- [Announcer] Tonight on WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories.

- Is that most people don't like change.

- [Announcer] Only about 20% of those who make new year's resolutions will keep them.

We'll tell you why and what you need to do to be successful.

And the storms of 1977 and 1998 left some North Country residents struggle.

We'll share some winter preparation tips should an unexpected storm hit.

Also snow is inevitable.

So how are you playing it this winter?

Your stories, your region coming up right now on WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories.

(bright upbeat music) - [Narrator] WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories is brought to you by the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, The Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, Carthage Savings, CSX, The Oswego County Community Foundation at the Central New York Community Foundation, and by the Richard S. Shineman Foundation.

- Good evening, everyone.

And welcome to this edition of WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories, I'm Stephfond Brunson.

It's the new year.

No doubt, you've made some resolutions, but will you stick to them?

Every year, millions of people resolve to do better, be better, and improve their overall health.

But so many of us quit before we actually see change.

Our Joleene DesRosiers joins us with more on what we need to do to ensure our resolutions come to fruition, so we see actual results.

Happy new year, Joleene.

- Happy new year to you, Stephfond.

It's here, it's winter, and this is the time of year.

As you said, that folks make resolutions.

Maybe you've made some, I've made some, but did you know that a large percentage of those who make resolutions won't be able to keep them?

And there's a really good reason why.

And just understand it's not about extra exercise.

It's not about counting calories.

What it is about is counting on your mind.

(upbeat music) Raise your hand if you've made a new year's resolution this year.

Now, raise your hand if you know it's a resolution you want to keep, but may struggle to see it through.

Studies show that roughly 80% of those who make them break them.

Those who are successful have what registered psychotherapist Jack Lafleur calls an awareness muscle.

(upbeat music) - But then you also get some people who are also into developing what I call this awareness muscle.

And that also enables people to develop emotional intelligence.

There's all kinds of other intelligences that the people that we're talking about, those people who are able to follow through and carry through with change and bring about change in their lives, these are the people who have somewhere somehow been able to master how to overcome fear, how to see it for what it is, as not the truth, but just part of their conditioning and therefore able to move through it.

- [Joleene] Sounds reasonable, but how does one move through fear into the space of emotional intelligence in order to conquer change?

Before we answer that, let's take a peak at the top 10 resolutions Canadians and Americans made this year: Eat healthier, get more sleep, learn something new, be more active, improve financial habits, meet new people, choose kindness, life balance, be responsible and don't take life too seriously.

Every single one of these goals requires emotional intelligence in order to come to fruition.

But emotional intelligence is something not all of us have fully developed, and being afraid of change doesn't help either.

So there's that.

- Change can be threatening.

Yes, we especially have to be able to embrace the fear, and see it for what it is.

And most of the time, it is past-conditioning.

Past-conditioning from childhood, adolescents, those are generally, they're maladaptive thoughts and beliefs about ourselves.

Usually on the side of I'm deficient, I'm not good enough, I can't do this.

Who am I to step out of my comfort zone?

Who am I to take a big leap and bring about change in my life?

That's the kind of conditioning that creates fear, self-doubt, and that hold people back.

- Why, in your professional opinion, do folks wait for the new year to make change?

It can be done anytime.

- Yeah, that's a good one.

I would say the reason why people wait for this cultural landmark, is that most people don't like change.

I would say most people are just as afraid of it as people want it.

So people want change, but they fear it at the same time.

- [Joleene] LaFleur boils it down to what are known as ego states.

Three different states that are constantly fluctuating in accordance with our mental states, which means we regularly shift in and out of them.

They are; adult consciousness, the adaptive child, and the wounded child.

Simply put, one cannot make change if they are trapped within the limitations of the adaptive or wounded child.

These two states are often triggered by past trauma and force us to live in the past.

But we can shift out of these fragile states and back into adult consciousness, not by simply resolving to change, but by putting into action three different things that can help significantly.

- And it's the patterns that get us into trouble.

It's the patterns that get us to sabotage and regress.

So the things that we need, would we really good for us to include in our lives, the first thing I would say is mindfulness meditation is a great tool.

I would say that's number one.

Number two is finding yourself someone who can keep you accountable.

We all need those reminders.

We all need mentoring.

And the next one that I give a lot of my clients is what we call the S.M.A.R.T criteria, meaning specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time bound.

It breaks it down because of course, change can be overwhelming if we're taking that on.

So that is a great system that allows people to kind of move towards their goals and their change at a pace that they can handle.

I find that as the more people work with awareness and really consciously work to develop that muscle, the adaptive child, the wounded child, these are ego states that have less impact, less negative impact in the adult's everyday life.

- [Joleene] Change isn't always easy, but it's possible with patience, accountability, and the desire to want more for the adult in us.

For WPBS Weekly, I'm Joleene DesRosiers.

- Speaking of change, the weather in the North Country and Canada can shift on a dime.

Many of us remember the winter storms of 1977 and 1998.

Chief Matthew Timerman of the Watertown Fire Department offers tips on what you can do to stay safe, should a heavy and relentless storm strike again.

- [Eric] When the blizzard of 1977 hit the North Country, not everyone in the region was prepared.

The North Country was paralyzed, and for days, life was frozen, literally.

- The amount of snow that fell in a short period of time was the first clue that we were in for something more than the usual amount.

We joke up here about, oh, it's only 6-10 inches.

That's a dusting.

It's not a big deal.

But the snow was falling so rapidly that even those of us who've been around for a little while knew this was an unusual situation.

- [Eric] 21 years later, the ice storm of 1998 hit.

Once again, hundreds of people scrambled to stay warm, stay safe, and stay diligent.

- We were sleeping, it was 1:30 in the morning.

The phone rang and it was my boss telling me, basically, you need to come in to work.

We're ordering everybody in.

- [Susanne] So when we got the call, we knew it must have hit.

- I went out to my truck, put my wipers on, drove down the road.

I got up the other side of the village, and then the ice was starting to form on the windshield as the wipers were going.

And I started seeing the glisten in the trees and on the power lines, and I was like, "Oh, it looks like they're getting a little bit of ice."

By the time I got just outside of Watertown, there were power lines down.

There were tree branches in the road.

- [Susanne] Inches of ice too.

- [Mike] Yes, quite a bit of ice had accumulated at that point.

- [Eric] It's been two and a half decades since the North Country has been hit with crippling snow, ice and flooding.

But a storm of such magnitude could happen at any time.

The question is, should it, are you prepared?

- It's difficult to be prepared for a blizzard of '77 or an ice storm of '98.

They were extreme storms, but we can do basic things to prepare ourselves for that type of thing.

So for example, for an ice storm, it's good to have access to a generator and use it periodically.

That was a big thing that I think caught most of us off guard, is that most homes up here at the time in '98 didn't have generators.

And so that was a huge deal.

Everybody had to really hustle, to find generators as a way to power their house, to keep their house from freezing.

- [Eric] The hustle led to a community coming together.

Flooded basements were tackled with teamwork.

The elderly were shoveled out.

Food was shared, firewood split, and generators passed back and forth between neighbors.

Fire Chief Matt Timerman remembers how things went down in 1998.

He certainly community would come together again in such a situation, but he's also certain that things would be less stressful on everyone, including emergency responders if residents were better prepared.

Here are some tips to put in place, should a snow or ice storm strike the region again.

- Yeah, so at home, certainly having some additional food on hand, whether it's in your freezer, in your cabinets, having some other things on hand are also good investments.

So flashlights, a collection of batteries if you're gonna be in your vehicle.

So if you make sure that you have a blanket, gloves, hat, things like that to keep in your vehicle in case you get stuck off the road or you can't make it home for example.

Having a generator is important.

So that's critically important that if you have a generator, make sure that you run it outdoors and far enough outdoors that the exhaust doesn't come back inside your house.

So, whenever there's wires down around your home, you need to treat them with extreme caution.

Stay away from them, keep the kids and the pets away from them, and really critically important not to touch them, not to move them off your property.

If you happen to have teenager in the house that's bored, send them down the road to your neighbor and have him shovel out or him or her shovel out the driveway, so that your elderly neighbor doesn't have to.

Crack some of the faucets in your home just to keep water moving a little bit.

And that will help reduce the chances that your pipes will freeze.

If you don't need to be out on the road, stay home.

Don't go out on the roads.

That reduces the impact on the emergency services.

Well, you don't need to go out because you've gone into the ditch or had an accident.

The fact that we were a community is what really critically got us through these big storms.

Being able to rely on each other to get through.

Actually, it was pretty nice to be a part of the community at that time.

I mean, the weather was terrible and it was cold, but the feeling of community that we had, where we all pulled together and got each other through, that's what carried the day.

- [Eric] Many of us have memories from the storms of 1977 and 1998.

Here's the keeping those memories behind us and a safe and heavy winter in front of us.

For WPBS weekly, I'm Eric Cleary.

- With snow comes adventure.

And with adventure comes memorable moments.

If you're looking for winter fun this season, look no further.

WPBS has suggestions that are sure to keep you from getting the winter blues.

Tonight, we take you bobsledding in Lake Placid, New York.

- They're just so many unique things to the Adirondacks that really sets this region apart from anywhere else in the United States.

You know, Lake Placid offers so much.

You can be an Olympian one day and maybe the next day, you just wanna kick back and maybe enjoy a book or a bottle of wine by a fireplace.

But I mean, for outdoor enthusiasts, you can climb the 46 high peaks that makeup the Adirondack region, or you can meander just a trail that will go through the woods and lead to a pond or a stream.

And if you enjoy fishing or ice climbing or mountain biking, there are just so many unique things to the Adirondacks.

- [Raymond] And of course there's bobsledding.

The modern bobsled is built to either hold two or four people.

The components of the sleds are basically the same.

They're built around a steel frame.

They have a fiberglass hole for speed, a pair of fixed rear runner, a metal brake lever used only for the finish, and a pulley system for steering the front two runners.

The course of the Olympic sports complex is built for the mile or a half mile run.

A mile run is reserved for Olympic athletes.

As for Chris and Samantha, they'll be starting at the half mile point, also known as the Devil's Highway.

From there, they enter into what is known as the Shady 2 first hand.

Then into the labyrinth through curve 12, where the speed is really picking up into the chicanes or curb 14.

From there, the racing option of curve 17 also known as The Heart.

And finally, they complete the run at the Finish Deck.

And that is a thrilling half mile run, Chris and Samantha will be undertaking today.

And when you go on a bobsled run, the only equipment you will need besides warm clothes is the helmet that they provide.

- How's that go?

- Good.

- Good.

That's good.

Look up for me.

Okay, you're set.

(bright upbeat music) - How are you feeling?

- Good.

- Good?

- I'm ready.

(bright upbeat music) - So any last off before we head down?

- I'm ready.

- You're ready?

- Yep, I'm prepared.

- There's not any really preparations.

- I don't really have (laughs).

- Our safety is in the hands of two people that we've never met.

So that being said, we're gonna head over there.

Go down to bobsled.

- [Raymond] At the Olympic Sports Complex, the staff are experienced and knowledgeable.

Bobsled rides are carefully managed by experts.

Inside the bobsled, you will always have a driver upfront and a brake man in the back.

All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

- There you go.

Hop on in right in.

Yup, as close as you can get.

(bright upbeat music) Hold those straps.

They'll hold you up nice and straight.

Guess that we're all set.

(Samantha laughs) (upbeat music) - Here we go.

(upbeat music) (both screaming) - What was that?

(laughs) That was a great ending of the snow.

- That was fast.

That went really fast.

- That was really fast.

- Wow!

- I didn't think I was good enough to be screaming, but I lied.

(laughs) Oh my God, that was super great.

It was...

I must say, it was pretty intense.

(laughs) I'm not gonna lie.

I didn't think I was gonna be screaming at all.

- Samantha just summed it up as intense, but I have to agreed.

When we first started, it didn't seem that fast, but about halfway down, we were cruising.

I mean, absolutely cruising.

And I think I definitely heard a little screen from you.

I didn't scream, but I was like, "Oh man, If we flip, we're gonna be in trouble."

That's how fast and actually a little bit scared I was.

(both laughing) What do you think?

- Yes, I didn't think the screams were gonna come out, but they did.

(laughs) - So we just experienced our first bobsled run, and I think Samantha summed it up best.

What was the word that you used?

- Intense.

- Intense.

It was pretty intense.

How fast do you think you had to guess that we probably have it down to a science?

How fast were we going?

- You're doing between 55 and 60.

Samantha screams though, they were going much faster.

(both laughing) - For those who don't like playing in the snow, how about a show to keep you warm and cozy?

"All Creatures Great and Small" is back for season two, beginning January 9th at 9:00 PM on WPBS-TV.

Here's a little preview.

(dramatic music) - You're back.

- Had a good break?

- It was only a couple of weeks I was away, but you forget how beautiful this place is.

- There you are.

I have the fortitude to deal with the caseload in your absence.

Lesser men would have failed.

- Tell the truth.

You missed him, didn't you?

- How was Glasgow?

- They've offered me a job.

- Your boss appreciates how lucky he is.

- Herriot!

- In his own special way, deep down.

- How long have you got to decide?

- I've got few months to work out if there's something here worth staying for.

- We keep it interesting to better use.

- Yes, I suppose there's anything much Herriot can do.

- He's either very brave or very stupid.

- I believe it's a heady mixture of both.

- Whoa, God!

(pig oinks) - You hounded that boy for the last five years to pass his exams.

The least you can do is reward him for it.

- There speaks a woman wise to the world.

- Wise did a lot I've been Lumumba well certainly.

- Mrs. Pumphrey oh, look tricky.

Your favorite.

- They're actually for you Mrs. Pumphrey.

- Oh, I need to Fortnite myself.

The tricky is a little less fussy.

- We didn't use to be like this.

- Like what?

- There's no spirit, the fight's gone.

I'm not saying your past but- - We just did.

Morning Mrs. Dinsdale.

- Diana, please.

- That woman ran it forward.

She'd be yesterday.

(both laughing) - It's the daffodil bull tonight.

- Who's the extra one for?

- Time waits for no man, James lad and neither will Helen.

- I haven't really been out since.

- No one will care.

Animals mess up sometimes, just like people do.

There's no reason for you to keep punishing yourself for anything.

- What am I supposed to do?

Carry on as if nothing's happened.

- I've missed you.

(bright upbeat music) - If you like jazz, you're gonna want to hear this next musician.

Cuban pianist and composer, Rafael Zaldivar is an acclaimed musician by JazzTimes and DownBeat jazz magazines.

And that's no surprise, considering the talent you're about to hear.

Enjoy the Rafael Zaldivar, Afro-Cuban Jazz Quartet with this master musician on the keyboard.

(bright jazz music) - This sample is called Afra-Cuban Revival.

So I have Ellie Miller on percussion and he's the connection with Africa.

He's a guy who comes from Africa.

He comes from Congo basically.

And he plays the percussion in the way people play in Congo.

So, this is a special thing that I have in the band, but also I have my Afro-Cuban background and all that.

I tried to put them on the conversation with him, with Ellie.

It's really fun band, because also, Rémi-Jean LeBlanc is the guy that plays the role of angularity and the little melodies.

He is the melody guy.

Michel Medrano, he's a tremendous drummic guy, but also he brings the band everywhere, and recreating all the background that we have, like Afro-Cuban and African music, but also Canadian and music from Quebec city.

And so all these inferences are getting together.

(bright jazz music) - That does it for us this Tuesday evening.

Join us next week for a fresh look Inside the Stories.

Visit an island off the coast of Maine, where the Audubon society's Puffin Project helps manage and restore bird populations.

And the Green Beaver in Ottawa continues its mission with creating natural products for a cleaner, healthier world.

Also two local jazz musicians share their talents, direct from the WPBS studios.

Meantime, if you have a story idea that you'd like to see us explore, or you're a poet or a musician that would like to be featured, email us at wpbsweekly@wpbstv,org.

Until then, goodnight.

- [Narrator] Wpbs Weekly: Inside the Stories is brought to you by: The Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, dedicated to improving the wellbeing of communities by helping disadvantaged children and families.

Online at dmjf.org.

The Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business.

Serving Jefferson Lewis and Oswego counties since 1986.

Online at watertown.nysbdc.org.

Carthage Savings, has been here for generations, donating time and resources to this community.

They're proud to support WPBS-TV.

Online at carthagesavings.com.

Carthage savings, mortgage solutions since 1888.

Additional funding provided by CSX, The Oswego County Community Foundation at the Central New York Community Foundation, and by the Richard S. Shineman Foundation.

(bright jazz music) (upbeat music)