Radio Chatskill

Who has the Best Burger in The Catskills? That’s what Michael Kaufman of The Catskills Crew Newsletter is trying to find out. 

Kaufman appeared on Radio Chatskill to discuss his quest. 

Image by wahyu_t on Freepik

Sullivan County legislators are expressing strong opposition to a proposed Ulster County landfill that could potentially impact the region. The proposal, put forth by the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA), calls for the establishment of a countywide landfill at one of two locations in the Town of Wawarsing, which includes Ellenville. 

The proximity of these sites, particularly one near the Sullivan County border and another in a sensitive watershed area, has sparked significant concern among Sullivan County lawmakers.

Dan Hust, Communications Director for Sullivan County Government, appeared on Radio Chatskill to discuss the situation with host Jason Dole. 

Updated property taxes went into effect January 1 across Northeast and Central Pennsylvania and 
our NPR colleagues at WVIA are reporting that residents in 11 countries will see higher property taxes in 2025.

For example, Monroe County property owners face a 37% tax increase — the highest jump in the region. Taxpayers in eight counties avoided any increases into the new year, but some at the cost of county departments and services.

Several commissioners told WVIA they stretched their county's cash flow by cutting jobs in the new year and taking on a more fiscally conservative budget.

Isabela Weiss is the Rural Government Reporter at WVIA in NEPA. She reported on the tax hikes and she appeared on Radio Chatskill to talk about the reasons behind them and the potential impact on residents and county governments.

"Personal Space" is a collection of author Bizzy Coy's 20 favorite short humor pieces as previously published in The New Yorker, McSweeney's and beyond. 

Coy will be read from her book at Chesters Creative in Barryville, NY, on Sunday, January 19, for a special event called "Coverstory" celebrating the fusion of literature and art 

In addition  the reading, attendees will experience live art by the book's cover artist, Catherine Chesters, and the illustrator, Lia Strasser. 

Bizzy Coy appeared on Radio Chatskill to talk about the book, the event, and her next project. 

As the world grapples with an ever-increasing wave of cyberattacks, identity theft, and data breaches, experts are sounding the alarm: It’s no longer just companies or governments that need to worry about protecting their data — individuals must also take responsibility. With the threat landscape constantly evolving, the need for personal cyber defense has never been more urgent.

Enter Rivka Tadjer and Roberto Gottardello, co-founders of Zero Hack, who are offering a unique solution to help individuals safeguard their personal data and protect their identities in the digital age at the Rosendale Theatre on January 22 as part of their “Today I Learned Talk Series."

Appearing on Radio Chatskill, Tadjer said, " You need new life skills. It’s the dawn of 2025. If you don’t understand modern criminal and therefore victim behavior, you will become the latter. It’s just a matter of time. There is no containing breached data—your bank account numbers, passwords, social security number, etc.— once it’s out there. You cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul presented her agenda for the year in her annual State of the State address in Albany on Tuesday, touting middle-class tax cuts and rebates in the form of direct checks, while pledging to assign police to patrol subway cars overnight in New York City.

Hochul’s address came after a tough election year for the Democratic Party across the country and an unusually strong showing for President-elect Donald Trump throughout the state, though Democrats managed to flip some congressional seats in New York. Republican inroads seemed largely tied to one thing: the economy. 

Governor Hochul has insisted that election results are not influencing her agenda, but she is focusing on cost-of-living concerns as the central theme of her 2025 plan. 

From the New York Public News Network, WAMC News Director Ian Pickus breaks down the speech with Radio Catskill's Jason Dole. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a tax cut, larger subsidies for child care, and a new grant to certain families after the births of their children — part of a plan to put more money in the pockets of working and middle-class New Yorkers. The Democratic governor outlined the ideas in her State of the State message Tuesday. 

Radio Catskill's Jason Dole spoke to State Senator Peter Oberacker of the 51st District for his reaction to the proposals. 

Nearly 50 residents turned out on Thursday to hear Roscoe/Manor School Superintendent John Evans address concerns and questions of residents of the newly formed school district – which faces a number of upcoming significant decisions that will be made by the future school board. 

Radio Catskill's Jason Dole was there and spoke to the Superintendent of both districts, John Evans; Sullivan BOCES Superintendent Dr. Robert Dufour;  Roscoe Central Schools Board Member Gary Dahlman; and current Livingston Manor Central Schools Board President James Buck.

The school board election will be held on Thursday, February 13,  from Noon until 8 p.m. at the Livingston Manor school. 

On the latest episode of Kaatscast, Brett Barry interviews Silda Wall Spitzer, the former First Lady of New York,  about her new endeavor: a gourmet jam business. 

Spitzer shares memories of how her jam-making journey began, her experiences as the former First Lady of New York, and her ongoing passion for sustainability and community service. 

Kaatscast is a biweekly series featuring Catskills culture, history, sustainability, local interviews, literature, and the arts. Shows are hosted by Brett Barry and produced by Silver Hollow Audio, in the heart of the Catskills,  and has been voted “Best Regional Podcast” three years in a row.

As Los Angeles endures devastating wildfires, many are left grappling with the harsh reality of a climate crisis that seems to be worsening by the day. 

Amidst the destruction, one local creative voice is calling for action—not just to respond to the disaster, but to provoke thought and spark change through the power of art and storytelling.

Tannis Kowalchuk of Farm Arts Collective is hosting a presentation about their 2025 Dream on The Farm project which aims to tell stories about how we are interacting with earth and each other and the need for humanity's reckoning and responsibility for climate change.