A new poet laureate is in Sullivan County succeeding Kevin Scot Graham – Kim Thai.

Before taking on the role, Thai worked as a journalist whose work appeared in AP, Fortune, USA Today, MTV and the Discovery Channel. She developed her love of poetry as an undergraduate and later earned a master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School.

A central focus of Thai’s work is amplifying voices that often go unheard. She was born in the Houston suburbs to Vietnamese refugees and grew up as a queer woman before moving to New York to build her career. 

After the pandemic, Thai moved to Sullivan County with her wife. Thai loves the community and hopes the position will help her connect with residents through monthly open mics and other events she plans to host across the county. 

“ I'm excited to see who wants to come out to connect, explore and play with this art form,” said Thai. “I really think of it as a space more to come together as community members versus it being a writing class, and that's really kind of my approach.” 

Thai also draws on her spiritual practice as a student in the Plum Village Buddhist tradition founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, which emphasizes speaking and being heard.

To learn more about Thai’s journey from 2026-2028, and what she will be hosting in the future, look out on Facebook or Instagram for upcoming dates. 

“I’m excited to make new friends in the next two years.” 

Bà & Me, a Vietnamese restaurant in Honesdale, will be closing its doors at the end of June. The restaurant has had locations in Callicoon, Livingston Manor, and Mountaindale, along with Honesdale, over the past decade, serving Vietnamese classics to our rural part of the region.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Nhi Mundy, owner and chef at Bà & Me, about the closure – and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

Unlike last year, the weather was bright on June 6 as the main streets filled with visitors, locals and experts exploring Pine Bush.

The 15th annual UFO Fair was hosted last Saturday and drew hundreds of people. The fair featured a packed schedule of entertainment on the main gazebo stage, guest speakers specializing in paranormal research and activities throughout the Town of Crawford Square. The Pine Bush UFO and Paranormal Museum also offered walking tours throughout the day.

More than 100 vendors sold a variety of Pine Bush-branded merchandise, handmade goods and food.

On the main stage, Blue Alien Mystic Music performed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., before The Best in Galaxy Beauty Pageant took over. The pageant crowned winners for the best alien outfits. Thirteen contestants competed, with the judges determining the winners alongside the hosts’ decisions. This year’s costumes were creatively unique and played into the UFO lore Pine Bush is known for. 

Most contestants in the regular human category leaned into the aliens and paranormal theme of the area. The winner wore a shiny gray alien outfit and carried a toy gun that sprayed hearts. Winners received gift certificates to local restaurants in Crawford, and the first-place winner took home a $300 gift card to Pizza Plus.

Nearby, the speaker tent hosted talks by John Wright and Robert Stauffer, who spoke about their different approaches to UFO research.

Wright investigates cases reported to MUFON, or the Mutual UFO Network. His interest in paranormal research dates to childhood experiences that sparked a lifelong curiosity.

Wright’s presentation explored the history of paranormal and alien activity across the U.S. and in Pine Bush, covering the basics so listeners could better understand the area’s deeper history.

Stauffer took a different approach, arguing that science fiction and horror books were writing about aliens before research into reported sightings began.

“Our argument is that science fiction got there first,” Stauffer said, explaining one of the books he wrote. “Science fiction, fantasy, horror got there first.”

Many vendors at the fair were local businesses showcasing UFO Fair-themed products. The Pine Bush Volunteer Ambulance Corps sold alien-branded T-shirts reading “Supporter Pine Bush Ambulance,” featuring an image of an alien being abducted by a UFO. Nearby, the group’s branded truck was also on display.

New Jersey’s MUFON bureau also tabled at the event in hopes of recruiting more field investigators.

David Fritz explained what the position involves: “When people file a sighting report into MUFON, they get separated by states, and then it’s sent out to the state director to hand out to the investigators in that state. The investigators get the sighting report, and they have 90 days to complete the investigation,” Fritz said.

The event ended with excitement in the air and another year of local history coming to Main Street in Pine Bush.

The Sullivan County Human Rights Commission has reported numerous allegations of racial discrimination and harassment during its annual report to the county legislature. Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar reports.