Prices for copper and steel are at an all-time high-- and the boom in business is also driving an increase in scrap metal thefts. We talk with Chuck Carr, from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, and we hear from Vermont scrap dealers and local law enforcement. Also, we visit with musician Donald Knaack who creates music using junk materials. And, we stop by a micro-distillery near St. Johnsbury that specializes in maple vodka.

With the summer recreation season fast approaching, we look at new opportunities, new rules, and the ongoing competition for the use of the Green Mountain National Forest. Also on the program, Vermont Law School Professor Pat Parenteau on the state's right to regulate vehicular greenhouse gas emissions. And how Vermont comic Martha Tormey confuses real life with television.

Students who speak little or no English are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. public school population, and this demographic shift is being felt even in Vermont. We explore the challenges and rewards of working with students from other cultures.

Twenty-three years ago Vermont raised its drinking age to 21. But now some Vermonters are advocating for lowering the age back to 18. We hear from John McCardell, the former President of Middlebury College, who supports the idea; and we hear why others are strongly against it. Also, we talk with a Vermont marathon runner preparing for the Olympic trials. And, we visit a Northeast Kingdom classroom where Latin has been taught for more than a century.

The Senate unanimously approved a bill that makes it easier for landlords to evict problem tenants. We examine both sides of the issue with the bill's sponsor, Sen. Bill Carris, and with Vermont Legal Aid Attorney Jack McCullough. Also, UVM has cut funding for its Canadian Studies Program; we talk with the program's director, Paul Martin. And, we visit a Middlebury hairdresser who's been cutting hair for decades.

Boys are on the losing end of a growing achievement gap with girls. We examine how educators are re-thinking ways to celebrate and encourage boys in the classroom. Our guests are Richard Hawley, the author of Beyond the Icarus Factor, and Dave Landers, a Professor at St. Michael's College. Also, we hear about how social networking and blogs are changing business recruiting practices. And, sounds from Vermont's Geography Bee.

Vermont's 15 regional technical centers have transformed themselves in the last few decades. We talk with two longtime tech center directors about these changes and challenges these schools face. Also, a new report looks at how police use Tasers across the state. And, we hear impressions of variety show that celebrated Vermont's Jewish community.

We talk about our state's deepest ruts and potholes with Transportation Secretary Neale Lunderville and with the director of the National University Transportation Center at UVM. Also, we hear from the Vermont Retail Association about whether or not Vermonters are opening their pocketbooks in today's economy. And commentator Peter Gilbert reflects on the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death.

Most Americans' food travels 1500 miles or more before arriving on the dinner table. In her new book, The Taste of Place, UVM Professor Amy Trubek explores the concept of terroir, and why the uniqueness of local taste matters. Then, we talk with Brattleboro resident Noah Baker Merrill, who is the founder of a medical relief project called Direct Aid Iraq. And, we hear from Vermont composer Gwyneth Walker.