North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 09/10/1996

Ier It's Tuesday September 10th. Tonight deep into depression times if Lester do pockets of our state still waiting for help from the effects of Hurricane Frances in North Carolina now. Good

evening I'm very much right glad you could join us for this Tuesday edition of North Carolina now we welcome back many of our viewers as more and more North Carolinians are having their power restored. Tonight we continue our focus on the aftermath of Hurricane Fran. Sonny Williams will tell us about portions of rural North Carolina that have yet to receive hurricane assistance. And in a one on one interview with Governor Hahn Shannon Vicary will try to pin down an exact dollar figure of the hurricane damage and we'll break from our hurricane coverage later in the program is North Carolina now along with the state begins to return to normal as music fans know Bill Munroe credited as being the father of bluegrass has passed away. Tonight we'll look at the influence Monroe had on many North Carolina artists. But first the latest on the hurricane. They have two price tag for the fray and cleanup comes after the legislature spent months trying to hammer out a budget to pay the state's current bills. Now there is the extra expense of Fran Shannon Vicary spoke with Governor Hunt today to find out how the

state plans to pay for the cleanup costs. Governor thank you so much for sharing some of your time with us today. Now I understand that the damage estimates are coming in literally on a minute by minute basis. What's your best guess on how much the total damage estimates are going to be. No we don't really know what those are going to be yet somebody estimated the total damage this includes everything people's homes and everything else said close to one billion dollars just in Wake County. And of course this this damages for couple hundred miles across and all the way through the state from the coast all the way up to the Virginia border. So we don't know what the total is going to be but we know it's going to be huge and we know that for a lot of individuals it's just devastating. Where's the money going to come from to cover these damages. Well for the public cost involved all the folks who have to get out work on the roads in and make them passable. All the damage to public facilities schools and so forth. The federal government will pay for the first four days

100 percent of that after that we have to start paying 25 percent and have a done a fad in the state budget 25 to 30 million dollars that we can use for this storm for the repairs and everything else we can use that to match the federal funds. And so we're going to be we have that money available and we will do whatever it takes now to find additional funds to deal with this situation. For the areas in the budget where you have found money we have to call a special session to transfer those funds. Well Jennifer already 25 or 30 million dollars that we can use for this purpose. We will see what we need to do. We will do whatever it takes to provide the funds to help our people recover. But we'll just have to wait and see if something like that should be necessary. Right now we've already identified 25 or 30 million and I think that that's certainly for right now appears to be adequate but we'll do whatever we need to do.

Are all the counties that need a disaster aid already declared federal disaster areas and will more be added. We've added sic We had 34 counties originally declared. We've now added 16 counties for public assistance and another six counties for individual assistance. So that gets it up to about half the counties of our state. And this is such a huge storm. Just imagine half the counties being declared a disaster because of the storm. Are there any concerns that some of these counties might not be able to continue being a disaster area due to the extent of the storm. Do you think you'll be taken off the list. No I think that once they're put on the list they stay on the list. Question is would should some more be added to it with this flooding that's coming along in the wake of Fran and that's what we'll be looking at. We may add some more. So you do expect more counties to be added to that list. I think it's a real possibility. We you have to do a damage assessment before you can to get them declared by the president. And we still got people out working on those

assessments so we may well add some more knots but we will. What type of economic impact do you think the storm's going to have on the state. Well it's going to have an impact of billions of dollars on the state and a lot of that of course will be losses to individuals. You know a tree fell across your house. Yes you had insurance but you had a deductible that you had to pay. You lost everything in your freezer. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of food maybe in your refrigerator. Maybe you had a car damaged and you had a deductible there you had to pay. So they're going to be huge losses. The state and local governments will pay for part of that. But frankly individuals are going to be hurt the most and that's out of a lot of people's pockets. Finally Governor what words of support do you give for families who may be spending all day and all night all across the state cleaning up after the storm. I just want to say that I understand how you feel. I know what you're going through I know what it's like not to have that electricity and not to have any water and

everything else. But we are making some progress not enough I'm not satisfied. We've got to keep working at it. But let's all pitch in and let's help make our families safe let's get over this thing work as hard as we can this week. That's why I said that state employees can work at home and in their communities if they choose to do then they don't need to do that they'll come to work. But otherwise if they want to stay home and help their neighbors and try to help elderly people get trees off their homes they're there or we can let them do that this week. And I hope everybody will pitch in. Let's do all we can. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. It sure looks dark right now but we will work out of this because North Carolinians are made of special stuff and together we're going to get through it. Thank you Governor Hunt. You're welcome. There is some good news in regards to Hurricane Fran economists believe the damage done by Fran will not have a long term impact on our state. Wake Forest University economist Gary Shoesmith and University of South Carolina professor

Douglas Woodward both agree that North Carolina's economy is in good shape and should recover quickly. The economists say that as bad as things are right now for inland cities such as Raleigh power outages and downed trees won't take a major toll on the region's economic vitality. But that future economic outlook isn't very comforting for some North Carolinians who are having to deal with the economic hardship of today. Sanya Williams reports some portions of rural North Carolina have still not received some much needed assistance as Raleigh residents and folks in larger cities start putting the pieces of their lives back together. People in rural areas are still struggling. Rupert Stewart who lives out sports coats a small town in Harnett County has been without power since Thursday night and could be without it for several more days. It just makes me think about those years back yesterday when there were whenever we had to make out what we had that's about what we've done this we

care for you know lamps we get we did have we did have water it was family but we had we had we had nothing to get by with some of it. Spend spend. Depression deep in a depression. Times at last are genius but help is on its way. Coast town administrator Quentin Smith has been working with state and federal emergency management officials for the past two days and says the biggest problem facing their small town is the lack of manpower. The hardest problem is just getting there because of the number of people that have equipment. They're all working there. There's people you and I hiring these people and we're having a hard time to complete it trying to find someone who can have the equipment and do the job that we need to get done and we to certainly don't have the manpower in a small town to handle this kind allayed bar sales. So counties like this one are looking for federal money to help. So far 48

counties hit hard by Hurricane Fran have been granted federal money to help with the cleanup but the process isn't a simple one. It involved the county state and federal officials. Here's how it works. When Disaster Strikes local officials decide whether their emergency response crews can handle the situation if they're overwhelmed. They asked the county emergency manager for help. Is that still not enough. The requests get bumped up to the governor and you know. Having trouble getting around you have any idea where we get to get some of that right was Governor Hunt has the authority to organize state aid and only He can ask the president for federal aid. This process started here last week. This is the worst disaster we've had in this century. People say How does it compare. It's the worst. Nothing to touch. President Clinton echoed the governor's concerns and promised federal help. We're going to do everything we can to help the people of North Carolina and South Carolina in this difficult time but again I say to you here in Florida those of you who went through Hurricane Andrew know

what it's like. We need to be praying for those people and supporting them and there are doubtless people here from those two states. In addition the hurricane there is has been or will be more rain and there's a lot to do and no one knows that better than Stuart and his family his daughter Linda Allen that her nursing duty beside today to help her father dig his way through his front yard at least a third of the trees were blown over courtesy Hurricane Fran. Miraculously the only thing that was destroyed at the Stewart place was this car that belonged to their late mother. And while they say it is sad to see a piece of their mother's memory gone they realize things could have been much worse. You would never believe in your wildest terrain. Three fourths in Ocala would never dream that with a family thing that they used this powerful. But at the same time you can't. You would never believe this many lives would have been spared and I know children that you have to bury you know things that

really Maine where our cat and for that reason Linda and her family aren't complaining about the time they spent with no power and no ice they think just being alive and well enough for now. The trees will grow again and the delays will the straw will be still be here you know this was our this was and is our home and we're OK. We've been blessed. Everybody hey isn't even as bad as it could have been Morris. Even as bad as it was it could have been more's the housekeeping done they could've been gone. But it's it's going to take a long time. We all pulled together and we'll make it. Well Mike meanwhile the Stewarts and other North Carolinians are hoping the government will come through with the financial aid necessary to help rebuild their lives. Why what a great attitude that woman has. If you need to register for federal or state disaster assistance the phone system has been set up to allow

you to tell register that phone number is 1 800 4 6 2 9 0 2 9. Meanwhile the mayors of Raleigh and Cary want the Army called in to deal with the cleanup. Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer says Wake County communities are close to being paralyzed and a massive mobilization of forces is needed. Well still to come on North Carolina now a visit to Sugar Hill Records. But first let's check in with Michel Louis at the North Carolina now news desk to find out what else is going on around the state today. Mitch thanks Maria. Good evening everyone. North Carolina's environment has already taken a beating by Hurricane Fran and it may very well get worse. A state official says the storm caused heavy erosion along nearly half of the state's 300 miles of coastline. Raw sewage has also been discovered seeping into creeks and streams. So that is Wilmington Morning Star reports one of the biggest this charges occurred when the power went out at the Fayetteville wastewater treatment plant. More than six million gallons of

sewage spilled into the Cape Fear River. Low oxygen levels caused by runoff and debris have led to a fish kill in the northeast Cape Fear. Officials say of hurricane Hortense heads this way it could cause a real environmental disaster. The utility and insurance companies have brought thousands of extra workers to the state to help in the hurricane recovery effort but they've run into a new problem where to put them the greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau sends all of the more than 8000 hotel rooms available in Wake County are booked at least through tomorrow. Some of the out of town workers are having to stay in Greensboro and Durham uphills have even gone out to residents asking if they would be willing to house some of the rules. Some of the workers. State Representative Larry Lenny is under indictment charged with embezzlement encourager E and connection with an estate he managed the Buncombe County Republican is accused of embezzling more than $12000 from the estate of Georgiana Alexander. Lynnae was appointed to handle her affairs when she was declared incompetent in 1992 and

became the executor of the estate when she died in 1994. Lenny is not seeking re-election this year. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The nation's largest hog farm enterprise is looking to expand its operations out of state. Murphy family farms of Rose Hill North Carolina has been looking west to the state of Illinois as the site of its next big hog farm operation. So far Murphy farms engineers have reportedly rejected a proposed site that Murphy outfit is said to be interested in land between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Somewhere in central Illinois. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather. Temperatures across the Tar Heel state are forecast to taper off a bit for Wednesday. Expect highs in the low 80s to spread from Charlotte East cloudy conditions should bring rain and the likelihood of thunderstorms tomorrow. In business news cutbacks within the Valvo GM heavy truck division have cost 80 employees and Greensboro their jobs. Pink slips were issued to management and technical employees at the divisions headquarters. Those notified or reportedly just a

fraction of the 300 people slated to be laid off by the company. A spokesperson for Vogtle GM says when the cuts are complete about 560 permanent employees will be left in Greensboro. And Sara Lee Xnet products division headquartered in Winston-Salem has acquired a license to make Carter's brand children's underwear. The license gives Sara Lee the go ahead to extend even further into the clothing manufacturing market. Among Sara Lee's holdings are the sportswear company champion Haynes and the company has a license with polo for lines of men's and boy's clothing. And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. The man known as the father of bluegrass music has passed away. Bill

Monroe yesterday in Tennessee he would have been 85 on Friday when Rose legacy of bluegrass is a significant part of North Carolina's rich musical tradition and Durham Sugar Hill Records has been a pioneer in bringing the genre to a wider audience. Next month Sugar Hill will release a tribute to Monroe called True Life blues the songs of Bill Monroe. It's a collection of Munroe classics performed by some of the leaders of modern bluegrass including a number of Sugar Hill artists. Tonight producer Julian Cox profiles Sugar Hill Records and its founder Barry poss. Maria Lundberg narrates. It's not odd for somebody to be in the record business in North Carolina anymore. Very possibly started during Sugar Hill Records in 1978 a time when it was somewhat unusual to be in the record business in North Carolina.

It's a decision that turned out to be a successful one despite the fact that it wasn't exactly calculated. You know the rationale for a lot of business decisions sounds better in retrospect you know that when I did this that led to that. The truth of the matter is and I think probably if entrepreneurs were honest with you when you do things the first go round you just threw them. It wasn't necessarily a great reason. Music critic David min Kone says Sugarhill has led the way in establishing the area as a regional music center Sugarhill it since they were the first one here they sort of paved the way for that and there are a lot of record companies here now cleaning mammoth and merge and things like that but I sure have been around the longest and in a lot of ways I think they've been the most successful being in North Carolina we operate on our own we make decisions for internal reasons and I think we're better off for it.

The label is also a bit different than many you're used to hearing about like in CA and Sony. It's what's called a niche label and this label is one that sort of picks out a particular style of music and kind of finds itself to that and it tends to be tightly focused. In terms of its that Sugar Hill it's bluegrass and singer songwriter type stuff. It's you can generally identify bands that sound like they ought to be on Sugar Hill for ourselves as a Roots Music label. So we would you know we we haven't done all kinds of roots users and there are lots to be done.

But I you know there's a certain size comfort factor that that I like and I want to make sure that we're able to to him of I'm 0 0 7. In simple terms of handling its artists sugar Hills approach is also somewhat unique. Major labels basically need the overnight mega-hits for survival. And while Pa says that's great if it happens it's not his labels ultimate goal. We do have our version of hits of course for us large sales come at the beginning as well but we try to stretch out the sales over a much longer period of time and this way an artist can have a career somewhere in between. You know the very bottom of the very top the old and in the way which was a side project for

Jerry Garcia who is a huge grass fan is a perfect example. There is no reason why it would sell you know any less the fifth year the first year it's just a perennial favorite Doc Watson fits in that category as well. Doc Watson is the legendary singer musician from Deep Gap North Carolina. His collaboration with Sugar Hill has been one of the greatest joys of pastas career one day a telephone rang and it was Doc Watson. He said I can still hear of the sun. I like the records you put out or I think I want to do a record with you. And that meant more than anything. First of all you know it was it was homegrown you know and if I were being validated I mean here's an artist who's really revered around the world and every spring since a few years after Doc's musician son Merle died in an accident in 1905. Music lovers and other musicians

including many from Sugar Hill converge on Wilkesboro for the Merle Watson memorial festival or simply moral fest singing. We're watching first started with was quite small and it was clearly you know people were coming for Doc to pay tribute to tomorrow. At this point people still come for those same reasons. But the festival itself is very significant in the music business for POS. The awards and there have been many are important but it's the music and the listener's appreciation for it that makes all the long hours and hard work

worth it. Somebody tapped me on the shoulder you know and said Just thank you for the music that you produced. It was very powerful for you know is somebody I have no idea who they were you know they were see again but it was like yeah that's why we love them. The 10th annual Merrill Watson memorial festival will be held next year in Wilkesboro on the last weekend in April. But if you can't wait until then to hear some live music you can head out to bluegrass on the lake this Sunday and highpoint for more information call 1 0 2 0 5 2 4. Several Sugarhill artists will be performing including Jerry Douglas and Peter Rowan Rohan is releasing a new CD next week called bluegrass boy. The title cut pays tribute to the late Bill Munroe. And

one other item to put on your calendar of events there will be a voluntary cleanup effort of the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tomorrow from noon until 7 p.m.. Chancellor Michael hooker is calling upon faculty students and staff to volunteer their time to help clear downed trees brush and other debris. That's our program for tonight thanks for making time in your busy schedule to Tunis in this evening. Hopefully life is getting back to normal for you and your family tomorrow portions of our coast that have been closed to the public since Hurricane Fran will be reopened. We'll take you there and we'll take an in-depth look at some of the crop damage caused by Hurricane Fran. We'll see it tomorrow everyone. One more thing before we head out here hurricane Hortense. Stay away. Good night everyone.

Thanks ily. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.