Radio Chatskill

Why is there an elephant in Jeffersonville? Many visitors to the weekly Jeffersonville Sunday Market have had the same question.

If you’re lucky enough to meet Mama, the real life elephant replica structure stationed in the garden of the Jeffersonville Bake Shop you might also be surprised to learn the timely lesson she has about environmental awareness, Indigenous art, and human and animal coexistence.

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with Michael Huber, co-owner of the Jeffersonville Bake Shop and its parent company Heartwood about why her message is so important for Jeffersonville and attended the Sunday Market to talk with the community about their newest neighbor!

According to an article by New York Focus, thousands of people across New York state are facing long waitlists for two major state-funded, community-based mental health programs — supportive housing and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). In Sullivan County, every resident who applied for supportive housing programs in 2022, 2023 and 2024 were placed on waitlists of up to a couple of years. The backlog in these voluntary programs comes as Governor Kathy Hochul recently expanded involuntary commitment for people with mental health issues in the latest state budget, opening the door for a potential increase in the forcible hospitalization of those suffering from mental health-related challenges amid fears for public safety. 

Radio Catskill’s Julia Kim had the chance to speak to Luke Sikinyi, Director of Policy at the Alliance of Rights and Recovery, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to mental health advocacy, about why New Yorkers are having to face these long waitlists and the main issues advocates have with the expansion of involuntary commitment. In addition, Kim also spoke to members of the Hudson Valley Clubhouse — a community-based program located in Poughkeepsie that connects people dealing with mental health issues to critical resources — including executive director Blaise Sackett, program director Sarah Santos and member William Dlugozima on the importance of community-centered models like the clubhouse in supporting recovery. 

New York immigration arrests were up in early June, according to newly obtained federal data. This comes as President Trump continues his attempt to fulfill the largest mass deportation effort in history, with widespread deportation arrests across the country.
 
The growing threat of raids have left rural communities with heightened anxiety and fear, but some grassroots organizations are springing into action locally. In South Fallsburg, a new children’s summer camp for rural and migrant families is creating a safe space for kids – to be kids.

A familiar face has returned to a familiar newsroom. The Sullivan County Democrat has named Isabel Braverman as its new editor, following the departure of Derek Kirk. Braverman, a Narrowsburg resident and longtime journalist, steps into the leadership role with deep local roots and a clear vision for community-centered reporting. Braverman’s leadership marks a new chapter for the Sullivan County Democrat as it continues its 133-year tradition of serving the region with trusted, community-driven reporting.

Braverman, who previously worked as a staff reporter at the Democrat, brings a broad range of experience from her work at the Sullivan County Visitors Association and Radio Catskill’s "One Small Step" project.
 
Speaking about her return, she said, “I really felt that I was missing local news. Personally, just knowing what’s going on. I always want to know more, to find out that information, and so I just thought it would be a great step to come back and be a part of the newsroom again.”

Reflecting on her shift from reporter to editor, Braverman acknowledged the adjustment. “It feels different being the editor, which I wasn’t sure if it would. I think back to when I was a reporter and Matt Shortall was the editor. I learned a lot from him during that time, and I’m bringing that knowledge now to help guide the newsroom.”

Braverman says her goal is to deepen coverage of local issues that directly impact Sullivan County residents. Citing a recent investigation into challenges faced by independent pharmacies, she noted, “I really think we can do some great in-depth stories on issues affecting our communities.”

A lifelong Sullivan County resident, Braverman emphasized that her local perspective will shape the Democrat’s coverage under her leadership. “I’m from here, born and raised. Having worked at the Visitors Association, I really got to know the local businesses and the people behind them. I feel very much a part of this community, and I’m bringing all of those years to this position.”

Braverman also spoke candidly about balancing her professional role with motherhood. The mother of a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, she highlighted the challenges faced by working parents in the region, including a shortage of affordable childcare. “It adds an extra stress,” she said, “but luckily I have family in the area to help.”

She acknowledged the significance of her appointment in an industry historically dominated by men. “It’s important to have that representation. I look forward to mentoring others, just like I was mentored.”

Addressing common misconceptions about the newspaper’s name, Braverman clarified that the Sullivan County Democrat is not affiliated with any political party. “It’s just called that because when it started in 1891, many papers had names like Democrat, Republican, or Independent in their titles. The name just stuck.”

In an era of rapid digital change and increasing pressures on local media, Braverman said the Democrat is working to bridge traditional journalism with modern platforms. Stories are published both in print and online, with select content shared on social media. Still, she emphasized, “If you really want to know what’s going on, pick up the newspaper and read it.”

With several local outlets—including the River Reporter and Radio Catskill—working alongside each other, Braverman sees collaboration, not competition, as the way forward. “We’re all in this together to amplify the stories of our region.”

Braverman underscored the urgency of sustaining local journalism. “Many counties across the country have just one or no local media outlets. The fact that we have several strong organizations here is really an asset. We can’t afford any more losses.”

The legacy of the Catskills’ fabled Borscht Belt is being kept alive one marker at a time. Tomorrow, the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project will unveil its 12th official marker in Loch Sheldrake, honoring Brown’s Hotel and the area’s once-iconic resorts that made Sullivan County a cultural epicenter.

“Brown’s is one of those big names like the Concord or Grossinger’s,” said Marisa Scheinfeld, photographer, historian, and co-founder of the project. “These weren’t just vacation spots. They were cultural epicenters. Everyone from Jerry Lewis and Joan Rivers to Sammy Davis Jr. performed here.”

Brown’s Hotel, long known as a landmark of entertainment and leisure, was part of a network of over 500 hotels and thousands of bungalow colonies that defined mid-20th century life in the Catskills. The new historical marker doesn’t just commemorate the resort’s heyday; it also recognizes Loch Sheldrake’s lesser-known history as a hotspot for boxing, and even as a remote refuge for gangsters from New York City—some of whom used the area as a literal dumping ground, according to local historian John Conway.

Scheinfeld noted that the project initially focused on the major towns like Liberty, Fallsburg, and Thompson, but is now expanding to smaller communities. “When we started, there wasn’t a single historical marker for the Borscht Belt. To be unveiling our 12th feels like real progress. Our goal is to get to 20.”

The unveiling will be followed by a public screening of A Walk on the Moon, a film chosen for its direct ties to Catskills history. Written by Pamela Gray, who spent summers in local bungalows, the 1999 film portrays a family vacationing in Sullivan County in the summer of 1969, against the backdrop of the moon landing and Woodstock.

Scheinfeld said the film captures the unique world of the bungalow colonies, “a whole other Borscht Belt experience that sometimes gets overshadowed by the big hotels.”

The screening will take place inside an original Borscht Belt nightclub that remains intact, offering visitors a rare chance to experience the setting firsthand.

The Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project has several more events lined up, including nighttime dedications in Woodbourne on August 23 and community celebrations in Parksville and Livingston Manor later this fall.

The project encourages locals to share personal stories and artifacts. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a partner in the effort, is recording oral histories at dedication events. “Don’t throw anything away,” Scheinfeld urged. “Every story matters.”

For more information, including how to attend events or contribute to the project, visit BorschtBeltHistoricalMarkerProject.org — or, MayTheBorschtBeWithYou.org.

Good news for beginner farmers in the Catskills region: Sullivan County Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Beginner Farmer Program is back. Earlier this year, those funds were temporarily frozen as part of Trump’s DOGE efforts to shrink the federal budget.

The program pairs farmers in the Catskills and Hudson Valley regions who have been operating for less than ten years with farmer mentors, group trainings, and networking. 

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Melinda Meddaugh, Agriculture & Food Systems Senior Issue Leader of the Sullivan Cornell Cooperative Extension, about the program returning.

From plastic-eating caterpillars to mysterious lights above thunderstorms and dazzling summer meteor showers, Joe Johnson, Radio Catskill’s resident science guy, unpacked some of nature’s strangest and most fascinating phenomena this week.

Plastic-Eating Waxworms: Nature’s Unlikely Solution to Pollution?

Plastic pollution is choking oceans and landfills worldwide—but help might come from an unlikely source: the waxworm.

At last week’s Society for Experimental Biology conference, researchers revealed that the larvae of the wax moth—commonly sold as bait for ice fishing—can digest polyethylene, one of the world’s most common plastics.

Johnson explained the discovery began in 2017 when a Spanish biologist and beekeeper placed waxworms in a plastic bag and returned an hour later to find it full of holes. “The worms, which naturally consume beeswax inside beehives, had begun eating the plastic,” Johnson said. The reason? Both beeswax and plastic are polymers, meaning they’re made up of long chains of repeating molecules.

Evolution has equipped waxworms with specialized enzymes and metabolic pathways that allow them to break down beeswax. Researchers have now found those same enzymes—present in the worms’ saliva and digestive tract—can break polyethylene down into lipids: fats and oils that the worms store as body fat.

But there’s a catch. “A pure diet of plastic kills the worms in just a few days,” Johnson noted. Scientists are now exploring ways to supplement the worms’ diet to help them safely consume plastics. If successful, waxworms could potentially be raised on a plastic-containing diet to help reduce landfill waste. After feeding on plastic, the worms themselves could serve as food for aquaculture or livestock.

“Alternatively, scientists might be able to mimic the worms’ chemical processes and develop industrial-scale solutions for breaking down plastic waste,” Johnson said.

Red Sprites: Rarely Photographed Weather Phenomenon 

Shifting from earth to sky, Johnson also discussed a breathtaking image recently shared by astronaut Nicole Ayers from the International Space Station. The photograph shows a rare weather phenomenon known as a red sprite: a glowing, jellyfish-like flash of red and purple light stretching above a thunderstorm over the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Sprites are upward electrical discharges that occur high above thunderclouds, in the mesosphere and ionosphere,” Johnson said. Known collectively as Transient Luminous Events, or TLEs, red sprites were only first photographed in 1989. They typically last just milliseconds and are notoriously difficult to capture on camera.

Sprites aren’t the only strange lights haunting stormy skies. Johnson noted scientists have also identified blue jets, elves, trolls, pixies, and even ‘ghosts’—most of which are based on scientific acronyms, despite their whimsical names.

As thunderstorms grow more powerful with climate change, Johnson said it’s likely sightings of these transient luminous events will increase.

Look Up: Summer Meteor Showers Light Up Catskills Skies

Johnson urged local residents to spend some late nights outdoors this summer to catch two upcoming meteor showers.

• Alpha Capricornids will peak on July 29th into the morning of July 30th, known for their bright fireballs—meteors that blaze dramatically as they fall through the lower atmosphere. Viewers can expect 5 to 10 meteors per hour, though occasional bursts may surprise watchers.
• Perseids, perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year, will peak between August 12th and 13th, with as many as 100 meteors per hour possible at its peak. Caused by debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, the Perseids are best viewed after midnight in the northeastern sky.

“The darker your surroundings, the better,” Johnson advised. “Let your eyes adjust to the dark and avoid looking at your phone. A good astronomy app with red-light mode can help you find the best viewing direction.”

Though moonlight from a waning gibbous moon may interfere with the Perseids this year, Johnson said the show should still be well worth watching.

Is leaving the woods alone really the best way to preserve them?

According to forester Ryan Trapani of the Catskill Forest Association, “doing nothing” comes with hidden costs—and a whole lot of shade-loving trees. 

In this immersive forest consultation, Ryan pays a visit to Kaatscast host Brett Barry's property to explore hands-on stewardship, the limits of laissez-faire ecology, and the surprising power of sunlight in shaping forest health.

After more than two decades at the helm, Roberta Byron-Lockwood has retired as CEO of the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association (SCVA), ushering in a new chapter for the region’s growing tourism industry. Her successor, Michael Martelon, a tourism executive with experience in Santa Cruz County, California, and Telluride, Colorado, brings a shift not just in leadership, but in strategy—moving from traditional promotional tactics to data analytics and county-wide outreach.

Journalist Liam Mayo, who’s been covering the transition for The River Reporter, describes the change as a “hugely significant moment” for Sullivan County tourism. Under Byron-Lockwood’s leadership, the industry expanded into a billion-dollar economic force, with visitor spending nearly doubling from $500 million in 2018 to nearly $1 billion by 2023.

“She’s the person who created that billion-dollar industry,” Mayo said. “Those are huge shoes to fill.”

A Strategic Shift

Martelon, who describes himself as a “data geek,” is focused on inclusion and detailed analytics. He’s ending SCVA’s paid membership model—which some critics said prioritized member businesses over others—and pledging to market the entire county more equitably.

He’s also utilizing sophisticated digital tools to analyze tourism patterns down to individual short-term rentals across various hamlets, aiming to tailor marketing efforts and distribute visitor traffic more evenly across the region.

“Instead of just tracking total visitors or general revenue, Martelon wants to map where tourism is thriving or lagging and target promotions accordingly,” Mayo explained. “It’s a more inclusive approach, but also a more data-driven one that fits the current digital moment.”

Bumps in the Road

Martelon’s arrival hasn’t been without turbulence. Early in his tenure, he froze a grant program that funded local events and promotions—triggering frustration among businesses that had already been promised funds. Though the grants have since been restored, Mayo noted, the episode highlighted both the abruptness of the leadership change and Martelon’s intention to make immediate operational changes.

“There was a rocky couple of weeks, but conversations with the business community helped smooth things out,” Mayo said.

Political Backdrop

The leadership change also comes after several politically charged years for the SCVA. Historically, the organization received the full 85% of Sullivan County’s room tax revenues designated for tourism promotion under New York State law. But under former legislature chair Rob Doherty, that arrangement shifted, with some funds withheld due to concerns about SCVA’s perceived lack of county-wide inclusivity.

That political tension has eased following Doherty’s departure in 2023. The new county legislature has restored full funding to the SCVA and is now in discussions about how to utilize additional reserved tourism funds—conversations that hinge on Martelon’s strategic direction.

Rebuilding Trust

While Byron-Lockwood’s decades of personal and professional connections tied SCVA closely to local government and business leaders, Martelon must establish new trust as he implements his more technologically driven, inclusive approach.

“It’s not a gentle succession,” Mayo said. “This is someone coming in from outside, signaling that things are going to change.”

Local organizers in Sullivan County are set to join more than 1,500 communities nationwide in commemorating the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis this Thursday, marking five years since the civil rights icon’s passing. The event, titled Good Trouble Lives On, is part of a national day of non-violent action inspired by Lewis’s call to “get into good trouble.”

Hosted by the local civic group We Are One Sullivan, the gathering will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Rotary Pavilion at Hanofee Park in Liberty. The event will honor Lewis’s lifelong work advancing civil rights, voting rights, and non-violent protest.

“We are one of 1,500 celebrations across the country,” said Ken Wompler of We Are One Sullivan. “This event gives us a chance to be inspired by Congressman Lewis’s life and legacy, and to be renewed by it. It puts the ‘good’ in ‘good trouble’ and reminds us how vital voting is to our democracy.”

The local event is co-sponsored by several regional advocacy groups, including the Sullivan County chapter of the NAACP, the Committee for Equity and Justice, and the Rural and Migrant Ministry.

Anne Hart, also with We Are One Sullivan, emphasized the continued relevance of Lewis’s message. “Even though we’re relatively protected here in New York when it comes to voting rights, nationally, access to the ballot box is under attack,” Hart said. “Lewis registered millions of voters in his lifetime. It’s up to us to carry that work forward.”

Speakers at the event will address ongoing challenges to voting rights, including restrictive voter ID laws and other measures enacted in several states following the Supreme Court’s Shelby decision, which weakened federal protections.

“We can’t become complacent just because we feel secure locally,” Hart added. “John Lewis taught us that protecting democracy takes constant work.”

Founded in 2016 and reinvigorated in 2024, We Are One Sullivan is a local chapter of the national Indivisible movement, working to engage residents in grassroots advocacy. “This is about building coalitions,” Wompler said. “We must stand together, locally and nationally, to protect the foundations of our democracy.”

Asked what Lewis’s mantra of “good trouble” means to them, Wompler and Hart offered personal reflections. For Wompler, it’s a “commitment to non-violence” and the belief that voting itself is a form of protest. Hart focused on the “trouble” aspect, saying, “Sometimes, to create change, you have to make a little noise. You have to call out injustice when you see it.”

Thursday’s event will feature speakers, community networking, and refreshments, with volunteers assisting guests and providing lemonade on what is expected to be a hot summer evening.

As Hart put it, “Courage is contagious. When you see your neighbors standing up, it inspires others to join in.”

For more information about the event and the national movement, visit goodtroubleliveson.org.