‘Making Sense New England’ Reports How People Cope With Economy

Smart remodeling, stretching a grocery budget and reducing the stress of unemployment are featured on “Making Sense New England,” a production of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine Public Television.  The monthly programs combine expert advice with stories of how people across northern New England find resourceful ways to weather the economic downturn.  This month’s episode airs Thursday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. on the three public TV stations.  It will be webcast on www.vpt.org at the same time.

Owning a home is a great investment, but it can be a challenge to make improvements when loans are harder to get and paychecks are getting smaller.  In tough economic times, many owners neglect their homes in order to save money.  Bridget Barry Caswell reports that well-timed remodeling will protect a home, while increasing its value and making it more livable.  A VPT-produced story visits homes that illustrate forward-thinking improvement strategies and explores a decision-making approach that ensures a practical, appealing and cost-effective project.  Cliff Deetjens of Peregrine Design Build Inc. in S. Burlington, Vt., tours on-site examples of recession-proof strategies at work.  Dana Valentine of Shelburne, Vt., shows her family's two recent home improvement projects and talks about the thinking that went into them.

In other segments, program host Jennifer Rooks goes grocery shopping and learns how to eat well and pay less for food.  The New Hampshire Works Rapid Response teams strive to minimize the stress of unemployment by working with both employers and employees to ensure all steps are taken to keep businesses functioning well and laid-off workers on the track to new careers.

For more information contact Ann Curran at (802) 655-8059, acurran@vpt.org or Jeff Vande Griek at (802) 655-8062, jeffv@vpt.org