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Deep Freeze Hits Northeast

Aired January 15, 2004 - 15:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We take you now to the coldest spot in the contiguous 48. Temperatures dipped to minus-36 degrees in Saranac Lake, New York, today. That's cold, folks. And 36 below, that's below the zero reading. And we're not putting any windchill nonsense in there. That is an outright temperature reading.
Anthony Dawson-Ellis lives there. He joins me now on the phone to tell us how he and other folks in Saranac Lake are trying their best to keep warm.

Mr. Ellis, good to have you with us.

ANTHONY DAWSON-ELLIS, NEW YORK RESIDENT: Thank you for being here.

O'BRIEN: All right.

The question always is, how cold is it? Do you have a good story to tell to give us a sense of it?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, it's not that bad. Yes, it's quite cold. But as long as you keep a good frame of mind about it, it really doesn't trouble us.

O'BRIEN: OK. So tell us what's going on there? Are people outside? What are they doing or not doing?

DAWSON-ELLIS: There's not a lot of activity outside today. But the guests keep rolling in, in spite of the cold weather.

O'BRIEN: Yes, we should point out that you have a bed and breakfast there. Are we seeing your facility right now, by the way? Is this it?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Yes. It's the Porcupine.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: It looks lovely, by the way.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, thank you very much. We took it over this past year.

O'BRIEN: Really? How are things going so far?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Extremely well. We have added a lot of amenities. Even the hot tub is going right now. O'BRIEN: Oh, I suspect so. I suspect there's a line for the hot tub right about now.

(LAUGHTER)

DAWSON-ELLIS: Not today.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

Well tell us, your guests, do they come typically during the winter, or is this more of a summer destination?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, actually, we operate year-round. I would say only in the late spring is it really quiet.

O'BRIEN: OK. And so, in the wintertime, they come to ski and crosscountry ski and so forth. You know, what are they doing? Because winter in a place like this, even when it's cold, there's fun things to do, right?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Miles, it's glorious up here. It's really quiet. It's very pretty.

O'BRIEN: Glorious. Glorious, he said.

(LAUGHTER)

DAWSON-ELLIS: And we're surrounded by activities. We're next to Lake Placid, which has all of the Olympic facilities. There are athletes training here year-round. There's much to do.

O'BRIEN: It's almost the exact opposite of what I saw those pictures of New York City this morning, where the snow almost instantly turns gray. You must look at that and think you're in the right place.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, actually, I came from New York and left that all behind. And, yes, the snow has been on the ground here, oh, gosh, since November, and it's still pristine white.

O'BRIEN: All right. And it should be gone by mid-July. So we wish you well there, Anthony Dawson-Ellis, who has the Porcupine there, a lovely looking place there in Saranac.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Thank you. Come

(CROSSTALK)

DAWSON-ELLIS: ... and stay with us.

O'BRIEN: I might just do that. Thank you very much for the invitation.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Thanks a lot.

O'BRIEN: All right, appreciate it. DAWSON-ELLIS: Bye-bye. Stay warm.

O'BRIEN: It's OK here.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 15, 2004 - 15:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We take you now to the coldest spot in the contiguous 48. Temperatures dipped to minus-36 degrees in Saranac Lake, New York, today. That's cold, folks. And 36 below, that's below the zero reading. And we're not putting any windchill nonsense in there. That is an outright temperature reading.
Anthony Dawson-Ellis lives there. He joins me now on the phone to tell us how he and other folks in Saranac Lake are trying their best to keep warm.

Mr. Ellis, good to have you with us.

ANTHONY DAWSON-ELLIS, NEW YORK RESIDENT: Thank you for being here.

O'BRIEN: All right.

The question always is, how cold is it? Do you have a good story to tell to give us a sense of it?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, it's not that bad. Yes, it's quite cold. But as long as you keep a good frame of mind about it, it really doesn't trouble us.

O'BRIEN: OK. So tell us what's going on there? Are people outside? What are they doing or not doing?

DAWSON-ELLIS: There's not a lot of activity outside today. But the guests keep rolling in, in spite of the cold weather.

O'BRIEN: Yes, we should point out that you have a bed and breakfast there. Are we seeing your facility right now, by the way? Is this it?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Yes. It's the Porcupine.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: It looks lovely, by the way.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, thank you very much. We took it over this past year.

O'BRIEN: Really? How are things going so far?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Extremely well. We have added a lot of amenities. Even the hot tub is going right now. O'BRIEN: Oh, I suspect so. I suspect there's a line for the hot tub right about now.

(LAUGHTER)

DAWSON-ELLIS: Not today.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

Well tell us, your guests, do they come typically during the winter, or is this more of a summer destination?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, actually, we operate year-round. I would say only in the late spring is it really quiet.

O'BRIEN: OK. And so, in the wintertime, they come to ski and crosscountry ski and so forth. You know, what are they doing? Because winter in a place like this, even when it's cold, there's fun things to do, right?

DAWSON-ELLIS: Miles, it's glorious up here. It's really quiet. It's very pretty.

O'BRIEN: Glorious. Glorious, he said.

(LAUGHTER)

DAWSON-ELLIS: And we're surrounded by activities. We're next to Lake Placid, which has all of the Olympic facilities. There are athletes training here year-round. There's much to do.

O'BRIEN: It's almost the exact opposite of what I saw those pictures of New York City this morning, where the snow almost instantly turns gray. You must look at that and think you're in the right place.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Well, actually, I came from New York and left that all behind. And, yes, the snow has been on the ground here, oh, gosh, since November, and it's still pristine white.

O'BRIEN: All right. And it should be gone by mid-July. So we wish you well there, Anthony Dawson-Ellis, who has the Porcupine there, a lovely looking place there in Saranac.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Thank you. Come

(CROSSTALK)

DAWSON-ELLIS: ... and stay with us.

O'BRIEN: I might just do that. Thank you very much for the invitation.

DAWSON-ELLIS: Thanks a lot.

O'BRIEN: All right, appreciate it. DAWSON-ELLIS: Bye-bye. Stay warm.

O'BRIEN: It's OK here.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com