Radio Chatskill

Former Port Jervis Science Teacher Joe Johnson regularly checks in with some science news that sparked his curiosity. This time it's a Doritos dye that turns mice translucent and mysterious new objects discovered at the edge of the solar system. 

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Thursday that a Butler County judge got it wrong when he decided that the county did not have to count provisional ballots from voters whose mail ballots were rejected because of an error. Lawyers for voting rights groups that brought the case said the ruling would set a statewide standard. Meanwhile, a broader case on whether mail ballots can be rejected...

In the early 20th century, ⁠cauliflower was king⁠ in the western Catskills, and –– especially in the good years –– farmers called it "white gold." In the latest episode of the Kaatscast podcast, host Brett Barry talks to Historian Diane Galusha about the origins of cauliflower farming in Margaretville and its demise. Kaatscast is a biweekly series featuring Catskills culture, history, sustainabili...

It’s apple-picking season and it looks like it will be a good one in New York. After a terrible time last year — when a late frost and significant flooding ruined yields for many farmers — this year, farmers are predicting the best apple harvest in decades. Philip Pantuso from The Times Union Hudson Valley Bureau spoke to Jason Dole. 

As schools across the Catskills and the Hudson Valley gear up for another school year, one question is on the minds of students, parents and teachers: what is the policy on cellphone use? New York Governor Kathy Hochul says particulars of a potential state ban on cell phones in schools should become clearer later this month.   As Ellen Abbott with the New York Public News Network reports, the Gove...

Photographer Noah Kalina isn’t just making photographs. He’s also raising chickens and creating what he calls “the best egg sandwich in the world.”  In his latest newsletter, he introduces his readers to his Green Queen Easter Egger Bantam chickens—Jay, Mouse, Sally, and Opal—whose rich, emerald-colored eggs inspired a collaboration with the River Eatery in Barryville, NY. Together, they’ve crafte...

Federal prosecutors say a New York state official who worked for Governor Kathy Hochul and former Governor Andrew Cuomo was secretly an agent for the Chinese government — and made millions of dollars through the scheme. New York Republicans are demanding an investigation into the Hochul administration after the former aide was arrested Tuesday. But as New York Public Radio's Phoebe Taylor-Vuolo re...

Kids are back in school across most of our listening area this week and many are still getting there on gas guzzling yellow school buses. After 2027, New York will not allow public schools to purchase gasoline-powered buses, and entire fleets must run on batteries by 2035.  This mandate aligns with the state's Climate Act goals to reduce greenhouse gasses and air pollution. The transition will be...

Alex Prizgintas is a New York-based historian and musician who lives and works in the Hudson Valley.  As a musician, Alex has more than ten years of classical training on the cello. However, with tools such as electric guitar effect pedals and a BOSS RC-300 looping station, he pushes the limits of this acoustic instrument to achieve sounds of Jazz, Rock ’n Roll, Latin Tangos, Broadway Classics, an...

Donald Trump has made no secret of his plans for New York’s congestion pricing program. In a social media post in May, the Republican presidential candidate promised that he would “TERMINATE Congestion Pricing in my FIRST WEEK back in Office!!” Trump doesn’t always deliver on his promises, but he could make good on this one. If he is elected in November, there are at least three ways that he could...

On his Radio Catskill show Ambient Barn , music producer, sound designer, and filmmaker Mark Partridge curates a weekly hour of electronic music in its many forms. He produces his tonally fascinating and expansive atmospheric show from his big red barn in The Catskills. And now, Ambient Barn moves to a new time: Friday nights at Midnight. Mark spoke to Jason Dole about his influences and new time...

Not counting a voter’s mail ballot because they failed to properly date the return envelope violates their rights under the state constitution, a Pennsylvania appellate court ruled Friday. Republicans said they would immediately appeal the ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. But if the decision stands, it could affect thousands of ballots and influence the outcome of close races. Reporter Ca...

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to testify about the state’s COVID-19 response before House lawmakers next week. WAMC’s Ian Pickus has more. Cuomo is scheduled to speak with The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on September 10th. He resigned under pressure in August 2021, months after becoming a national figure early in the pandemic. He continues to face questions about...

Emily Li Mandri is founder of the women's accessories brand MLE, based in Ulster County, NY. In the latest episode of the Kaatscast podcast, she talks about her challenges and rewards of running a fashion brand in Upstate New York… Kaatscast is a biweekly series featuring Catskills culture, history, sustainability, local interviews, literature, and the arts. Shows are hosted by Brett Barry and pro...

In the 2020 presidential election, a group of Pennsylvania Republicans made headlines by serving as electors for Donald Trump even though Joe Biden won the popular vote in the state.  These so- called “alternate” or “fake” electors cast ballots and signed an ‘alternative’ certificate for Trump, as if he had won. Now, Five of those electors are on Trump’s Slate for 2024, and three of them are indic...

In 1994, the Winston Farm property in Saugerties, NY, made international headlines when it hosted the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, the so-called "middle child" to the festivals of 1969 and 1999. Over the years, several plans for the property were proposed that ultimately failed to come to fruition, including a community college, a casino, a landfill and incinerator and a high-tech b...

In a multi-part presentation, the neuroscientist  and musician, Joseph Le Doux will read excepts from his in-progress memoir titled, "Starting Over" at The Rock Valley Schoolhouse on September 1. Joe will be joined by his long-time musical partner, Colin Dempsey, to sing several of their Heavy Mental "greatest hits" as well. Culture Reporter Valerie Mansi has more. 

New Covid vaccines have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and will be available soon. When people should get them depends on their personal risk factors — and whether they were recently infected during this summer’s spike in cases. So, should you get shot now or wait until it’s closer to the holiday season?  Eliza Fawcett is a reporter covering public health for Healthbeat . Health...

Ever gone for a hike and wondered what you would do if you ran into a bear? Or cooked at your campsite and didn’t know where to safely store leftovers? Or wanted to try backpacking but could use tips on how to start? Jeffersonville resident Ashley Furey will answer these questions and much more in her presentation “Hiking Boots, Bears, and Blisters: A Woman's Backpacking Adventures from the Catski...

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River is the home of the oldest existing wire suspension bridge in the United States - the Delaware Aqueduct, or Roebling Bridge as it is now known.  Begun in 1847 as one of four suspension aqueducts on the Delaware and Hudson Canal, it was designed by and built under the supervision of John A. Roebling, future engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. Professor Paul...

New York State officials continue to encourage families of college bound kids, to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.  As Ellen Abbott with the New York Public News Network reports, the form is the only way students can receive state and federal aid. The number of  applications for financial aid is down this year according to SUNY Chancellor John King.  And with classe...

‘A Land With a People’ is a collection of personal stories, history, poetry, and art elevating rarely heard Palestinian and Jewish voices. The book began as a storytelling project of Jewish Voice for Peace-New York City and subsequently transformed into a theater project performed throughout the New York City area. Upper Delaware Actions for a Free Palestine (UDAFP) is hosting a teach-in and autho...

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball Monday urged horse owners across New York State to vaccinate their horses against Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV), both of which are caused by a virus spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Parts of New York have mosquito activity into late November. So far this year, New York has already seen cases of EE...

Husband and wife musicians Miles Fellenberg and Alice Chenyang Xu have performed together across the East Coast and in Europe as Xuberg Duo. They have edited/rearranged the four-hands version of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 by Hugo Ulrich and on Wednesday, August 28, they will perform an evening of four-hand piano music featuring Rimsky-Kursakov's Sheherazade ,in a benefit recital for Radio Catskill...

The Sullivan County Legislature is contemplating the adoption of staggered terms for its legislators. This proposal, which has been discussed intermittently by past legislatures and the charter review commission since 2005, aims to prevent a complete turnover of the legislature in a single election cycle. Dan Hust, Communications Director for Sullivan County speaks with Radio Chatskill’s Tim Bruno...