WJFF - Close to Home with Leif Johansen

So if our population isn't growing...why can't we find places to live? In this episode, Leif sits down with Adam Bosch, President and CEO of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, and Vanessa McPhillips, the Director of Strategic Planning at the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, to learn about why abundant and affordable housing feels just out of reach in our community and what's being done about it.To learn more about Sullivan County's housing statistics and strategies, check out the 2022 Comprehensive Housing Strategy here: https://sullivanny.gov/sites/default/files/departments/Planning/Housing%20Strategy/SullivanCountyComprehensiveHousingBook.pdfCover photo credit: Jonathan Fox, River Reporter Newspaper

What exactly happens behind the scenes for clean, safe drinking water to come out of your kitchen faucet? It turns out, there are marvels of engineering and health science right under our feet, but much of our water and sewer infrastructure in the U.S. is outdated—sometimes dangerously so. In this episode, we hear from University of Rochester Professor Morris Pierce on the history of American water works and Town of Liberty Supervisor Frank DeMayo on how our local drinking water and wastewater systems work, and what the most pressing issues are with them that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Name a multi billion-dollar New York State industry that has grown five-fold in the last decade. (Not much of a quiz question when you can see the title of the episode, but work with me here.) Craft brewing is in its prime across the U.S., and upstate New York is one of the great epicenters of it. In this episode, we talk to New York State Brewers' Association President Paul Leone and Big Eddy Brewing Co. owners Jacob and Alison Johnson about the state of the industry, and we learn from the experts about how to make beer and how to build a brewery from the ground up. (Spoiler: it takes more than a little elbow grease.)

After a shake up in the composition of the Sullivan County Legislature after last November's elections, the nine-person governing body is looking younger than ever. In this episode, we catch up with two of the new, younger members of the legislature to get an inside look at what it's like to navigate the challenges and opportunities of local governance.

This is the full interview with John Conway for our episode in May 2024 on local aviation and the Sullivan County Airport. In it, John talks about how he goes about conducting local history research, what the best books on Catskills and Sullivan County history are, aviation, Borscht Belt hotels, and a splash of government corruption.

In this episode, we hear from the new Sullivan County Airport Superintendent, Julian Motola, on the ongoing development of a brand new terminal at the Sullivan County International Airport, supported by an $18.5 million grant from New York State. We also learn about the storied history of aviation in the Catskills, and how the Sullivan County International Airport came into existence in the first place as an unusually large publicly owned and operated facility for a rural community. (And we'll finally get an answer to why it's an "international" airport!)

There's a 50-mile biking/walking path being built that will span the entire length of Sullivan County, north to south. It's a feat of design and community cooperation, and it's (slowly) moving closer to becoming a reality. But that's just part of a larger, regional project that may transform the way we think about accessibility and recreation in our rural area. This episode is an update to our piece in early 2021 on the O&W Rail Trail project, and it features Heather Brown, Sullivan County's Commissioner of Planning, Community Development & Environmental Management; Heather Jacksy, Sullivan County's Chief Planner; Annie Bergelin, Design and Capital Projects Manager at the Open Space Institute; and Tatum Justice, Northeast Land Project Manager at the Open Space Institute.

Have you noticed geese flying back recently? Or robins plucking worms and berries from your snow-less yard in the middle of the winter? Locally and globally, bird populations and migration patterns are changing. Today, we're asking why. (Spoiler: your house cat knows.) In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Andrew Farnsworth, Senior Research Associate in the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Mark Dedea, President of the John Burrows Natural History Society, and Wendy Tocci, Regional Coordinator for the Third New York State Breeding Bird Atlas.

How do all of those public school meals get made every day? What regulations govern what food can and can't be served to K-12 students? This week, we sit down with Sullivan West Central School District Food Services Director Dara Smith to get the inside scoop on what happens behind the school lunch counter.

What's the status of rural food insecurity in (sort of) post-COVID rural America? "A Single Bite" Executive Director Audrey Garro drops in to talk about the current state of food insecurity in the Catskills and to share some exciting news about the burgeoning local nonprofit. We also ponder what impact Dollar General and transit systems like "Move Sullivan" have on rural access to nutrition.

In 2021, overdose death rates in Sullivan County were 108% higher than the New York State average. How did we get here? Are our efforts to fight this epidemic keeping things from getting even worse, or are we missing the mark? What policies actually make a difference? Dr. Patricia Strach from the Rockefeller Institute of Government at SUNY Albany and Dr. Katherine Zuber from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice have been working to answer these big questions since 2017 when their team launched the "Stories from Sullivan" project, which seeks to develop a better understanding of how our communities respond to the opioid crisis through a mix of quantitative data analysis and 200+ on-the-ground interviews with local stakeholders.

What if we could solve our landfill problem and power our homes with a single solution? In this episode, Dutchess County Executive Bill O'Neil and Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency Executive Director Kerry Russell drop by to talk about the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Facility, a waste-to-energy plant that eliminates most of the county's garbage while also generating enough electricity to power 10,000 homes in the Hudson Valley.

New York City's water is internationally renowned for its crisp freshness straight from the tap. Pizza shops in California and Florida have it shipped thousands of miles at great expense just to make the perfect slice. And it all comes from the Catskills. In this episode of Close to Home, New York City Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush talks about the fascinating history and record-holding engineering of the Catskill and Delaware Aqueducts - the system in the Catskills that carries a billion gallons of fresh water nearly 100 miles to New York City every day. Deputy Commissioner Rush also provides an update on the ongoing work to repair leaks in the Delaware Aqueduct; a hundreds-of-feet-below-ground problem that has necessitated its own feats of ingenuity over more than a decade just to fix.

What's the deal with Catskills real estate? As home prices and interest rates fluctuate and the region undergoes a rapid resurgence on scales unseen for decades, it's time for an update on the landscape for buyers and sellers alike. Leif is joined by Heather Quaintance of Country House Realty, Lynne and Joe Freda of Matthew J. Freda Real Estate, and Travis O'Dell of Land and Water Realty to get the latest on how an influx of visitors, second home owners, and full-time new community members are impacting the local real estate market.

What's the deal with the hiking trails that are...everywhere? Who's taking care of them? And how did those stone steps that are built into the side of mountains for our convenience end up there? New York-New Jersey Trail Conference New York Program Coordinator Melissa Cascini drops in to talk about the organization responsible for many of our favorite summer excursions. Feeling inspired to explore? Check out the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference interactive hiking map: https://www.nynjtc.org/hike-finder-map

Sullivan 180 CEO Denise Frangipane and Youth Economic Group Researcher Angel Burgos drop by to give us the latest updates from two Liberty-based organizations that are finding innovative ways of supporting Sullivan County youth.

Why are egg prices so...weird? This week, we're talking about eggs, economics, and influenza with Daniel Brey, owner of Brey's Egg Farm in Bethel, New York, and Karyn Rispoli, Egg Market Reporter and Editor/Analyst at Urner Barry in Toms River, New Jersey.

So what's the break-down of our local composting efforts? (Pun indisputably intended.) In this episode, we're joined by Thompson Sanitation Owner Krissy Walsh, Delaware County Solid Waste Coordinator Tyson Robb, and Sullivan County Recycling Coordinator Kassie Thelman to talk about the science, economics, and politics of organics disposal in our communities.

Eight-time Emmy-nominated meteorologist Joe Rao drops in to give us the rundown on why we've had such weird weather lately, how the weather-forecasting industry has changed over time, and what we can do to prepare for weather-related natural disasters.Check out the Joe and Joe Weather Show Mondays through Thursdays at 7:35pm and Sundays at 11am here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSCL5PFFQEDEHrPk9zWNDnGZGtnU7B94lLearn about emergency preparedness here: https://www.ready.gov/plan

Jackie Broder from the Basha Kill Area Association and the Mamakating Environmental Education Center and Samara Ferris from the Bashakill Vinyards stop by to celebrate the environmental and economic significance of the Bashakill Wetlands to the Catskills and northeastern United States. Leif takes a trip to the Bashakill to ring in the new year.

How is hard cider made? What's its history in our region? Aaron Burr Cidery Co-Founder Andy Brennan drops in to give us an inside look at a product whose story is as interesting and complex as the product itself.

In this episode, we tackle an issue impacting rural communities with declining populations nation-wide. Superintendent of the Livingston Manor and Roscoe Central School Districts John Evans drops in to talk about the effort to merge the two districts together. We consider why it needs to happen, and why it isn't. And if that wasn't exciting enough, we even get a cameo from Leif's dad, Russ.

Is hunting on the decline in New York? Are we managing the deer population? New York State DEC Game Management Section Head Jeremy Hurst drops by to give an update on the state of hunting in our community.

Our local airport caters to the wealthiest members of our community. So why do we all pay for it? Leif has his first in-person CTH interview with Sullivan County Airport Superintendent James Arnott, and learns a thing or two about the economics of regional airports along the way.

We might know what the US Census is, but how on earth does it work? And what is this gerrymandered redistricting stuff all about? In his inaugural episode as co-host of Close to Home, Nate DePaul dives into some of the most important topics impacting local, state, and federal politics today with Jennifer Reichert, the chief of the Decennial Census Management Division of the U.S. Census Bureau, and Jeffrey Wice, an adjunct law professor at New York University and a senior fellow at the New York Census and Redistricting Institute.

It's not a sexy topic, but it might be the most important human rights issue we discuss on this show: housing. In this episode, we take a look at the roots of--and possible solutions to--rural homelessness, and a relatively new program that aims to thread the needle of decreasing property blight while trying not to contribute to gentrification. We're joined by Kathy Kreiter, the Director and Program Administrator for the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless, and Jill Weyer, the Executive Director of the Sullivan County Land Bank and the Deputy County Planning Commissioner.

Sullivan County Office of Human Rights Executive Director Adrienne Jensen talks all things human rights: what they are, how her office protects them in our community, and what we can do to help foster them wherever we are. She also considers why we're so darn terrible at communicating with each other--and what we can do to have more compassionate conversations. If you or someone you know is experiencing a violation of human rights in Sullivan County, you can contact the Human Rights Commission at 845-807-0189.

Delaware River Solar Customer Support Manager Cat Scott drops in to chat about community solar farms: what they are, how they work, and why they might just be the clean energy future that we've been looking for all along. Perhaps they might even save us a few dollars along the way?

Why is everything so darn expensive all of a sudden, and how do energy prices impact our agricultural sector? SUNY Albany Professor Bill Saxonis, 4th generation local farmer Tom Bose, Tom's daughter Erin, and Erin's husband Derek join us to talk about the drastic spike in energy prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and what longer-term inflation means for all of us.

While there isn't a publicly-funded, county-wide high speed internet service yet, it might be closer than you think. Sullivan County Legislature Vice Chair and Sullivan County Broadband Local Development Corporation Chair Michael Brooks drops in to provide an update on the Wireless Broadband Access Project, 13 months after our previous episode on the initiative that is ostensibly one of the first of its kind in the nation.

Catskill Mountainkeeper Environmental Justice Coordinator Taylor Jaffe talks about the history of the environmental justice movement and the steps we can take on the state and local level to promote environmental justice for low-income and minority communities in our region.

Sullivan County Child Care Council Executive Director Donna Willi and Valley Daycare owner Nicole Newick discuss how the local child care system works, and why it doesn't.Find the 2015 Council of Economic Advisers report on child care from the Obama White House here.Find the 2019 Council of Economic Advisers report on child care from the Trump White House here.

At long last, we tackle the immortal questions, "why can't I take the train to the Catskills, and will I ever be able to take the train to the Catskills?"Sullivan County historian John Conway talks about the history of passenger train service to the Catskills, and Leif discusses his escapades of posing these questions to Amtrak and the New York Metro Transit Authority.

Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association President and CEO Roberta Byron-Lockwood talks about how Sullivan County has emerged as a statistical outlier in tourism revenue growth in recent years, outpacing the rest of New York's counties nearly threefold. She also considers the phenomenon of why some towns have experienced a boom in tourism and business, while neighboring towns haven't.

Delaware Valley Arts Alliance Executive Director Ariel Shanberg and Catskill Art Society Interim Director Robyn Almquist discuss the state of the arts in the Catskills. They consider the unexpected silver linings of the pandemic on the local arts scene, and how the last few years have changed the face of art as we know it. Learn more about DVAA's upcoming exhibitions at: https://delawarevalleyartsalliance.org/exhibitions/. Learn more about CAS's upcoming exhibitions at: http://www.catskillartsociety.org/events.

Sullivan 180 Marketing and Communications Manager Samantha Mango and Sullivan County Public Health Services Medical Director Dr. Bruce Ellsweig discuss ongoing efforts to improve Sullivan County's poor health, as we continue to rank as one of the worst counties in New York State for health outcomes and factors. We consider what "progress" means as we battle COVID-19 in addition to our longstanding public health problems.

Dr. Amy Nitza, the Director of the Center for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz, drops in to discuss the mental health impacts of COVID-19, and what we can do to maintain and improve our mental health now and in the future.

Leif takes a solo romp through New York State's scholarship that allows students to attend 4-year SUNY and CUNY schools tuition-free. We look at issues of access and equity in the first-of-its-kind program, and consider ways to make it more accessible--particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.Learn more about the Excelsior Scholarship here: https://www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship

Sullivan County Public Works Commissioner Ed McAndrew calls in to give a behind-the-scenes look at how 18 county plows keep hundreds of miles of roads passable throughout the long Catskills winters.

Sullivan County Center for Workforce Development Director Loreen Gebelein and Rolling V Bus Corporation Executive Vice President Nick Vallone drop by to discuss how our Catskills community is handling a situation that would seem bizarre to Americans in 2020: a sudden abundance of job openings...with no one to fill them.If you or someone you know are looking for a job in Sullivan County, you can check out sullivanny.us/Departments/Workforcedevelopment/HotJobs

SUNY Sullivan President Jay Quaintance talks about the challenges and difficult decisions at Sullivan County's community college that have resulted from the last year and a half of the pandemic. He considers some of the broader issues faced by community colleges and their students across New York State, and suggests a few policy solutions for a struggling higher education sector.

Sullivan West Central School District Superintendent Stephen Walker drops back in to give an update on how his district is faring amid changing state COVID guidelines, a raging Delta Variant, and a team of faculty, staff, and students that has little interest in locking back down again.

Olivia Bernard from the Catskill Center drops in to give us the lowdown on the Catskills Fire Towers. Whether you've hiked them dozens of times or not at all, you might just learn something new about these local legends.

SUNY Albany Professor Bill Saxonis and New York State energy expert Peter Savio discuss how our electrical grid works, and the major changes in progress both to our energy sources and the overall design of the grid. Coming off of one of the hottest and most meteorologically-turbulent summers in recorded history, we consider additional improvements to the energy sector that can help fend off the existential threat of climate change.

With the Delta variant looming and national cases on the rise, Sullivan County Public Health Director Nancy McGraw drops in to talk about the latest on the local COVID front.

Ramapo Catskill Library System Executive Director Grace Riario and Mamakating Library Director Peggy Johansen (Leif's mom) talk about the role of the local library in a community. They discuss how the unusual circumstances of COVID have impacted the present and future operations of libraries, and Peggy gives some quick tips on avoiding misinformation in our democratized media landscape.

We're wrapping up our series on rural transportation infrastructure with a conversation with Carol Gillen, the Office Manager for Jerry's Collision Center in Wurtsboro, NY. (She's also Jerry's wife.) Carol talks about the challenges of the auto repair industry during the pandemic, the future of local auto shops, and the story of how Jerry's Collision Center came to be a Sullivan Street staple in Wurtsboro.

Leif takes a solo trip through the bizarre world of administrative divisions in the United States. Who would have guessed that local government could be convoluted? (Yep, everyone.)

SUNY Albany Professor Bill Saxonis talks about how gas prices work--and why they're so high right now. (Spoiler: they're not.)

Establishing a public transit system is historically tough. Establishing a rural public transit system is historically a non-starter. Until recently. In this episode, Sullivan County Division of Community Resources Commissioner Laura Quigley talks about Move Sullivan, a public bus program that launched shortly before COVID hit, and ended up being a critical resource for essential workers across the county.To learn more about Move Sullivan and see the daily bus schedule, go to: https://sullivanny.us/Departments/Transportation/MoveSullivan

Sullivan County Commissioner of Planning and Community Development Freda Eisenberg talks about the latest work on the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail, designed to connect the disparate sections of existing rail trails across the county into a single, 50-mile walking and biking route spanning from Livingston Manor to the border of Orange County. We consider the economics of rail trails, and their significance to various aspects of local communities.Check out the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail website here: http://owtrailsullivancounty.weebly.comExplore trails throughout Sullivan County on the Trail Keeper site here: https://www.trailkeeper.org/map