The Catch Up

Walter Mullin and Emily Sachar cover three stories. The Daily Catch hosts its first candidates forum Sunday, May 17, at Rhinebeck High School, with Debbie Hecht and Amanda Miller facing questions ahead of the June 23 Democratic primary for town supervisor. The historic Rhinecliff Hotel signs a 10-year lease with Michaela Carpenter and Barry Dobesh, who plan to open this summer and reopen the renov...

Leon Botstein is leaving Bard. After almost 51 years as president, he announced his retirement one day after the board got WilmerHale's review of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Walter Mullin and Daily Catch editor Emily Sachar talk through what the report says, what Botstein had told the public before, and why those two stories no longer match. The report includes a line Botstein gave inve...

This week, editor Emily Sachar takes you inside Monday night's Rhinebeck Town Board meeting, where a discussion about Starr Library's budget turned into a shouting match between Town Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia, library leaders, and a packed room of more than 40 residents. Beat reporter Eloise Goldsmith joins Emily to explain how voters approved an $82,000 tax increase for the library on Election...

The Catch-Up host Walter Mullin sits down with Daily Catch reporter Athan Yanos to unpack his in-depth feature on a quiet but striking reversal: Catholic churches in Red Hook and Rhinebeck are filling up. Yanos spent weeks embedded in the parish community at St. Christopher's and Good Shepherd, interviewing seven congregants whose returns to faith trace back not to headlines or trends, but to grie...

For more than 40 years, Joan Osofsky built something rare: a store that felt like a home. Hammertown, which began in a Pine Plains barn in 1985, grew into one of the Hudson Valley's most beloved design institutions, defining a regional aesthetic that became known as "modern country." Now, after six years of searching for a buyer, Joan has made the bittersweet decision to close. In this conversatio...

Daily Catch Publisher Walter Mullen sits down with producer Carolyn Marks Blackwood and director Jon Bowermaster to talk about The Keeper, a documentary that follows John Lipscomb, the longtime patrol captain for Riverkeeper, and his deep, complicated bond with the Hudson River. Walter asks about the Riverkeeper's mission, what drew Blackwood to Lipscomb's story, and the challenge of convincing a...

Walter Mullen and reporter Claire Greenberg break down what Red Hook Central School District voters will decide on May 21, including the operating budget, two open school board seats, and multiple propositions. Voters will consider $1.1 million to upgrade the high school welding facility to launch an in-house career and technical education pathway, a $14.7 million renovation and expansion of the a...

Red Hook beat reporter Athan Yanos joins Emily Sachar to break down a closely watched village board election that brought two political newcomers to power. Perry Allen and Craig Rothstein unseated incumbent Anthony Maccarini, with Rothstein winning by just 17 votes after a recount. Yanos walks through what drove the results, from a meticulously run grassroots campaign to the outsized role of trust...

Walter Mullen and reporter Claire Greenberger take up a proposal from Clinton Vineyards owner Barry Milea to convert a former tasting-room barn on Schultzville Road into an 80-seat fine-dining restaurant with a limited events component. The plan has landed before the Clinton Planning Board, where traffic concerns have taken center stage: a new study projects peak hourly vehicle counts could jump f...

Emily welcomes Betty Olson, 82, who shares what it means to become the sole caregiver for her husband of decades. Peter Olson, 84, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's — symptoms that came into sharp focus following a kidney transplant in July 2023. Betty traces the arc of their life together: meeting in a scuba class, their complementary strengths, building a home in Clinton. She describes the early si...

Emily Sachar of The Daily Catch hosts The Catchup, sponsored by Hudson Solar and Battery Solutions, and sits down with Bard Observer co-editors Luc Redgate and Mica Rajakumar, who have been leading student coverage of Bard College President Leon Botstein since DOJ documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein named him. The editors walk through their exclusive interview with Botstein and a Feb. 12 open house...

Host Emily Sachar and Rhinebeck beat reporter Eloise Goldsmith dig into a brewing Democratic primary for town supervisor, one that got interesting fast after Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia announced she won't seek reelection and threw her support behind Deputy Supervisor Debbie Hecht. Hecht, a relative newcomer to the area and co-founder of Beck Hook Pride, says she came up through the work: attendi...

Host Walter Mullen speaks with Rhinebeck reporter Eloise Goldsmith about Linwood, a 51-acre historic compound overlooking the Hudson River. Established as an estate in 1774 and later given to the Sisters of St. Ursula, the property is now for sale via a formal RFP process developed with the Town of Rhinebeck. The discussion covers the site's restrictive HP-20 zoning, the town's openness to varianc...

Walter and Emily examine the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files and what they reveal about Bard College president Leon Botstein's connections to the disgraced financier. They look at Botstein's decades-long leadership of Bard, the achievements, the institution-building, the outsized reputation, and then at the uncomfortable details now coming to light, from fundraising ties to campus visits....

In this episode of The Catch Up , Emily talks with reporter Maggie Baribault to examine the quiet transformation that occurs when memory loss enters a marriage. Through conversations with three couples navigating different stages of dementia and Alzheimer's, we witness how love adapts when the architecture of shared history begins to crumble. These intimate portraits reveal both the weight of care...

Walter Mullen, publisher of The Daily Catch, delves into the growing tension between the town and village of Rhinebeck over the cost and transparency of firefighting and EMS services. Town Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia raises concerns about the village's budget transparency and the town's annual contribution, totaling nearly $280,000. Village Mayor Gary Bassett argues that the town is getting excel...

Schools and education reporter Claire Greenberger joins editor Emily Sachar to talk about some major changes coming to Red Hook High School. The district just approved a slate of new courses for the 2026-27 school year that's getting people excited, including a three-course Race Car Program, an In-House Welding Pathway, AP Cybersecurity, and a new IB Literature and Performance option. These progra...

On this episode of The Catch Up, host Emily Sachar sits down with all three Democratic candidates competing in the January 27th primary for Rhinebeck Village Board of Trustees. Incumbent Eleanor Pupko reflects on her first term and what she hopes to accomplish next, while challengers Mimi Joh-Carnella and Jennifer Neufeld explain what's driving them to run and their priorities for the village. The...

Welcome to the first episode of 'The Catch Up' for 2026! The main focus of this episode is the recent tensions in Rhinebeck between the town board and the Chamber of Commerce over a proposed 3% occupancy tax on short-term stays. Rhinebeck reporter Eloise Goldsmith provides give the background on the letters exchanged, the key figures involved, and the interpersonal conflicts between supervisor Eli...

In this special year-end episode, Walter and Emily reflect on the top three news stories of 2025, including the contentious takeover of the Red Hook Boat Club and the political dynamics in Red Hook and Rhinebeck. They announce, the first annual newsmaker of the Year, highlighting key figures that shaped the community's headlines. Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennif...

Emily explores why more Red Hook High School students are choosing the International Baccalaureate program over traditional AP classes. Guest reporter Claire Greenberger brings perspectives from students and teachers on how IB's approach to learning shapes critical thinking and prepares students for college. They go over the program's origins, its educational philosophy, and what makes it differen...

he Catch Up welcomes beat reporter Eloise Goldsmith for a close look at Rhinebeck's winter season. Alongside publisher Walter Mullen and editor Emily Sacker, Eloise reports on new parking laws and the debate over holiday symbol placement in the village. Local governance meets community tradition in these intertwined seasonal stories. Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Je...

Walter and Emily explore the Wonderland of Lights at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds with Tammy Peters, founder of North Pole Productions. Peters discusses the behind-the-scenes work that brings this holiday light show to life, from its origins to the challenges of installation and this year's new features. Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio...

Reporter Claire Greenburger, who is producing a special series on AI in Red Hook and Rhinebeck schools, joins The Catch Up from The Daily Catch to discuss how AI tools like ChatGPT and Khanmigo are making their way into classrooms, what parents and educators think about it, and how the two districts are handling these new technologies differently. The episode also covers Thanksgiving food pantry e...

Daily Catch publisher Walter Mullen and editor Emily Sachar dive into the ongoing controversy surrounding the Boat Club. They discuss the planning board's review of new local laws, the implications of a Court’s decision from August, and the environmental impacts under scrutiny. They also share a personal dining experience at Edgewood Restaurant and highlight the importance of their current fundrai...