PRESS RELEASE

The public television documentary Spanning Time: America's Covered Bridges will make its east coast debut on the afternoon of Saturday, May 14, at 2:00 with a free public screening at the Vermont Covered Bridge Museum in the Bennington Center for Natural and Cultural Arts, Bennington, Vermont. The Center for the Arts is located on West Road at Gypsy Lane off of Route 9 just west of the Bennington Monument. The afternoon's events will include a welcome by museum founder and chair of trustees Bruce Laumeister, a large-screen showing of the 57-minute documentary, remarks on restoration theory by David Wright, President of the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges and an opportunity to question the documentary's producers, Eugene Brancolini and Susanne Schwibs. The formal program will be followed by an informal reception with refreshments.

Produced by public television station WTIU, Bloomington, Indiana, with funding from the Federal Highway Administration, Spanning Time: America's Covered Bridges explores the affection Americans have for their wooden covered bridges. Actor/songwriter Tim Grimm guides us through this instructional, entertaining and sometimes whimsical look at covered bridges throughout the United States - their cultural significance, history, construction, preservation, and tourist activities surrounding them. Commentary by eminent New England bridge wrights Arnold Graton and Jan Lewandoski provide the builder's perspective, while preservationists, engineers, public officials, tourists and all manner of covered bridge enthusiasts share their point of view. The program features covered bridges and scenic footage from Indiana, Ohio, Oregon, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

panning Time: America's Covered Bridges will be distributed nationally this spring by American Public Television. Over 95 public television stations throughout the country have indicated that they will be airing the program.