The Local Edition

An incarcerated prison reform advocate is calling for a major expansion of presidential clemency authority.

In an interview with Radio Catskill, Atiq Weston outlined his proposal, the Presidential Pardon Powers Act of 2025, which would allow U.S. presidents to issue pardons for state convictions, not just federal crimes.

Weston spoke from Woodbourne Correctional Facility, arguing that the Constitution’s pardon clause should be interpreted more broadly. He says presidents, as the nation’s highest executive authority, should have clemency power equal to or greater than that of state governors.

He tied the proposal to what he described as systemic problems in state prisons, including inadequate medical care, limited mental health services, and a lack of meaningful avenues for relief. Weston said expanding presidential pardon power could offer incarcerated people an additional path toward review and redemption.

Weston is urging lawmakers, advocacy groups, and the public to review the proposal and consider broader reforms to clemency and prison oversight.

his Sunday, Dec. 21, the Borscht Belt Museum is inviting the community to celebrate the holiday season with a program that blends music, history, and tradition, bringing Christmas and Hanukkah together under one roof.

The Christmas–Hanukkah Holiday Mashup runs from 4 to 6 p.m. on the penultimate night of Hanukkah. The event is part concert, part history lesson, featuring music by Larry Bush and Susan Griss of the Starlight Duo, along with stories behind some of the most familiar holiday songs in American culture.

Many of those well-known tunes, including White Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, were written by Jewish composers — a fact that often surprises people.

“The idea really grew out of a conversation,” said Andrew Jacobs, Board President of the Borscht Belt Museum. After the Starlight Duo performed at the museum earlier this year, he and Bush began talking about holidays and music. “Larry told me about the history of Christmas music and how many of the most endearing and famous songs were written by Jews. I thought that would make a great concert and event.”

Jacobs said the program also serves as a way to kick off the museum’s winter season. After recently installing heat in the historic building, the museum can now remain open year-round.

“This felt like a great way to welcome people in during the winter and bring the community together,” he said.

For Bush, the music itself tells a deeper story about American history. Much of the Great American Songbook — music from the 1930s through the 1950s — was written by Jewish composers working in New York’s Tin Pan Alley and on Broadway.

“That music emerged primarily from African American composers and Jewish composers,” Bush said. “These songs became enduring standards because they’re full of feeling, romantic lyrics, and beautiful melodies.”

Bush noted that many composers changed their names during that era, often to avoid antisemitism, which may be one reason their influence isn’t always widely recognized today. Still, their work helped shape American popular music for generations.

During Sunday’s program, the Starlight Duo will perform selected classics while offering short stories about the composers and their broader body of work. The concert will include just two traditional Christmas songs — White Christmas and The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) — alongside other standards from the era.

The event will also include a menorah lighting and light refreshments, including latkes and eggnog. Jacobs said the goal is to create a warm, welcoming space for people of all backgrounds.

“In a time when the days are short and things can feel heavy, this is really about coming together as a community and celebrating light,” he said.

The Christmas–Hanukkah Holiday Mashup takes place Sunday, Dec. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Borscht Belt Museum, 90 Canal Street in Ellenville. All are welcome, with a suggested donation of $15.

 Property owners in Sullivan County are being warned about a growing wave of property deed fraud, a scam that county officials say is becoming more common, more sophisticated, and more damaging.

In a recent interview with Radio Catskill, Sullivan County Clerk Russell Reeves said his office has handled multiple cases in which scammers attempted to sell or transfer property without the owner’s knowledge.

“This is becoming more and more prevalent,” Reeves said. “It’s a big issue with property fraud — deed fraud.”

How the Scam Works

According to Reeves, scammers often obtain information from publicly available land records and then pose as legitimate property owners. Using fake or altered deeds, they attempt to sell property or take out mortgages, sometimes without the real owner realizing anything is wrong until it’s nearly too late.

In one case, Reeves said, a separated couple jointly owned a property. One party attempted to sell the property without the other’s knowledge using fraudulent notarization. That case ultimately led to an arrest.

In another instance, a Sullivan County property owner who was staying in Florida received a letter from the county clerk’s office notifying them of a pending property transfer. That alert helped stop the sale before it went through. Reeves said that case involved someone operating from outside the country and remains under investigation.

“These scams are happening across the country,” Reeves said. “It’s not just here.”

Seniors and Absentee Owners Targeted

Reeves said scammers often target seniors, absentee owners, and people who own multiple properties. In some cases, scammers list properties for sale through real estate agents without the owner’s consent.

He described a situation in which neighbors noticed a “for sale” sign on a property whose owner had repeatedly said they had no intention of selling. When contacted, the owner was shocked to learn their land had been listed. The listing turned out to be fraudulent.

“They’ll get a copy of a deed or create a fake deed,” Reeves said. “They pose as the owner, advertise the property, and once the money is gone — especially if it leaves the country — it’s very hard to recover.”

Two Victims, One Crime

Reeves emphasized that these scams often create two victims: the legitimate property owner and the buyer who unknowingly purchases stolen property rights.

“The buyer thinks they’re acting in good faith,” he said. “But once that money is gone, there’s usually no way to get it back.”

If a fraudulent sale goes through, the original owner must go to court to prove they are the rightful owner. While they may eventually recover the property, Reeves said the legal process can be costly and stressful.

How the County Is Fighting Back

Reeves said the county clerk’s office has implemented safeguards to catch suspicious activity. One key measure is sending notification letters whenever a property transfer or mortgage is recorded.

“These letters work,” he said. “They’re catching a lot of this stuff.”

To strengthen protections, the clerk’s office also offers a free Property Owner Fraud Alert system. Property owners can sign up online to receive email alerts whenever activity is recorded against their property.

“There’s no charge,” Reeves said. “If anything happens with your property, you get notified by email.”

For residents who may not use email — particularly seniors — Reeves recommends designating a trusted family member or friend to receive alerts on their behalf.

How to Sign Up

Residents can sign up by visiting the Sullivan County Clerk’s website and navigating to:

County Clerk → Land Records → Property Owner Fraud Alerts

The system allows users to monitor multiple properties and has proven to be an effective deterrent, Reeves said.

“If someone needs help signing up, they can call my office,” he added. “We’re happy to help.”

What to Do If You Suspect Fraud

If a property owner believes fraudulent activity has occurred, Reeves said the matter is referred to the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office for investigation and prosecution.

“Time is of the essence,” he said. “The sooner we know, the better chance we have of stopping it.”

Reeves encouraged all Sullivan County property owners — especially seniors and absentee owners — to stay alert and take advantage of the free monitoring tools available.

“This is serious,” he said. “We’re talking about hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of dollars. These are people’s homes and land.”

Following New York Focus Investigation, Home Health Aides Will Get New Insurance

Last week, New York’s 19th Congressional District Representative Josh Riley joined 34 House members to introduce CommonGround2025. It’s a new bipartisan bill that would extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits. 

The credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, which could leave millions of families facing premium increases of more than $10,000 a year.

The Senate is expected to vote Thursday to extend existing ACA tax credits for three years. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Representative Josh Riley about the new bill.

After a delayed start caused by a federal government shutdown, New York’s Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is now up and running for the winter season, offering much-needed relief for residents struggling with heating costs.

John Liddle, Commissioner of Health and Human Services for Sullivan County, told Radio Catskill the program officially reopened on December 1 and is now operating normally.

“The funding had to move from the federal government to the state, and then to local fuel vendors,” Liddle explained. “That caused delays, but everything is now functioning as it normally would.”

How to Apply for HEAP

Residents can apply for HEAP or check on the status of an application in several ways:

Liddle encouraged residents who believe their benefits should have renewed automatically but have not seen changes yet to contact the county directly.

“There have been some changes in regulations connecting HEAP and SNAP benefits, and that may be creating issues for some people,” he said. “If something doesn’t look right, we want folks to reach out so we can fix it.”

Only One Emergency HEAP Benefit This Year

Unlike recent winters, which included extra funding tied to pandemic relief programs, this season will offer just one emergency HEAP benefit, expected to become available January 1.

“In prior years, there were usually at least two emergency benefits,” Liddle said. “That was due to additional federal funding during and after the pandemic. That extra funding has now dried up.”

He also confirmed that furnace repair, clean-and-tune, and replacement benefits are currently cut off for this season. However, county officials are advocating for the state to restore some of those programs before winter ends.

“We’re hearing some hopeful signs behind the scenes, but there’s nothing official to announce yet,” Liddle said.

Warming Centers Open Across the County

With sub-zero temperatures already hitting the region, Sullivan County has activated overnight warming centers, operating seven nights a week from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. These centers are not shelters but provide a safe place to stay out of the cold.

Warming center locations include:

Liddle said usage is already higher than in past years due to the early cold snap. In emergency situations after hours, residents experiencing homelessness can contact local police to be connected with warming centers or hotel placements.

Looking Ahead

In addition to winter heating concerns, Liddle also highlighted ongoing pressure on childcare affordability and urged residents to raise the issue with state lawmakers as budget negotiations approach.

For now, county officials stress that anyone who needs help with heating costs should apply as soon as possible and not assume their benefit has renewed automatically.

It’s been 100 years since the invention of the color photo booth, which used a chemical “dip and dunk” process to develop images on the spot. Today, only one remains in operation, and it's in Berlin.

But for decades, a quieter, lesser-known booth ran out of an old arcade in Sylvan Beach, New York. It operated on a stockpile of supplies bought in the 1990s and stayed alive thanks to one family's dedication. It wasn’t something you'd find trending online. It was a local fixture, hidden in plain sight.

Today Radio Catskill’s Jamie Case speaks with Emily Botehlo, a photobooth enthusiast, about the final season of the Sylvan Beach booth, its quiet legacy, and how it was passed from one passionate family to another.