Fri 20-NOV-2009 6 P.M. News Script
1} FARMFOLO_LVSD
Good evening, I'm Kristin Kelly. And I'm Darren Perron. Vermont farmers are breathing a sigh of relief tonight. It appears an immigration crackdown could be over -- for now. Keagan Harsha joins us with the latest. Keagan... Kristin, Darren -- fed visited four farms yesterday demanding documentation for all their workers. Rumors circulated that more than 80 farms were going to be targeted -- but today Vermont's two senators say federal authorities assure them no more than five businesses will receive a visit.
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((nats)) Visit a vermont dairy farm -- and odds are -- you'll encounter a mexican worker. ((2:09-15 Guillemette: "they're loyal They're reliable, and they're honest.")) And they're also willing to accept pay of seven to nine dollars an hour -- plus lodging. Bernie Guillemette owns this dairy farm in Shelburne -- and has hired several foreign workers over the years. ((5:55-06 Bernie Guillemette: "why not hire a vermonter for the job?" "well, for the simple reason that they don't respond to ads in the paper and if they do they certainly don't last long.")) It's unknown how many foreign laborers are working here illegally. Bernie Guillemette says most arrive at farms with the paperwork in hand. The problem is -- the paperwork isn't always legit. ((4:14-24 Guillemette: "I don't know how one can determine whether it's fraudulent or if they're authentic. That like me -- I don't know If I could identify a counterfeit bill.")) And that's why many were nervous about visits from federal authorities. If it's determined a worker is here illegally -- they'll be deported. Farmers feared others would leave preemptively -- depleting the workforce at a time when milk prices are at historic lows. ((32:08-23 Roger Allbee/Vt. Agriculture Secretary: "nobody is arguing their shouldn't be legal documentation and legal people working on farms, but he issue is certainly at this stressful time, forcing farmers into a quandry.")) ((2:23-34 Guillemette: "they have their own network system, so I fear that probably the phones will be ringing and some will fear the immigration is coming in and they may just disappear, so before being moved off the farms they may move on their own.")) So far -- that hasn't happened -- even at the farms that were targeted by federal authorities. And farmers are hopeful the scare has ended.
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Farms visited by the feds have until at least next week to provide documentation for all their workers. There's no word on if another farm will be targeted in the crackdown. IN fact -- a spokesperson from Senator Leahy's office tells us it may be a non-agriculture related business. Nationwide one-thousand businesses were targeted. Kristin... Keagan - how many illegal workers do they think there are on Vermont farms? There are no hard numbers -- but the state estimates about 2-thousand Mexicans work on dairy farms that produce about 75 percent of the state's milk.
4} LAWYER_INTRO
There are still questions about what penalties farmers and their workers could face. For the answers, Kristin Carlson sat down with an immigration lawyer.
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((nats)) Leslie Holman is an immigration lawyer in Burlington -- and has worked with farmers who use hispanic labor. She says a farmer caught for the first time hiring an illegal worker -- typically gets a warning. ((tape 335 tc 1:04 KC: Could a farmer say to an immigration officer I thought the form here is ligit - and if it's proven not to be are farmers on the hook for that? Leslie Holman/Immigration Lawyer: They are not on the hook -- and absolutely the problem in this country - is that they are not expected to police these documents.)) If the farmer is a repeat offender -- it gets more serious -- they face fines.... and possible jail time. ((tape 335 tc 7:02 Leslie Holman/Immigration Lawyer: Enforcement is where the emphasis is this moment so employers need to be aware that the employment laws -- which are a good thing - are going to be enforced.)) A worker caught with false papers will lose their job -- and face deportation. ((tape 335 tc 8:08 Leslie Holman/Immigration Lawyer: It may be to send a message.)) Holman has heard of a few raids before in Vermont.... crackdowns are expensive -- and here they yield just a handful of workers.... but Holman says there's a bigger impact. ((tape 335 tc 8:28 Leslie Holman/Immigration Lawyer: Perhaps it is a way to trigger following the law without disrupting everything. KC: As opposed to visiting dozens and dozens of farms where they would probably find illegal immigrants? Holman: Yes - but in the big scheme of things what would that accomplish is no more so then the initial fear that is generated.)) Fear farmers now feel across the state. Kristin Carlson Channel 3 News Burlington.
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Leslie Holman is set to become President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She's testified in Washington D-C for immigration reform --since there is no legal visa program for dairy farmers -- to bring workers here year-round.
7} HALE_FONTVO
A inmate who escaped from the Sullivan County jail could be in Connecticut. Robert Hale of Claremont, New Hampshire broke out of prison yesterday morning. Now investigators say he could be in Colchester, Connecticut -- driving a gray Chevy truck with New Hampshire plates. Police say Hale carved a hole in the ceiling of his cell with a piece of construction debris. He apparently worked on the hole for some time-- and concealed it with toothpaste. Hale was in prison for allegedly robbing a Claremont gas station.
8} SHERIFF_VO
The Vermont Attorney General's office is investigating an award-winning officer at the Windsor County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Michael Chamberlin says former Captain Thomas Herb's conduct is under investigation - but would not release any other details. Herb resigned in August. He joined the department in 2002 -- and last year received the Highway Safety Award.
9} FATAL_VO
Two people are dead following a car crash this morning in Clinton County, New York. It happened at the intersection of Banker Road and Route 3. Police say 67-year-old Robert Daignault of Keeseville pulled out in front of another car. Daignault and his passenger - 89-year-old Gladys Daignault - also of Keeseville - were killed in the crash. The driver of the other car suffered minor injuries.
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Some Vermont outdoorsmen are putting themselves in danger -- by venturing onto a military firing range. And they're interfering with the national guard's preparations for Mission Afghanistan. Roger Garrity has that story.
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(entrance sign?) The Vermont National guard uses Camp Ethan Allen in Jericho for training -- including use of live ammunition. (1787 21:16) Exercises like this one in July help prepare soldiers for their upcoming mission in Afghanistan. ((6:35 "For us to do our mission, we have to know that we're conducting safe operations here for our soldiers.")) But some civilians have created an unsafe situation. The guard has documented numerous incidents of trespassing by hunters and ATV riders, who have ignored warning signs -- driven around gates -- and even cut fences to get onto the 11-thousand acre property. Col. Matthew Fitzgerald showed reporters some of the evidence. ((21:42-56 Lt. Col. Matthew Fitzgerald/VNG: "And then I saw foot traffic. I thought it was where a deer had come over the fence and I looked at it was foot traffic and they have cut a man-sized hole thru the fence right here so that you can just duck thru.")) Guard officials say the trespassers not only put themselves in danger -- but the guard worries hunters could target guard members moving thru the bushes dressed in their camouflage gear. ((5:01-5:11 If they're out here hunting, they're firing in areas that their not supposed to or we've got people working out here, it just creates an unsafe environment.")) Of particular concern are the ATV tracks found in the impact areas of the guard's mortar and artillery range. ((6:06-21 Not all of the ordinance that goes in there explodes. If it's disturbed, if it's picked up, it's touched, it's run over by an ATV or someone picked it up, there's a potential that it could go off and either instantly kill or permanently maim somebody.")) The guard hopes the trespassers will get the message about the danger -- and stay away. The guard is also asking the public to call the police if they know about anyone illegally entering the range. RG 3News, Jericho.
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The firing range is in use everyday -- if not by the guard, then by other federal agencies or General Dynamics.
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It was pouring earlier this morning, but then it was dry for much of the day .... Two main batches of rain with this weather system that we're dealing with today, and the second batch will be pestering us this evening. Here's the latest radar, ...And late this afternoon the last slug of rain rolled across the St Lawrence Valley, and it will continue to rotate across northern NY and Vermont this evening, although those showers are falling apart a little bit. We are expecting these showers to be ending by midnight, with clouds breaking up towards morning. (**click**) There may be a few lingering clouds lingering tomorrow morning, mainly up in the NEK, ...And through most of the day, we'll enjoy a mix of sun and clouds, with seasonable temperatures reaching the upper 40s for most of us. Sunday ...Looking like a very pretty day, with lots of sunshine as well, but mid November temperatures. There will be the chance for a few rain showers on Monday, but we are expecting some dry weather on Tuesday with the chance for a few more showers to be developing again late Wednesday.
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Vermont State Auditor Tom Salmon is speaking out about this weekend's drunk driving arrest -- and what the political impact may be. He also addressed concerns about his own finances. Matt Henson reports.
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State Auditor Tom Salmon addressed the media again Friday - saying he wants to come clean about some recent financial problems and his drunk driving arrest. ((Tom Salmon/R-State Auditor of Accounts tc tc 33:00 Not a lot of people I have talked to think I should resign from office. It never crossed my mind.")) Salmon was pulled over last Friday night after a three hour dinner party he hosted at a Montpelier restaurant. He treated some of his staff members to dinner to celebrate their recent promotions. ((Tom Salmon/R-State Auditor of Accounts tc 27:25 I think I had five. Two red wine, two scotch before dinner and one of those coffee drinks with Kaluha and liquor.")) And the state auditor himself admitted today he was thousands of dollars in debt earlier this decade. He was sued and has since repaid the debts. ((Tom Salmon/R-State Auditor of Accounts tc 28:14 "That is something that is unacceptable if you are someone that is in a fiscal oversight position and you don't resolve your financial matters yourself.")) Salmon says he will plead guilty at his arraignment for drunk driving. He says his primary focus will be to sit down with lawmakers in January to discuss the Vermont's fiscal crisis. The state is facing a 200 million dollar budget deficit over the next two years ((Tom Salmon/R-State Auditor of Accounts tc 2:33 I think brave thinking, new action, cooperation at all levels has to increase.")) ((Matt Henson/Montpelier "Newly elected State Republican Chairman Steve Larabee says the Republican Party still supports Salmon. They don't think his legal problems will be a problem when he sits down with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in January. The Democratic Party isn't so optimistic.)) ((Robert DempseyVt. Democratic Party tc 1:33 The situation with the state is very dire. And I think what we need in these leadership positions are individuals that really understand what the issues are, how to effectively deal with them and quite frankly if the auditor is not in a position to do that effectively, I think the citizens of Vermont need to be very concerned.")) Back in September - Tom Salmon switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. He said Democrats have become fiscally irresponsible. Salmon was first elected State Auditor in 2006 - and ran unopposed in 2008 because he was serving overseas in the war zone - and the Democratic party felt it would have been disrespectful to run against him. Now the Democrats are targeting his seat in 2010. ((Robert DempseyVt. Democratic Party tc 3:58 Let's not forget in 2006 his campaign did go to a recount, and it was a very close race, and only through our efforts of our Democratic activists was he able to win that seat.")) Tom Salmon says he is sorry. But we won't know until election 2010 if Vermonters buy his apology. Matt Henson - Channel 3 News - Montpelier.
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Democrats say they have spoken with some potential candidates to run for state auditor in 20-10 - but they would not say who.
17} UNEMPLOYMENT_WHITE
Vermont's unemployment rate dropped again last month -- down two tenths of a percentage point to 6-point-5 percent. The state labor department says that's due to some seasonal job growth -- and some decline in the number of people trying to find jobs.
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The North Country's legislative delegation is blaming the Democrats for failing to take action on New York's budget crisis. Lawmakers closed out a special session without taking any action on the 3-point-2 billion dollar deficit. ((26:25-35 Teresa Sayward: "We show up at 4:00, the whole Repubican conference and there's no one in the seats on the other side. So another day wasted. Another day closer to running out of money in New York State.")) ((25:44-57 Janet Duprey: "We have not yet passed a single bill or had any real discussion on reducing the budget deficit. The taxpayers of the state of New York deserve better and I'm certainly disappointed for the entire state and certainly those people who live in the North Country.")) And now a warning from Wall Street. Moody's Investors Service is warning that New York's credit rating could be hurt -- if the Legislature fails to address the budget deficit. A lowered credit rating would raise the cost of borrowing money -- adding to the state's fiscal problems.
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20} 2NDWX_INTRO
21} 2NDWX_FORECAST
Tonight: Cloudy skies. Showers ending. Lows: 38/45 Winds: SW 5-10 mph Saturday: Morning clouds, mainly NEK Otherwise partly sunny. Highs: 43/50 Winds: NW 5-10 mph Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows: 25/32 Winds: Light Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs: 43/50 Winds: Light Extended: Monday through Wednesday. Monday: Chance of rain showers. Highs: 40s Lows 30s Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Highs 43/50 Lows 30/37 Wednesday: Chance of showers, late day. Highs 43/50
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23} SXTEASE_INTRO
Mike's in with our sports preview...a big night on the ice... the start of three and a half months of fun for Vermont hockey fans... as the state's Division Three programs hit the rink for the first time.
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((NCAA)) Castleton, Middlebury, Norwich and St. Michael's all playing their first games of the season tonight. Only the Spartans are at home. We'll have highlights from Rutland tonight at eleven. ---------------------- ---- ((UVM BASKETBALL)) The UVM men's and women's basketball teams both back in action Sunday. The 2-0 women are at Boston College, the 1-1 men visit Rutgers. ---------------------- ------ ((SPORTS)) One more chance to satisfy your high school football fix. The ninth annual North-South game kicks off at noon tomorrow at Middlebury College.
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26} CHOPPING_INTRO
Some Vermont companies like Ben & Jerry's, Burton, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters are well-known around the world. A Bennington County company is less famous than those -- but still has a long-running global presence. Jack Thurston has more on that -- and shows us their products that are Made in Vermont.
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Dorset's J.K. Adams Company is sixty-five years old in 2009 -- ((sound of sanding)) but the big woodworking machines here may not have been running today if it weren't for a happy accident decades ago. ((Malcolm Cooper/J.K. Adams Company: 37:39: Cutting boards came around as a way of using up old scraps from other products we were making.)) Malcolm Cooper's dad bought into an existing business making tools for engineers and draftsmen -- things like wooden t-squares, sliderules, and work tables. ((sound of woodworking)) Back in the 1940s, any leftover scraps would be fashioned together into simple cutting boards. ((Malcolm Cooper/J.K. Adams Company: 38:46: And put them on the shipping dock with a cigar box next to them.)) From that naïve little retail sideline -- J.K. Adams has grown to be Vermont's king of the kitchen when it comes to wood products. ((Malcolm Cooper/J.K. Adams Company: 41:50: People like to eat and like the tools that go with eating.)) ((shipping)) The company is one of the top domestic suppliers for major store chains like Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel and 21-hundred other wholesale accounts, shipping 10-thousand cutting boards a month on top of other housewares made from mostly New England hardwoods. ((Malcolm Cooper/J.K. Adams Co: 43:19: We've really been thought to design for the industry the first rotating spice rack, the first angled knife block and the first in-drawer storage rack all came out of J.K. Adams.)) ((Candy Brown/J.K. Adams Co: 23:48: What we do is meant to last.)) The 65 workers here still produce some drafting gear -- like wooden tripods for surveying devices. But the gourmet kitchen accessories, like these cutting boards in Christmas shapes, are by far the company's bread and butter. ((Candy Brown/J.K. Adams Co: 22:45: Our J.K. Adams logo stands for quality and I've been here 33 years, so I'm very proud of that quality.)) Even though the brand is now well-recognized across the country and overseas -- one question continues to dog company president Malcolm Cooper all these years after his dad took over J K Adams. ((Malcolm Cooper/J.K. Adams Co: 51:24: A lot of people say, 'This is your family business, why isn't it called the Cooper Company? And I say, 'My dad was too cheap to change the stationery.')) That Yankee frugality -- the same common sense that inspired him to not waste scrap wood, instead turning it into cutting boards is what made J.K. Adams a leader in its industry... ((cutting wood)) another Made in Vermont success story. ((Malcolm Cooper/J.K. Adams Co: 49:53: We're proud of what we do here.)) Jack Thurston, Channel 3 News, in Dorset.
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J.K. Adams has stores in Waterbury and at the factory in Dorset. The products are also available at many other retailers including Kiss the Cook on Church Street in Burlington.
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Still ahead on the Channel 3 News ... A heated school board meeting -- after a principal resigns... Also, some simple ways to make your Thanksgiving Day table look terrific! And next -- Fletcher Allen sticks with the old guidelines on breast cancer screening. Kristin has more on that.
30} MAMMOGRAMS_VO
Vermont's largest hospital is ignoring new recommendations for breast cancer screening. New guidelines issued earlier this week said most women don't need mammograms in their 40s -- and should get one every TWO years starting at 50. Canada has followed those guidelines for years -- but they are causing major controversy in this country. And many providers -- including Fletcher Allen Health Care -- will not follow the new guidelines. The hospital takes issue with the authors' interpretation of data -- and says mammograms are valuable tools for detecting breast cancer in women in their 40s.
31} CERVICAL_INTRO
Fletcher Allen is supporting new recommendations for cervical cancer screening. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says annual pap smears are not necessary -- and the test can lead to too many false positives. Teri Okita reports.
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the guidelines recommend women start testing at 21 .. instead of three years after becoming sexually active. Women under 30 should get a pap test every two years, rather than every year. And women 30 and over should be tested every three years as long as they've had 3 consecutive clear tests. (VO) the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus causes most cervical cancer .. and doctors say most women clear the virus on their own. (SOT Dr. Jennifer Ashton/CBS News Medical Correspondent) what it does mean is that they may not necessarily need those biopsies and surgeries on their cervix. The american cancer society backs the revised cervical cancer guidelines. (SOT Dr. Len Lichtenfeld/American Cancer Society) Our knowledge about cervical cancer's gotten better, and these guidelines reflect that knowledge (SOT Nancy Davenport-Ennis/Nation al Patient Advocate Foundation) .. historically when we have seen recommendations published in the us .. the insurers have indeed moved to be supportive of those guidelines. (VO) and that has some women concerned (about catching potentially deadly diseaes in time) (sot Super: Eileen Salzman/Concerned about Recommendation Changes) IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING'S ABOUT THE MONEY. so far there's no indication of what the insurance companies will do. Teri Okita, CBS News, Los Angeles.
33} TAMIFLU_VO
Drug-resistant swine flu is becoming more prevalent. Health officials say four people in North Carolina have tested positive for a type of swine flu that's resistant to Tamiflu. It's the first cluster of that many cases seen in the U-S. Tamiflu is one of two medicines that help against swine flu. About 52 resistant cases have been reported in the world since April -- including 15 in the United States. That's HealthWatch, Darren.
34} TOPSTORIES_VO
The first phase of the immigration crackdown on Vermont farms appears to be over. That's tonight's top story... Yesterday the fed went to four dairy farms demanding worker documentation. Farms have until next week to provide it. It was rumored that Immigration was targeting more than 80 farms -- but Vermont's senators say that's not true. So what happens if a farmer has an illegal worker? Immigration lawyer Leslie Holman says the first time -- the farmer will likely get a warning. If it happens more than once -- they face fines and possible jail time. A dangerous situation at Camp Ethan Allen in Jericho. The national guard documented hunters and ATV riders ignoring warning signs -- driving around gates -- and even cut fences to get onto the 11-thousand acre property. The guard is concerned a hunter might shoot one of their men wearing camo.
35} RUNNION_WHITE
The director of the Windham Orchestra faces sex crime charges. 50-year-old David Runnion is accused of trying to lure a minor via computer -- and of possessing child pornography. Runnion was cited after a six month investigation by police in Brattleboro and Keene, New Hampshire.
36} EYLER_VO
A former Vermont teacher reportedly displayed unprofessional conduct over email and facebook while communicating with teen girls. Brian Eyler was hired at Crossett Brook Middle School in Duxbury this year -- after three years at Hartford Middle School in White River Junction. He surrendered his teaching license earlier this week. Eyler is accused of inappropriate communication with girls in the Upper Valley -- NOT at Crossett Brook. Washington West superintendent Brigid Scheffert also confirmed a second teacher at Crossett Brook is on administrative leave and an investigation is underway. That case is not related to Eyler.
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Coming up tonight -- on the Channel 3 News at ten. Will the holiday season help businesses hurting in a tough economy? Hear what business owners have to say tonight -- on the Channel 3 News at ten. And see how some businesses in Rutland -- the region with the highest unemployment rate -- are holding on. You'll find our ten o'clock broadcast on any channels you see your screen.
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39} CLOSING_WHITE
In News Around the Region -- The St. Albans Town Educational Center shut down today -- because officials were afraid the boiler might explode. The boiler runs on woodchips and a custodian saw smoke coming from an unusual spot. The school will reopen Monday.
40} CONCORD_SOTVO
An emotional school board meeting in Concord, last night -- when school board members accepted the resignation of the Principal Karl Stein -- but would not say WHY he quit. ((You have the right to tell everybody else who is going to this school for many years to come, what is wrong here! Okay! You should be the one resigning, because you are a load of crap! CLAPPING)) Stein was placed on administrative leave six weeks ago. The superintendent says the only communication they have had with Stein has been through his lawyers -- and they can't reveal the reason for the sudden resignation. The board DID say its decision is what is best for the school. Some residents are now circulating a petition calling for the replacement of the entire board.
41} MERGER_WHITE
Merger talks have begun again between the Montpelier and U-32 school districts. The idea came up five years ago, but was abandoned. But school officials agreed this week to again investigate ways of working together to save money -- anything from simple cost-sharing to a full merger of the districts and their high schools.
42} CHIEFS_VO
Vergennes has a new police and fire chief. George Merkel is the new top cop in town. He has been a patrolman for the police department for the past 11 years. He replaces chief Michael Lowes -- who resigned this summer after he was arrested for drugged driving. The town also has a new fire chief for the first time in 55 years. Jim Breuer is a 31-year veteran with the department. He replaces Ralph Jackman who recently resigned for health reasons.
43} HOOPER_VO
Montpelier Mayor Mary Hooper will run for re-election. Hooper was first elected mayor in 2004. She's seeking her fourth 2-year term. Hooper has been under fire in recent weeks -- for not immediately revealing the city's loss of 400-thousand dollars due to a billing error.
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Plattsburgh is keeping its fluoride. The City Council voted 4-to-2 last night to keep fluoride in the public water supply. Some people say fluoride is linked to health problems -- but others say its important in fighting tooth decay.
45} FARMERS_VO
The farmers market in Burlington begins its winter season tomorrow. The summer-time version of the market has been a big success in city hall park for years. This will be the second year of the winter market. It features 58 vendors selling many of the same local products you find at the summer market -- just not fresh produce.
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((6:50:24-42 Chris Wagner/Burlington Farmers Market: "You'd be surprised at the amount of people that come in kind of looking for fresh greens in February, but we have obviously a lot of root vegetables. A lot of our agriculture vendors are canning and preserving. We also have a lot of meat vendors, cheese vendors and honey and maple syrup. And we also have a lot of craft vendors and prepared food vendors, so come down for lunch as well.")) The winter market is the third Saturday of each month -- starting tomorrow. It's open from 10 to 2 at Memorial Auditorium on Main Street in Burlington. That's News Around the Region. Darren.
47} 3RDWX
It's nice to see a couple of nice days lining up with a weekend! It is, ...But then of course we do end up feeling like we really need to get that yard work done while we can! Sometimes it's nice to have some rain so you have an excuse to loaf a little bit on the weekend! But, ..Instead of yard work, ...Some may be hiking this weekend. In the mountains tomorrow, just the slight chance for a lingering rain shower in the morning, but otherwise we’ll be looking for partly sunny skies. Temperatures will start off in the low 30s and only climb to the upper 30s during the afternoon. Sunday, ...it will be sunny with highs in the 40s. (**click**) On Lake Champlain ....northwest winds 10-15 knots decreasing to 5-10 in the afternoon. Waves will subside to about a foot during the afternoon as well, ... and the water temperature is now 47 degrees. (**click**) As for the rest of us, ...once any lingering clouds lift off, ...we'll see a pretty nice day, with sun mixing with a few clouds. Temperatures will be seasonable.... reaching the upper 40s to near 50 in the Champlain Valley ...a little colder up in the NEK, and close to 50 again in southern areas. Sunday, ...a gorgeous looking day, with loads of sunshine, and similar temperatures. Early next week there will be the chance for a few showers on Monday, and again on Wednesday. Which of course leads us up to the Thanksgiving holiday.
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If you are hosting your family for Thanksgiving this year, you are probably thinking ahead about what to serve, and how to make it all look festive. If you are like me, you need a little help in that department, so once again, the Holiday Decorating Lady is back! Kris Engstrom is here to give us some great ideas!
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((Kris, this is a very beautiful, and unique table, but it does make me think of Thanksgiving. Thank you. This year, we are working on a new theme, that is traditional with a twist. You've got it! And this particular set of decorations pulls the outside inside. And we're keeping in mind the traditional Thanksgiving things about making sure we can visit with family and friends, keeping everything low... So you can see across it.... ..Compact...and a little bit stretched out. We're transitioning the different materials here, which are the feathers, the berries, the artichokes, into taking a little bit of that material, integrating it into the candle, and then bringing it down into the moss and into the plants on the ends. Now those are real plants on the ends! They are! Succulents right now are a really big deal. Fashion-wise they are cutting edge, and everybody is using them in their homes. After dinner the great thing is that you can take this, ... ..And you can keep them... Yes. You also have some other sort of traditional colors in displays around, but they're unique as well. Here again, traditional with a twist. Taking the wonderful colors we love for Thanksgiving, and using something a little different in them. That spikey flower! What is that spikey flower? It's a Pin Cushion Protea! But the colors are perfect, it is so intersting and it lasts and lasts and lasts. In fact is sort of dries right in place if you leave it alone. So that's tropical, and then you also have things like corn, which are very traditional. Yup, yup, ..And the good part is you can take all of those wonderful elements, put them out in your display, add to the whole look of Thanksgiving, and then afterwards, you can feed the squirrels. ))
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51} CADETS_SOT_VO
Earlier this week, we took a look at the Middlebury men's hockey team preparing for tonight's season opener. The Panthers are a young team, just six upper classman, trying to get back to the top after missing out on the NCAA tournament the past two seasons. On the other side of the Green Mountains, a similar scenario is playing out in Northfield. Norwich also failed to qualify for the NCAA's last season. This year, the Cadets roster sports an amazing twelve freshman, but Norwich is still the preseason favorite to win the ECAC East. ((MCSHANE/ "our lines are all new this year. We've got a nine freshman in the lineup off the bat playing up front tomorrow night. We've got three lines of basically freshman and it's going to be interesting." STITT/ "Coming in our expectations are still high, obviously we'd like to get to the national tournament and hopefully the championship. A lot of new playing coming in this year, had a lot of practice under our belts and we're looking really good." ANDERSON/ "we have great confidence in all the players being brought in. All of them will contribute greatly to winning another championship.")) Castleton opens it's season with home games tonight against St. Anselm and tomorrow afternoon versus New England College at the newly revamped Spartan Arena in Rutland. The Spartans were picked second behind Norwich in the ECAC East preseason poll and have their own lofty expectations.
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(WESCOTT/ "I think definitely we have high goals. Big freshman class, we're definitely set on winning, finishing first in the ECAC and going deep in the playoffs." BOLDUC/ "Think the biggest thing is just having fun. We play better when we have fun. I think if we do that everything will fall into place and in the end of the year we'll be in a good position."))
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it's opening night for all of Vermont's Division Three programs...the Spartans at home... we'll have highlights tonight... --- 12th ranked Norwich at ECAC East newcomer the University of New England... number seven Middlebury is at Tufts ... --- and St. Michael's, with a state-high five Vermonters on its roster, travels to Southern Maine... the third ranked Plattsburgh Cardinals, off to a 4-1 start, visit Buffalo State... --- and in Division One, Dartmouth, stumbling out of the gate at 0-5, take on ECAC rival Clarkson at Thompson Arena.
54} WOMEN_HOC_WHITE
The UVM women's hockey team got its season off to a great start, going 4-2 in non-league play. But the Cats have struggled in since, with a 1-4 mark in their first five Hockey East games. That lone win was at Boston College. Tonight, Vermont hosts B-C at Gutterson looking to win the season series. We'll have highlights at ten and eleven.
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The UVM women's basketball team is at B-C Sunday afternoon. The Cats looking to keep the ball rolling after earning wins over Western Michigan and North Carolina State at N-C State's tournament last weekend. ((SHEFTIC/ "its time, we're talking the talk, now we have to walk that walk. Its really exciting to be playing programs like that and I think if anything, teams that might not necessarily go in trying to win think it's a growth experience, but we not only want to grow, we want to come away with the "W"." KOTSOPOULOS/ "this would be huge for us because coming off the NC Sate win people are playing attention and its not going to be a fluke because we're not a fluke team, we're very good and we're looking to go in on Sunday and come away with a win." DAWLEY/ "we definitely have a feeling like it's a winnable game. If we go to BC and play extremely well and still lose we can live with that. We don't want to go to BC and act scared.")) The 1-1 UVM men kick off a stretch of six games in ten days Sunday at Rutgers. It's a homecoming game for New Jersey natives and seniors Nick Vier and Marqus Blakely.
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((Blakely/"I can't wait. Not only to go back home, but I'm bringing the team to my dad's house and we're going to have dinner out there. Home cooked meal, plus playing at home, it's going to be so much fun seeing a lot of friends and family.")) ((Vier/"We're ecstatic, we can not wait. Ever since it's been scheduled people have been really excited about it. My older brother graduated from there a couple of years ago, so he's really excited. Everyone's just really excited about the game."))
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The ninth annual North/ South High School football game is less than twenty-four hours away. Aside from the regional bragging rights, it's always fun seeing players from opposing teams come together for a singular purpose... ((COHEN/ "the first day was a little awkward with everybody, but as the day went on, we started talking and we have a common goal." JACKSON/ "you get to play with some kids that are the best in the state and that's always fun to try and work with kids. It's not really hard because they are the best in the state, team chemistry is definitely there, which is surprising to me.")) Team chemistry might be a little easier to come by on the North squad. There are six Essex Hornets on the team, including quarterback Max Librizzi. But, as the guys are learning... whether you're from a big school, or a small school...they're all just football players.
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((HARTMAN/ "just being in the locker room with them, they're just like us, like every team. The kids are very similar. Like, Librizzi going to Holy Cross, when you think about it, it's pretty cool he's going to a D1 school. LIBRIZZI/ "all these guys are talented athletes and I think that's the biggest thing that has brought us together. just go out there and make plays, coaches are doing a good job. it's hard putting in a new offense tyring to prepare in just a weeks time."))
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Congratulations to Kalle Jahn . The senior at Brattleboro High School was named this week as one of the 12 national finalists for the 2009 High School Heisman award. A three sport star in skiing, cross country and track, Jahn receives an all-expense paid trip to New York City December 10th-12th for the Heisman ceremony. Finalists for the High School Heisman are selected based on their achievements in athletics, academics and community service.
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This might not surprise you -- but Vermont and New Hampshire have some of the WEIRDEST news in the country. An analysis, by Tableseed-dot-com of Associated Press stories, finds Florida has the strangest news, with New Hampshire second and Vermont seventh on the list. So what weird Vermont stories made national headlines? The Morrisville man who allegedly stole a tour bus -- and posted a video of his joyride on YouTube. And Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon breaking his ribs during a carnival jousting match in July.
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Burlington has its official Christmas Tree. And it was quite a project getting it into place this morning. Volunteer crews cut down a more than 40-foot blue spruce this morning from a private yard in the city's New North End. It took a crane, a trash hauler, and a police escort to bring it to the Church Street Marketplace... where it will stand through the holiday season. The Jennings family donated it. And while they're proud so many people will enjoy it -- they say they're going to miss it.
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((SARAH JENNINGS/Donated Tree: 9:00: I am, it's a beautiful tree. We used to watch the birds in it, but it's a little large for this house, for this lot. JACK THURSTON: You still get to visit it. JENNINGS: We go get to go visit it at the Marketplace. I think we'll go down tonight and look at it. ((JACK THURSTON: 10:29: You looked at a lot of trees. What was it about this one that caught your eye? PAT RIDEOUT/Church Street Marketplace: The shape of it, and the location of it. THURSTON: With a tree this tall, how many lights does it take to decorate it? RIDEOUT: Approximately 80-thousand lights we put on this tree.)) The Church Street Christmas tree will be lit next Friday night. You can watch more video from this morning's harvest -- by going to wcax.com.
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Last Update: Fri 20-NOV-2009
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