WJFF - Trailer Talk

What happens when your home becomes a sacrifice zone? Sabrina speaks with Town of Liberty residents Yvonne Gomez and Vance who live in Ferndale, NY in the Sullivan County Catskills. Like so many people are facing across the country in rural and small town communities, the threat of irresponsible development is threatening not only quality of life, but is putting at risk water resources, agricultural land, open spaces, clean air and more. It puts the burden on residents and the towns themselves when wells run dry, water is contaminated, infrastructure costs and more. Yvonne and Vance join Sabrina as the home they love on a small rural road that was a sanctuary and an investment are being compromised. They discuss choices made by the Town Board and lack of transparency that has led them to speak out and work with community advocates to raise awareness about this situation. If you're in Liberty, NY this Wednesday night, February 21, the Liberty Town and Village will revisit the 2008 Comprehensive Plan. 

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, the married duo behind AphroChic since its inception in 2007, have dedicated their venture to delving into the fusion of contemporary design and worldwide cultures, emphasizing the rich tapestry of the African American community. 

Their platform spotlights culture, creativity, design, art, fashion, and technology, embracing diversity and celebrating the vibrant contributions of various populations. Sabrina extends an invitation to Jeanine and Bryan to elaborate on the essence and goals of their initiative. 

Explore more about AphroChic at https://www.aphrochic.com/

Sabrina continues her series about development and asks, What does a sustainable Sullivan County, NY look like and why is it vital for a healthy community? In this episode Sabrina explores the heated issue of the proposed Village of Ateres in her neighborhood. 

Why is NY Governor Hochul exempting it? What can people do? Has this process been fair? Sabrina is joined by returning guest Jennifer Grossman an environmental lawyer working on land use issues and Perry Ochacher, a NY State lobbyist who has been retained to work on this issue by Catskill Mountainkeeper, an environmental organization charged with protecting the Catskill region. 

What does it mean to belong to and have a connection to a place? This conversation reveals some of the strategies being used to protect what is valued.  

What is your vision for the place you call home? Right now the deadline approaches on December 23 for NY State Governor Hochul to sign the Village Incorporation Law to stop unchecked development that is threatening our region. Sabrina is joined by community advocate Cora Edwards and environmental legal expert Jennifer Grossman for the launch of Trailer Talk's project about this issue. Coalitions are building between concerned citizens throughout the Sullivan County Catskill region as residents are finding themselves in the path of dangerous development.

What is the threat to our aquifer and access to clean water and air, a rural way of life and the  protection of agriculture, wild spaces and habitat? Cora and Jennifer both residents of the Catskills talk about the adverse impacts -- environmental, cultural and economic and why they are committed to raise awareness and use their organizing tools to fight back to stop reckless development. To find out more about it and the Bill, please visit: catskillmountainkeeper.org

Hands Off Our Bodies: Abortion wins in Ohio and Virginia this election. 

Sabrina is revisiting the Reproductive Rights and Justice Protest in Sullivan County, NY, which was quickly organized on that anti-democratic day, June 24, 2022. 

People took to the streets at the courthouse in Monticello, NY, on the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal abortion rights. 

This Trailer Talk celebrates organizers and activists who are making a difference in pushing back against extremist political decisions.

Sabrina chats with filmmaker Michel Negroponte about his captivating essay film, HERD, a masterpiece of 'creative non-fiction filmmaking.' 
Discover the thought-provoking exploration of animal personhood and sentience featuring insights from Aristotle, Gandhi, and even a few Buster Keaton clips! 

Michel shares his remarkable findings in this must-see film. 

What unfolds when a herd of Belted Galloway Cattle becomes his neighbors in the Catskills? 

 #HERD #CreativeFilm #AnimalSentience #CatskillsNeighbors #SullivanCatskills 

Candy for this Halloween special. In this moment of world crisis and immense suffering Sabrina decided to reach into the Trailer Talk cupboards and share one from the early years as she continues to mark the talking trailer’s 20th anniversary. Please join Sabrina, that “Lady with the Trailer” for this conversation with author Beth Kimmerle about her book, Candy: The Sweet History. Let’s bring some sweetness to each other as we remember what connects us and what kind of world we want to live in – certainly one of peace and understanding. 

Sabrina speaks with Neil Greenberg about his re-engagement with his dance piece, The Disco Project (1995), with the current version, The Disco Project Remix 2023. The NY Times described the previous work as "a drama in the face of diversity." What dialogue is happening in this remix decades later? 

Neil is a Professor of Choreography and the Dance Program Director at the New School in NYC. Sabrina and Neil talk about Queer readings of the body, what emerged from the AIDS Era -  plus some disco anthems that herald LQBTQ+ movements for Liberation. 
The Disco Project Remix 2023 will be performed on October 7 at the Catskill Art Space in Livingston Manor, NY, with a discussion following the performance. Stay tuned for Sabrina's other conversation with Neil about his seven years as a dancer with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and more about his current work.   

In this episode Sabrina shares the power of the local in her neighborhood of the Sullivan County Catskills and Delaware River Valley. This region has a long and important tradition of fighting bad climate policy, in addition to advocating for the environment and people of this community. Rosie Starr joins this episode of Trailer Talk to gather field conversations at the Climate March on the Narrowsburg Bridge spanning both NY and PA. In solidarity with the March to End Fossil Fuels in NYC on September 17th, and the UN Climate talks, community gathered to share their vision, concerns and local issues impacting quality of life and survival.