern that is splitting up families nationwide and is illegal under ICE’s 2021 Guidelines.

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with  Juana Cortes de Torres,  Director of the Legal Immigrant Rights Project at Rural and Migrant Ministry in South Fallsburg, about any indications of these detentions in Upstate New York and how all of us can be better neighbors to those who may be at risk.

Lyons joined The Local Edition to talk about how the incident happened, what the sheriff’s office is saying, and why critics are calling it a “gross incompetence” that could have led to tragedy.
Read the full Times Union story here.

A Weapon That Went Unnoticed

According to Lyons, the case began with a traffic stop in Monticello, where sheriff’s deputies had been increasing patrols after a string of summer shootings.
“They stopped a car with three individuals,” he said, “and recovered a loaded handgun in the seatback. None of the men claimed it, so they brought all three in for questioning.”

During that process, one of the suspects — who had already been frisked at least twice — still had another gun concealed in his coat pocket. He went through interrogation, arraignment before a village judge, and jail intake without anyone discovering it.

“It’s remarkable,” Lyons said. “This man was inside a secure facility, behind bars, wearing that same coat — and the gun wasn’t found until another inmate overheard him bragging about it and alerted staff.”

A Chain of Missteps

When the weapon was finally recovered, Lyons says it wasn’t logged as evidence. Instead, it was locked away in an administrative safe — untested and unreported.

“There was no incident report. No notice to the state Commission of Correction, which oversees jails,” Lyons said. “That report only went in nearly two months later — and only after a civilian tipped off the state agency.”

Sheriff Michael Schiff told the Times Union the gun remains in that safe and defended his department’s handling of the matter, calling it “sloppy police work” but denying any cover-up. Schiff also said prosecutors advised that a search warrant might have been required to seize the weapon — a claim multiple legal experts disputed.

“There’s no expectation of privacy in jail,” Lyons explained. “Prosecutors and judges we spoke with called that reasoning laughable.”

Unanswered Questions

The sheriff’s office has not filed additional charges against the suspect, and the weapon still hasn’t been tested for DNA or ballistics. That’s especially concerning, Lyons said, because some recent unsolved shootings in Monticello involved a .22-caliber firearm.

“The sheriff said the gun was inoperable,” Lyons added, “but other law enforcement sources told me that’s not a reason to skip testing — you can still check for DNA or ballistics matches.”

Schiff, who’s up for re-election, has suggested the story’s resurfacing is politically motivated — pointing to his write-in challenger, retired State Police investigator Timothy Dymond. Lyons, however, says the facts speak for themselves.

“Whatever the politics,” he said, “there were protocol violations here that need to be addressed.”

Image: Sheriff Michael Schiff (Credit:
 Sullivan County Government Facebook) 

Radio Catskill’s Jason Dole spoke with Dr. Jennifer H. Menell, a board-certified diagnostic radiologist with Optum Medical Care and Crystal Run Healthcare, about how new technology and simple habits can make a difference.

Dr. Menell, who trained at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says the key to survival is early detection:

One major advancement is 3D mammography, now available at CareMount and Crystal Run facilities across the Hudson Valley. The technology improves detection, especially for women with dense breast tissue, and is covered by most insurance providers.

She recommends annual mammograms starting at age 40, with earlier screenings for those with a strong family history or BRCA gene mutations.

Menell also emphasized that healthy living supports prevention:

Access remains a barrier for some, but Menell notes that local providers are expanding options—with evening and Saturday appointments to help working women and parents find time for screenings.

Despite the challenges, Menell remains optimistic about the future of breast cancer care:

The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York is launching the largest single-day Thanksgiving meal distribution in New York State history — a first-of-its-kind effort that will reach families across the Hudson Valley.

Working with community partners and more than 800 volunteers, the Regional Food Bank will provide over one hundred fifteen thousand Thanksgiving meals to more than twenty-five thousand people in Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Rockland, and Sullivan counties. The initiative is part of a broader statewide effort that will see more than 350,000 meals distributed in one day across the Food Bank’s 23-county service area.

“This is the largest Thanksgiving distribution in the state,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank. “We know the need is greater than ever, especially with federal spending cuts this year that eliminated more than seven million pounds of food to our region — that’s more than 5.8 million meals.”

Meeting a Growing Need

Barry Lewis, Senior Public Affairs Officer for the Regional Food Bank, spoke to Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo about the increasing demand for food assistance and how this year’s Thanksgiving program came together.

“Last year, when we stepped in to help with Thanksgiving distribution in the Capital Region, we served 150,000 meals across six counties — and they went in just 90 minutes,” said Lewis. “That told us everything we needed to know about the demand. This year, we’re expanding across all 23 counties we serve, including the Hudson Valley and North Country.”

The Hudson Valley distribution will take place on Friday, November 22, with the Sullivan County site located at the Government Center in Monticello. Cars can drive up beginning at 10 a.m., and volunteers will fill vehicles with bags weighing more than 30 pounds, including turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, potatoes, vegetables, and other holiday essentials.

“It’s going to be more than one meal,” said Lewis. “We want to give families a real holiday experience — something to last beyond just Thanksgiving Day.”

Open to All — No ID Required

Lewis emphasized that there are no eligibility requirements for those seeking meals.
“If you need a meal, you drive up or walk up and you’ll get one,” he said. “We’re not checking IDs or asking for proof of income. We’re here to serve the community.”

The Food Bank is also delivering Thanksgiving meals to a dozen senior housing sites throughout the Hudson Valley, including locations in Dutchess, Orange, and Putnam counties.

As food prices, rent, and heating costs rise, Lewis said more working families and seniors are turning to food banks for the first time. “We’re seeing people who have jobs, who are working hard, but just can’t stretch their paychecks far enough,” he said. “They haven’t done anything wrong — life just got harder, and we’re here to fill that gap.”

Volunteers and Community Support

The Thanksgiving distribution relies heavily on volunteers and local sponsors.

 “We’d have to hire two dozen more full-time staff to do what our volunteers do,” said Lewis. “They’re critical to everything we do.”

Residents who want to help can sign up for volunteer shifts at regionalfoodbank.net.

Lewis noted that the Monticello event will be finished by noon, making it an ideal opportunity for families to volunteer together. “It’s a great way to show your kids how they can make a difference in their own community,” he said.

Key sponsors of the Thanksgiving effort include Stop & Shop, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, Price Chopper/Market 32, Highmark Blue Shield, ShopRite, Walden Savings Bank, and numerous local partners.

How to Help or Receive a Meal

The Sullivan County distribution takes place at the Government Center, 100 North Street, Monticello, beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 22.

Additional Hudson Valley pickup sites include:

• Montgomery (Orange County): Regional Food Bank, 580 State Route 416
• Newburgh (Orange County): Mount Saint Mary College, 330 Powell Avenue
• Poughkeepsie (Dutchess County): Dutchess Community College, 53 Pendell Road
• Woodstock (Ulster County): Good Neighbor Food Pantry, 16 Rock City Road
• Pomona (Rockland County): Clover Stadium, 1 Phil Tisi Way

For more information, to donate, or to volunteer, visit regionalfoodbank.net

Josh Stephani, the Director of the Adirondack Food System Network, said "We've actually had some food pantries reporting their numbers have cut in half because they're fearful; many of their clients and their guests, especially their non-English speakers, are fearful to attend."

Julia McCarthy, a Senior Program Officer at New York Health, introduced her panelists to an eager audience. "When we surveyed grantees ahead of this conference, we asked people who they wanted to hear from, and the answer was very clear. People wanted to hear from other local advocates to know what was working in their region and what was making them excited. And so I'm really delighted today to be able to ask three New Yorkers who are working in their own communities to ensure that there not only is access to food, but there is choice and dignity in accessing that food."

A Co-Executive Director at Catskills Agrarian Alliance, Francis Yu, helped represent the region at the conference. Their organization helps marginalized farmers and connects producers to consumers. They said, "It's been really great to listen in on what folks are doing around the state and just see some colleagues who are doing amazing work in their respective places across New York." They said the Alliance is responding to the changing landscape under President Trump's new budget. "We're seeing longer lines at the pantry. We're seeing more intake demand from these organizations, from hungry people and hungry families. And what we're seeing now with this administration is the severe cuts and setbacks that have in many cases terminated programs that were funding this kind of essential support."

The conference met on October 14th at the New York Bar Association near Times Square. It included a presentation about food access for the elderly, in addition to the panels, and a keynote speech by Corby Kummer, the Executive Director of Food and Society at the Aspen Institute. David Sandman, President and CEO of NYHealth, reflected, “We brought together leaders to strengthen advocacy, share best practices to adapt to federal changes, and protect access to healthy, affordable food for all New Yorkers.”

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett provides an update on what we know so far about the investigation.

But after ten years of in-depth, nonprofit journalism, Delaware Currents will shut down at the end of the year. Recently, Meg McGuire spoke with Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo about how Delaware Currents began, the stories she’s most proud of, the challenges of sustaining independent local journalism, and what led to the difficult decision to bring the publication to a close.

They also talked about what’s next — both for Meg and for the future of environmental reporting in the Delaware River region.

"Using AI, the attackers are really supercharging themselves because it used to be you'd get an email and it was pretty obvious that it was phishing. The grammar was wrong. There were bad references. But now you can just prompt engineer it and say, 'write me an email that says this, and it's grammatically perfect...' So it's very easy for people to fall for. I know plenty of technical folks that, if you're under enough stress or you're not paying a hundred percent attention, it's very easy to just click on the thing because you're trying to get it done. And then you realize later on that they took your credit card number or whatever they were asking for."

Sinno explains that basic steps like creating unique passwords and verifying suspicious texts can make a huge impact. But, there's a responsibility on companies as well. Google, like many tech companies, has drawn concern over the use of AI data. Sinno says he cannot speak to specific policies but that users should be aware of privacy terms when interacting with any artificial intelligence.

He says Cyber Security Month is primarily about awareness and that at its core, internet safety can be remarkably simple. "My mom always said when I was little, 'don't talk to strangers.'" He emphasizes, "You need to approach everything with a level of skepticism that if you're not a hundred percent sure who you're communicating with, you need to verify it."

Taft’s reporting sheds light on how state and local governments are responding to federal immigration enforcement — from county jails holding ICE detainees to statewide efforts to resettle recent arrivals. Her stories highlight how these policies shape not only immigrant lives but the entire fabric of New York communities.

“People think of immigration as a federal issue,” Taft says, “but what local sheriffs, mayors, and state officials do has a huge impact on whether New York lives up to its values.”

She also discusses the challenges of reaching detained or fearful sources and the importance of making direct contact with those most affected. “I try to make sure I’m hearing from people who are directly impacted, not just officials,” she explains.

As New York continues to navigate its role as a place of refuge and reinvention, Taft’s work underscores a truth at the heart of Hispanic Heritage Month — that telling the stories of immigrants is essential to understanding who we are.

Carter Walker, Votebeat

Oct 6, 2025 at 5:00am EDT

Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Pennsylvania’s free newsletter here.

In August, President Donald Trump vowed on social media to “lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS.”

In Pennsylvania, though, Republicans are sending voters a different message as they work to unseat three state Supreme Court justices this November, a historically difficult feat that will require turning out as many voters as they can.

“In 2024, we voted by mail and flipped Pennsylvania red,” a video ad from the Republican State Leadership Committee said, before urging voters to go to a website to request their mail ballots for the judicial retention election.

Republican voters in the commonwealth have been getting these kinds of clashing messages for years, said veteran GOP consultant Christopher Nicholas, noting that Trump’s conflicting statements mail voting in particular has meant “it has taken our base longer to integrate new voting options.”

But as state-level Republicans increasingly embrace mail voting, it appears voters are starting to as well.

For this November’s election, about 12,000 more Republican voters have requested mail ballots than did for the last municipal election in 2023, and there are still more than three weeks left to request a ballot.

As more of these voters use mail voting, Nicholas said, it has become less “scary” to them.

How the rhetoric on mail ballots shifted

It took the party a while to get to this point.

After the 2020 election, many Republicans cast doubt on the integrity of mail voting, and some legislators even tried to repeal the 2019 law that made it easier to vote by mail in Pennsylvania.

Republican voters shied away from it, too. For the six primary and fall elections from 2021 through 2023, Republicans made up only about 22% of all requests for mail ballots.

But the Republican rhetoric on mail ballots started to shift in Pennsylvania a few years ago.

After losing his 2022 bid for governor by roughly 15 percentage points, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Trump ally, said Republicans “have to embrace no-excuse mail-in voting,” and blamed his loss on their reluctance to do so.

Last April, in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, was featured in an ad encouraging Republicans in the state to vote by mail.

“If you’re working a double shift, or family responsibilities prevent you from voting on Election Day, Joe Biden wins,” he says in the ad. “Pennsylvania, I need you to join the mail-in voting list today.”

Trump himself also encouraged mail voting at times last year.

And it seemed to have worked. In the 2024 presidential election, Republicans made up 32% of voters requesting mail ballots, a greater portion than ever before.

Still, Trump has persisted with his rhetoric against mail voting.

“ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS,” he wrote in an Aug. 18 social media post. “I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS.”

Jim Billman, chair of the Berks County GOP, said he agrees with the president’s recent statements and would like to see non-absentee mail voting eliminated, as he considers it too susceptible to fraud. But despite how he feels, he said Republicans still need to take advantage of the option in order to be competitive with Democrats.

“Even though we want to see this end someday, right now, it is the law of the land,” he said, so his advice to voters is “If you can’t get out to cast your ballot in person, cast a mail-in ballot.”

Infrequent voters are the target

When considering turnout, political parties and activists often think of voters in terms of how often they vote within a four-year election cycle. A “four year,” or “4y,” voter is one who votes every election, and can generally be counted on to cast a ballot.

But voters who rarely or never cast ballots, or only vote in the even-numbered years associated with bigger federal elections, are the ones parties hope might use mail ballots.

These are the “iffy votes” that Billman said he’s targeting for mail-in ballots. “You really have no excuse if your mail-in ballot comes to your house.”

The state Republican Party takes a similar line. James Markley, communications director for the Pennsylvania GOP, told Votebeat and Spotlight PA that while mail voting has its flaws, the party encourages voters to use any “legal means necessary” to cast their vote.

“If mail-in balloting is part of the process, and voters can’t make it to the polls on Election Day, then they should request a mail-in ballot and make sure their voices are heard,” he said.

The state GOP’s website gives three ways to cast a ballot, with the first two being versions of mail voting, and in-person voting listed third.

Scott Presler, a conservative activist who primarily focuses on turning out swing state voters for Trump, has also been pushing mail voting heavily on his social media pages, calling it an “emergency backup ballot” voters can use if they are unable to make it to the polls on Election Day.

Nicholas, the Republican consultant, said that for party officials, how GOP voters turn in their ballot is much less important than making sure they vote.

“Winning a campaign,” he said, “is preeminent.”

Carter Walker is a reporter for Votebeat in partnership with Spotlight PA. Contact Carter at cwalker@votebeat.org.

Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization covering local election integrity and voting access. Sign up for their newsletters here.

Weston, currently serving a 15-year sentence for manslaughter and robbery, has dedicated his time behind bars to research and legislative advocacy. Along with fellow inmates, he discovered that more than half of U.S. states have yet to fully adopt the federal amendment that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in 1865.

“There is no reason why any state should not already be in full compliance,” said Weston. “Without the 13th Amendment, minorities in America would still be acknowledged as property.”

Weston’s activism extends beyond prison reform. He recently proposed a federal bill — the Torture and Terrorism Deterrence Act of 2025 — which he says was acknowledged by Congressman Pat Ryan’s office. The bill seeks to prosecute mass shootings, hate crimes, and cyberattacks as acts of terrorism and would enhance protections for public officials and critical infrastructure.

Despite his incarceration, Weston continues to seek clemency, citing what he calls an unconstitutional conviction. “All human beings are worthy, regardless of the mistakes they’ve made,” he said.

He’s also critical of current prison conditions, describing retaliation and deteriorating quality of life for inmates following recent staffing shortages and strikes. While he credits the military presence at Woodbourne with improving professionalism, he questions its legality under New York military law.

Calling on lawmakers and civil rights groups to act, Weston hopes his efforts will inspire legislative change — both inside and outside the prison walls. “This is about respect, human dignity, and fixing what should have been corrected 160 years ago,” he said.

He told Radio Catskill over Zoom:

"One of my daughters works for the government. Nobody wants the government workers to suffer. That's a terrible situation. However, what the Democrats in this situation are arguing for is to change the drastic nature of the cuts in Medicaid and Medicare, and also in the supplements for Obamacare. They're right. If those things go into effect as they're currently in the bill, it will be a catastrophe for healthcare."

He elaborated, "The big loser's going to be the hospitals. And the hospitals right now in this country are in (a) very tenuous financial situation."

Some areas are in particular need of volunteers but measurements from all over are being sought after. A notice sent out in July by Bressler is addressed to the "stream monitoring community in PA, DE, NJ, MD, and NY" and reads: "The Stroud Center is planning this community science stream monitoring event to characterize salt pollution levels and patterns in streams and rivers to better understand the accumulation of road salt across a wide variety of landscapes. The primary goal of this effort is to generate the best data possible to illustrate the year-round presence of road salt contamination in our watersheds and use these data to help start local conversations and bring the pervasive salt pollution issue more into the public eye. Road salt is an especially local issue because private applicators and municipalities are major sources of road salt, and this means that local data are important, if not vital, in this conversation."

As part of Radio Catskill’s continuing Hispanic Heritage Month series, Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with María Hinojosa, the longtime host and executive producer of Latino USA, which now airs Thursdays at 2 p.m. on Radio Catskill.

Hinojosa, born in Mexico City and raised in Chicago, has spent more than three decades reporting stories that often go unheard in mainstream media — stories that highlight the lives, struggles, and achievements of Latino communities across the United States.

She is the founder and CEO of Futuro Media Group, a nonprofit newsroom based in New York City dedicated to elevating diverse voices in public media. Over her career, Hinojosa has earned multiple Emmy and Peabody Awards, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting for the podcast Suave. She is also the author of Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America.

Hinojosa on Hispanic Heritage Month

During the conversation, Hinojosa reflected on how her view of Hispanic Heritage Month has evolved over the years.

“I was not a big fan of Hispanic Heritage Month,” she said. “I don’t even use the word Hispanic to describe myself. But now, given our reality, I’m a big fan of Latino Heritage Month. We need to celebrate who we are — and tell the truth about who we are.”

Hinojosa said the celebration has taken on new urgency in recent years, as misinformation and political rhetoric have distorted public perceptions of Latino communities.

“For basically a decade, the Republican Party and Donald Trump have created a narrative about us that is not true,” she said. “We have to do the hard work to tell the truth about who we are. Look around — the Latinos in your community are not who this administration says we are.”

Independent Journalism and the Fight Against Misinformation

Hinojosa described Latino USA as “100 percent independent,” produced by the nonprofit newsroom Futuro Media, which relies on listener support rather than corporate or political influence.

“You can’t fire us,” she said with a laugh. “The only people who can fire us are our listeners.”

That independence, she said, allows her team to pursue “journalism with heart” — fact-based reporting that balances seriousness with humanity.

“We never set out to be activists,” Hinojosa said. “We just wanted to be journalists. But now, the truth itself has become our mission.”

Hinojosa said the program seeks to reflect the full spectrum of Latino life — not just hardship, but also joy, humor, and culture.

“We don’t only want to do journalism that’s sad or depressing,” she said. “Our responsibility is also to bring humor, laughter, and culture. That’s why people trust us.”

A Changing Community, A Changing Show

After more than 30 years on the air, Latino USA continues to evolve. Hinojosa said the Latino population in the United States is growing rapidly and diversifying, and her newsroom is adapting to reflect those shifts.

“We have to be curious about how the Latino and Latina population keeps changing,” she said. “We’re flexible, and that helps us tell these stories well.”

Looking ahead, Hinojosa said she hopes to expand Latino USA’s presence on social media and explore producing visual versions of the program to reach new audiences.

“We’re always evolving — that’s what’s kept Latino USA on the air for three decades,” she said.

Hope for the Future

Despite growing challenges — from political division to misinformation — Hinojosa said she remains optimistic.

“There is no bad from which good cannot come,” she said. “Out of this moment, leaders will emerge — young people whose lives are being shaped right now. They’re going to redefine what it means to be Latino in America.”

Hinojosa said she sees the next generation as key to shaping the country’s future and urged those with privilege or visibility to speak out and support democracy.

At the close of the conversation, she and Robayo reflected on the importance of representation in public media.

“You are one of the reasons I fell in love with public media,” Robayo told her. “There was a voice that spoke to my community — one I wasn’t hearing anywhere else.”

Hinojosa replied, “Each one teach one — and others will follow you. That’s how we keep this going.”

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Sullivan County Fire Coordinator John Hauschild about the growing concerns surrounding lithium-ion batteries and how residents can protect themselves from the potential risks these batteries pose.

Before diving into the week’s theme, Hauschild reminded listeners that New York State remains under a temporary burn ban through October 15th, due to unusually dry fall conditions that have increased the risk of wildfires. Under the ban, most open burning — including brush and yard waste — is prohibited, though small, contained campfires and cooking fires are still allowed.

The Risks of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Hauschild explained that lithium-ion batteries are everywhere — from phones, laptops, and tablets to e-bikes, power tools, and even toys — and while they’re efficient and convenient, they can pose serious fire hazards if damaged, improperly charged, or paired with uncertified equipment.

“These batteries store a large amount of energy,” Hauschild said. “If they’re not used properly, it does pose a threat to people.”

He stressed the importance of buying batteries and chargers that are UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certified and avoiding cheap replacements sold online. “That’s where we see the problems — off-brand batteries that overheat or fail.”

Charging and Disposal Safety Tips

Hauschild offered several key precautions:

• Use the correct charger. Stick to the one that came with the device or a manufacturer-approved replacement.
• Avoid overcharging. “People think they have to charge overnight, but these are rapid chargers,” he noted.
• Keep devices uncovered while charging. Charging phones or laptops under pillows or on soft surfaces traps heat — a leading cause of battery fires.
• Charge e-bikes and scooters outside whenever possible, and never near an exit door.
• Dispose of damaged or old batteries properly. “Never throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash,” he warned. “Search for recycling locations — many manufacturers and retailers will take them back.”

Hauschild added that toxic smoke from these batteries can be extremely dangerous, especially if a fire starts indoors. “If you see smoke coming from a battery, unplug it and move away. If it ignites, call 911 immediately.”

Local Fire Trends

While New York City has seen a surge in fires linked to e-bikes and lithium batteries, Sullivan County has had a few close calls. “We’ve had incidents with laptops and e-bikes — some small, some that caused serious damage,” Hauschild said. “It’s becoming more common as more of these devices are out there.”

Everyday Fire Safety

Beyond lithium batteries, Hauschild emphasized that fire prevention is an everyday responsibility, not just one week a year.

“Practice fire safety in your home,” he said. “Have exit drills, store flammable liquids safely, and talk to your local fire department — they’re always happy to help or even welcome new volunteers.”

Fortunately, vaccines have been shown to significantly lower the risk of RSV hospitalizations and are the best way to help protect little ones, their parents and even their grandparents. The American Lung Association is leading a national campaign to get all expectant birth givers and children under the age of 5 vaccinated.

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with Dr. Juanita Mora, a leading U.S. immunologist and the National Spokesperson for the American Lung Association about the importance of vaccinating early to keep our communities safe.

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett, who also reported on the deal last month, spoke with New York Focus Reporter Chris Bragg about the details that each of them found about this ongoing story, what investors are saying, and what it all means for Sullivan County’s economy.

Colón spoke about his transition from Sullivan County to New York City’s media landscape, where his reporting now highlights Latino issues and communities across the U.S. He shared how his experience as a journalist in Puerto Rico—covering hurricanes, earthquakes, and political unrest—shaped his perspective, and how those lessons continue to guide his work today.

The conversation touched on Puerto Rican identity, the challenges of being both a U.S. citizen and part of a colony, and how cultural figures like Bad Bunny are helping to elevate Puerto Rican voices on a global stage. Colón also underscored the vital role of public media in giving space to Latino stories that too often go untold.

As part of Radio Catskill’s Hispanic Heritage Month coverage, Patricio Robayo sat down with longtime local activist Sandra Oxford to talk about the challenges facing the Latino community in the Sullivan Catskills, and the work she’s led over decades of advocacy.

Oxford, a self-described citizen activist, reflects on her upbringing in Queens and Long Island, her decision to raise her family in the Catskills, and the stark differences she found in rural life compared to the diverse urban communities where she grew up.

In the conversation, Oxford recalls the early days of her activism, which began in the late 1980s when she saw firsthand the exploitation of farm workers in the Hudson Valley. That work grew into decades of organizing for immigrant rights, language access, and fair treatment for Latino residents in the region.

She also spoke about the pandemic’s toll on essential workers, most of whom were Latino laborers in agriculture and food processing.

Oxford highlighted the growth of the Latino population in Sullivan County and the ongoing gap between demographics and representation in positions of power. Despite Latinos making up a majority of students in some districts, she said, language access and representation in local government remain lacking.

Looking forward, Oxford urged younger generations to ground themselves in history and family values, while not shying away from activism:

Oxford closed with an invitation for neighbors to take Hispanic Heritage Month as an opportunity to learn more about the Latino community in Sullivan County:

With the increase in tariffs on foreign goods put in place earlier this year as well as the Trump administration’s broader economic policies that are cutting grants to mental health and sustainability initiatives, farmers all across New York state are talking about how their stress has only gotten worse.

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with New York Farm Net at Cornell University as well as three farmers in Sullivan and Orange Counties about the stress they feel as food producers and small business owners, as well as the obligations they hold towards the communities they provide for and each other.

This piece contains mention of suicide.

Dr. Alonzo Plough, Vice President and Chief Science Officer of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, affirmed the severity of the crisis, stating: "I don't use the term existential that often, but (climate change) is an existential threat." 

In agreement with this sentiment, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $30 million in funding awards for 19 projects statewide as part of Climate Week. The funding comes from the Bond Act, passed in 2022. This initiative aims to enhance community resilience to flooding and extreme weather events across New York.

Governor Hochul underscored the state's proactive stance: "New York is continuing to make historic investments to protect our communities from the growing risks of inland and coastal flooding." She added that these projects "will strengthen local infrastructure, restore natural protections, and make neighborhoods more resilient in the face of climate change."

New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said in the press release that the distribution will "deliver the resources local governments need to strengthen critical infrastructure, protect shorelines, and restore natural systems that help keep people safe."

Within infrastructure repairs, activists are also reimagining how to build in an eco-friendly way.

Mikhail Haramati, who leads state-level industrial decarbonization work at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), told Radio Catskill about an initiative designed to mitigate climate degradation, rather than adapt to existing damage. These include "a set of recommendations for near-term actions that New York could take right away." From Haramati's department, this means changing the way New York uses building materials. Ideally, infrastructure could reuse supplies from old buildings or experiment with products or designs that use less carbon. Haramati cited the waffle ceilings in the D.C. Metro stations as an example.

A major theme during Climate Week discussions was the tension between aggressive state and global efforts and lagging national support from the leaders of the United States. Governor Hochul stated that "the federal government refuses to protect us."

Dr. Plough cited numerous decisions that concern him, including "the reduction in resources to FEMA, the drastic cuts to the Health Department... the cuts to the weather service that have reduced the satellite monitoring that lets us know when hurricanes are forming," and more. Despite these setbacks, Dr. Plough noted that "New York State and New York City Health Departments have been amongst the leaders," stepping up to "fill in some of the gaps."

Climate change discussions also addressed social justice. Dr. Plough pointed out that "climate change is an amplifier of structural racism's impact on health." When extreme heat and weather are placed on marginalized communities already dealing with substandard housing and higher rates of chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes, the result is "disproportionate, unfair larger impacts."

Ultimately, the impact of climate events transcends political lines, argues Dr. Plough. He emphasized that "science isn't red and blue." If a storm causes flooding in the Northeast, "it's gonna flood every community. (It) doesn't matter where you voted or how you voted; you're gonna be affected by that."

Sullivan County’s Health and Human Services Department has been working with the community and the legislature to secure a location for the site, but the clock has run out for state funding to the project. 

Amidst the high tensions and looming deadlines, Radio Catskill's Genevieve Hartnett spoke with John Liddle, Sullivan County Health and Human Services Commissioner about the work his department is doing to address the crisis and concerns from the community.

To help clarify the issue, Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Dr. Noor Syed and Lauren Lestremau Allen of Empire State University’s Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES). Both emphasized that decades of rigorous research show no causal link between autism and either vaccines or Tylenol.

Allen noted that misinformation can create serious risks for families.

The experts also stressed the harm these myths cause beyond healthcare, reinforcing stigma toward autistic people.

CAARES works to support families, provide evidence-based resources, and promote inclusive communities. Families seeking accurate information can contact the center at autism@sunyempire.edu.

This evidence suggests that anonymous reporters are using accusations maliciously, with many families receiving dozens of anonymous complaints with no supporting evidence. Natarajan told WJFF:

"It becomes apparent when a family is experiencing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, sometimes tens, dozens of reports with similar allegations over and over again, or allegations that kind of have nothing to do with the facts of the family- like so outlandishly false- that it's really hard to conclude anything other than it's a harassing call."

These accusations have real-world repercussions for the families, even if no evidence is found. CPS investigations can be traumatizing and time-consuming for the parents and the children. Natarajan explains more about this controversial bill and whether or not Gov. Hochul is expected to authorize it.

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke to NY Focus reporter Julia Rock about this story and what is causing the surge…..

Now, Lennon is releasing his first book, The Tragedy of True Crime, which comes out tomorrow. Written from a prison cell, it’s a groundbreaking work that redefines how we think about the true crime genre. Instead of sensationalized tales of violence, Lennon’s book tells the full life stories of men who committed murder — Robert Chambers, Milton E. Jones, and Michael Shane Hale — weaving their narratives together with his own. The result is both a journalistic investigation and a personal memoir, exploring not only what led to these crimes but what life looks like afterward, behind the bars of a prison yard.

Lennon challenges readers to consider the human complexity of people we often reduce to headlines. He raises hard questions: What truths do we lose when we only tell part of a story? What role does trauma play in shaping the paths of those who commit violent acts? And what does redemption look like for someone who has taken a life?

On The Local Edition, Patricio Robayo speaks with Lennon about his journey from a prison writing workshop at Attica to becoming a nationally published journalist, and now, an author. They discuss the inspiration for his book, the ethical dilemmas of writing as both a journalist and a man convicted of murder, and the importance of telling stories that reach beyond crime into the deeper humanity of those involved.

The Tragedy of True Crime is not just about crime — it’s about accountability, resilience, and the power of storytelling to confront pain, complicate easy narratives, and perhaps even offer a path toward redemption.

Image: (Photo Credit: John J. Lennon) 

The findings raise questions about accountability and how departments shield their own, even when evidence of drunken driving is clear. While a few cases led to prosecution, most officers returned to work after brief suspensions.

Radio Catskill’s Jason Dole spoke with reporter Sammy Sussman about the investigation and what it reveals about policing and accountability in New York.

Auxier Kline, based in Manhattan’s Two Bridges neighborhood, is collaborating with Hall Space by Nonetta in Eldred to present Autumn Equinox, an exhibition that explores the shift from summer to fall and the transformations that come with it.

The opening reception will take place Saturday, Sept. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hall Space, located at 550 State Route 55 in Eldred. The exhibition will run through Oct. 12.

Brent Auxier, who co-owns Auxier Kline with Kate Kline, said the collaboration came naturally after he and his partner purchased a home in Eldred during the pandemic and began attending events at Hall Space.

Founded online just before the pandemic, Auxier Kline operated virtually for two years before opening its Lower East Side location. The gallery focuses on emerging and mid-career artists, with an emphasis on painting and works on paper. Its curatorial choices often center on themes of identity, intimacy, and place.

Featured Artists

The Autumn Equinox exhibition will feature eight artists:

• Sarah Davidson
• Hank Ehrenfried
• Stephen Gay
• Marissa Graziano
• Tin Nguyen
• Alexandra Smith
• Amy Talluto
• Matthew Zaccari

Their work spans from thick oil-painted abstractions of butterfly wings, to Hudson Valley orchard scenes, to abstract landscapes, hyperreal florals, and explorations of travel and motion through painted perspective.

Auxier said the show captures more than just seasonal change.

For more information about Auxier Kline, visit auxierkline.com

The couple’s journey, known as Martin and Lynn’s Long Walk, will unfold over four days and is designed to raise both funds and awareness for the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard. The program, run by SALT (Sullivan Allies Leading Together), delivers food to more than 700 people across the county each week. But sustaining that number is becoming increasingly difficult.

“What we’ve found since January is that the sources of nutrition have been steadily declining,” Colavito said. “The USDA funding that used to support a lot of the food programs is just not there like it was.”

With fewer resources and rising costs, the cupboard has been forced to start a waiting list, something Colavito never thought would happen when the program launched five years ago during the early days of the COVID-19 shutdown.

“It breaks my heart to have a waiting list. There’s something incredibly immoral about having a waiting list for food,” he said.

The cupboard was created to help residents with limited access to food, especially those confined to their homes during the pandemic. Today, it serves many who are working and still can’t afford to eat.

“Most people would be shocked if they knew how many of our neighbors who are food insecure are also employed,” Colavito said. “They’re part of our community. They’re not taking advantage of anything. They’re just trying to eat.”

In rural Sullivan County, transportation is a major hurdle. Even if a pantry is nearby, it’s not always reachable.

“Just because someone has a car doesn’t mean they have access,” he said. “That one car might be taking someone to work. If you have an infant at home, four blocks might as well be four miles.”

According to FeedHV.org, around 10% of Hudson Valley residents experience food insecurity. One in eight children live in households where meals aren’t guaranteed. While New York State has allocated over $500 million to food access programs since 2020, recent federal funding cuts have hit local food distribution efforts hard.

The Colavitos are covering their own travel and lodging expenses. Every dollar raised will go directly to the Community Cupboard. Supporters can sponsor a mile of the walk for $50. The walk itself will take them through several towns, offering opportunities to engage with residents along the way.

“We want to take this time to reflect on how lucky we are and have real conversations about hunger and hardship,” Colavito said. “Hunger doesn’t care what party you belong to. If you’re suffering, you’re suffering.”

Colavito does not receive a salary for his role with the cupboard. Lynn works part-time, though she often puts in more hours than a full-time schedule. For them, this walk is a commitment to their neighbors and to a cause that’s becoming more urgent by the month.

“We have ten months of funding left,” Colavito said. “This walk is about buying us time. Time to keep the cupboard open. Time to find sustainable funding. And time to remind people that we all have a role to play.”

If all goes as planned, the couple will reach the food bank in Montgomery on November 3. Along the way, they’re hoping for good conversations, supportive gestures, and perhaps a few waves from passing cars.

“If you see us, say hi,” said Colavito. “You’ll know us, two dorks with walking sticks.”

How to Help

To sponsor a mile or donate to the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard, visit sullivansalt.org All proceeds go directly toward purchasing and delivering food in Sullivan County.

We begin with LOUD — Latin Outreach, Unity, and Development, a grassroots organization co-founded by Sugely Melenciano-Weed and Alessandra Gonzalez, dedicated to connecting Hispanic and immigrant families in Ulster County with vital resources, advocacy, and support.

“People in our community often don’t know where to turn,” Sugely said. “They ask how to fill out paperwork, enroll a child in school, or even how to get a birth certificate. LOUD was created to be that bridge — connecting families with resources that already exist but are hard to access.”

A Growing Need Amid Fear

LOUD’s work has taken on new urgency in recent weeks. Reports of ICE raids in Kingston have left families afraid to go to work, send children to school, or even leave their homes. “The community is very fearful right now,” Sugely explained. “That fear is traumatic. We may not know the full impact of these raids for years.”

LOUD has responded by organizing discreet communication networks through WhatsApp and Facebook groups to share accurate information without causing unnecessary panic. Volunteers provide interpreting services, accompany families to schools or court, and coordinate food deliveries when people are too afraid to visit pantries themselves.

“We’re immigrants too,” said Sugely. “That makes people trust us a little more.”

Beyond Survival: Celebration and Identity

Even in difficult times, Hispanic Heritage Month is a moment of celebration. LOUD is leading a series of events in Kingston, beginning with a proclamation at City Hall on September 15, followed by the Fifth Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival on October 4. The festival will close several city blocks for music, food, art, and community.

“We debated canceling because of safety concerns,” Sugely admitted. “But the community said no — we need to celebrate. We need to show up and show out. We’re not going anywhere.”

Other events include a Hispanic Business Appreciation Luncheon, a Community Quinceañera for local youth, and “The Hispanic Experience,” an art and culture showcase.

Looking Ahead

For Sugely, hope comes from the community itself. “We are fortunate in Ulster County,” she said. “Despite everything, people are coming together, helping one another, and making sure no one is left behind.”

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo will continue these conversations throughout the month, speaking with Hispanic members of our community about identity, belonging, and the contributions Latinos bring to America every day.

Michael Bongar and Lori Herpen of the Catskill 3500 Club in West Hurley told WJFF that their grant of almost $5,000 will be used for their trail stewardship project, which educates people on ethical environmental enjoyment. The “Leave No Trace” principles are a primary example of this, and the money helped pay for signage and staff to spread the word on best practices. 

Stacey Lynch Adnams of the Stony Kill Foundation in Wappingers Falls recalled that their 2023 grant was used to restore part of their barnyard. In addition, Joanna Riesman is the Board Administrator for Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct. Their group applied in August 2024 and received around $40,000 in March 2025 for graffiti removal and community outreach. “The goals are to make people aware that the Friends exist and that we do a lot of work to educate the public on the history of the trail but also to keep the trail beautiful. One of the most evident frustrations for walkers is graffiti on these beautiful stone structures.” Riesman continued, “We worked for many years with New York state parks to develop a protocol for cleaning the graffiti without ruining the underlying stone and now that a method has been approved we can go ahead.”

Similarly, the Bannerman Castle Trust was also a grant recipient from the 2023 cycle. Kelly Ellenwood applied for the grant on behalf of the organization and just submitted their rescope this week. That means that two years after winning the grant, they’re finally able to update the state about the specifics of how the money was used. Ellenwood says that the repairs ended up costing more than anticipated but they were able to install wrought-iron rails on their two most popular trails and a grant match from other donors enabled them to do further repairs such as weeding and sign installation. Ellenwood spoke over video chat about the process over the last two years and the importance of the grant for Bannerman Castle.

“We just don’t have the population base to support commercial scheduled jet traffic like you’d see at Stewart Airport,” Potosek said. “What we’re focused on is attracting corporate jets and aviation-related businesses. This airport can be a hub for business, not just leisure travel.”

The two-year construction project was largely funded by an $18.5 million state grant awarded under Governor Kathy Hochul’s Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition. The county contributed approximately $5.5 million to complete the project.

The state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot terminal replaces a decades-old structure and features panoramic views of the Catskills, a pilot’s lounge, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and plans for a restaurant and bar. Potosek confirmed that a request for proposals (RFP) is already out to bring dining back to the airport.

Even without commercial flights, county officials believe the investment will benefit all Sullivan County residents.

“This isn’t just about jets,” said Potosek. “This is about economic activity. More jets mean more fuel sales, more hangars, more businesses supporting airport operations—and that helps generate tax revenue and jobs.”

Governor Hochul echoed that vision in a press release earlier this year, saying the upgrades are intended to “invite visitors and drive local economies by facilitating tourism and generating opportunities for business development.”

The airport is located near several major regional attractions, including Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Resorts World Catskills, and the Monticello Motor Club. Officials believe it can serve as a “gateway to the Catskills,” attracting high-end tourists and business travelers.

Looking ahead, Potosek said the county is considering further upgrades, including a potential runway extension to attract shipping giants like Amazon or FedEx.

“There’s also opportunity for things like flight schools and parachuting operations,” he added. “We’ve had interest in using some of the new office space we built into the terminal. The hope is that aviation-related businesses will see this as a great location to grow.”

Potosek acknowledged public skepticism, particularly from residents who view the airport as “a rich boys' playground.”

“That’s not wrong—right now, that’s who uses it,” Potosek said candidly. “But even that generates economic activity. If someone flies in and hires local mechanics or eats at local restaurants, that’s money going into our community. That helps keep property taxes down.”

The terminal is expected to open within weeks, pending a ribbon-cutting ceremony that could include Governor Hochul. County officials are coordinating with the Governor’s office to finalize a date.

In the meantime, Potosek says the airport team is preparing a targeted marketing campaign aimed at the corporate aviation sector.

“We want to make it as easy and attractive as possible for businesses to make Sullivan County their base of operations,” he said. “This new terminal is just the beginning.”

The $9 billion program serves hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and was taken over by Georgia-based company Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) in April, with the stated goal of making the program more efficient and reducing fraud. Since then, workers and patients have complained of missed paychecks, randomly slashed hours, breaches of sensitive data, and other issues.

Licensed providers like Family Planning of South Central New York offer "affordable, compassionate, confidential care to anyone from any walk of life," regardless of income, immigration status, or insurance. Their staff are "appropriately credentialed" and trained in cultural competency to provide sensitive, informed care, explains Felicity Gomer, their Director of Public Communications.

These clinics offer all-options pregnancy counseling, including referrals to "trusted abortion providers," a "full range of FDA approved birth control methods," free condoms, emergency contraception, and testing and treatment for HIV and STIs. Their philosophy centers on "the patient's choice" and delivering care with "compassion, not coercion," says Gomer. 

By contrast, Crisis Pregnancy Centers are often religiously affiliated and aim to discourage abortion. In Ulster County, centers such as Bravo Pregnancy Support Center do not provide abortions, abortion referrals, contraception, or licensed medical services. 

Some CPCs offer free ultrasounds or STI testing, but concerns persist over the qualifications of staff performing them. The Delaware County Pregnancy Center, for example, has paused its ultrasound services due to a lack of licensed personnel. Their services focus instead on "peer counseling" and material support, like diapers, formula, and clothing, often given through programs that encourage parenthood education such as "earn what you learned." Some also offer "Abortion Recovery Support Groups."

Local healthcare professionals warn that CPCs may spread misinformation. Gomer says these centers are not "real medical providers" and may not be "bound by HIPAA or medical ethics." She adds that many CPCs "promote false claims about the effects of abortion or the effects of Plan B pills." Dr. Elizabeth Solger, an OB-GYN, agrees, saying CPCs often spread "misinformation about the risks of abortion," despite its medical safety.

In one instance, a Binghamton patient, who wished to remain anonymous, described a suspected CPC volunteer standing across from a legitimate clinic, gently waving patients over without identifying her affiliation. The resident was seeking an abortion and says had they not been more educated on these subtle tactics, they could've unwittingly gone over to the woman. She said that it is "very discouraging to know how many people probably get persuaded into that."

To avoid confusion, Gomer advises local residents to ask if a center is staffed by licensed professionals, whether they provide or refer for abortions, and to be cautious of any "religious undertones or coercive undertones." Her guidance is simple: "if a place won't talk about all of your options, it's not a medical clinic; it's an agenda."

Sign-ups begin at 5:45 p.m.; the open mic runs 6–7 p.m. with Graham’s featured set 7–8 p.m.

Graham, a poet, musician, and visual artist, plans an improvised performance that blends live looping guitar with spoken poetry—a hybrid he describes as part score, part reading. “I’ll improvise the music and fit the poem around it,” he explained in a studio demo ahead of the event. “The loop sets the mood and the pacing; the poem adapts to the sound.”

The laureate says the approach helps audiences hear poetry more clearly. By stretching the cadence to the contours of the loop, he reads slower, with more breath and space—“almost lyrical,” he said—so listeners can sit inside the words rather than chase them. During the demo, he layered a gentle guitar motif beneath lines like: “I try to think my thinking into a plum and throw it into the thornbush, but it always reappears in my throat full of ants.”

A “creativity support group,” not just a workshop

Beyond performing, Graham has channeled much of his laureate tenure into regular poetry workshops on Zoom (announced via Sullivan County Poet Laureate on Instagram/Facebook). Participants share work and talk frankly about process, roadblocks, and productivity. The tone is intentionally encouraging.
“We focus on what’s working,” he said. “When several people point to the same line or image, it builds confidence—and that’s fuel to keep creating.”

He also publishes short essays on creativity and productivity on his Substack, reflecting a belief that art-making is a life skill, not a niche pursuit. “Tools like AI can be useful,” Graham noted, “but the lasting satisfaction comes from struggling through the making itself.”

From film scores to open mics

Musically, Graham’s palette draws on jazz, classical, and film music. Think ambient, cinematic textures with the spontaneity of improvisation. He likens the guitar-and-loop bed to a film score for poems, a way to “open a door for the poetry to get in.” Friday’s set will be fully improvised musically, with poems selected from work he’s written in recent years.

Expect variety: some pieces are existential and melancholy; others are abstract and playful. And expect atmosphere. Graham hopes to dim the lights and “set a vibe,” underscoring the performance’s intimate, exploratory feel.

Libraries as portals of discovery

Graham also highlighted a new Library Passport offered through the Ramapo Catskill Library System—stampable at branches across the region—as a nudge back toward serendipitous, in-person discovery. “There’s a different kind of power in finding something you weren’t looking for,” he said. “Libraries still make that possible.”

Marcy Handler, the  Director of Strategic Initiatives for Abilities First, says the app will be a game-changer for New York families. "When parents go from one place to the next, they're often really confused about what they need to know and what they need to do." The organization won a grant from the state to help solve this problem and, thus, Abilibee was born. Handler explains, "The app is divided into 10 different age groups, starting with early childhood and all the way up to mature adulthood. Each age group has its own focus, whether it's things you may encounter in the school districts like IEP planning every year, or how to look for a job."

The app is now available on the Apple store and Google Play. Listen for more information about what it offers and the problem it aims to solve.

A Triumphant Return

The tour kicked off earlier this year and has been nothing short of an emotional victory lap. Ann Wilson, performing after completing treatment for cancer, now sings seated due to an elbow injury—but her voice, that iconic, soaring instrument, hasn’t lost a step. Nancy Wilson says the experience has been deeply rewarding:

Live Music as a Campfire

For Nancy, the thrill of live music still burns bright:

Heart remains among the last great rock bands delivering 100% live shows, a fact that resonates with audiences craving authenticity in an era of polished productions.

Coming to Bethel Woods

On Saturday, August 30, Heart will play at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. It won’t be their first time on that stage—performances in 2008 and 2019 cemented their place in the venue’s history—but the return carries new weight.

Icons for Women in Music

For decades, Ann and Nancy Wilson have been trailblazers, not only in rock but also in opening doors for women in a male-dominated industry. Looking back, Nancy reflected on that role:

Today, countless female artists cite Heart as an inspiration. Nancy is candid about the challenges young artists face in an era dominated by social media, but she remains committed to mentoring the next generation through her Roadcase Management company.

Looking Ahead

Even after fifty years of performing, Nancy isn’t slowing down. She’s already dreaming about new projects, including an acoustic guitar duet album with artists like Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.

And as for the tour itself, she says the reward is seeing fans of every age—nine-year-olds shouting for “Barracuda,” college students who discovered Heart in the ’80s, and longtime fans who’ve been with them since the beginning—all together in one space.

Rock Royalty

For Nancy, the songs themselves have become larger than life.

Heart’s resilience, passion, and authenticity continue to shine, making their return to the road not just a concert tour, but a celebration of endurance, music, and connection.

On August 30 at Bethel Woods, fans will once again gather under the stars to join the Wilson sisters around that “big rock and roll campfire.” And for Heart, the fire is still burning strong.

A Day of Cars—Real and Lego

Visitors will find a parking lot full of classic and modern cars paired with their Lego-built “mini-me” versions between The 108 and 2 Queens. Inside and outside Tusten Social, a Lego-size derby track will be set up for races. Participants can build a Lego car on-site—even if they didn’t attend a workshop beforehand—and race it down the track.

“Everyone who races will get a raffle ticket, and they’ll have the chance to win a gift basket from Iris in Narrowsburg,” Adrienne explained in an interview with Radio Catskill.

More Than Just Racing

In addition to the derby, the event features:

• A scavenger hunt through the shops, where families can search for hidden Lego cars.
• Free-build areas for open-ended creativity.
• Opportunities to explore local businesses along Main Street.

Ms. Adrienne, known across Sullivan County for her Lego clubs and kids’ programming, says events like this go beyond play. “Lego builds problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and social-emotional growth. It’s multi-generational—young and old can build side by side,” she said.

Looking Ahead

Ms. Adrienne hinted at more Lego fun to come, including a Heavy Equipment Lego Show in winter 2026 at Catskills Equipment in Jeffersonville. And if this weekend’s event proves popular, the Lego Derby may become an annual tradition.

“It’s really a community effort,” she said. “From the shops to the building owner, everyone has come together to make this a special day.”

Parking and Practical Details

While there will be no parking in the small lot between The 108 and 2 Queens from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon, free parking is available along Main Street, behind the post office, and on neighborhood streets. The Narrowsburg Farmers Market will also be happening the same day, making for a full day out downtown.

For more information about Ms. Adrienne’s programs, visit missadrienne.com or follow her on Instagram at @yoadrienne.

To help us unpack what’s going on—why availability is shrinking, why counties like Sullivan and Delaware have had to pause, and what this means for families now and in the future—we’re joined by New York Focus reporter Julia Rock, who authored the piece, “21 Counties Have Closed Applications for New York’s Biggest Child Care Affordability Program.”

On August 21 at 7:30 p.m., the Callicoon Theater will host a special screening of Werner Herzog’s documentary Theater of Thought, which explores the mysteries of the mind and consciousness and was partially filmed right here in Cochecton. After the film, LeDoux will join Colin Dempsey for a talkback moderated by Jason Tougaw, followed by a live musical performance.

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Joseph LeDoux about what it means to face our fears, why the brain is wired the way it is.