Radio Chatskill

April 1 marks the start of New York state's fiscal year and a state budget agreement is nowhere to be found.
State lawmakers are set to approve a short-term budget extender today. It'll run through Thursday and ensure the state payroll goes out on time.

Patricio Robayo spoke to 

Cancer touches nearly everyone, yet it’s rarely explored in the arts. Chemo Savvy sets out to change that. Veteran performers Verna Gillis and David Gonzalez—both currently undergoing chemotherapy—lead an evening of storytelling and music that blends humor, reflection, and raw truth.

In a recent conversation with Radio Catskill’s Tim Bruno, Gillis and Gonzalez shared how the performance aims to open up a fresh, unflinching conversation about life with cancer. The event features storytellers Rebecca Kalin and Bruce & Gail Whistance, along with musicians Joey Eppard, Jay Collins, and Matt Finck.

With Gillis’s sharp wit and Gonzalez’s poetic voice, Chemo Savvy turns personal experience into shared understanding. This is not a support group. It’s a performance. And it just might change the conversation.

📅 When: Sunday, April 6 at 2:00 PM
📍 Where: Rosendale Theatre
📞 Phone: 845-658-8989
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.rosendaletheatre.org/movies/chemo-savvy-live

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County is hosting its annual Garden Day on Saturday, April 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge. This day-long event offers gardeners of all levels the chance to attend four out of 16 expert-led classes covering a wide range of topics, including patio and meadow design, growing heirloom tomatoes, mushroom cultivation, and cover cropping.

This year’s keynote speaker is Michael Hagen, curator at the New York Botanical Garden, who will discuss the history and evolution of one of the Garden’s historic spaces and lessons learned in sustainable gardening with native plants.

Master Gardener Barbara Bravo will also lead a session titled "The Good, the Bad, and the Buggy," focusing on common plant problems and environmentally friendly solutions.

While online registration has closed, walk-ins are welcome. For details and class descriptions, visit ulster.cce.cornell.edu or search “CCE Garden Day.”

New York state lawmakers and labor advocates are hoping to include the work opportunity tax credit in the final state budget. This is a tax credit that would essentially be given to employers if and when they hire people from specific targeted groups - such as veterans, summer youth employees and ex-felons. 

To understand the impact and logistics of the work opportunity tax credit, Shantel Destra - of the New York Public News Network - sat down with the Assembly Labor Committee Chair Harry Bronson.

Albany, NY – As the clock ticks down to an April 1 deadline, New York state lawmakers are in a race against time to settle a proposed $252 billion budget. Tensions are high, with heated disputes over both financial allocations and a range of policy issues.

Jimmy Vielkind and Jeongyoon Han of the New York Public News Network’s Capitol Bureau report that lawmakers are grappling with contentious debates over funding priorities, including education, healthcare, and housing, as well as new policies that could affect everything from criminal justice reform to climate change initiatives.

The $252 billion budget represents a significant portion of the state's spending for the upcoming fiscal year, covering a wide array of public services. However, the negotiations have been far from smooth. Key sticking points have included disagreements over how to allocate resources for various state programs, with different factions pushing for greater investments in their respective priorities.

"We are making progress, but the clock is running out," said one lawmaker, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations. "At the core of it, it's about ensuring that the budget reflects the needs of New Yorkers while balancing fiscal responsibility."

In addition to financial debates, lawmakers are also divided on a series of policy provisions attached to the budget, some of which could have significant long-term impacts on the state. One major point of contention has been proposals related to criminal justice reforms and environmental regulations.

As the state legislature works to finalize the budget before the deadline, pressure is mounting from both sides of the political spectrum. Advocates for public programs argue that cuts to essential services would disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, while fiscal conservatives push for more stringent budget controls and spending cuts.

With April 1 rapidly approaching, all eyes are on Albany as lawmakers continue to negotiate in the final hours. Should the legislature fail to pass the budget on time, the state could face significant disruptions in its operations, including potential delays in funding for critical programs.

For now, the fate of New York's budget remains in the balance as lawmakers race against the clock to reach a compromise.

Two months after Crystal Run Healthcare workers voted overwhelmingly to unionize, the National Labor Relations Board dismissed their employer’s objections to the union election without a hearing.

In a March 24 decision shared with the Times Union, NLRB regional director John D. Doyle, Jr. wrote that evidence put forward by the employer, Optum, did not raise “substantial and material issues affecting the election, or affecting the outcome of the election.”

As a result, 1,120 Crystal Run workers joined 650 other Optum staff in Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley in 1199SEIU, the largest health care union in the Hudson Valley, which also represents staff at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Putnam Hospital and Northern Dutchess Hospital.

The regional director’s decision came three weeks after Optum, a United Health Group subsidiary, filed two objections. It had argued that the NLRB could not form a quorum to certify the election after President Donald Trump fired Gwynne Wilcox, a Democrat, in January.

Despite the lack of quorum, the NLRB’s regional directors continue to have the authority to conduct elections and certify election results, “regardless of the Board’s composition at any given moment,” Doyle wrote.

Optum also claimed its right to hold work meetings with employees during which the employer discussed its views on unionization were restricted, but last year, the NLRB ruled that those types of meetings were unlawful. Doyle’s decision stated that Optum failed to identify witnesses who would testify about attendance at those meetings anyway.

“The recent determination by the regional director is one step in a longer process with the National Labor Relations Board regarding this election,” an Optum Health spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We believe we can best achieve our mission when our leaders and employees work together to help people live healthier lives and to help make the health system work better for everyone. A direct relationship, rooted in a collaborative, inclusive team environment, allows for the strongest, most effective and open communication between employees and leaders.”

In his conclusion, Doyle also certified 1199SEIU Health Care as the bargaining representative for all full-time, regular part-time, per diem non-professional employees, and physicians at Crystal Run. That includes employees at Crystal Run locations in Middletown, Monroe, Newburgh, Rock Hill, Goshen, Warwick and West Nyack.

The unionized workers said they plan to push for better health insurance, pay raises, more clearly defined job duties and increased workplace protections. Staff have reported overburdened work schedules that have led to burnout.

Angela Lane, the union’s regional vice president for the Hudson Valley, called Optum’s objections “baseless” in a statement.

“The election results are now certified. Optum and Crystal Run need to stop their games and meet us at the bargaining table,” she said. “Workers across Optum are joining together to win strong contracts that lift wages and benefits to the high standards won by 1199SEIU members across New York.”

Story by Maria M. Silva/Times-Union
Staff Writer

The Ulster County clerk says he will not file a summary judgement against a New Paltz, New York doctor being sued in Texas for prescribing abortion medication via telehealth.

Dr. Margaret Carpenter is facing a civil lawsuit for mailing two abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostal, to a woman in Texas, which bans nearly all abortions. In the suit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims Carpenter violated the Texas ban and effectively practiced medicine in Texas without a license. Carpenter didn’t show at a Texas court hearing last month, and New York has refused to cooperate in accordance with its shield law protecting abortion providers from out-of-state lawsuits.

Acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck says he received a request from a Texas court to file a summary judgement against Carpenter that included more than $100,000 in penalties and attorney fees. But he says he won’t be moving on it.

“In the shield law, it specifically states that no government employee shall cooperate with an out-of-state proceeding, civil or criminal, regarding health care services rendered that are legal in New York state," says Bruck. "Upon on our reading of the law, it’s very clear that we are not to cooperate with this or expend government resources on it. So we decided to reject it and kick it back to Texas.”

New York is one of eight states nationwide that has a shield law protecting abortion providers. This case is considered the first test of those laws, and it’s not the only one: Carpenter also faces a criminal indictment for sending abortion medication to a teenager in Louisiana. New York has refused to extradite Carpenter in that case.

Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, says it’s possible these cases will eventually find their way to the Supreme Court.

“It’s definitely something we’ve expected to see, this kind of inter-state conflict around abortion," she explains. "This is a question about states’ rights, right? And when states have to listen to one another.”

WAMC has reached out to the Texas Attorney General’s Office for comment.

Several Democratic New York State lawmakers praised Bruck for his decision Thursday. Congressman Pat Ryan of the 18th District said on X: “Texas AG Ken Paxton chose the wrong community to mess with.” Governor Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, said in part: “This is New York. We’ll never back down from fighting for these fundamental rights.”

State Senator Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat from the 41st District, says she's also pleased with the move.

"The actions against the doctor, I feel, are deplorable. She has been only acting in good faith to provide healthcare to people who need it," says Hinchey. "The acting clerk did exactly what he should do, and I'm really proud of him for doing it."

The way Bruck sees it, he’s preparing for the possibility that Texas might take further legal action against the state of New York, or even Ulster County. He says he’s glad to see the support of other lawmakers.

“It is, very frankly, necessary," he adds. "I’m glad that we’re all on the same page, and this is really what the law was passed to do, was to protect our constituents from these acts. I’m just following my duties as county clerk, following the laws as written.”

The Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, which Carpenter co-founded and leads as co-medical director, commended Bruck for rejecting the summons in a statement. It adds in part: “Shield laws are a critical safeguard that protect both providers and patients nationwide. As anti-abortion states escalate attacks beyond their borders, it is more important than ever that New York’s legal system continues to defend access to care.” Carpenter herself has not commented publicly on the cases.

Governor Hochul signed legislation earlier this month aimed at strengthening New York’s shield law. Under the law, abortion providers no longer need to include their names or practice on prescription labels.

Story by Jesse King/WAMC/New York Public News Network 
Jesse King is the host of WAMC's national program on women's issues, "51%," and the station's bureau chief in the Hudson Valley. 

Image: The Ulster County Government Office in Kingston, NY. (Credit: Ulster County Clerk)

The towering silos on Lower Main Street in Callicoon, NY, have long been an emblem of the town’s history, since the 1930s. However, with the passing of time, their age is becoming more evident, and there’s an effort underway to ensure these structures are preserved for future generations.

The ENGN Civic Creative Center, located right next door to the silos, has launched a fundraising initiative aimed at safeguarding these iconic landmarks that have become a cornerstone of the community. 

They’re hosting a Brunch, Raffle, and Silent Auction on Sunday, April 13, at Callicoon Brewery.

Farm and Country’s Rosie Starr traveled to Callicoon and spoke to Caroline Prezosi and Isaac Diebboll, members of the ENGN team, about  the importance of maintaining the silos as more than just a historical structure, but as a symbol of Callicoon’s identity.

The Trump administration Thursday announced a major restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will cut 20,000 full-time jobs.

HHS is the umbrella agency that includes the CDC, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the FDA, the National Institutes of Health and other smaller divisions.

According to an HHS fact sheet, the reorganization will not impact Medicare or Medicaid.

But, Republicans, who narrowly control Congress, are pushing proposals that could sharply cut funding to Medicaid as a way to finance President Trump’s agenda for tax cuts and border security, putting enrollees and providers at risk. 

That includes New Hope Community, the Sullivan County non profit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

New Hope’s CEO Debbie McGuinness called on elected officials to recognize the critical need for stable and equitable funding for nonprofit providers who support vulnerable populations, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Genetics testing company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past Friday.

And scammers are targeting seniors with genetic testing scams.

What should seniors know about their data? 

Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of the New York StateWide Senior Action Council explains that scammers are offering Medicare beneficiaries "free" screenings or cheek swabs for genetic testing to obtain their Medicare information for identity theft or fraudulent billing purposes. 

Fraudsters are targeting beneficiaries through telemarketing calls, booths at public events, health fairs, and door-to-door visits.