Dept. of Consumer Protection warns public about illegal gambling machines

Name a Madagascar hissing roach after a loved one, ex-partner at the Bronx Zoo

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio discusses Super Bowl 59

Bedford Library set to reopen this spring after being closed since 2021

Main Street Connecticut: Showcasing all the hotspots in New Canaan

Longwood community honors Big Pun 25 years after his death

newyork

Brian Heyman

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In the 1970s there were no nesting bald eagles left here in Connecticut, but thanks to intensive conservation efforts, this majestic bird has made a marvelous comeback here. In this week's road trip close to home, News 12 photojournalist Laurie Goliath takes us to Southbury, where eagles feed for the winter. It's a great opportunity to see wildlife in its natural environment. We can see them perched in the trees, uh, we can see them flying overhead. We are in Southbury, Connecticut at the Chapog Hydroelectric Dam on the Housatonic River. They come great distances to to feed here at the dam. This is probably one of the only places that there is an established observation area for the winter and bald eagles that come into the state during the winter looking for open water to fish. What's special about this place is when we're producing electricity, it creates uh a water flow and it prevents ice from forming and they can get access to fish, which is their primary diet. Here we have an observation area. We've got lots of volunteers and helpers with scopes set up, showing you where the eagles are and always looking in the sky for those eagles that are flying in, flying out. They are fascinating birds. Some days we have more eagles than other days. One day last year we had 17. And in the building we have binoculars set up, lots of information about the eagles and lots of volunteers ready to answer your questions. Oh, it's awesome. Every Saturday we have Connecticut Audubon here with some birds of prey that are non-releasable program birds and then throughout the season, we also have Christine critters and Horizon wings that are both bird of prey rehabbers here in the state. It's great that families come. And I love the excitement that uh people feel when they come here, especially little kids you see them with wings outstretched and just soaring in the wind. We now have about 90, I think, breeding pairs in the states, and that has increased since 1992. We only had one breeding pair. I mean, it really says a lot about what we're doing with the environment in terms of cleaning up the. Rivers. And so it's a great success story. I think everyone should come out just to take a look. You get to see other birds here as well, hawks and songbirds. I think it's a once in a lifetime experience if you've never seen an eagle in the wild it's really wonderful. Well, eagle viewing is free, but reservations are required. The site is open Wednesdays and weekends through March. If you'd like more information, go to news twelve.com.

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Well, there may not be any snow in your backyard, but there's plenty of winter fun to be had at this ski resort in Sussex County. On this week's road trip close to home. New swell's Amanda Esus hits the slopes at Mountain Creek in Vernon Township. Are you Yeah On this week's road trip close to home, we're checking out Mountain Creek right here in Sussex County and all the fun winter activities they have to offer. Snow tubing is super, super easy to participate in. To get back to the top of the hill, we have this gigantic people mover. It's like a really large conveyor belt, so it's not like typical sledding where you have to hike back up the hill and you get tired. You get to take this automated lift back to the top, then you go back down. So it's super fun, it's super easy. Anyone can do it. If you're feeling a little bit more adventurous, skiing, snowboarding is absolutely an option on the table. We have learned to ski and ride programs, we have rentals available, um, and really it's pretty easy to learn how to ski or ride as long as you give it some, uh, some commitment. On the ski mountain we have 4 different interconnected peaks. Um, there's 46 ski trails, 9 lifts. So there's a whole lot of mountain out there. Yes, we're in New Jersey, but we have a big mountain feel. And when you want to take a break from hitting the slopes, you can grab a cup of hot chocolate and sit by one of their fire pits or head inside and grab a bite at one of their many eateries. We have multiple restaurants, we have cafeterias, so you come inside, enjoy brick oven pizzas, gourmet hot chocolates, uh, we really do have it all. Well, that's good. Come on out to Mountain Creek. We have, like I said, we have 46 trails. We have 9 lifts, um, we have over 1000 vertical feet of skiing or snowboarding. We also have lodging available on site, so you could stay at the lodge, enjoy the whole weekend or the whole week by skiing, snow tubing. In fact, if you want to learn how to ski, there's no better way to do it than to stay a whole weekend, and by the end of the weekend, you're definitely gonna be a pro. So watch a new episode of Road Trip Close to home tonight at 7 and 9:30 only on News 12.

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New this morning, we are back with a road trip right here in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Yeah, news tells Caitlin Ulrich she went to shiny sparkle Labs and studio where you get a new perspective on what glass can do, Caitlin. Mix a love of art. But you kind of have to really be deliberate with the love of friendship. Who's shiny, who's sparkle, who like who's glassy, who's sassy? Definitely sassy. And that is how shiny sparkle Labs and studio was born. The two co-founders met in the glass department in college, and roughly 2 decades later, they have made a business out of art. It all started with 2 kilns and a dream. And maybe a bottle of wine. And it was a bottle of wine, yeah, it was definitely a bottle of wine sparkle. A kiln is like an extremely hot oven. And because this is a smaller kiln, this will probably heat up and come down within 24 hours. That your art will need to bake in if you stop by and take a class. And then with a little bit of leverage, we're just going to give it a little squeeze, and then that's what breaks the class, and it's so satisfying and everybody loves it. At the Red Hook location, you can try out glass making for yourself. So anytime I want to make any bends or any movements, I make that inside the flame, and then when I'm happy with it, I come on out. You will learn a lot. It's magic. Glass is magic. Like I did. So then I just sprinkle this. Yes. After your work bakes, you'll have a functional art piece like a coaster or a charcuterie board, which I opted for. How's it look? It looks so cool. You'll be learning from talented artists like Dory. I kind of make, um, uh, yeah, scary scary. For real? This feels good to be able to still make art, uh, in a way, and Matthew's an artist, but, um, just kind of finding the balance. If you're worried that you're not creative enough for this. It's pretty magical what happens. People come in, they're like, I can't do this, and then they like start to like get into the groove, put something together, and then something magical happens in the kiln. Everything, when something melts and. homogenizes, it just becomes this beautiful glassy thing because creativity only needs a little glass and a little sass. Here at Shiny Sparkle Labs and studio in Red Hook, Caitlin Ulrich, News 12. 0, I wanna, I wanna go there and make something, you know, glass and sass. You can tune into Road Trip Close to home tonight at 7 or 9:30 for fun things to do with your family not too far away.

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Well, if you're looking for a sports facility where your children can let out some energy this winter, we may have just the place. Yes, our Antoinette Bordi introduces us to Bounce Family Entertainment in Syosset on this road trip close to home. If you're an adrenaline junkie or have kids with lots of energy, Bounce Family Entertainment Center in Syosset is the place to be. You ready, Max? I'm ready. Let's do it. Let's have fun. Something for everybody. What was once just a trampoline place, Bounce Family Entertainment is now much more. We tore out almost all the trampolines and we put in all new attractions. We cater all the birthday parties. We make all the food in-house, and this is one of the newest additions. It's actually a ninja warrior course and it's probably one of the most difficult. To do. And if you take a look around, you'll find something for every age group like Toddlertown for those 6 and under, an indoor playground, laser tag, and even bumper cars. And here in the adventure zone, there are 11 different rock climbing walls like this one. Called the big cheese, so you've got things that are easy and simple all the way up to challenging. It's a good thing they have a restaurant here because I've worked up quite the appetite from Bounce in Syosset for this road trip close to home. I'm Antoinette Yordi for News 12. Mm.

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Beautiful farmlands and creativity all part of the unique town of Warwick. His 12 Nikita Ramos is taking us on a road trip close to home to savor these tastes and these memories. Stir your own story into a scent you can spark. A scripted fragrance and Warwick. This local business crafts candles that glow with a message. We are all about telling beautiful stories through fragrance. We design everything in-house, print our own glassware, and pour all of our own candles. And when you sign up for a workshop, you'll learn the ropes from a skilled team of chandlers. All those come together to create your candles. How big is your team? And we've had 3. And a place where passion is a driving force, especially when you're choosing which of these 10 collections speak to you. Each of our candles have a scripted story that goes along with it. So it's really about encapsulating everything that you love and then extract that into a fragrance. Your final product can double as a cup in your cabinet. Our next stop is a place to fill your cup. We are a microbrewery, we're a farm to table restaurant. It's a place where you can just come slow down and stay alive. Brown Lands Brewery offers a wide selection of beers, all made here in this 15 barrel brew house. That farm to table menu goes well beyond the beer. Pizza is kind of our bread and butter here. It starts with our dough, which we make here in the house, of course, just as everything else. I'm about to try the chicken tikka skewers. Now these are actually new to the menu this season, which is another really cool thing about this place. The menu is always subject to change depending on the seasons. What a fun way to end this road trip close to home. In war, Nikita Ramos is 12. It's an all encompassing experience. You make the candles, then you got to go eat, but that's what road trip is. We take you all over the place finding the best spots. Yes, and tonight we're going road tripping to Rockland to a great spot in the Palisades Mall in West Nyack where you can solve puzzles and take on obstacles. Make sure you join me tonight at 7 o'clock and again at 9:30 for a road trip close to home. You're not gonna want to miss.

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Get ready for an adventure where movement and mindset are so key news shows, Nikita Ramos is learning about Parkour in this week's road trip, close to home and let the adrenaline rush begin. You'll clearly need every muscle in your body for this road trip. Close to home to roam further athletics, a place where Parkour is practiced and then eventually mastered. And it all starts right here in Mount Kisco Parkour, there's a lot of different ways to describe it. It's very much like a lifestyle similar to martial arts. But instead of say, focusing on self defense or fighting, it's obstacle based. And there's a big mental component to this because I've never done this before. The coaches here will help you break your own barriers if you're addressing the idea of like, how do I accomplish this goal? And that might start in a physical sense. But then there's a mental barrier that you're working with. And there's a lot of different ways that we approach that. And depending on the age and the ability we're actually even adjusting to the individual, preserve a session for any age and you'll be launching off with valuable life skills and no time. Another unique aspect of road further is the specialty coffee bar. Thank you, Nick. It's a great way to refuel on this road trip. Close to Hull in Mount Disco, Nikita Ramos is 12.

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Here's a look at all the great spots to hit from this week's episode of Road Trip Close to Home.

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