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Radio Chatskill

Radio Chatskill

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 Live, local conversations focused on arts, history, and current news.© 2026 Various hosts Politics & Government
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  • Horses Heal and Empower at Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center

    Horses Heal and Empower at Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center
    Jan 22 2026

    At Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center, horses are more than animals — they’re teachers. Helping people build confidence, communication skills, and emotional connection, they offer lessons that traditional classrooms or therapy rooms often cannot.

    “Your ability to connect with the horse for the rider affects them deeply in areas we can’t even measure,” said Vera Remes, a PATH International–certified therapeutic riding instructor and equine assisted learning specialist. “At Fair Hill, the most important component is the horse.”


    Connection Comes First

    Fair Hill’s one-hour lessons are structured to prioritize connection before skill. Executive Director Sally emphasizes relationship-building with the horse before teaching riding techniques.


    “They could do stuff we really can’t do with words,” Remes said. “There are skills, and then there’s connection for our riders.”


    During sessions, participants begin on the ground with breathing exercises and grooming, learning how their body language affects the horse.

    “When you get an equine involved, they affect everyone in the area,” Remes explained. “There’s even research that shows their heartbeat can lower the heartbeats of people in the lesson. It’s called heart rate variability.”

    Parents often notice improvements at home. “One little vignette,” Remes said, “is when a kid who’s never said a word tells their horse to ‘walk on.’ Your heart just swells.”

    Beyond Traditional Riding

    Therapeutic riding differs from standard instruction because the horse’s movement itself promotes healing.

    “If someone’s on a horse, it approximates the movement of the human body walking,” Remes said. “You’ll often see improvement in gait, balance, and coordination.”

    Fair Hill’s instructors ensure horses keep moving during lessons. “When they’re walking, you’re helping with balance and coordination — all the things you can’t really teach. The horse is doing that,” she said.

    Serving a Wide Community

    Fair Hill serves children with developmental, intellectual, and behavioral disabilities, adults, seniors, foster children, and veterans.

    “We have a woman with a bad back,” Remes said. “The horse helps her because she can’t walk well. When she gets off, she feels better.”

    The center also runs Stable Moments, a mentoring program for foster youth. “When you change a person’s attitude, other things come along with it,” Remes said. “It changes how they think of themselves and the people around them.”

    Volunteers: The Heart of Fair Hill

    Volunteers are essential to the program. Annual training, led by Remes and Nancy Van Wick, is set for Saturday, January 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Maplewood Farms in Waymart.

    “We welcome people even with no training,” Remes said. “We’ll make them really good volunteers who can interact with professionals, participants, and families. You’ll never feel stranded.”

    She adds with a laugh, “Nancy and I are like comedians. It will not be dry and academic.”

    A Place of Belonging

    For Remes, Fair Hill is more than therapy — it’s community.

    “When I walk into the barn, I get that warm and fuzzy feeling,” she said. “It’s a place where people are just so accepting of whatever different abilities you might have. That’s what the horse does for you.”

    More information on volunteering and programs is available at fairhill.farm.
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    15 mins
  • New York Blood Supply Drops to Critical Levels as Donations Fall 40% Below Demand

    New York Blood Supply Drops to Critical Levels as Donations Fall 40% Below Demand
    Jan 22 2026
    New York is facing a growing blood supply shortage, and health officials say the situation is becoming increasingly critical.The American Red Cross and regional partners, including the New York Blood Center, report that in parts of the state, blood donations are running nearly 40 percent below hospital demand. O-type blood — along with A-negative and B-negative — is especially needed.Blood is essential for everyday hospital care, from emergency trauma response and childbirth to cancer treatment and chronic illnesses such as sickle cell disease. Nationwide, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. When supplies run low, hospitals may be forced to delay surgeries, infusions, or other lifesaving care.January is National Blood Donor Month, a time set aside to raise awareness about the ongoing need for donations — particularly during the winter, when supplies often dip.“So this month exists because donations during January are so low,” said Jennifer Malinchak, a registered nurse and manager of Occupational Health and Wellness at Garnet Health. “In 1969, actually President Nixon declared January to be National Blood Donation Month. So that started in 1970, so it has a long history.”Malinchak joined Radio Catskill to discuss the statewide shortage and an upcoming community blood drive hosted by Garnet Health in partnership with the New York Blood Center. Garnet Health is also a financial supporter of Radio Catskill.Winter weather, seasonal illnesses, holiday travel, and scheduling disruptions all contribute to fewer donors during this time of year.“We have for various reasons, as you can imagine — the weather, right? We have a pending storm coming this weekend, wintertime illnesses, the holidays, people planning holiday events and also travel,” Malinchak said. “So blood donation may not be at the forefront of people’s minds.”On the front lines, the shortage is already having real impacts.“There is a critical shortage right now, so that impacts the ability that we have to provide blood products to our patients,” she said. “There may be delays in discharges, delays on infusions. People may need to stay in the hospital longer or reschedule infusions or surgeries.”While blood donations are often associated with emergencies or trauma care, Malinchak emphasized that most donated blood supports everyday, ongoing medical treatment.“Actually, more than 25 percent of the blood supply goes to treat cancer patients,” she said. “In addition to cancer patients, we have patients that have chronic illness that require transfusions of blood products. So it really impacts not only during times of trauma — it’s also day-to-day treatment of patients, improving their quality of life and saving lives.”Health officials say many people who are eligible to donate never do.“Every two seconds, someone needs blood,” Malinchak said. “At least 62 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, but only 3 percent do. So there’s a huge opportunity for education and sharing the importance of blood donation and how it saves lives.”For those hesitant to donate, Malinchak said the process is simple and safe.“The New York Blood Center has been doing this for well over 60 years. The professionals make the process as easy and seamless as possible,” she said. “Usually it takes about an hour of your time. The actual donation time is about 15 minutes. So it’s a relatively short period of time where you can make a huge impact on the well-being of the community.”And yes — donors still get refreshments. “There’s always the juice and cookies at the end,” she added.Most people who are healthy and feeling well can donate. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and generally be between the ages of 16 and 75. Sixteen-year-olds need parental permission, while donors 76 and older need a doctor’s note.Malinchak also encouraged past donors to keep coming back.“You’re able to donate approximately every two months — like 56 days,” she said. “If you have already donated, you understand the process, the rewards of donation are so great. I encourage you to return as a donor and continue to contribute to the well-being of our community.”To help address the shortage, Garnet Health and the New York Blood Center will host a community blood drive on Wednesday, January 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Garnet Health Medical Center, 707 East Main Street in Middletown.“It’s right off Route 17, easy access,” Malinchak said. “You can come in the main entrance or the side entrance by the conference center. You can pre-register, or we accept walk-ins.”Appointments can be scheduled through the events page at garnethealth.org, though walk-ins are welcome.“One hour of your time makes a huge difference in someone’s life and their quality of life,” Malinchak said..
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    11 mins
  • Fallsburg School District Voters to Decide on $56.5 Million Capital Project With No Tax Increase

    Fallsburg School District Voters to Decide on $56.5 Million Capital Project With No Tax Increase
    Jan 21 2026
    Voters in the Fallsburg Central School District will decide February 3 whether to approve a $56.5 million capital project aimed at addressing long-standing building issues, improving safety, and upgrading heating and cooling systems across district schools — a proposal district leaders say would come with no increase to local school taxes.The proposal was the focus of a recent conversation on Radio Catskill, where Superintendent Dr. Ivan Katz outlined what’s being proposed, why now is the right moment, and what families should know ahead of the vote.Years in the Making — and Prompted by HeatDr. Katz said the capital project has been years in the making, driven largely by deteriorating parking lots and the growing need to address extreme heat inside school buildings.“We’ve planned for several years to fix our deteriorating parking lots,” Katz said. “We knew it would be expensive to do so, so we set up capital reserves.”Those reserves — funds set aside specifically for major projects — were approved by voters in advance, particularly for heating and air-conditioning upgrades, which Katz described as the most expensive components of the proposal.The timeline accelerated after a New York State law passed in 2024 set 88 degrees as the maximum allowable temperature for occupancy in public school buildings beginning in September 2025.“That law prompted us to have to take action,” Katz said. “We needed to make sure that hot temperatures wouldn’t affect school attendance for kids.”Heat Already Disrupting LearningWhile a state-required Building Conditions Survey completed in 2023 identified a number of facility needs, Katz said the urgency became clear during last year’s heat waves.“This past June, our school buildings were getting so hot — especially cafeterias and gymnasiums — that we had to close school early on several days,” he said.Those early dismissals came during Regents exams and other end-of-year activities.“Losing necessary school time was not something we wanted to have as an ongoing concern in the years to come,” Katz added.Parking, Traffic, and Safety ImprovementsA major portion of the proposal focuses on replacing and widening parking lots at both the junior-senior high school and Benjamin Cosor Elementary School.The elementary school’s only entrance, Katz said, is currently about 40 feet wide — creating congestion during drop-off, pick-up, and school events.“We often need police present to direct traffic,” he said. “Creating additional parking and changing the layout of the entrance by adding an additional lane will help address some of the congestion that we get.”Smaller Projects With Immediate ImpactBeyond HVAC and parking upgrades, the project includes several smaller improvements expected to affect daily operations and security.Among them is the installation of card-swipe access for classroom doors.“Card swipes will make our classrooms safer,” Katz said. “Classroom doors will always be in a locked position and will eliminate the issues that happen when staff members lose or misplace their keys.”Other upgrades include fuel tank replacements nearing the end of their useful life, masonry repairs, trash compactors, and updates to libraries and learning spaces.How the District Plans to Avoid a Tax IncreaseDespite the project’s size, Katz said it is structured to avoid any increase in local school taxes — now or in future budgets.“This is the question I get asked most,” he said.The $56.5 million project would be funded through three primary sources:About $41 million in New York State building aidRoughly $11 million from the district’s capital reserve funds$5.2 million in retired debt from previous projects“When you add those together, you have a project equaling just under $57 million,” Katz said.The district qualifies for approximately 72 percent state building aid, meaning the state would reimburse roughly 72 cents for every eligible dollar spent.“Our past projects have also come in at a zero percent increase in taxes,” Katz said. “Past performance is the best indicator that I can offer.”Second Proposition: Property Purchase Near Elementary SchoolVoters will also be asked to consider a second proposition to purchase a neighboring property near Benjamin Cosor Elementary School.The purchase would allow the district to widen the school’s only entrance and exit — a change Katz said is especially important for emergency vehicle access.“Our current entrance makes it very challenging for emergency vehicles to gain entrance at times when we have high traffic,” he said.Like the main capital project, the property purchase would be funded through capital reserves and would not increase local school taxes, according to the district.Timeline and What Voters Will SeeIf voters approve both propositions, major construction would begin during the summers of 2027 and 2028, with some work potentially extending into 2029....
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    10 mins
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