JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — WJFF Radio Catskill is partnering with Sullivan County BOCES Career & Technical Education Center to prepare the former Catskill Harvest Market site on Route 52 in Liberty for the construction of Radio Catskill’s new studio home.

Since last week, construction trades educator Bill Drasher has been leading a team of students on the interior demolition and other preparatory work prior to new construction, while natural resources educator Sam Rogers will lead a team of students to help mitigate exterior drainage issues, as well as work in the area of the property that formerly contained the plant nursery. Once the radio station’s management engages a general contractor for the building project the BOCES students will be invited to observe the professional construction work through completion.

“We at the Career and Technical Education Center at Sullivan BOCES are excited about our new partnership with WJFF,” says Scott Ferrar, C&T Education Center principal. “We have mutual goals centered around community involvement and improvement, and we are thrilled that we can combine resources to pursue those goals together. The demolition and site work that our construction trades and natural resources programs are able to accomplish for WJFF are the first steps in what we hope to be a long-standing collaboration that will include site work, events, programming, internships and future careers for our career and tech students.”

WJFF General Manager Dan Rigney says “For WJFF, having BOCES complete this part of the work provides a significant cost savings, as well as a welcomed boost in getting the project off and running.”

Two years ago, WJFF received a generous donation of the property on Route 52 across from the BOCES campus, donated by a friend of the station.

The board of trustees subsequently voted to move the station’s studios from Jeffersonville to the Town of Liberty property. Plans are underway to facilitate the renovation of the property and the BOCES collaboration is a significant development.

 “We are excited to collaborate with our Liberty neighbor on this exciting project. Our partnership will help build the station’s new headquarters while building relationships with young people in our community who will have a hand in the creation of their community radio station’s new home,” said Rigney.