Radio Chatskill

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop breast cancer, but when detected early, it can be treated successfully During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Garnet Health is offering free breast screenings, including mammograms, to qualified individuals on October 26 in Middletown and October 30 in Harris, NY. Garnet Health Director of Community Relations Moira Mencher is...

In the current episode of Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast, host Brett Barry takes us to the Woodstock Film Festival's Youth Film Lab (YFL), a three-week intensive filmmaking program for teens in Kingston, NY. Each summer, participants learn filmmaking from industry professionals like Gregg Bray, Megan Sperry, Saskia Madlener, and David Becker. The YFL provides a tuition-free launchpad for young f...

Currently, Sullivan County transports its waste to Seneca Meadows landfill in northern New York, costing the county around $10 million annually.  Seneca Meadows is seeking state approval for an expansion due to dwindling capacity, but there’s no assurance that the state will grant this request. As a result, the counties that rely on this landfill are exploring alternative solutions. Sullivan Count...

In the pre-cell phone era, finding a familiar face in the crowd of 400,000 people who sang, danced and slid in the mud at Woodstock '69 would have proven to be an impossible feat. But one red maple tree that stood 60 feet over the sea of concertgoers became an impromptu bulletin board and, inadvertently, a symbol of connection on that August weekend of peace, love and music. Fifty-five years after...

With cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis on the rise in New York state, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling for increased coordination between local and federal agencies. From the New York Public News Network, WAMC’s Aaron Shellow-Lavine has more. Following the first human EEE death in New York in more than a decade last month in Ulster County, the Democrat announced a two-pronge...

The leaves are changing throughout Upstate New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania, and parts of the Catskills and Adirondacks are at the midpoint of fall foliage. But why do leaves change colors this time of year?  Joe Johnson is our resident science guy and he’s here with the science of fall colors and other science stories that caught his eye, including archaeologists have discovered arrowheads...

On July 18, 2019, New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) was signed into law.  Under the Climate Act, New York has goals and benchmarks in place to reduce gas emissions and to achieve zero-emission electricity in the next few years. But, as of today, the state is not on track to meet those goals - for a number of reasons.  Elise Kline, of the New York Public News...

It’s been a quarter of a century since the North Branch Cider Mill’s press last ran and the new owners are working to restore it.  Radio Catskill contributor Isabel Braverman has more on the revitalization of the historic cider mill. 

The Delaware Aqueduct will be shut down for five to eight months to complete vital leak repairs on Tuesday, October 1. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection says the work will connect a bypass tunnel under the Hudson River that was completed in 2021 after several major leaks were discovered near Newburgh and Wawarsing. The shutdown has local officials concerned about flooding. S...

Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15th to October 15th, celebrates the rich history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities across the United States.  One unique piece of that heritage is "Las Villas," also known as the Spanish Alps. This area in the Town of Plattekill, NY, became a popular destination for Spanish and Cuban vacationers and 1913, the first hote...

What's scaly, striped and breathes underwater like a scuba diver? Water anoles, a semi-aquatic lizard found in the tropical forests of southern Costa Rica. That's one of the science stories that caught Joe Johnson's eye this week. A retired Port Jervis science teacher and Radio Catskill volunteer, Johnson is our resident science guy. He also shares stories about a ring around the Earth and fruit f...

In this excerpt from Kaatscast , host Brett Barry interviews Melissa Cascini, Senior Program Coordinator for the ⁠New York-New Jersey Trail Conference⁠, during a hike on the Upper Ridge Trail at the ⁠Catskills Visitor Center⁠.  Cascini shares her journey with the organization, highlighting the importance of their iconic, durable trail maps and the broader scope of the Trail Conference's activities...

The Hawley Model Train Show & Sale is an annual fundraiser for the Hawley (PA) Fire Department, featuring  new and used model trains in all scales and gauges and an operating model railroad display.  Jason Dole spoke to Organizer Bill Delling.

A native New Yorker, acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Jonny King grew up in the city’s jazz clubs, participating first as a fan and then as a performer.  Before he was a teenager, King had already performed onstage with Dizzy Gillespie and appeared on television at the piano alongside his early idol, Earl “Fatha” Hines.  By the time he turned 20, he was already sitting in with Art Blakey and pl...

Hanofee Park featured a mix of local vendors and outdoor activities this past weekend at Health Fest. This event is part of the Sullivan County Department of Public Health's efforts to engage with the community more and spread visibility on healthcare resources.  Radio Catskill’s Nia Watson sat down with Ericka Acevedo and Darby Nagpaul, two Public Health representatives who oversaw the planning a...

New Yorkers have an important decision to make on the ballot this year with the Equal Rights Amendment. If enacted, the amendment would prohibit discrimination on things like a person’s ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and pregnancy outcomes. The legislation - which lawmakers passed earlier this year - has survived legal threats and court rulings throughout the summer. Recently, the board of...

At a recent town hall, some Sullivan County residents claimed that services at Sullivan County Garnet Health facilities are being stripped and providers are scarce.  Garnet Health says there are no plans to close Sullivan County’s hospital and the hospital is actively recruiting for physicians. However, residents described being “farmed out” to receive health care at Garnet Health’s Middletown cam...

Owen Walsh has been telling stories and performing music his entire life.  Owen began playing violin at the age of three, studying formal repertoire.  At 12 years old, he found his dad's dusty, old Epiphone guitar tucked away in a closet and taught himself how to play. Soon after he learned his first few chords, Owen began writing songs.  He’s playing The Arts Nest Saturday in Lake Huntington and...

Joe Johnson discusses how climate change is impacting grape cultivation, and about NASA's Europa Clipper mission to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, searching for signs of life in its subsurface ocean.

 Explore the captivating work of mixed media artist Erica Hart , who combines collage, assemblage, and painting to create visual mysteries. Her award-winning art will be on display at TESS in Narrowsburg starting Thursday. Here is Culture Reporter Valerie Mansi's interview with Hart about the inspiration behind her work. 

This weekend marks the Autumn Equinox, and the Plant Pioneers Collective is celebrating with the First Annual Plants Speak Gathering at The Uplands Center in Walton, New York. In preparation for the event, Radio Catskill's Patricio Robayo spoke with Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower of Plant Pioneers, where she shared insights on relational living and deepening our connection with the natural world.

Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty spoke with Radio Catskill's Patricio Robayo and provided an update on the DA office's efforts throughout the summer. Over the season, his office issued 30 search warrants and secured 50 indictments for various serious offenses, including drug-related crimes, acts of violence, and predatory offenses. Conaty highlighted key cases, such as the successful...

By day, Amberly Jane Campbell is the Ulster County Assistant Deputy County Executive overseeing  communications and media strategy for the County Executive. By night, she's executing strategy of a different kind:  jamming, blocking, walling up, getting a goat, and bridging in the full contact sport of roller derby.  She spoke to Jason Dole about being an active member of the Mid-Hudson Misfits Rol...

The Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in Callicoon, NY, has been sold. Fay Hospitality Catskills LLC purchased the property for $17.15 million, saying they have big plans for improvements.  The Italian-themed resort, spanning 434 acres, has been under the ownership of Marty Passante since 1970. Tragically, Passante passed away three days after the sale.  Alex Kieler, Assistant Editor for the...

Last night's highly anticipated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump marked the first time the two went head-to-head in this election cycle.  The majority of the focus coming into Tuesday was about how Harris would handle her first-ever presidential debate with someone who had been on this stage many times. Could she answer questions about her position shif...