Radio Chatskill

How does the botanical elegance of a 19th-century artist find new life in contemporary design?

In this episode of Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast, host Brett Barry follows the enduring influence of Emily Cole—daughter of Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole—whose delicate hand-painted ceramics helped define her artistic legacy. Cole was a founding member of the New York Society of Ceramic Arts in 1892, and she advocated for china painting to be recognized as fine art. Her floral porcelain was “highly prized and much sought after,” admired for its lifelike detail and expressive form.

In a special pop-up collaboration, tattoo artist Kelsey Lue brought Cole’s botanical watercolors—on exhibit at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site—into a new medium. Clients at Hummingbird Tattoo were invited to choose from Emily Cole–inspired designs, bridging past and present through artistic interpretation.

The exhibit, titled EMILY COLE: Ceramics, Flora & Contemporary Responses, is on view at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site through November 2, 2025.

Featuring insights from curator Amanda Malmstrom and moments from the tattoo chair, this episode celebrates Emily Cole’s creative spirit and the artists who continue her legacy through reimagined design.

A fatal neurological disease affecting deer has been detected in Wayne County, prompting state officials to establish a new Disease Management Area (DMA 10) in the northeastern part of the county.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), caused by a misfolded protein known as a prion, is similar to mad cow disease but affects members of the deer family. The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed that CWD was detected earlier this year in a single captive deer in northeastern Wayne County.

The discovery marks the first time CWD has been identified in the county. DMA 10 now encompasses all of Manchester Township and parts of Buckingham, Preston, Mount Pleasant, Lebanon and Damascus townships.

Background on CWD

CWD spreads through animal-to-animal contact or contaminated environments. Once introduced, it has been notoriously difficult to eliminate. Pennsylvania’s first cases were detected in 2012, and the disease has slowly spread across the state since.

“This disease management area that the Game Commission has established … is the 10th disease management area,” said Liam Mayo, news editor at The River Reporter, during a recent interview on Radio Catskill. “Most of the other ones in Pennsylvania have only spread since their initial creation.”

One exception, Mayo noted, was Pennsylvania’s first DMA, which was established around a captive deer population. That area was declared free of CWD after five years without additional detections, offering hope that DMA 10 could see a similar outcome.

New Restrictions for Hunters

While hunting remains permitted within DMA 10, several restrictions are now in place:

• Hunters cannot remove "high-risk" parts of deer, such as the head, spinal column, and spleen, from the DMA.
• Feeding deer is prohibited.
• The Game Commission is encouraging hunters to participate in free testing programs, where they can drop off deer heads for CWD testing.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there is no evidence that CWD can infect humans, the agency advises against eating meat from infected animals.

“Hunting is actually part of the DMA management strategy,” Mayo explained. “It’s considered part of the solution to managing CWD.”

Community Concerns

The presence of CWD is alarming for Wayne County’s hunting community, which is a cornerstone of local culture and economy.

Adam Hill, a Wayne County game farmer, told The River Reporter that the news is “incredibly concerning,” especially given the disease’s persistence in other states.

“Northern Wayne County especially is kind of … an oasis for deer hunting,” Hill said. “It’s hard to find a family who doesn’t hunt deer here in Wayne County.”

When you receive one of those Amazon cardboard boxes with black tape, there are hundreds of thousands of warehouse workers behind the scenes – packing, stocking, and shipping products around the clock to make it happen.

Here in the Hudson Valley, a massive one-million square foot facility employs hundreds of Amazon workers in Orange County. But some of those workers say the job can become dangerous. 

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Amazon’s SWF1 workers and labor organizers who are raising concerns about serious safety issues, like heat exhaustion and frequent injuries. She brings us this report. 

Pharmacy closures are becoming an increasingly familiar story for Americans. The Rite Aid just outside of Honesdale, PA on Route 6 closed on June 4 after the company filed bankruptcy for a second time back in May. The pharmacy was bought out by Weis Markets, which has its own pharmacy just across the street from the former Rite Aid, but the automatic transfer of patients from Rite Aid to Weis Pharmacy has proven to be shaky as customers face new barriers to accessing their prescriptions. 

Radio Catskill’s Julia Kim had the chance to speak with Sullivan County resident Catherine Montesi, Honesdale Mayor Derek Williams and owners Todd and Wayne Stephens, who run the local Stephens Pharmacy about the immediate problems the Rite Aid closure has created for the local community as well as the impending issue of pharmacy deserts both in the region and across the country. 

The Borscht Belt Festival returns to downtown Ellenville for its third year, celebrating the legendary legacy of Jewish resorts, comedy, and culture that once defined the region.

Presented by the Borscht Belt Museum, the festival runs from Friday, July 25 through Sunday, July 27, with a lineup of events honoring the heyday of the Catskills resort scene and its outsize influence on American comedy.

Full schedule & tickets: www.borschtbeltfest.org

Riverfest returns to Narrowsburg this Sunday, July 27, celebrating 35 years of art, music, and community along the Delaware River — and this year, it's taking flight in more ways than one.

Joining Radio Catskill this week, Ariel Shanberg, Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA), previewed what festivalgoers can expect from this year’s milestone celebration, from crowd favorites like the River Dogs Parade to brand-new additions like the Avian Amble.

“We’re overlooking the narrowest and deepest part of the Delaware, and it’s a chance for our community to get together to welcome the thousands of people who come every year,” Shanberg said. “You’ll discover great artisans, learn more about the incredible ecology of our area, hear live music on the main stage, and of course, bring your dog — or your canine-identifying pet — to be part of River Dogs on Parade.”

New This Year: The Avian Amble

While the dog parade has become a Riverfest staple, this year marks the debut of the Avian Amble, a bird-themed street stroll encouraging feathered costumes and creativity.

“Main Street’s just too short for a full parade, but just right for an amble,” Shanberg explained with a smile. Leading the Amble will be none other than the National Park Service’s “Hunky Eagle” — a crowd favorite not just for his wingspan, but his good looks. Leading up to the event, kids can join artist Adrian Holder Whiskey in a morning costume workshop to prepare their bird-themed attire.

And don’t be surprised if the Amble takes on a theatrical flair. “We’re bringing back that tradition of street theater — there’ll be puppetry, street circus performers, and maybe even some birds rolling down Main Street,” Shanberg said.

A Maker-Centered Celebration

Shanberg, who’s been with DVAA for eight of Riverfest’s 35 years, emphasized the event’s maker spirit. “This festival really reflects the creativity of Narrowsburg year-round,” he said. “It’s a chore to put on a street festival, but COVID reminded us just how much this community values it.”

With over 60 vendors expected and Main Street completely closed to traffic, this free, daylong celebration continues to showcase the Catskills’ vibrant arts and culture scene.

One of the festival’s signature elements is the Poster Auction, featuring work by more than 50 local artists. Each year, artists transform an 11x17 board into a one-of-a-kind creation to be auctioned off — this year at 1:00 p.m. Guest auctioneers include Tommy Cambridge of Growing Old Together.

Proceeds benefit DVAA’s visual arts programming, and now, artists have the option to receive a portion of the auction proceeds themselves — a post-pandemic shift acknowledging their contributions.

Music, Stories, and Crafting
Riverfest’s main stage will open with Calisson Stratton, host of Liberation Station on Radio Catskill, and close with Ame the Band, a genre-blending musical act whose performance promises to be “equal parts haunting and healing.”

The festival also features River Stories, with young storytellers from the YA Slingers (a collaboration between Test and Social and Yarn Slingers) sharing tales of life on the river.

Due to the number of vendors, parking on Main Street will be restricted. Visitors are encouraged to use the Fireman’s Field lot, where a shuttle will take them to the festival entrance at Bridge and Main.

For a full schedule, artist list, and more event info, visit www.delawarevalleyartsalliance.org/riverfest.

The CEO of Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills is warning that newly signed federal legislation could deal a severe blow to rural hospitals already on the financial brink.

In a wide-ranging interview with Radio Catskill, Jerry Dunlavey, who oversees Garnet Health’s two Sullivan County campuses in Harris and Callicoon, expressed concern about the sweeping Medicaid changes enacted earlier this month as part of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Trump.

“This bill shifts a significant amount of the funding responsibility from the federal government to the state government,” said Dunlavey. “And the concern is that the state is not going to be able to make up that difference. That’s going to cause significant challenges for health systems, particularly our rural hospitals.”

State lawmakers have warned that as many as 1.5 million New Yorkers could lose access to health coverage under the new law. According to Dunlavey, that could include as many as 40,000 residents in the Hudson Valley region alone.

Financial Uncertainty Deepens

Although the specifics of the law are still being analyzed, Dunlavey noted the immediate risk is clear. In Sullivan County, he said, 35–40% of Garnet Health’s patients are on Medicaid, and a similar portion are on Medicare. Only about 20% are commercially insured or pay out-of-pocket.

“That payer mix is a recipe for barely being able to break even,” he said. “If you start to cut programs that fund the organization, it’s going to be significant.”

Rural hospitals like Garnet have already been navigating financial headwinds, including recent cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates and physician fees. Last month, Garnet Health announced job reductions and the closure of two services: pulmonary rehab and diabetes education—programs Dunlavey said provided excellent care but had become unsustainable to operate.

“The unfortunate consequence is that when programs can’t support the cost of their operations, it presents hospital leaders with very, very difficult decisions,” he said.

Preparing for What’s Ahead

Dunlavey said the Garnet Health leadership team is accelerating its strategic planning process in response to the law’s passage.

“We normally have a strategic planning cycle set to start in mid-2026,” he said. “We’ve decided it’s time for us to get together now and talk about what initiatives we need to pursue to remain sustainable and preserve as many services as we can.”

The ripple effects of the Medicaid changes are expected to unfold more fully in 2026, Dunlavey added, particularly if uninsured patients begin showing up in greater numbers to emergency departments.

“Hospitals do not—and legally cannot—turn anyone away who needs care,” he said. “But hospitals also cannot support a growing volume of unreimbursed visits.”

Staff and Community Concern

Dunlavey noted that while patients haven’t expressed widespread concern yet, Garnet Health employees are already feeling the strain. At a recent anniversary lunch, he said, the top issue on employees’ minds was the future of Medicaid.

“Our staff understand our community and the vulnerability of the population we serve,” said Dunlavey. “The concern over Medicaid cuts really feels like the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Despite the uncertainty, he emphasized that Garnet Health remains committed to the region.

“These are unprecedented times,” he said. “Five years ago we were in the middle of a pandemic. We spent the years after trying to regroup. And now we’re facing billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid. It’s a challenge, but we are committed to doing everything we can to continue to serve the community.”

For more information, visit garnethealth.org.

Garnet Health is a financial supporter of Radio Catskill.

A New York State Supreme Court judge has awarded $30 million in damages to Jeff Pringle, a man who was sexually abused as a teenager at the Forestburgh Scout Reservation in 1985. The ruling is believed to be the first verdict under the state’s Child Victims Act in Sullivan County, according to Isabel Braverman, Editor of the Sullivan County Democrat.

Pringle was 16 years old when he worked as a camp counselor at the Boy Scout camp nearly 40 years ago. During that summer, he was abused by a man who had posed as a medical professional at the camp.

According to court documents and reporting from the Sullivan County Democrat, the abuser, Paul Caillaud, presented himself to campers and staff as a licensed doctor. Pringle visited the camp’s infirmary with an ear infection after swimming in the lake, where Caillaud—claiming to be a doctor—allegedly held him and sexually assaulted him over the course of two nights.

Caillaud was reportedly a volunteer at the camp that summer and was not a licensed medical professional. He was originally from Florida and brought items like a medical briefcase and equipment to the camp to support his false credentials. It remains unclear how he gained access to the camp or how his impersonation went unchallenged at the time. The camp itself, and the Boy Scouts of America, were not named as defendants in this particular civil case.

It was Pringle’s mother, a nurse, who began to suspect something was wrong after her son described the so-called “medical treatment” he received. She questioned Caillaud and another nurse at the camp, eventually discovering he lacked a medical license. Her concerns led to a police investigation in 1985 and ultimately Caillaud’s conviction.

The $30 million award stems from Pringle’s decades-long suffering, which includes anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation—trauma the judge found credible and deeply damaging. The court also cited evidence of abuse against at least three other individuals, although specific details were not disclosed in the court record.

While the Forestburgh Scout Reservation and the Boy Scouts of America were not part of this civil trial, Pringle is reportedly pursuing separate claims against the national scouting organization through its ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. His legal team argues the organization enabled abusers by granting access to vulnerable children.

The ruling is notable as the first known Child Victims Act verdict in Sullivan County. Enacted in 2019, the law created a legal window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits, even decades after the abuse occurred. Prior to its passage, victims had until age 22 to bring civil claims.

More coverage of this case is available at scdemocratonline.com.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of abuse, help is available. Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for confidential support.

The Hudson Valley is known for its art history. The Hudson River School during the 19th century spearheaded the Romanticism movement in the United States, producing an extensive collection of paintings of the natural landscape we are famous for. But Forge Project, an Indigenous-led non-profit located on the unceded land of the Moh-He-Con-Nuck Community in Columbia County, argues it is a colonial legacy — one that has erased the very existence of Indigenous people in this region alongside their foundational contributions to American arts and culture. 

Established in 2021, the local organization has been working to challenge that erasure. Through a combination of supporting emerging Indigenous artists, working directly with Indigenous tribes and advancing land remediation and research projects, Forge specifically aims to deconstruct the institutional barriers that have long guarded the art world. 

Radio Catskill’s Julia Kim had the chance to speak with Executive Director and Chief Curator Candice Hopkins or Director of Indigenous Programs & Relationality Sarah Biscarra Dilley on the journey of the non-profit itself, the organization’s ongoing projects and the structural issues they aim to address and how racism and settler colonialism have been critical to the development of Western art. 

Here’s Dilley…

Sullivan County is facing an urgent housing crunch. Now, the county legislature must decide how to address the issue. 

Last year, the legislature allocated $2 million in local funds for affordable housing. County legislators are weighing several options for how to use those funds – create a housing trust fund, build new affordable rentals, or repair and improve the county’s existing housing stock.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Heather Brown, Sullivan County Commissioner of Planning, Community Development, and Environmental Management about the different options on the table and what it could mean for the county’s housing supply.