Radio Chatskill

Delaware Valley Arts Alliance marks the start of National Poetry Month with a multi-sensory poetry happening, presented by Eric Baylin. Expect readings, musical accompaniments, improvisational multi-media collaborations from Matt Carpenter, Kazzrie Jaxen and Sullivan County’s Poet Laureate, Kevin Scot Graham.  

Nationwide protests are planned for Saturday, April 5, against President Donald Trump and his administration. The protests, which have been dubbed “Hands Off! A National Day of Action,” are centered around the White House’s recent policy stances on topics ranging from health care and immigration to education and the environment. Protests are planned locally, including one in Monticello, NY, co-org...

April 1 marks the start of New York state's fiscal year and a state budget agreement is nowhere to be found. State lawmakers are set to approve a short-term budget extender today. It'll run through Thursday and ensure the state payroll goes out on time. Patricio Robayo spoke to 

Cancer touches nearly everyone, yet it’s rarely explored in the arts. Chemo Savvy sets out to change that. Veteran performers Verna Gillis and David Gonzalez—both currently undergoing chemotherapy—lead an evening of storytelling and music that blends humor, reflection, and raw truth. In a recent conversation with Radio Catskill’s Tim Bruno, Gillis and Gonzalez shared how the performance aims to op...

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County is hosting its annual Garden Day on Saturday, April 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge. This day-long event offers gardeners of all levels the chance to attend four out of 16 expert-led classes covering a wide range of topics, including patio and meadow design, growing heirloom tomatoes, mushroom cultivation, and cover cropping....

New York state lawmakers and labor advocates are hoping to include the work opportunity tax credit in the final state budget. This is a tax credit that would essentially be given to employers if and when they hire people from specific targeted groups - such as veterans, summer youth employees and ex-felons.  To understand the impact and logistics of the work opportunity tax credit, Shantel Destra...

Albany, NY – As the clock ticks down to an April 1 deadline, New York state lawmakers are in a race against time to settle a proposed $252 billion budget. Tensions are high, with heated disputes over both financial allocations and a range of policy issues. Jimmy Vielkind and Jeongyoon Han of the New York Public News Network’s Capitol Bureau report that lawmakers are grappling with contentious deba...

Two months after Crystal Run Healthcare workers voted overwhelmingly to unionize, the National Labor Relations Board dismissed their employer’s objections to the union election without a hearing. In a March 24 decision shared with the Times Union, NLRB regional director John D. Doyle, Jr. wrote that evidence put forward by the employer, Optum, did not raise “substantial and material issues affecti...

The Ulster County clerk says he will not file a summary judgement against a New Paltz, New York doctor being sued in Texas for prescribing abortion medication via telehealth. Dr. Margaret Carpenter is facing a civil lawsuit for mailing two abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostal, to a woman in Texas, which bans nearly all abortions. In the suit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims Carpen...

The towering silos on Lower Main Street in Callicoon, NY, have long been an emblem of the town’s history, since the 1930s. However, with the passing of time, their age is becoming more evident, and there’s an effort underway to ensure these structures are preserved for future generations. The ENGN Civic Creative Center, located right next door to the silos, has launched a fundraising initiative ai...

The Trump administration Thursday announced a major restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will cut 20,000 full-time jobs. HHS is the umbrella agency that includes the CDC, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the FDA, the National Institutes of Health and other smaller divisions. According to an HHS fact sheet, the reorganization will not impact Medicare...

Genetics testing company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past Friday. And scammers are targeting seniors with genetic testing scams. What should seniors know about their data?  Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of the New York StateWide Senior Action Council explains that scammers are offering Medicare beneficiaries "free" screenings or cheek swabs for genetic testing to obtain their...

A new report on the gender pay gap from New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli shows that women in New York earn 87 cents on the dollar compared to men in 2023. This new data comes amidst ongoing federal cuts affecting women. In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders including cutting the federal funding of abortion and eliminating all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusio...

International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event occurring every March 31 since 2009 dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society. Transgender Plus Support Initiative is hosting a free brunch in Callicoon, New York on Saturday, March 29,  to celebra...

After 143 weeks of diving deep into all aspects of health—physical, mental, and emotional—Coach Maggi Fitzpatrick is ending her "Moving Toward Health" column in the Sullivan County Democrat.  From June 2022, when the "Moving Towards Health" column began, Maggi has shared insights, strategies, and personal experiences that emphasize how health is not just about the physical body but about maintaini...

Since 1981, HIV has led to the deaths of more than 700,000 people in the US. More than 1.2 million Americans now live with HIV, according to federal statistics. About 13% of people who have HIV don’t know they have it — one driver of the virus’ continuing spread. Ending AIDS in the United States by 2030 was one of President Donald Trump’s stated priorities in his 2019 State of the Union speech, bu...

Now that Spring is officially here, more people are thinking about that first hike of the season in the Catskills.  Longtime hiker and founder of the Catskill 4000 Club Paul Misko will be addressing this in his talk, Packed for Adventure: Hiking the Catskills Then and Now at the Time and the Valleys Museum in Grahamsville on March 23.  Misko's multimedia talk will explore the evolution of hiking g...

In response to increasing threats to library funding, the Wayne County Library Director, Tracy Schwartz, is urging residents to “Show Up for Our Libraries,” an initiative launched by the American Library Association (ALA). The campaign encourages library supporters to advocate for essential services that libraries provide to their communities and to voice their concerns to policymakers at local, s...

Farmers say the federal funding freeze is halting growth and derailing their planning and young farmers say they face unique challenges.  For young and beginner farmers, federal funding is critical as they shore up their first few years of production. That’s money farmers were planning to use to do things like put up foundational fencing, pay farm workers, or build their first high tunnel – some f...

This Saturday is World Water Day, focused on the importance of fresh water and its essential role in sustaining life.  In New York City, the history of supplying water to the metropolis is not only a story of engineering marvels but also of sacrifice, tragedy, and the reshaping of the Catskills region. Diane Galusha’s book Liquid Assets: A History of New York City’s Water System chronicles how tho...

In Pike County, Pennsylvania, The Delaware Valley School District board is reevaluating a 2016 agreement with the federal Office of Civil Rights that mandates policies for the inclusion of transgender students. This comes amid the Trump administration's anti-DEI stance. At a work session March 12, the board was divided on how to proceed. Some members advocated withdrawing from the agreement to ali...

Jason Sherwin has spent a lifetime composing, playing and studying music.  He has also taught music since he was a high schooler. He began teaching classical music to socially disadvantaged children in Chicago in 2000.  Since then, he has taught private piano lessons to high-achievement pianists, chamber musicians and worked with singers.  As a pianist, he produces digital /analog recordings under...

Tuesday, March 18, is National Ag Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the hardworking farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers who keep our country fed. And today, we’re recognizing some of our local egg farmers and the rollercoaster ride they’ve been on as they deal with the threat of avian flu. The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has ravaged flocks around the country an...

Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger has appointed poet and music critic Mike Jurkovic as the county’s 2025 Poet Laureate. Jurkovic, a resident the Shawangunk hamlet of Wallkill, follows Kate Hymes of New Paltz, who held the inaugural title created by Metzger in 2023. Originally from the South Bronx, Jurkovic has lived in Ulster County for over 30 years. He is the president and co-founder of Callin...

We’re living in a world that is rapidly changing, some of it to our liking, and some not.  With all that is going on, how do we maintain and strengthen our sense of community? The Committee for Equity & Justice , a subcommittee of Sullivan Allies Leading Together (SALT), says it's time to listen and share and gain a better understanding of how we can build a vibrant community together. They’re...