Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast

Apr 23 2024 40

Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast artwork

Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast is a biweekly series featuring Catskills culture, history, sustainability, local interviews, literature, and the arts. Shows are hosted by Brett Barry and produced by Silver Hollow Audio, in the heart of the Catskills. Subscribe and experience what reviewers have called “delightfully informative” storytelling with “great production quality.” Voted “Best Regional Podcast” two years in a row. Episode archives, transcripts, and a robust search engine at kaatscast.com. Enjoy!

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Preparing for a Hike 🎒 with Paul Misko

Apr 23 2024 29 mins

Paul Misko is an avid Catskills hiker, who –– true to his Boy Scout roots –– is always prepared. As spring rolls in and we pull out the hiking boots (maybe shaking out some nuts and nesting material from winter mouse habitation), Paul offers a refresher on what to pack for our walks in the woods, plus some best practices for hiking with kids and leading a group. For more, c

The Strange Recital –– featuring Paul Smart's "Overlook"

Apr 09 2024 45 mins

If you've been tuned in to local media for a while, you might Remember Paul Smart, writer for the Woodstock Times and author of the 1994 book, Rock & Woodstock. Paul lives in Mexico now, but he's still writing about the Catskills. And The Strange Recital, "a podcast about fiction that questions the nature of reality," published Paul's latest novel through

"It's One O'Clock and Here Is Mary Margaret McBride"

Mar 26 2024 43 mins

Dubbed the "first lady of radio," Mary Margaret McBride was a welcome voice in millions of homes in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, pulling in 6 to 8 million listeners daily! Mary Margaret interviewed 30,000 guests, from Eleanor Roosevelt to the neighborhood plumber, and produced 15,000 shows –– no repeats! Oh, and she was a radio pioneer, broadcasting some of thos

Overlook History Hike with Will Nixon

Mar 12 2024 19 mins

Will Nixon has been writing about Woodstock for decades, including a column in the Woodstock Times, and two popular books--Walking Woodstock, and The Pocket Guide to Woodstock, all in collaboration with writer Michael Perkins, who died in 2022. So when Will suggested we hike Overlook Mountain together to talk 'history,' I knew he'd have much to reveal. On today's Ka

Ukraine Revisited 🇺🇦 Michael DiBenedetto at Hell's Kitchen

Feb 27 2024 26 mins

When we spoke with Michael DiBenedetto for our special Ukraine report in August, 2023, he mentioned he'd consider returning in winter, when the volunteer pool was likely to thin. Well, Michael's a man of his word, and we caught up with him this week in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city just about 20 miles from the Russian border. He's volunteering at Hell's

Catskill Neighbors

Feb 13 2024 26 mins

Catskill Neighbors, whose mission it is to "help seniors wishing to remain safe and comfortable in their own homes," was born of necessity in the wake of 2011's Hurricane Irene. Founder, Reverend Ralph Darmstadt, died in January, 2024, but his legacy lives on in an organization that serves seniors in parts of Ulster, Delaware, and Greene counties, where social service

Telephone Tales with Switchboard Operator Lula Anderson

Jan 30 2024 23 mins

Before cell phones, before touch tone, before dial tone, even, if you wanted to make a phone call, you'd pick up the receiver and talk to an operator. If that call was placed in the Catskills in the late 1940s through the early 1960s, Lula Anderson might have been working the switchboard. Lula invited me to her home in Greene County, where she recounted tales of the telephone,

Plattekill Mountain: the Last Indie Ski Resort in the Catskills

Jan 16 2024 31 mins

Plattekill Mountain, in Roxbury, is the last of the Catskills' independent ski areas, boasting 1100 vertical feet, 40 trails, and 4 lifts. But those statistics aren't necessarily the draw at this laid-back family-run resort. Plattekill's rustic lodge, with its rough pine walls and wood burning stove, is reminiscent of other small ski areas that were more prevalent a fe

What's on Tap for 2024: Raising a Glass at 3 Catskills Breweries

Jan 02 2024 38 mins

Happy new year, and welcome to the first episode of our 5th season here at Kaatscast. To ring in the new year, we thought it would be fun to raise a glass with the owners of three breweries across the region. And the breweries we're highlighting don't just call the Catskills home ... the Catskills are brewed into every pint, whether that's by starting with clear mountai

Polar Express 🚂 Catskill Mountain Railroad's Santa Shuttle

Dec 19 2023 18 mins

A visit to the North Pole! In an hour and ten minutes? Where can one catch this train, you ask? Why, the Kingston Plaza parking lot, of course, where the Catskill Mountain Railroad embarks on a magical Christmas expedition every holiday season. And while Santa's schedule is booked solid this time of year, you can still ride with him through December 29th! On today's show, p