PODCAST · news
The Catch Up
by Radio Free Rhinecliff
The Catch Up is a podcast produced by The Daily Catch in conjunction with Radio Free Rhinecliff. The Daily Catch is the local newspaper for the towns of Rhinebeck and Red Hook in New York's Hudson Valley region. In the podcast we discuss recent stories that have appeared in The Daily Catch. We take listeners "inside the news" to help them understand how we report stories for our paper.
Episodes
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A Congressional Inquiry, a Disputed Email, and Botstein’s Final Exit From Bard
Last week, Leon Botstein resigned from every remaining Bard-affiliated position. That includes his professorship, The Orchestra Now and the college’s music programs. It came after Representatives Jamie Raskin and Madeleine Dean called for a federal investigation into his possible involvement in...
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Two Strangers, One Vanished Developer, and 47 Empty Acres in Red Hook
Nearly four years ago, a developer bought 47 acres south of Red Hook’s Hannaford and promised a 120-room hotel, with the jobs, tax revenue and lodging the town has long wanted. Since then almost nothing has happened. Then two visitors from Argentina showed up unannounced at Supervisor Robert...
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What the Flock Happened? Dutchess County Pulls the Plug on Its Cameras
In less than 48 hours last week, Dutchess County's network of 65 Flock license plate reader cameras went from bipartisan law enforcement tool to switched off. A packed community forum in Pleasant Valley drew more than 100 people, and about 30 of them spoke out against the system. By Friday,...
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Three Years to Organic: Hearty Roots' First Harvest in Red Hook
In 2023, Ben and Lindsey Shute of Hearty Roots Farm bought 97 acres of farmland on Route 9 in Red Hook. Because the land had been farmed conventionally, they had to wait three years before anything they grew there could be certified organic. That wait ended this month with a harvest of kabocha...
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Hardscrabble Day Turns 50: Inside Red Hook's Longest-Running Tradition
As Red Hook's Hardscrabble Day turns 50, publisher Walter Mullin sits down with reporters Matt Moment and Athan Yanos to unpack the festival's history. They dig into where the "Hardscrabble" nickname came from, its 1975 bicentennial origins tied to founding father Egbert Benson, and decades of...
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Rhinebeck and Red Hook Rethink Back to School
It's back to school week in the Hudson Valley, and Walter Mullin sits down with The Daily Catch's new education reporter, Aleah Gatto, for her debut on the podcast. Aleah walks through Rhinebeck's district-wide math curriculum overhaul, including the Bridges in Mathematics program and its "number...
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Jonathan Becker Takes the Helm at Bard
In his first extended sit-down since taking over on July 1, Bard College Acting President Jonathan Becker joins Daily Catch editor Emily Sachar to address the college's most consequential leadership transition in more than 50 years. Becker discusses succeeding Leon Botstein, whose 51-year tenure...
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The Super Bowl of 4-H: Fair Week with Carolyn McGraw
Recorded live from the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Emily Sachar chats with Carolyn McGraw, the new 4-H Youth Leadership and Workforce Development Program Leader at Cornell Cooperative Extension. Carolyn shares her own path from lifelong 4-H'er to program leader, explains how 4-H builds…
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Rhinebeck's October Vote: $15.7 Million in School Repairs and Security Upgrades
Rhinebeck school officials say the district's buildings need serious work, from 60-year-old ventilation equipment to new security vestibules, playground upgrades, and bathroom renovations. Voters will decide on a $15.7 million capital improvement plan in a special election October 20th, split…
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Rhinebeck Weighs a Development Timeout
Rhinebeck is debating how much hospitality development it can handle. The Town Board has proposed a nine-month moratorium,extendable up to 27 months on new hotels, restaurants, bars, and tasting rooms, pausing nearly all new applications while officials study the impact of recent growth. Last…
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From Herbal Sleep Aid to Fatal Overdose: One Family's Kratom Story
Susan Rohrmeier lost her nephew Nick Scribner to a kratom overdose in November 2024. She joins The Catch-Up alongside Daily Catch reporter Athan Yanos to explain what kratom is, how it differs from the more potent synthetic compound 7-OH, and how Nick's death helped drive new state labeling and...
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Red Hook's Sewer Plant Crisis Is Resolved. Its $28 Million Funding Isn't.
A year ago, Red Hook's wastewater treatment plant was in crisis, state violations piling up, one of its two treatment systems offline, and residents worried about the Saw Kill. Daily Catch reporters Claire Greenberger and Athan Yanos have been tracking the plant's remarkable turnaround under new...
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Commodore Richie Ross on Patience, Precedent, and Protecting the Boat Club
Two years into the fight over the Red Hook Boat Club, Commodore Richie Ross sits down with Emily Sachar for an extended, personal interview. He traces his family's history at the club back to his grandparents joining in the 1970s, explains how he reluctantly became commodore, and walks through…
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Eighty People, Five Speakers, and a Fight Over Who Gets Heard in Red Hook
A routine Red Hook town board meeting turned into one of the tensest nights at town hall in months. New board members Kristina Dousharm and Ken Migliorelli forced a vote on the town's eminent domain push against the Red Hook Boat Club, and lost, keeping the board's three-two split intact. But the...
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Ken Migliorelli's Orchard, His Family's Legacy, and the Search for the Right Buyer
Ken Migliorelli has spent his entire life farming, and after 50 years he's ready to slow down. He's put his 210-acre orchard on Guski Road in Red Hook back on the market, the second time he's tried to sell it, hoping this time he finds a buyer who'll care for the land the way he has. Walter…
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Lawsuits & Suitors: The Fight Over Six Senses and the Future of Linwood
This week on The Catch Up, host Walter Mullen talks with Daily Catch reporters Claire Greenberger and Eloise Goldsmith about two stories shaping the future of hospitality in the region. First, Claire breaks down the latest twist in the proposed Six Senses wellness retreat: the developers have…
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Eyes Forward: Debbie Hecht on Her Landslide and Staying Above the Fray
Two days after winning the Democratic primary for Rhinebeck Town Supervisor with 76% of the vote, Debbie Hecht sits down with Emily Sachar to break down how she did it. She credits an old-fashioned ground game, what she calls an analog campaign, with campaign manager John Rossi at the wheel and...
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Previewing Bard SummerScape 2026
The Daily Catch's new arts and entertainment reporter Matt Moment joins Emily Sacker to preview Bard SummerScape 2026. He looks ahead to comedian James Austin Johnson at the Spiegeltent, a six-decade retrospective from dance pioneer Lucinda Childs, who turns 86 on opening night, and the world...
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No Pride This Year? Three Red Hook Teens Decided to Fix That
Three Red Hook High School juniors heard there'd be no Pride celebration in their village this year, so they built one themselves. Ada, Harper, and Violet join Emily Sachar to talk about Red Hook Youth Pride, the day they pulled together that drew hundreds of people for a parade, live music…
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Red Hook neighbors push back on a major expansion to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
Daily Catch reporter Athan Yanos has been covering the growing controversy surrounding a proposed expansion at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, and he joins Walter Mullin this week to discuss. The aerodrome, a beloved Hudson Valley institution that has drawn aviation enthusiasts from around the world...
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Following the money in the Rhinebeck supervisor primary
The Daily Catch reviewed the latest campaign finance filings in the Rhinebeck Democratic primary for town supervisor, and reporter Claire Greenberger joins Emily Sacker to explain what the records show heading into the June 23rd primary. Amanda Miller reported a little over $15,000 in…
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Rhinebeck Town Supervisor Democratic Forum 2026, Full Audio
The complete audio of the Rhinebeck Town Supervisor Democratic forum, recorded live Sunday, May 17 at Rhinebeck High School in partnership with the Rhinebeck High School Student Council. Editor Emily Sachar moderates a two-hour conversation with the two Democratic candidates, Debbie Hecht and...
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Forum Recap: Hecht and Miller on Where They Agree and Where They Don't
Some 280 people packed Rhinebeck High School Sunday afternoon for the first forum between Debbie Hecht and Amanda Miller, the two Democrats running for Rhinebeck Town Supervisor. Emily Sachar, who moderated, joins Walter Mullin in the studio for a recap: tourism and hospitality growth, the Six...
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Rhinebeck, Rhinecliff, Red Hook: A Forum, a Hotel, and a Bard Reset
Walter Mullin and Emily Sachar cover three stories. The Daily Catch hosts its first candidates forum Sunday, May 17, at Rhinebeck High School, with Debbie Hecht and Amanda Miller facing questions ahead of the June 23 Democratic primary for town supervisor. The historic Rhinecliff Hotel signs a...
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Botstein Steps Down
Leon Botstein is leaving Bard. After almost 51 years as president, he announced his retirement one day after the board got WilmerHale's review of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Walter Mullin and Daily Catch editor Emily Sachar talk through what the report says, what Botstein had told the...
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Voters Approved It. The Town Didn't Collect It. Inside Starr Library's $82K Shortfall
This week, editor Emily Sachar takes you inside Monday night's Rhinebeck Town Board meeting, where a discussion about Starr Library's budget turned into a shouting match between Town Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia, library leaders, and a packed room of more than 40 residents. Beat reporter Eloise...
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Back in the Pews: A Hudson Valley Catholic Revival
The Catch-Up host Walter Mullin sits down with Daily Catch reporter Athan Yanos to unpack his in-depth feature on a quiet but striking reversal: Catholic churches in Red Hook and Rhinebeck are filling up. Yanos spent weeks embedded in the parish community at St. Christopher's and Good Shepherd,...
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Hammertown Is Closing and Joan Osofsky Has a Lot to Say About It
For more than 40 years, Joan Osofsky built something rare: a store that felt like a home. Hammertown, which began in a Pine Plains barn in 1985, grew into one of the Hudson Valley's most beloved design institutions, defining a regional aesthetic that became known as "modern country." Now, after…
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New Film Captures the Hudson's Beauty and the Battle to Protect It
Daily Catch Publisher Walter Mullen sits down with producer Carolyn Marks Blackwood and director Jon Bowermaster to talk about The Keeper, a documentary that follows John Lipscomb, the longtime patrol captain for Riverkeeper, and his deep, complicated bond with the Hudson River. Walter asks about...
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Red Hook School Vote: Bus Garage Expansion, New Welding Program & Fleet Planning
Walter Mullen and reporter Claire Greenberg break down what Red Hook Central School District voters will decide on May 21, including the operating budget, two open school board seats, and multiple propositions. Voters will consider $1.1 million to upgrade the high school welding facility to…
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Red Hook's New Trustees Inherit a Broken Sewer and a Skeptical Public
Red Hook beat reporter Athan Yanos joins Emily Sachar to break down a closely watched village board election that brought two political newcomers to power. Perry Allen and Craig Rothstein unseated incumbent Anthony Maccarini, with Rothstein winning by just 17 votes after a recount. Yanos walks...
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Clinton Vineyards Owner Wants to Turn Old Barn Into a Restaurant. Neighbors Aren't Sure.
Walter Mullen and reporter Claire Greenberger take up a proposal from Clinton Vineyards owner Barry Milea to convert a former tasting-room barn on Schultzville Road into an 80-seat fine-dining restaurant with a limited events component. The plan has landed before the Clinton Planning Board, where...
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What Love Requires When Alzheimer's Moves In
Emily welcomes Betty Olson, 82, who shares what it means to become the sole caregiver for her husband of decades. Peter Olson, 84, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's — symptoms that came into sharp focus following a kidney transplant in July 2023. Betty traces the arc of their life together: meeting…
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An Interview with the Bard Observer Reporters Who Sat Down with Botstein
Emily Sachar of The Daily Catch hosts The Catchup, sponsored by Hudson Solar and Battery Solutions, and sits down with Bard Observer co-editors Luc Redgate and Mica Rajakumar, who have been leading student coverage of Bard College President Leon Botstein since DOJ documents tied to Jeffrey…
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Rhinebeck's Open Supervisor Race Is Already Getting Competitive
Host Emily Sachar and Rhinebeck beat reporter Eloise Goldsmith dig into a brewing Democratic primary for town supervisor, one that got interesting fast after Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia announced she won't seek reelection and threw her support behind Deputy Supervisor Debbie Hecht. Hecht, a...
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Linwood's Future: Rhinebeck's Historic Hudson River Compound Up for Sale
Host Walter Mullen speaks with Rhinebeck reporter Eloise Goldsmith about Linwood, a 51-acre historic compound overlooking the Hudson River. Established as an estate in 1774 and later given to the Sisters of St. Ursula, the property is now for sale via a formal RFP process developed with the Town…
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A Moment of Reckoning for Bard College as the Epstein Files Reveal How Fundraising Blurred the Lines for Botstein
Walter and Emily examine the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files and what they reveal about Bard College president Leon Botstein's connections to the disgraced financier. They look at Botstein's decades-long leadership of Bard, the achievements, the institution-building, the outsized...
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Navigating Memory Loss in Marriage: Part One
In this episode of The Catch Up, Emily talks with reporter Maggie Baribault to examine the quiet transformation that occurs when memory loss enters a marriage. Through conversations with three couples navigating different stages of dementia and Alzheimer's, we witness how love adapts when the...
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Rhinebeck Fire Funding Fight Exposes Deeper Political Tensions Between Town and Village
Walter Mullen, publisher of The Daily Catch, delves into the growing tension between the town and village of Rhinebeck over the cost and transparency of firefighting and EMS services. Town Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia raises concerns about the village's budget transparency and the town's annual...
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Red Hook Approves Groundbreaking Education Programs for 2026-27
Schools and education reporter Claire Greenberger joins editor Emily Sachar to talk about some major changes coming to Red Hook High School. The district just approved a slate of new courses for the 2026-27 school year that's getting people excited, including a three-course Race Car Program, an...
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Rhinebeck's Democratic Primary: Three Village Trustee Candidates Share Their Visions for the Community
On this episode of The Catch Up, host Emily Sachar sits down with all three Democratic candidates competing in the January 27th primary for Rhinebeck Village Board of Trustees. Incumbent Eleanor Pupko reflects on her first term and what she hopes to accomplish next, while challengers Mimi...
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Rhinebeck Divided: Chamber and Town Clash Over Occupancy Tax
Welcome to the first episode of 'The Catch Up' for 2026! The main focus of this episode is the recent tensions in Rhinebeck between the town board and the Chamber of Commerce over a proposed 3% occupancy tax on short-term stays. Rhinebeck reporter Eloise Goldsmith provides give the background on...
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The Catch Up Year-End Special Recap & Newsmaker of the Year Announcement
In this special year-end episode, Walter and Emily reflect on the top three news stories of 2025, including the contentious takeover of the Red Hook Boat Club and the political dynamics in Red Hook and Rhinebeck. They announce, the first annual newsmaker of the Year, highlighting key figures that...
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Teaching Different: Inside Red Hook's International Baccalaureate Program
Emily explores why more Red Hook High School students are choosing the International Baccalaureate program over traditional AP classes. Guest reporter Claire Greenberger brings perspectives from students and teachers on how IB's approach to learning shapes critical thinking and prepares students...
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What's Changing in Rhinebeck? Parking Laws and Holiday Customs
he Catch Up welcomes beat reporter Eloise Goldsmith for a close look at Rhinebeck's winter season. Alongside publisher Walter Mullen and editor Emily Sacker, Eloise reports on new parking laws and the debate over holiday symbol placement in the village. Local governance meets community tradition…
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Wonderland of Lights: Dutchess County's Holiday Tradition
Walter and Emily explore the Wonderland of Lights at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds with Tammy Peters, founder of North Pole Productions. Peters discusses the behind-the-scenes work that brings this holiday light show to life, from its origins to the challenges of installation and this year's…
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How AI Tools Are Changing Local Classrooms, Food Pantries, and Clinton News
Reporter Claire Greenburger, who is producing a special series on AI in Red Hook and Rhinebeck schools, joins The Catch Up from The Daily Catch to discuss how AI tools like ChatGPT and Khanmigo are making their way into classrooms, what parents and educators think about it, and how the two...
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The Boat Club Controversy: Planning Board Review & Fundraising Update
Daily Catch publisher Walter Mullen and editor Emily Sachar dive into the ongoing controversy surrounding the Boat Club. They discuss the planning board's review of new local laws, the implications of a Court’s decision from August, and the environmental impacts under scrutiny. They also share a...
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Blue Wave Hits Dutchess: Legislature Flips, All-Female Bench Emerges
Democrats flip Dutchess County Legislature for first time since 2008, Kara Gerry defeats incumbent judge creating all-female bench, and Dan Aymar-Blair wins comptroller race. Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio
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High-Stakes Local Races: Judges, Comptrollers, and Political Surprises
In this episode of The Catch Up, hosts Walter Mullen and Emily Sachar dive into the upcoming election. The discussion covers the county judge race, highlighting candidates Jessica Segal and Edward McLoughlin (also known as "Ned" McLoughlin), and delves into their backgrounds and campaign issues,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Catch Up is a podcast produced by The Daily Catch in conjunction with Radio Free Rhinecliff. The Daily Catch is the local newspaper for the towns of Rhinebeck and Red Hook in New York's Hudson Valley region. In the podcast we discuss recent stories that have appeared in The Daily Catch. We take listeners "inside the news" to help them understand how we report stories for our paper.
HOSTED BY
Radio Free Rhinecliff
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How many episodes does The Catch Up have?
The Catch Up currently has 78 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Catch Up about?
The Catch Up is a podcast produced by The Daily Catch in conjunction with Radio Free Rhinecliff. The Daily Catch is the local newspaper for the towns of Rhinebeck and Red Hook in New York's Hudson Valley region. In the podcast we discuss recent stories that have appeared in The Daily Catch. We take...
How often does The Catch Up release new episodes?
The Catch Up has 78 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to The Catch Up on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Catch Up?
The Catch Up is created and hosted by Radio Free Rhinecliff.
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