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American Morning
Three Funerals Scheduled for Victims of Sago Mine Tragedy; 'New You Resolution'
Aired January 09, 2006 - 08:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The streets of Upshur County, West Virginia, once again, will be filled by funeral processions today. Three funerals are scheduled today for victims of the Sago mine tragedy. Six other victims were laid to rest on Sunday.
Gary Nurenberg is live now from the Sago mine, Upshur County, West Virginia.
Good morning, Gary.
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
It really is a somber time here for families who began burying the dead from last week's accident yesterday. The streets here were filled with a kind of haze of gloom yesterday. As you drove through it, you could feel it. As you say, there were six funerals here yesterday. In addition, there were other numerous services where the miners were remembered in both sermon and prayer.
As you say, there are three additional funerals today. Thomas Anderson was 39. He was a shuttle car operator who'd been in the mines for 10 years.
Jim Bennett was 61. He's been in the mines for 25 years, known for keeping a watchful and helpful eye on younger members of the crew.
Marshall Winans' funeral is today. He was a scoop operator in the mines for more than 20 years.
The mine itself remains closed as the venting of poisonous gas continues. We may hear from the federal government later today on how that process is doing, when it is safe for investigators to actually go into the mine to conduct their investigation. There are more than 140 miners that remain on payroll, but unable to do their work, because the mine is closed. Arrangements are being made to reassign them to other mines, or find work for them while this mine is down.
And also, later this morning, we may hear from West Virginia's governor on the further state response to what happened here. That could happen at about 11:00 Eastern Time. Miles, if that does happen, we'll let you know.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Gary Nurenberg, at the Sago mine, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: The famed Windows on the World restaurant was just one of many businesses destroyed on 9/11. Of course it sat on top of the north tower.
Now, some of the remaining employees are remembering the friends they lost by finally realizing a dream.
AMERICAN MORNING's Kelly Wallace has their story this morning. Good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Such a nice story. Because the dream was owning a restaurant, owning a restaurant all by themselves. Many of them immigrants, so that they would own and operate this new restaurant. It started serving the public last week. But it will celebrate its official grand opening this coming week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAGDI LABIB, OWNER/WAITER, CAPTAIN, COLORS: The seafood.
WALLACE: Magdi Labib is from Egypt. Jean Pierre is from Haiti. And Silverio Moog is from the Philippines, three men from dramatically different backgrounds, but forever linked by a date, a restaurant and routine scheduling that ultimately saved their lives.
JEAN PIERRE, OWNER/SOUS-CHEF, COLORS: Thank god I was a sous chef, that we're doing construction on the floor, and they told me you don't have to come in until 10:00. So that's the reason I'm here today.
WALLACE: Seventy-three of their friends, their colleagues at the World Trade Center's Windows on the World were not as lucky. They died at work on September 11th, and more than four years later...
SILVERIO MOOG, OWNER/BARTENDER, COLORS: Yes.
WALLACE: It's still tough to look at photos of people and a place they used to see every day.
MOOG: I get, you know, a bit of goosebumps or something every time I remember them.
LABIB: Yes? Raise your hand.
WALLACE: In a tribute to their lost colleagues, they, along with about 50 restaurant workers, many of whom are immigrants, who also worked at Windows, joined together to open Colors, one of New York City's first worker-owned restaurants.
(on camera): Is this a dream come true? You are part owner of a restaurant.
LABIB: Yes.
WALLACE: In New York City.
LABIB: In New York City, which is very tough place to be, but we're going to make it very well. I feel terrific.
How are you doing, buddy? Good?
WALLACE (voice-over): And this is not just about remembering lives lost, they say; it's also about changing lives. Workers will get a share of the profits, if there are any, and no one earns less than $13.50 an hour, far higher than what an average restaurant pays.
PIERRE: Right here, you have a bunch of immigrants that own a restaurant, you know? How crazy is that, right? So it's like a lot of people now they can look up to us and say we can do it, we can be owners, we could be better in life.
WALLACE: Just about every owner has submitted a recipe from their home country for the menu.
MOOG: We call it (INAUDIBLE).
WALLACE: Philippine lobster lupia from 41-year-old Silverio, and from Magdi, a father of two...
LABIB: Nothing yet.
WALLACE (on camera): Nothing yet?
LABIB: Nothing yet. They didn't like my recipe.
WALLACE: They didn't like your recipe.
LABIB: No. They did, but...
WALLACE: We got to take that up with the owner. Oh, wait, you are an owner!
LABIB: You're talking to me.
WALLACE (voice-over): Success, though, is no sure thing.
PIERRE: If it doesn't work, we'll try again, maybe a smaller place, you know. We're not going to give up.
WALLACE: The memory of their friends driving them to realize a dream born out of tragedy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And it is a dream that took more than three years and $2 million, and Soledad, a dream that faces some very big challenges, because a recent study found that nationwide, new restaurants, 60 percent of new restaurants, fail within three years.
S. O'BRIEN: The odds are not with them, especially in New York restaurant business.
Where did they get the $2 million from? WALLACE: They got about $500,000 from a cooperative, another restaurant food cooperative in Italy. The rest of the money, though, coming from faith-based social groups. They say getting this money, Soledad, you would think a lot of all people might of wanted to invest in it, but it was hard to get the money, and they seem to get money from these groups that want to invest, but also want to make a social message, you know, helping immigrants and helping workers to become owners as well.
M. O'BRIEN: And it almost sounds like the owners now have their own message they want to give, too?
WALLACE: They do. They say immigrants have not been very well treated often in restaurants. Sometimes they're in the back of the restaurants. You know, dishwashers maybe make $7, $8 an hour, can't move up. They're saying at this restaurant, they're going top get health care, they're going to get good wages, you can be a dishwasher for one year, then a few years later, maybe you can be an assistant to a chef. So they're hoping to send a message.
S. O'BRIEN: Opportunity.
WALLACE: Opportunity.
Also, Soledad, the better you treat your workers, we know this across the board, the better services they'll provide, so having these owners be invested in this process, they think they're going to have a better product they'll turn out.
S. O'BRIEN: Fingers crossed. And it's in Greenwichville, as you said, on Lafayette Street, near Astor (ph) Place.
WALLACE: Near Astor Place.
S. O'BRIEN: So if anybody comes near our city, come and visit.
Thanks, Kelly.
WALLACE: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: I hope the bosses are listening to that last one. I like that last suggestion!
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Andy's "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us. We've got a short break. Andy's up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MARKET REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: It's always nice to have a helping hand, particularly when you're looking for the proper voice-over. But even when it comes to New Year's resolutions, coming up, we'll meet the three teams taking part in this years "New You Resolution." Can they keep each other on track? Dr. Sanjay in the house. And all of our New You participants. It is a cast of thousands. Cecil B. DeMille could do no better than this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: It's January, and you know what that means, time to start many this year's New You Resolution series. This time we're following three pairs of folks as they work together to try to improve their general health. Now thousands of people, obviously, wrote in, pairs, ranging from stressed out sisters to football buddies. Everybody was asking for a lifestyle makeover.
M. O'BRIEN: We did not make the cut.
S. O'BRIEN: No, we didn't.
M. O'BRIEN: In any case, we're going to press on. We're not angry or bitter about that.
S. O'BRIEN: Not at all.
M. O'BRIEN: We are calling it "The Power of Pairs." For the next eight weeks, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to watch these three pairs as they try to turn themselves around.
And welcome to all of you. It's good to have you here. Sanjay, take it away.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: And we did give the O'Brien application full consideration.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, right, pal.
GUPTA: We do have the savvy six here today. But first, we'd like you to get to know them a little bit better. So here is some background on their vices and what their goals are during the next eight weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): First, from our nation's capital, they have lobbied to join the "New You." Frank Purcell, a lobbyist, and Donna Brighthaupt, his assistant. They may have opposite personalities, but they have two things in common: they're both going to school and both are balancing work and family. Finding time for exercise is extremely tough. To make matters worse, they both love ribs and office candy.
From D.C. to New York, enter twin brothers. Washington attorney Mark Rasch and New York doctor Stuart Rasch. Stuart does overnight E.R. duty and Mark travels constantly. Their sibling rivalry should make for an interesting race to a healthier life.
To Cheyenne, Wyoming, where we meet Pedro and Denise Rampolla, husband and wife serving their country. Pedro just returned from service in Iraq. He and Denise are both crushed for time. With a family of four young children, the Rampollas want to learn how they and their children can all eat healthy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: All right. Congratulations to all six of you. And welcome the savvy six, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, well, there's three of us and three pairs. So I guess we'll start firing questions at you.
For the Rampollas, four kids. Ooh, I know how tough that is to manage. But when he is deployed somewhere, that must be super difficult for you. I mean, forget eating healthy. Just managing the household, right?
DENISE RAMPOLLA, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: Sometimes. It's just a way that we lead our lives. That's military lifestyle. And with support of guard family and other families that we know in the military, we end up getting through it all right.
S. O'BRIEN: But not necessarily eating healthily, which is what you want to change.
RAMPOLLA: That's right. High-stressed jobs. Air traffic control and I'm a wing family coordinator that works with military families on a regular basis. So it's very hard to work those meals into the day and then also to make sure that we're not stopping at McDonald's versus going home for a quick meal to eat.
S. O'BRIEN: Which is so easy to do, isn't it?
RAMPOLLA: Yes, it is.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, we can't change the stress, but I know that you're going to get some tips on to make some good choices.
RAMPOLLA: Yes.
GUPTA: Exactly. And the Rasch brothers. A doctor and a lawyer. First of all, a doctor applying for the program. I think that's great, personally, because doctors can learn something from this, as well. But it's about the sibling rivalry, you guys told us. How does sibling rivalry help you win something the "New You Resolution"?
MARK RASCH, "NEW YOU PARTICIPANT: Well, it's not really a rivalry because I'm going to win!
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: There's some cash talk right there!
GUPTA: Stuart?
STUART RASCH, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: Well, it's not that he's going to win, but you see, I have to make sure that he gets healthy. It's very important to me that he remains healthy because I need spare parts!
GUPTA: All right, I don't think we're going to get the spare parts in eight weeks, but...
M. O'BRIEN: And he can do the surgery, if need be, so that helps out.
M. RASCH: No, no, because he's a neurosurgeon and I don't need his brain!
GUPTA: That's a little preview of the next eight weeks!
M. O'BRIEN: Donna and Frank, I don't know why you'd ever want to get off a diet of ribs and candy.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, hi.
M. O'BRIEN: That's all the food groups right there. But let's start -- that candy machine in the office, that's something you got to take care of, right?
DONNA BRIGHTHAUPT, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: Well, it can stay. We'll just change to nuts or berries. And if I feel I keep winning...
M. O'BRIEN: Berries in the...
S. O'BRIEN: You can't put berries in your candy machine.
BRIGHTHAUPT: If he's winning, I'll slip an M & M in there.
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, I see. That's it.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, I get it. It's a way to sabotage your friend and colleague? All right. She' winking, by the way, if you can't see that.
M. O'BRIEN: Seriously, you're going to leave it in there and put in more healthy snacks or just get rid of it?
S. O'BRIEN: That's willpower.
BRIGHTHAUPT: Actually, it's been empty for a couple of weeks. So it's all on me. It's my office, it's my world. I'll decide what we'll do with it.
FRANK PURCELL, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: Then again, the office was closed for one of those two weeks.
M. O'BRIEN: That helps quite a bit.
GUPTA: Well, we got lots of plans for all six of you. And over the next eight weeks, it should be very interesting. I think a lot of people at home are going to get a lot out of this. Hopefully, the O'Briens as well. A lot more ahead. We're going to take a look at the two lobbyists coming up. How will their very two different personalities get started on a healthy lifestyle?
Also, we want people at home to join in. We've had a lot of success with this over the last couple of years. Learn about "The Power of Pairs." Use the blog. Log online to savvy six and find a friend to pair up with for your own "New You Resolution."
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay. Well, even though you didn't pick us, we're going to do it anyway.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, what are we doing?
S. O'BRIEN: We're going to join along. We're going to blog, going to get online and see if we can live...
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Sure. I could lose ten pounds.
S. O'BRIEN: ... a healthier lifestyle, too. No, Miles, you're just perfect the way you are!
M. O'BRIEN: Thanks, dear.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, you guys. We look forward to seeing your progress or lack thereof in some cases. Thanks, guys.
Ahead this morning, our pop culture hot list for 2006 is just ahead. Howard Stern could make the cut. He made his much anticipated debut on satellite radio this morning. Is hot or is he not? "AM Pop"'s ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Important day for Judge Samuel Alito, to say the least. His hearings are underway, confirmation hearings, which, if he is confirmed, would lead him to the high court, the position currently held by Sandra Day O'Connor. He was, last report, having breakfast with the president. I guess a little pet breakfast, you might say, a little support breakfast.
S. O'BRIEN: Good to eat a hardy meal before the senators have at ya, as the case may be. The president sort of called for civility this morning as he made his brief remarks in front of the Rose Garden. And we will certainly see how it falls out at the end of the day, as Bob Franken's been reporting for us, depending on what they're discussing. And they're looking at the powers of the presidency and also abortion. Some hot button issues might lose the civility, and pretty quick.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, you talked to Senator Patrick Leahy. And dignified, I believe, was one of the terms that came up there.
S. O'BRIEN: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: And the Senate, of course, is a dignified place, but there's also talk about a filibuster. So how dignified could that be?
S. O'BRIEN: We'll see what happens. That's ahead this morning on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in just a moment.
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