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 through what drove the results, from a meticulously run grassroots campaign to the outsized role of trustee Frances Uku's endorsement, and explains why the troubled wastewater treatment plant became the defining issue of the race. The conversation also covers the potential shift in board dynamics under Mayor Karen Smythe, the stakes of a planned fourfold expansion of the village sewer system, a new zoning study for the village's northeast quadrant, and the steep learning curve awaiting two trustees with just one-year terms and a full agenda.

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

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 traffic concerns have taken center stage: a new study projects peak hourly vehicle counts could jump from roughly 25 to around 60, more than doubling, on a narrow, winding road with constrained sight lines. Nearby residents are also worried about what a busy restaurant would do to the road's quiet, rural feel. Milea frames the project differently, arguing it would keep the land in agriculture and head off residential development, and he points to a 2023 town law permitting farm restaurants under certain sourcing rules. The Planning Board has paused the hearing pending revised plans; a review is expected in April, with the hearing set to resume after that.

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

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 in a scuba class, their complementary strengths, building a home in Clinton. She describes the early signs of cognitive decline, the practical challenges of managing a household when familiar tools and simple directions become obstacles, and the emotional weight of watching someone you know completely change. The conversation includes moments of unexpected humor, honest fears about the cost of in-home care, and Betty's determination to hold onto her own identity through church, choir, volunteering, and an upcoming shoulder replacement.

This episode was Sponsored by Hudson Solar and Battery Solutions.

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