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 nearly 2,000 voters reached one conversation at a time. Hecht talks about the stories she collected at the doors, from violet pickers to a woman whose family has been in town for 300 years, and how they shaped the way she wants to govern. She also gets candid about the parts the public never saw: the campaign finance flap she owned and fixed within the hour, the attacks that reached her daughter, and her decision to never punch back. It is a conversation about kindness as strength, holding your values under pressure, and what four months on the trail teaches you about your own town.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

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 premiere of Suddenly Last Summer, a new opera by Courtney Bryan based on the Tennessee Williams play. Moment also previews his Upstate Art Weekend roundup and an upcoming piece on the painter Uman, whose survey opens at Bard's Hessel Museum.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

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, food, and community booths in the Village municipal lot. They get into the parts nobody warns teenagers about, like wrangling event insurance without an organization to back them, partnering with the local community center, and handing off the music to a friend who runs Red Hook DIY. They also talk about what it felt like to watch a plan they'd scribbled on paper turn into a crowd, why Pride still matters in a small town, and what they'd say to any adult who underestimates what high schoolers can get done.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

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 for nearly seven decades, is seeking approval from the Red Hook Planning Board to nearly double its building footprint — replacing 11 existing structures with six new, modern ones. Director Tara Grieb insists the project is purely about preserving and sustaining what the aerodrome already does, just with better facilities. But at a packed planning board meeting, close to 30 residents submitted letters in opposition, with concerns ranging from traffic on the area's narrow residential roads to noise, light pollution, and the visual impact of large modern buildings on a quiet rural neighborhood.

Critics also pointed to language in earlier versions of the master plan, references to maximizing "other site uses," hosting weddings and galas, and renting hangar space to private aircraft. That disappeared from later drafts, raising questions about the aerodrome's true intentions. Yanos and Mullin break down what's being proposed, why the planning board declined to vote, and what comes next — including a continuation of the public hearing on June 15th and the possibility of legal challenges on the horizon.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

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 contributions to Debbie Hecht's roughly $8,700, but Miller is largely self-funding through herself, her husband, and her law firm. Narrow it to registered Rhinebeck Democrats who can actually vote in June, and Hecht holds the edge, about $1,800 to Miller's $850, with more small-dollar local donors. Greenberger also explains the $5,000 donation to Hecht from artist and philanthropist Carolyn Marks Blackwood, which exceeded New York's $1,000 individual limit by $4,000. Hecht's treasurer had told her there were no limits; once Greenberger confirmed the rule, Hecht returned the excess within the hour and hand-delivered the check. Miller's campaign called it a leadership and experience problem, Hecht pushed back on Miller's spending, and the exchange marked the first real edge in a race that had stayed civil. Plus: where the out-of-town money is coming from, what the donors care about, and why fundraising totals is not likely to predict the winner.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

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 Amanda Miller. Topics include housing and the proposed community housing fund, Rhinebeck schools, tourism and hospitality growth, the Six Senses lawsuit, the future of Linwood, the Starr Library shortfall and the recusal debate, conflicts of interest, development along the 9G corridor, full-time versus part-time supervision, village-town relations, the Amtrak Rhinecliff station, property assessments, and the 2009 comprehensive plan. Plus a lightning round on books, dogs, hobbies, and favorite places, and three-minute closing statements from each candidate. For a recap with analysis, see episode 56 of The Catch Up

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

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 Senses lawsuit, the future of Linwood, two very different housing proposals, the Starr Library funding shortfall and recusal debate, village-town relations, the Amtrak station, and questions of temperament and qualifications. There are also areas the candidates agreed. The full forum audio is available as a separate bonus episode, 57.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

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 10-year lease with Michaela Carpenter and Barry Dobesh, who plan to open this summer and reopen the renovated rooms in spring 2027. At Bard College, the board lays out a two-year transition plan to replace retiring president Leon Botstein, longtime chairman James Cox Chambers steps down from the board of trustees, and CNN's Fareed Zakaria is named commencement speaker for May 23.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio