Radio Chatskill

A new study from the Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz reveals that many households are struggling to keep up with their utility bills. Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar has more. 

For Bobby Abate, making The Ghost at Skeleton Rock meant going back — to 1992, to the height of the AIDS crisis, to his own first sexual encounter, and to the paralyzing fear that followed.

The short film, which Abate wrote and directed, follows 18-year-old Vinnie, who turns to a Ouija board after a first intimate encounter spirals into fear and shame. It screens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Calicoon Theater as part of the second annual International Gay Film Series, paired with Kansas 1989, another LGBTQ+ short directed by Clayton Dean Smith.

The screening is a special one: a works-in-progress showing, offering audiences a rare behind-the-scenes look at an unfinished film — and a chance for the filmmaker to gather feedback from his own community.

"It's a very special moment to be able to show that in Calicoon, where we filmed it," Abate said.

A True Story, Rooted in Misinformation and Fear

The film's supernatural premise is drawn from Abate's real life. As a teenager in Hamden, Connecticut, in 1991, he and a friend used a Ouija board to summon a spirit they believed could give people nightmares. When Abate had his first sexual experience shortly after, he woke up consumed by dread — not because of anything that had happened, but because of the AIDS crisis raging around him.

"I thought even kissing would get me infected," he recalled, "because there was just no way — we didn't even have the internet back then."

Without access to accurate health information, cut off from guidance by a church and family that offered condemnation rather than education, Abate found himself terrified that a moment he had long anticipated had become a potential death sentence. In the film, Vinnie turns back to that same spirit, hoping to use it to distance himself from the person he'd been with.

"What was supposed to be just a normal moment turned into a complete crisis," Abate said.

Echoes of the Past in the Present

Abate, who now teaches film at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, wrote the script in the period just before the 2024 presidential election. He sees the story's themes — misinformation, religious condemnation, and institutionalized homophobia — as urgently relevant today.

"I mean, I wrote this just before the election, but now we're seeing this — I don't even need to say what's happening right now," he said. "It is an amazing echo to bring the story back, to show what intolerance looks like and how it affects people even in the most important moments of their life."

When casting the film, Abate and producer Todd Stephens were struck by how unfamiliar young actors were with what it meant to live under the shadow of the AIDS crisis. During auditions, actors asked why characters didn't simply take the medications now available for prevention and treatment.

"Todd was crying in that last moment during the auditions," Abate said, "because just that fear — the way that we operated — just every time you were with someone, that fear that it was going to be met with some sort of a death sentence."

Why Calicoon

Though the story is set in suburban Connecticut, Abate — who lives in Calicoon — chose to film in the small Sullivan County hamlet for its singular atmosphere.

"Calicoon just has this beautiful mystique to it that no other place has," he said. "It looks like it's kind of in a different time zone altogether."

The Calicoon Bridge plays a central role in the film. Abate had hoped to shoot before construction began on the bridge, but found that the scaffolding and decay of the construction site added unexpected texture to the visuals.

In a layer of local connection that won't be lost on Thursday's audience, the Calicoon Theater itself appears in the film — meaning the venue will be hosting, quite literally, a version of itself on the big screen. Abate also noted that the previous owner of his home, Harold Miller, served as projectionist at the theater for 30 years. Miller's projector oil is still in the basement.

"There's all these layers of connectivity that are going to be exciting to see come together on the screen on Thursday night," Abate said.

A Moment of Resilience

Abate situates his film within the arc of queer history — the liberation of the 1970s following the Stonewall uprising, the devastation of the AIDS years, and the hard-won resilience that followed.

"It changed the world forever, but it's also about our resilience," he said. "After being battered in the 80s and seeing so many people die, that was the beginning of revolution — the beginning of reclaiming our identity."

It's a message he believes is once again needed.

"We are strong, resilient. We're not going anywhere. We won't be erased."

The Ghost at Skeleton Rock screens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Calicoon Theater, paired with Kansas 1989 by Clayton Dean Smith. Abate and producer Todd Stephens will be on hand for an artist talk following the screening. Stephens is also known for directing Edge of Seventeen and Swan Song.

The Party Farm’s fourth annual songwriting contest is officially open, inviting local musicians and songwriters across the Catskills to submit their original tracks. This spring tradition celebrates creativity, offering entrants the chance to transform raw demos into fully produced, radio-ready songs at one of the region’s most immersive recording studios. The contest is open to anyone 18 or older, with submissions accepted as MP3 demos—no fancy production required. The winning song will receive hands-on guidance from the Party Farm team, access to their network of talented local musicians, and the opportunity to hear a simple demo evolve into a professional recording.

In the heart of the Catskills, the Party Farm isn’t just a recording studio—it’s a creative hub for songwriters seeking more than just a place to track vocals. With its cozy Mountain Views lounge, in-house bowling alley, and an atmosphere designed to inspire, the studio has become a beacon for local musicians looking to bring their songs to life.

“We’re looking for songs that grab us,” says Terry Brennan, co-founder of Party Farm. “It’s always exciting when we can take something from a simple demo and elevate it to a full, polished track that makes people feel something.”

For Brennan and co-founder Wendy LaManque, the magic is in the transformation—from raw ideas to fully realized songs. “One of my favorite parts is going from mono to stereo with the vocal harmonies,” Brennan says. “Sometimes we even make people cry.”

LaManque adds that producing a song is about more than just recording—it’s about creating a safe, welcoming space for vulnerability. “It’s a lot to ask people to share a piece of themselves. We try to make them comfortable, to really encourage them to be raw and authentic.”

Last year’s winner, Brian Dunn, found the experience both productive and relaxing. What starts as a simple guitar-and-voice recording can evolve into a rich, layered track with contributions from the studio’s network of talented musicians. “He came prepared to experiment,” Brennan says. “We added drums, harmonies, and even a bit of melodica. It’s amazing to see a song go from inception to a fully produced track.”

The Party Farm team emphasizes that this year’s contest remains a celebration of human creativity. “We’ve added a new rule,” LaManque says. “No AI-generated music. The contest is about original, human songwriting—your chords, lyrics, and melodies.”

The deadline for submissions is March 20 at 11:59 p.m. Songwriters are encouraged to submit early—the winning track is often the one that gets stuck in the minds of Brennan and LaManque as they go about their days.

For more details on contest rules, submission guidelines, and Party Farm’s community events, visit roscopartyfarm.com, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

A recent state memo suggesting that fully implementing New York’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act could raise household energy costs is “overstated,” according to Lisa Marshall of New Yorkers for Clean Power.

The leaked memo from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office on the estimated financial impacts of the state’s greenhouse gas reduction law shows average households could face thousands of dollars of extra costs a year.
 
First reported by City and State, the memo from NYSERDA President Doreen Harris to Director of State Operations Jackie Bray dated Thursday says by 2031 — absent any changes – the impact of the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act could cost upstate oil and natural gas households in excess of $4,000 per year.

“So we see this memo as a somewhat disingenuous attempt to renegotiate the whole climate law by using a scare tactic,” Marshall said. “Let me just be clear. This cap and vest program doesn’t exist yet. The government has dragged its feet on it. It was her idea and she and her agencies can design the program any way they want. So if they think that designing it a certain way is going to cost people $4,000 per household, then they shouldn’t design it that way. That’s up to them.”

Marshall spoke in response to Gov. Hochul citing affordability concerns as she considers potential changes to the state’s climate law. “We really do think they’re being overstated,” she said. “Everybody is talking about energy affordability because we have a real energy affordability crisis here in New York that we really need to face. And this cold winter, which I might add is because of climate change, we’re having these weirdly cold winters, is very scary. People’s bills are astronomically high just trying to keep warm and keep the lights on, and that’s scary for everyone. The legislators are hearing from their constituents, etc., and it is a really deep concern.”

Marshall argued that policymakers are seeking easy scapegoats instead of long-term solutions. “What the politicians want to do is find some kind of easy fall guy, point a finger, say it’s not their fault. They don’t want to do the hard work of really looking at the solutions that will actually help people like investing in upgrading the energy efficiency of people’s homes, investing in clean energy solutions that we already know save money for people for the future, and really doing the kind of long-term planning of our energy system that we need in order to reduce future costs for customers.”

On the state’s dependence on fossil fuels, Marshall said, “We have this aging electric system. A lot of our power plants still rely on gas. If gas prices go up, then the cost of electricity goes up. But even more a problem is this gas distribution system that we’re paying through the nose every year more and more to keep. With the amount that people pay on their gas bills, very little of that is actually for the gas. Most of it is to support the system of pipes and infrastructure that brings the gas to you.”

Marshall said advocates are pushing for programs to help households now while transitioning to cleaner energy. “Renewable Heat Now is not only dedicated to defending the climate law and moving a planned transition forward for the energy system, but we’re also super dedicated to helping people right now and making sure programs like the Empower Plus program and the Weatherization Assistance Program are properly funded so that especially the lowest-income households are getting the help they need month-to-month to lower energy bills and be safer and more secure in their homes,” she said.

Marshall also addressed federal challenges, including actions by the Trump administration that affected offshore wind development. “There’s no denying that the Trump administration has not been friendly towards New York’s climate policy, but really the governor has incredible leeway to implement and move forward most of the goals of the CLCPA on her own,” she said.

Looking ahead, Marshall urged the legislature to resist renegotiating the climate law as part of the state budget. “Number one, they should absolutely positively 100% not agree to renegotiate the climate law as part of the budget process. And if the governor wants to renegotiate the climate law, the legislature should say you can do that with us after the budget is over and not during this budget,” she said.

Marshall said clean energy programs can be part of an affordability solution. “We stand by and have plenty of evidence that a clean energy program is an affordability program. We do not see a conflict there. I think that is really the scare tactic that the opposition is trying to use and take advantage of how vulnerable people feel when they open that bill. It is scary, but the culprit for rising energy bills is absolutely not clean energy and we have lots and lots of evidence to show that.”

Liberty, NY — If today's chilly temperatures outside have you questioning the arrival of spring, you’re not alone. Meteorologists say the new season officially began yesterday — at least according to the meteorological calendar.

Meteorological spring, defined by the National Weather Service as the three months of March, April, and May, begins after the 91 coldest days of the year — typically ending February — and is designed to make seasonal statistics easier to track. Astronomical spring, marked by the Vernal Equinox, doesn’t arrive until March 20 at 10:46 a.m. Eastern, when the sun crosses the celestial equator.

“From a statistical perspective, it’s just easier to have fixed months for each season,” said Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. “The equinox shifts slightly from year to year, so meteorological seasons give us a clean framework to track averages and trends.”

March is known for its weather volatility, Merrill said. The lingering Arctic cold collides with warming southern air, often producing dramatic swings in temperature. “That’s why we get storms one day, warm sun the next. The Arctic is still cold, but southern areas warm quickly, and March becomes a battleground for these air masses.”

Residents in the Catskills and Upper Delaware River Valley can expect a taste of that volatility this week. AccuWeather predicts 1 to 3 inches of snow tomorrow, transitioning to rain as temperatures climb into the 50s by midweek. The combination of melting ice and rising rivers raises the risk of ice-jam flooding, even with modest precipitation.

Merrill also noted a stratospheric warming event this month, which can temporarily dislodge cold air and bring late-season chills. For the Catskills, that may mean a brief return to cooler temperatures around mid-March, even as the region experiences an early stretch of springlike warmth.

Merrill said, “Early March is usually volatile because of the temperature tug-of-war between the Arctic and southern air masses.”

So, while the calendar may say spring has arrived, residents shouldn’t be surprised if winter’s icy grip makes one last appearance before the Vernal Equinox officially ushers in the season.

“That’s March in the Northeast,” said Merrill. 

Pike County community members and local and state officials are rallying behind a mosque after a shooting at the Pike County Islamic Center in Matamoras, Pennsylvania. Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar reports.

Spring may still be weeks away, but across Northeast Pennsylvania, the signs are already here. Buckets are filling. Blue lines stretch between trees. And deep in the woods, steam rises from sugarhouses as maple syrup season hits full stride.

“It’s always a pleasure talking to you guys,” says Trevor Tochydlowski, forest specialist with the Wayne Conservation District. “Because I know when I talk to you, that means that spring is just around the corner.”

Tochydlowski is helping organize this year’s Wayne County Maple Tour — a self-guided celebration of a tradition rooted in climate, chemistry and community.

How Maple Syrup Is Made

For anyone who has driven rural backroads this time of year, the most common question is about those bright blue tubes weaving through the trees.

“Most of the time, when people are driving around the roads in the area, the biggest question I always get is, ‘What are those blue lines running between the trees in the forest?’” Tochydlowski says. “They’re maple sap lines.”

At its core, he explains, maple syrup production is simple — at least in theory.

“Maple syrup is one of those things that at its core is very simple,” he says. “But if anyone has ever taken a personal interest, they’ll realize very quickly that it’s a pretty deep rabbit hole.”

Producers tap primarily sugar maple trees — sometimes red maples — and collect sap through gravity-fed tubing systems or other setups that channel the liquid to a central collection point. From there, the goal is straightforward: remove the water and isolate the sugar.

“Regardless of the route you decide to take, the core process is to reduce the water content from the sap and isolate the sugar,” Tochydlowski says.

That reduction requires heat — often from a traditional wood-fired evaporator. Some larger operations add reverse osmosis systems to concentrate the sap before boiling. But no matter the technology, the math remains the same.

“Forty gallons in an ideal situation of raw tree sap converts down to one gallon of maple syrup,” he says.

Forty to one.

“It’s a pretty expensive process. A lot of work,” he adds. Then he laughs. “But a gallon of syrup lasts an awful long time in my house.”

Why Northeast Pennsylvania Is Ideal for Maple Syrup

Sugar maples grow across much of the eastern United States. But not every region can produce high-quality maple syrup.

“The reason why the area is so special is mainly because of the climate,” Tochydlowski says.

The key is the freeze-thaw cycle — cold nights followed by warmer days. That temperature swing creates pressure inside the tree.

“It’s kind of an involuntary process,” he explains. “Because of that freeze-thaw cycle, it creates a pressure gradient in the tree that forces sap in the roots up through the trunk.”

The sap carries sugars stored in the roots during winter dormancy. Producers drill a small hole — about an inch deep — to access the flowing sap.

In regions without consistent freeze-thaw cycles, trees convert stored sugars into compounds that don’t taste good to humans. So even where sugar maples grow, syrup production isn’t always viable.

“We’re very fortunate that Northeast Pennsylvania — and areas of New York and Vermont — have the perfect conditions to make sap flow and have it filled with the sugars we want for maple syrup,” Tochydlowski says. “The best stuff is right here in our backyard.”

A Self-Guided Maple Tour Across Wayne County

This year’s Maple Tour takes place Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s a one-day, self-guided event featuring nine sugarhouses across Wayne County and surrounding areas.

“You can expect to see a pretty decent variety,” Tochydlowski says. “Some are more in that hobbyist territory — small sugarhouses — and then there are others with excess of 25,000 taps.”

In past years, buses transported visitors between sites. But the county’s size made self-guiding more practical.

“It usually makes more sense for people to pick and choose locations that are closer to them,” he says. “Maybe visit two or three — or if you’re feeling really ambitious, go to all nine.”

Along the way, two locations will host pancake breakfasts featuring locally produced syrup.

“Nothing beats them,” Tochydlowski says.

The tour itself is free. (The pancakes are not.)

Education, Access — and a Gateway Hobby

For the conservation district, the event isn’t just about syrup. It’s about education.

“One of the best aspects is the educational piece,” Tochydlowski says. “It’s a great opportunity for producers to show people how it’s done.”

Visitors often leave surprised by how accessible maple sugaring can be.

“I’ve heard this feedback directly from participants,” he says. “They go out and learn, ‘Oh, I might actually have some of these trees on my property.’ And you really don’t need all that many to make maple syrup yourself.”

Like any hobby, it can scale dramatically — from a few backyard taps to industrial operations with tens of thousands.

“You can really get into it and invest in some pretty crazy equipment,” he says. “Or you can do things in a pretty simple way.”

For many, seeing the evaporators in action and speaking directly with producers who have “years, if not decades, of experience” is what makes the tour memorable.

“It’s eye-opening,” Tochydlowski says. “It’s very much accessible to a lot of people who live in this area.”

The number of people detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities have soared in the past year. At the Orange County Jail, the number of people detained by ICE has more than doubled since the start of the Trump administration. 

That tracks with what communities are seeing across New York state and the country. 

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Meghan Maloney de Zaldivar, Vice President of Advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition, to learn what record high ICE detainments can tell us about Trump’s deportation plans.

New federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) take effect across New York on March 1, and anti-hunger advocates are warning that hundreds of thousands of residents could be at risk of losing food assistance — not necessarily because they’re ineligible, but because they may not know they qualify for an exemption.

The updated rules require many adults without young children to document at least 80 hours per month of work or approved activity to continue receiving benefits long-term.

“SNAP has actually had work requirements for quite some time,” said Krista Hesdorfer, Director of Public Affairs at Hunger Solutions New York. “But they have been waived in most parts of New York.”

That waiver has now ended under a federal budget bill passed last summer, triggering stricter enforcement statewide.

What’s Changing?

The rules, often referred to as the “able-bodied adults without dependents” requirements, limit certain adults to just three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period unless they:

* Work at least 80 hours per month
* Participate in approved job training or community service
* Or document that they qualify for an exemption

“The federal budget bill effectively ends New York’s waiver of those rules,” Hesdorfer said. “So now people across the state who have been held harmless will now be affected by the time limit.”

The legislation also expands who must comply. Advocates estimate that an additional 200,000 New Yorkers who were previously exempt will now be subject to the requirements.

Who Must Meet the 80-Hour Rule?

Under the new policy, individuals must comply if they:

* Are between ages 18 and 64
* Do not have children under 14 in their household
* Are deemed able to work

One significant change affects older adults.

“The groups who are newly subject to the work rules include older adults age 55 to 64 who were previously exempt,” Hesdorfer said. “We’re really concerned about the impacts on that age group, knowing that many people face ageism when trying to find a new job later in life.”

Households with children 14 and older are also newly included. At the same time, exemptions that previously covered veterans, youth aging out of foster care, and people experiencing homelessness were eliminated in the federal bill.

Overall, between 300,000 and 500,000 New Yorkers could be affected. Nearly 3 million residents participate in SNAP statewide.

“Many people are not subject to these rules and should continue to receive benefits without disruption,” Hesdorfer emphasized. About 30% of SNAP participants in New York are children, who are not subject to work requirements.

The Exemptions — and Why They Matter

Advocates say the key to preventing unnecessary hunger lies in ensuring eligible recipients properly claim exemptions.

“You may be exempt if you are outside the age range of the policy,” Hesdorfer explained. That includes individuals under 18 or 65 and older, as well as households with a child under 14.

Other common exemptions include:

* Physical or mental health conditions that limit ability to work 80 hours per month
* Receiving disability benefits, such as VA or New York State disability
* Receiving or applying for SSI or unemployment benefits
* Pregnancy
* Caring for a young child or an incapacitated person
* Participation in drug or alcohol treatment programs
* Enrollment in school or job training at least half-time
* Already meeting work requirements through another program

Hesdorfer noted that the term “able-bodied adults without dependents” can be misleading and stigmatizing.

“Many people have disabilities and they don’t necessarily share that information,” she said. “I would encourage anybody to hear that term with skepticism.”

Research from previous SNAP work requirement rollouts found that people with disabilities who should have been exempt lost benefits at the same rate as those required to comply.

“That’s why communication about exemptions and the screening process is so critical,” Hesdorfer said.

What Documentation Is Required?

Documentation requirements vary depending on the exemption. In some cases, self-attestation may be sufficient. In others, recipients may need verification from a medical provider.

New York State has developed standardized templates to reduce paperwork burdens.

“It really feels to me like there’s an effort from our state agencies, local agencies, and community partners to make sure people can keep their benefits and minimize paperwork barriers,” Hesdorfer said.

Anyone who receives a notice indicating they may be subject to the new rules should read it carefully and contact their caseworker immediately if they believe they qualify for an exemption.

“They are there to help you,” she said.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Hesdorfer expressed particular concern for:

* Individuals with unreported disabilities or mental health conditions
* Adults aged 55 to 64
* People without stable housing or transportation

“Work rules are inherently flawed,” she said. “Someone might have housing one month and not the next, or their car breaks down — and now they could lose their food assistance too. No one should have to worry about that.”

Ripple Effects on Food Banks and Local Economies

Advocates warn that food banks cannot absorb large-scale SNAP losses.

“SNAP is by far our largest anti-hunger program. For every one meal that a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine,” Hesdorfer said. “Food banks and food pantries can’t simply fill the gap.”

As food costs remain high and demand continues to climb post-pandemic, she said the ripple effects could extend to housing stability, health outcomes, and local economies.

“When people lose their SNAP benefits, they may face impossible choices,” Hesdorfer said. “Do I pay the rent or buy groceries? Do I pay my utility bill or pick up my medication? Nobody should ever have to make those choices.”

What If Benefits Are Wrongly Cut?

Recipients have the right to request a fair hearing if they believe a decision was made in error. An administrative law judge reviews the case and can order corrections if needed.

How to Get Help

Hunger Solutions New York operates a statewide network of 86 SNAP navigators through its Nutrition Outreach and Education Program. Navigators provide free assistance with applications, documentation, and exemption screening.

“We’re focused on equipping our network of SNAP navigators,” Hesdorfer said. “They’re extremely well trained in every aspect of SNAP policy, including these new rules.”

New Yorkers can find their local navigator at foodhelpny.org or contact their county social services office directly.

As the March 1 implementation date approaches, advocates are urging recipients not to ignore official notices — and to ask questions if they are unsure of their status.

“Our goal is to make sure as many people as possible can keep their benefits,” Hesdorfer said.

Art, community and creative risk collide this Saturday in Barryville.

At Second Marks, a collaborative art show at Chester's Creative Studio, 12 local artists are doing something few creators willingly attempt: handing over their finished work to another artist — and trusting them to transform it.

The result is part creative experiment, part celebration of the area’s deep artistic bench — and part lifeline for local public media. Proceeds from the show will benefit Radio Catskill.

From Leftover Canvases to Fresh Vision

The idea began with artist Leigh Allison, who noticed something many creatives quietly admit: finished pieces often linger in studios, tucked away once exhibitions end.

“Most artists have artwork kind of laying around,” Allison said. “And I really wanted to show off the artists in the Catskill area — mainly Sullivan County — where there’s so much inspiration.”

The twist? Artists would swap those existing works and reinterpret them into something entirely new.

Allison approached Catherine Chesters, founder of Chester’s Creative, with the concept. Chesters was immediately on board.

To keep things fair — and unpredictable — the pair invited about two dozen artists, ultimately landing on 12 participants. Pairings were decided by drawing names from a jar.

“We didn’t want to be responsible for matching people,” Chesters said, laughing. “So we did a draw. That was actually the most complicated part.”

A Creative Challenge — By Design

Participants described the process as both exhilarating and intimidating.

“There was some caution,” Chesters said. “It was a challenge.”

But that tension is the point. The show embraces what might be called creative recycling — or shared authorship — as artists surrender control and reinterpret someone else’s voice.

The roster spans mediums and styles: painters, graphic designers, digital artists, ceramicists. Some pairings revealed surprising synergy; others pushed artists into unfamiliar territory.

“It was incredible to see,” Chesters said. “Some people’s work really complemented each other in ways we couldn’t have planned.”

Opening night will also feature sound by Alex Fable, turning the exhibit into a multi-sensory community gathering.

Supporting Local Media in a Tough Moment

The event’s fundraising mission adds urgency.

With federal funding shifts affecting public media nationwide, stations like Radio Catskill are increasingly dependent on community backing. For Chesters, supporting local journalism and storytelling isn’t optional — it’s essential.

“It’s essential that we have national and local radio. A voice and a medium for investigative journalism and truth to be reported. We have to support what roots us together. Supporting each other is what it’s about,” Chesters said. “In hard times, you need to see bright things.”