Radio Chatskill

The Hudson Valley is known for its art history. The Hudson River School during the 19th century spearheaded the Romanticism movement in the United States, producing an extensive collection of paintings of the natural landscape we are famous for. But Forge Project, an Indigenous-led non-profit located on the unceded land of the Moh-He-Con-Nuck Community in Columbia County, argues it is a colonial l...

Sullivan County is facing an urgent housing crunch. Now, the county legislature must decide how to address the issue.  Last year, the legislature allocated $2 million in local funds for affordable housing. County legislators are weighing several options for how to use those funds – create a housing trust fund, build new affordable rentals, or repair and improve the county’s existing housing stock....

Why is there an elephant in Jeffersonville? Many visitors to the weekly Jeffersonville Sunday Market have had the same question. If you’re lucky enough to meet Mama, the real life elephant replica structure stationed in the garden of the Jeffersonville Bake Shop you might also be surprised to learn the timely lesson she has about environmental awareness, Indigenous art, and human and animal coexis...

According to an article by New York Focus , thousands of people across New York state are facing long waitlists for two major state-funded, community-based mental health programs — supportive housing and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). In Sullivan County, every resident who applied for supportive housing programs in 2022, 2023 and 2024 were placed on waitlists of up to a couple of years. The...

New York immigration arrests were up in early June, according to newly obtained federal data. This comes as President Trump continues his attempt to fulfill the largest mass deportation effort in history, with widespread deportation arrests across the country.   The growing threat of raids have left rural communities with heightened anxiety and fear, but some grassroots organizations are springing...

A familiar face has returned to a familiar newsroom. The Sullivan County Democrat has named Isabel Braverman as its new editor, following the departure of Derek Kirk. Braverman, a Narrowsburg resident and longtime journalist, steps into the leadership role with deep local roots and a clear vision for community-centered reporting. Braverman’s leadership marks a new chapter for the Sullivan County D...

The legacy of the Catskills’ fabled Borscht Belt is being kept alive one marker at a time. Tomorrow, the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project will unveil its 12th official marker in Loch Sheldrake, honoring Brown’s Hotel and the area’s once-iconic resorts that made Sullivan County a cultural epicenter. “Brown’s is one of those big names like the Concord or Grossinger’s,” said Marisa Scheinfeld,...

Good news for beginner farmers in the Catskills region: Sullivan County Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Beginner Farmer Program is back. Earlier this year, those funds were temporarily frozen as part of Trump’s DOGE efforts to shrink the federal budget. The program pairs farmers in the Catskills and Hudson Valley regions who have been operating for less than ten years with farmer mentors, group tr...

From plastic-eating caterpillars to mysterious lights above thunderstorms and dazzling summer meteor showers, Joe Johnson, Radio Catskill’s resident science guy, unpacked some of nature’s strangest and most fascinating phenomena this week. Plastic-Eating Waxworms: Nature’s Unlikely Solution to Pollution? Plastic pollution is choking oceans and landfills worldwide—but help might come from an unlike...

Is leaving the woods alone really the best way to preserve them? According to forester Ryan Trapani of the Catskill Forest Association , “doing nothing” comes with hidden costs—and a whole lot of shade-loving trees.  In this immersive forest consultation, Ryan pays a visit to Kaatscast host Brett Barry's property to explore hands-on stewardship, the limits of laissez-faire ecology, and the surpris...

After more than two decades at the helm, Roberta Byron-Lockwood has retired as CEO of the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association (SCVA), ushering in a new chapter for the region’s growing tourism industry. Her successor, Michael Martelon, a tourism executive with experience in Santa Cruz County, California, and Telluride, Colorado, brings a shift not just in leadership, but in strategy—moving fro...

Local organizers in Sullivan County are set to join more than 1,500 communities nationwide in commemorating the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis this Thursday, marking five years since the civil rights icon’s passing. The event, titled Good Trouble Lives On , is part of a national day of non-violent action inspired by Lewis’s call to “get into good trouble.” Hosted by the local civic grou...

Few places have shaped American music and culture quite like New York’s Greenwich Village. From the folk revival of the 1950s to the punk explosion of the 1970s, “the Village” has been home to legends, outsiders, and game-changers. In his new book <em>Talkin’ Greenwich Village</em>, veteran <em>Rolling Stone</em> journalist David Browne dives deep into the stories behind th...

According to the New York State Department of Health, more than six million New Yorkers rely on Medicaid — but that coverage is now in jeopardy. President Trump’s recently signed so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" includes sweeping Medicaid cuts, and lawmakers warn that as many as 1.5 million New Yorkers could lose access to care when the law takes effect. For rural hospitals, the consequences could b...

Village Apothecary, an independent pharmacy located in Woodstock, recently announced that they might have to stop filling prescriptions that have led to profit losses of upwards of $130,000. And they are not the only local pharmacy having to make this choice.  Local pharmacies, not only throughout the Hudson Valley but also across the country, are cutting prescriptions or even closing their doors....

This weekend, the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) and Scranton Fringe are teaming up to present “A Taste of Fringe,” a three-day celebration of bold, immersive, and subversive theater in honor of World Fringe Day . The mini-festival takes place at the historic Tusten Theatre in Narrowsburg from Friday, July 12 through Sunday, July 14 . Fringe festivals are known for amplifying underrepresente...

In a time of national polarization and digital isolation, a grassroots initiative in Sullivan County is providing a welcome space for neighbors to connect face-to-face and engage in meaningful conversations. The Committee for Equity and Justice , part of SALT (Sullivan Allies Leading Together), in partnership with the Ethel B. Crawford Public Library, hosts monthly Community Conversations in Monti...

This Saturday, chamber music returns to Grey Towers in Milford with a performance by the award-winning Terra String Quartet. The group will perform works by Haydn, Bartók, and Brahms as part of the Kindred Spirits Arts’ summer season. Two of the quartet’s members—violinists Harriet Langley and Amelia Dietrich—joined us to talk about their upcoming concert, the ensemble’s creative process, and what...

More than 100 people are dead after devastating flash floods in central Texas, with more than 160 people reported missing according to officials. Flash floods can become deadly and devastate entire ecosystems - and in New York, heavy rainfall is becoming more common. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar brings us this report.

Residents across upstate New York could soon see a sharp rise in their utility bills. New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E), both subsidiaries of the multinational utility giant Avangrid, have submitted proposals for rate increases that could raise average monthly bills by more than 30% for some customers. The utilities say the hikes are necessary to...

About one in five children in Sullivan County live below the poverty line and do not get enough food to eat to grow and thrive, according to A Single Bite, a nonprofit in Sullivan County preparing and delivering more than 900 nutritious meals per week to local families in need. But food access across New York State could be in even greater dire need. In July, President Trump signed into law his 'B...

Our resident science guy Joe Johnson brings us some science stories that caught his eye this week:  A sneaky bird that lays its eggs in another bird’s nest and lets someone else do the parenting — we're looking at the conniving cowbird.  A new interstellar object has entered our solar system, and it’s moving fast And beneath our feet, things are shifting. Literally. Joe explains what the tectonic...

The Buffalo-based band The FAR Trio have been performing across the Northeast for over five years.  Eamon, Drew, and Ethan blend soulful grooves, rock, jazz, and blues into a unique sound that draws inspiration from legends like John Lennon and the Allman Brothers.  ’With two albums under their belt, their new single, “Here and Now,” is set to release on July 14th.  Band member Drew Azzinarro spok...

The Catskill Agrarian Alliance is a non-profit organization based in the Catskills focused on increasing food sovereignty in the region by building connections between local farmers as well as to their consumers. Mutual aid serves as a guiding principle, alongside the belief that every person — regardless of income or zip code — has the right to healthy, culturally-relevant and sustainably-produce...

As Congress weighs a budget proposal that could slash $4 billion from the federal Medicaid program, health officials and local leaders are raising alarm about what the cuts would mean for rural communities. At a press conference on Friday, June 26, hosted by Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Deborah Hogan joined other members of the Shapiro admin...