WJFF - Close to Home with Leif Johansen

Sullivan County Commissioner of Planning and Community Development Freda Eisenberg talks about the latest work on the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail, designed to connect the disparate sections of existing rail trails across the county into a single, 50-mile walking and biking route spanning from Livingston Manor to the border of Orange County. We consider the economics of rail trails, and their significa...

"Recovering" journalist (as she puts it) Kristine-Ellis Petrik talks about her journey co-founding the Java Love Coffee Roasting Company with her partner, clinical psychologist Jodie Dawson, just in time for Java Love's 10th anniversary. We consider what makes the ultimate cup of joe, and the importance of embracing change and trying new things.

In a follow-up to our "Wraparound Services" episode, we hear from community school director and education policy scholar Abel McDaniels about the case for community schools in rural America. We think about the question, "whose job is it to innovate in public education?" (Spoiler: it might be everyone's.)

On our first of many business features that we'll do from time to time on Close to Home, we hear from farmer and herbalist Kendra Payne about the development and growth of her business, The Herbal Scoop, in Callicoon, New York. We also learn about a few herbal remedies that might just do the trick when it comes to decreasing stress and improving energy.

In this episode, we hear from four Catskills newsmakers about why local news matters amidst a turbulent, partisan, and nationally-focused media landscape, and we consider what the future of community journalism looks like. Special thanks to Joseph Abraham from the Sullivan County Democrat, Paul Ciliberto from Thunder 102, Lissa Harris from The River (and previously the Watershed Post), and Amberly...

The Enlarged City School District of Middletown Superintendent Richard Del Moro discusses how his team, including the previous superintendent, Dr. Ken Eastwood, brought the school from a 54% graduation rate in 2004 to an 86% graduation rate last year through a systematic change in how the district viewed the scope of education. We consider the implications for more rural school districts in Sulliv...

New York State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, Dynamic Youth Community Fallsburg Program Director Jennifer Reinhardt, and recovering addict and local fly fishing expert Stas Borowski talk about the opioid epidemic in Sullivan County, and consider how to improve the dire local overdose statistics. Read Stas's article about his addiction and recovery story here: https://news.orvis.com/fly-fishing/fly-...

Sullivan County Recycling Coordinator Bill Cutler talks about where we stand with how our region handles solid waste, the uncertain future of recycling and garbage, and a possible county-wide composting program.

Lorne Green talks about Sullivan County's Wireless Broadband Access Project, a groundbreaking, county-run program that is slated to offer fast, affordable, and reliable high speed internet to county residents by 2023. The program is slated to go into its initial testing phase this spring and offer service packages to some areas by the end of 2021. It is one of the first initiatives of its kind in...

New York State Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard Ball and Sullivan County Cornell Cooperative Extension Agriculture Educator Michelle Proscia discuss policy solutions to a struggling dairy industry in upstate New York.

Sullivan County Historian John Conway and local farmer Amy Erlwein discuss the difficult state of dairy farming in the Catskills and how we got to this point.

Sullivan County Public Health Director Nancy McGraw talks about the status and challenges of the vaccination effort in rural New York, and when we can expect things to start looking "normal" again. Find out if you're eligible to get the vaccine at one of the New York State vaccination centers: https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/

Two Sullivan County public school teachers and one incredibly introspective high school student talk about their experiences working in a rural public education system that wasn't ready to be hit by the worst public health crisis in modern history.

Leif chats with Martin Colavito from the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard, Sims Foster and Audrey Garro from A Single Bite, and Kathy Viskup from the Catskills Food Hub about the scope of--and the work we need to do on--food insecurity in rural America.

Leif sits down with Monticello Central School District Superintendent Dr. Matthew Evans and Sullivan West Central School District Superintendent Mr. Stephen Walker to find out how they've managed their sprawling school districts in communities that were already struggling with high levels of poverty and low rates of high school graduation before the pandemic.

Nisha Gupta and Jack Comstock talk about how Sullivan County's Montessori school has responded and adapted to a new educational landscape during the pandemic.

Former Liberty Town Supervisor reflects on the long arc of the issues we face in Sullivan County and considers our response to COVID-19.