WARM BREAKFAST. TED’S HITTING UP AN OLD FAVORITE. ♪ TED: THE LURE OF BREFASTAK AND BEGINNING OUR DAY IN MANCHESTER, VERMONT AT BOB STEINER. >> FRIENDLY, FAMILY ORIENTED, NICE PLATE TO MEET. TED: THESE FRIENDLTHY URSDAY MORNING REGULARS HAVE A NICKNAME. >> ROMEOS. >> DON’T TELLE. RETIRED OLDER MEN EATING OUT. >>OU Y GOT IT. TED: I’VE MET A FEW. HE WAS FILLING IN FOR HIS OWNER, HIS DAD. >> IT WAS EXTREME THE CHALLENGING. WE MADE IT TOUHR BECAUSE WE HAVE GREAT PEOPLE HERE. TED: INCLUDI THENG CUSTOME WHORS CAME BACK BIG AFTER THE DINER REOPENED. >> WE KIND OF REALIZED HOW MUCH WE MEANT TO EACH OTHER. D:TE OF COURSE, THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD HERE MEANS A LOT, TOO. WHAT’S YOUR GO TO? >> BIGS AND SMOKED SALMON. TED: WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR CORN EF HASH, FOR SURE. IT IS VERY GOOD. STARTING THE DAY IN THE DINER IS STRICTLY WIN, WIN, WIN. YOU GET TO BRING PEOPLE THEIR FIRST CUP OF COFFEE OF THE DAY AND NOTHING BAD HAS HAPPEDEN YET. AND YOU SEND THEM ON THEIR WAY WITH A SMILE. ♪ D: FROM THE WARMTH OF THE DINER TO ATTEND BELOW WIND CHILL BACK IN JAMAICA, VERMONT, WHERE REINVENTION ABOVE ETHCE I WITH PROJECT MANAGER ALEX COPE. >> WE ARE LOCATED ON THE WEST RIVER, A TRIBUTARY OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER. TE BUILT BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN 1957 FOR FLOOD CONTRO TL,HE DAM IS47 2 FEET HIGH AND 915 FEET LONG. IT’S STILL MANAGED BY THE CORE, WHICH WORKS FROM -- WITH A LOCAL HYDRO-COMPANY TO AID THE LALOC GRID. >>ID. WE PRODUCED THE WATER. IT WE SEND IT DOWNSTAMRE. THEY ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ATTH TO THROW IT BACK TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, WHICH IS GREAT. TED: THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TODAY RELATESO T THE DAM MOSTLY AS THE CENTER OF HUGE RECREATIONAL AREA COMPRISED OF A MOUAINTN LAKE AND ESTETA PART POPULAR IN SUMRME AND FALL FOR FISHING, CAMPING, HIKING. BUT THIS TIME OF YEAR, HAS PRETTY SPECIAL APPEAL, TOO. >> IN THE WINTERTIME, I LIKE THAT I CAN COME HERE AND THERE’S T NOA LOT OF PEOPLE HERE. IT’S BEAUTIFUL. TE POSSIBLY THE MOST SIMPLE AND BEST THING OF ALL RIGHT HERE, JUST HOW TOTALLY QUIET IT IS. FIVE MILES SOUTH ON ROUTE 30 IN WEST TOWNSEND, THE COUNTRY STORE MAY LOOK LIKE IT’S SEEN BETTER DAYS. BUT AT 174, WHO WOULDN’T? DAN LOOKS, AS WE KNOW, CABEN DECEIVING. >> THE COUNTRY STORE STARTED IN 1848. EVERYONE GREW CERTAIN THINGS AND YOU WERE ABLE TO COME TO A GENERAL STORE AN TDRADE AND BARTER. TED: A SENTRY AND A HALF LATER IT WENT WHAT OF ITS KIND D THE CLOSED. LEAVING A COMMUNITY> > REALIZES HOW VALUABLE IT IS. IT WAS A HE UGHOLE. TED: WE MET UP WITH CELEBRATED GLASS ARTISTS BEFORE, FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, HE’S BEEN A MAJOR FORCE BEHINDHE T LOCAL EFFORT HERE TO RECLAIM AND REIMAGINE WHAT WAS ONCE THE HEART OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND NOW IS AGAIN. IN 2011, THE STORE WAS REOPENED AS A NONPROFIT, THE WEST RIVER COMMUNITY PROJECT. AND IT NOW AS CTAS A HUB FOR COMMUNITIES AND ACVITITIES THAT INCLUDE A POST OFFICE, A CAFE, COMMUNITY KITCH, ENTHRIFT STORE, ARTS AND LIVE MUSIC, AND OUTSOURCED, A FARMERS MARKET AND PIZZA PAVIONLI. IS IT SAFE TOAY S THAT THE WEST TOWNSEND COUNTRY STORE NOW HAS BECOME MORE OF A COUNTRY STORE AS A COMMUNITY CENTE R?>> TOTALLY. ♪ D:TE THE GOAL IS TO SERVE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY -- THE CAFE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS DONATION BASED. PAY WHAT YOU CAN. LOLCA PRODUCTS ARE PRIORITIZED, LIKE BLAKE’S LIGHT, WHICH ON THIS DEAT, JUST BELOW THE CAFE, CRANKED OUT BY LOCAL CHEF AND NEW YORK TRANSANPLT ALEX RESONSEN, PERFECTING A CRUNCHY, CHILI CRISP. >> I CAN COME IN HERE AND MAKE A SMALL BATCH AND INVEST IN THE OVERHEAD OF THE KITCHEN ITSELF OR FIND A BIG PRODUCTION FACILITY. ♪ D:TE UP ON THE TOP FLOOR, HANNA EARLY HELPS MANAGE THE THRIFT STORE. >> ANYONE CAN COME UP TO ME AND SAY I HAVE ALLHE T STUFF BUT I’VE ONLY GOT THREE DOLLARS. IS THAT CO?OL THAT’S COOL. TED: HAVING AN ANGEL INVESTOR THAT BOUGH IT IS A HUGE BOOST HEREAS, IS THE DONATED LARBO ON HAD EDITIONS LIKE THE NEW POLICE OVEN AND PAVILION. THISAS W BUILT ENTIRELY BY WOMEN, RIGHT? >> YES. WE DID A WOMEN’S WORKSHOP. D:TE THE PIZZA GATHERINGS HELDPE THE COMMUNITY STAY CONNEEDCT OVER THE COVID PERIOD, ALL PART OF A TOWN’S REBUILT UNTRCO STORE, SEEMS MORE OF AN ANCHOR TODAY THAN EVER. >> A WHAT’S GREAT IS THIS COMMUNITY REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS. D:TE BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE. >> BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE. BEFORE IT WAS ALL GO.NE ANTHY:ON AND ROBERT WAS VERY DICATED TO THE WEST RIVER COMMUNITY PROJECT. SHAYNA: SINCE 2012, HE’S BEEN MAKING PIZZA EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE PIZZA CENTER AND THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF VOLUNTEERS IN TOWNS. VOLUNTEERS HAVE BUILT THREE FLOORS AT THE NEW COUNYTR STORE, HELPING OUT. IT’S REALLY A GREAT COMMUNITY EFFORT THERE. AN