North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 08/09/1994

Tonight the George Washington vendor built collection on display at historic Biltmore House. Good evening everyone I'm wondering Kate speculate Marilou heart Charka is on assignment in the beautiful western part of our state preparing some features for future programs. But Michel Louis is here later with the news. Tonight we will give you the opposing side to this controversial Randleman dam debate. Last night we had a proponent of the project. But tonight Alan Horton and Margaret Jordan Ellis who are members of the deep river Citizens Coalition are here to tell why they are vehemently opposed to this project. Also we'll have a report from Richard Hatch on Rachel Carson a beautiful report from the coast and

we'll look at the Biltmore House a wonderful collection because they are now in preparation for their 100 year the Biltmore Estate recently opened a new exhibit called the George Washington Vanderbilt the man and his treasures and it contains approximately 100 items from Vanderbilt private collection. Now this is the first time many of the objects have been put on display. The. The Biltmore House Asheville North Carolina it's the largest house in America with 250 rooms and each room is full of the objects collected by the original owner George Washington Vanderbilt's. The collection includes over 70000 I don't see. Well he's a must have been quite a collector he started when he was a little kid apparently collecting stuff and traveling with his father to Europe and you know he seems to have collected all manner of

stuff there's Oriental things there's all all kinds of things from Europe and France and you know the major countries and powers of Europe that he visited all the time and then things that were interesting to him in the city were in for example between Mr. Vanderbilt or Mrs. Vanderbilt's room. There's two little figurines one is a big heavy person with huge great fish and in the other is a little skinny person with a little bitty Mina you know and it's sort of the two sides of the culture that he saw when you visited over there and ones on one mantel piece on one and one's on the other. Many of the articles Vanderbilt collected have been hidden away for nearly a century hidden by a hundred years doesn't exactly mean we didn't know that we had these things we have quite a large house here and we have had a lot of things in storage for a hundred years and we thought that this would be a really good opportunity to bring the objects out and put them on display for the public to see

bullfight tickets from a trip to Spain in 1892. Their works by Whistler and Monet their silver by the famous silversmiths of the 18th century. Also on display our series of books from the Holland House a gathering place for some of Britain's most famous thinkers. The volumes contain letters and documents signed by Elizabeth the first Boswell and others. I think this is really important to know it with this exhibit. What kind of man George Vanderbilt was and I think after you go through the exhibit you get a real feel for the things he was interested in. You get a real feel for the fact that he was a family man there's pictures of him holding his daughter Cornelia. Pictures of him with his dogs just enjoying life here at Biltmore House and it's just a really important thing. A lot of people didn't used to know so now when you

come through you can get a feel for the man as well as for his house and his collection. The exhibit is one of the more noticeable projects that the Biltmore Estate is planning for the centennial celebration. But there are others. We're also doing a lot of infrastructure one of the things my father is trying to do for the centennial is it so he wants to restore the house to almost new condition. We've put in water lines we put in your acacia in the gardens we've done all kinds of stuff that the visitors don't see. We repainted and redecorated. I say redecorate is not quite right we restored to the original decoration the breakfast room downstairs and we restored the fabric in Mrs. Vanderbilt's room from the original blooms that the fabric was made on and then a lot to us because it took three years to get that fabric together. But we never the visiting notice that we went from being tattered and old to being you know completely restored and visitor to notice but these are things that are very important to us as we try to keep the house ready for the next hundred years.

The Biltmore House is quite an impressive house the largest private residence in the country and I'm sure the next 100 years will be even more wonderful and the exhibit will be on display through the end of 1995. The admission price to the Biltmore Estate is twenty four ninety five for adults 18 75 for children ages 10 to 15. Children under children 9 and under when accompanied by a paying adult do get in free. The house is open from 9am to 6pm seven days a week. And if you'd like more information call 1 800 5 4 3 2 9 6 1. Now 1994 is the 20th anniversary of the passage of the coastal area Management Act in North Carolina. Dick Hatch has been taking a long look at what two decades of coastal management by the state has accomplished. Tonight he examines one of the success stories the coastal Reserve System. To visit things one goes out five

channels winding through the town marshal and comes ashore in a room a sand held firm by the deep roots of the beach grasses the landward border of the shell the words of those of Rachel Carson author of The Edge Of The Sea the places bird shoals in the Rachel Carson Esther in reserve site near both of the famous naturalists did much of the research for the edge of the sea here in the late 1940s. She was a familiar figure at the nearby Duke marine lab where she slept and took her meals. She was an even more familiar figure peeking under the marsh grass taking notes wading in the shallow estuarine waters off the Gulf. She would work down here as a member of the fisheries lab in about 1948 49 and her description of the area. It is poetry at its best. The boroughs are thousands of fiddler crabs the riddle of the ninety bees on the side facing the marshes the crab shuffle across the flat at the approach of an intruder

and the sound of many small kitten his beaters like the crackling of paper crossing the ridge of sand. One looks out over the stone. If the tide still has an hour or two to fall to it that one sees only a sheet of water simmering and this time the first step toward the sanctuary came in 1977 when local citizens objected furiously to plans for a resort on the site. Money was raised privately to purchase enough of the area to stop the development of the state of North Carolina acquired all of the side in the 1980s when the area was placed in the coastal Reserve. Carson's admirers joined together and we decided and the government accepted the idea. We would call it for the Rachel Carson mystery sanctuary the seven sites of the Reserve System dot our coast from currituck to Cape Fear to the north of the Rachel Carson site a car attacked banks and Buxton woods to the South Island Mason bar

island Zeke's island and baldhead woods. This is town Marsh one of the cluster of small islands and shoals in the Rachel Carson estuarine reserve site. It's one of seven such sites along the North Carolina coast totaling 12000 acres. Thousands of schoolchildren and other of those does follow Rachel Carson's footsteps to the edge of the sea here to experience for themselves the quiet beauty of the salt marsh the mud flats and the sand dunes behind the beaches. I began then the education specialist at Rachel Carson is Joyce bland. Children have so much fun on her trips they forget they are learning. This is the mudflat and six hours the water will be all back in here all the way up to where you can see the grass grow and tall again. We had time to really look underneath all the oysters and dig around we had so many

clams and war and then hold it in your hand and look at it with it right now which side is it opening on that side which is that left or right left. OK a left handed Well it's called a lightning Well there's and there's another one that looks just like that only it opens on the right that's a knob. Well today he claims yes they do in fact on this one. See that little bump right there. That's where he probably ate so many clams he chipped his own cell so he's had to quit feeding to rebuild his shell there is the barnacles over related. They used to think that they were shellfish like mollusk like the oysters and everything. They're actually more closely related to crabs because the barnacles is that attached by its neck. And it kicks its feet out through a kind of Shackleford straight across the open area the water is Beaufort inlet and over to the right is Fort Macon. So that's the end of Atlantic Beach.

The coastal Reserve System is a treasure every North Carolina citizen can take pride in and a place where a lot of coastal creatures can live. The do the more flowers the mudflaps the horses the birds the crabs and the children who laugh and play while they learn. All tell us we're doing something right. Surely Rachel Carson would approve. There's so much fundraising as clams sure you don't usually find them that way. Well unfortunately we were unable to find film of Rachel Carson working at Birch shells However we were able to get the still pictures used in this feature from the Rachel Carson Council and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Incidentally next month Dick Hatch will present a series of features on the coasts he's hard at work on those right now

and I'm sure they'll be interesting informative and quite beautiful. Now in just a moment Mitchell Lois will be here with the state new summary and coming up the continuation of our look at the Randleman dam controversy. My two guests this evening are opposed to the project. Don't go away. Good evening I'm Michel Louis. Here's a review of the news from around North Carolina. Fighting health care fraud and insurance fraud is the purpose of a multi agency federal and

state task force that is being formed in North Carolina. Officials say this new task force is necessary because cases of fraud are on the rise in our state. The task force will use the combined resources of North Carolina's U.S. attorney's offices the state's insurance and justice departments the FBI IRS and various other federal agencies. The task force will probe phoney health insurance and worker's compensation claims. It will also investigate fraudulent insurance companies that are stealing bring me a MBS and not paying claims. By the end of 1994 health care costs in the United States are expected to eclipse the one trillion dollar mark. It's estimated that between 5 to 15 percent of that huge price tag is lost to fraud. There are between 40 and 50 similar health care fraud and insurance fraud task forces already in operation throughout the United States. The ban has been lifted on a book that has been causing a great deal of controversy in Rockingham County following a three hour public meeting. The Rockingham County school board reversed its

original decision to ban the book titled I want to keep my baby. The book will now be returning to the library shelves in the school district. I want to keep my baby was banned in June after a father complained that it uses God's name in vain and contains a sex scene which he compared it to a romance novel. The board approved the band at a meeting that the public had not been informed about. A majority of the residents who spoke at last night's hearing were in favor of lifting the ban. Restrictions are being placed on the northern end of Wrightsville Beach because of the more than three dozen swimming and boating accidents that have occurred in Mason and let this year New Hanover County Commissioners are giving Wrightsville Beach police the authority to close the beach when conditions warrant. New signs will be erected in the area referred to locally as Shell Island to caution swimmers and surfers about the treacherous current and Mason Annelids. Police Chief George Anthony says this is not an effort to ban swimming or surfing at Mason enlist. He says the danger is mostly to out of town swimmers who aren't familiar with the treacherous currents.

New regulations follow the drowning of a Raleigh Baptist church youth leader who is trying to save three teenagers who are being swept out to sea. Restrictions are also being enforced on another popular water recreation area. The U.S. Forest Service is placing a temporary cap on the number of people using the net to hail a river on peak days during the summer. Forest officials are studying the possibility of a permanent cap to help keep the river clean and to prevent an anti Halo from looking like an amusement park. The Nantahala is one of the most used recreational rivers in the country and often large numbers of raptors and the newer is clogged this Wayne County waterway during the summer months. The triangle was the only part of the state treated to clear skies today. It was cloudy or partly cloudy everywhere else. Temperatures range from the mid 70s to the mid 80s. Tonight whether you're in the mountains or on the coast you can expect a rather nice weather. It will

be partly cloudy in the mountains with temperatures around 60 degrees. Skies will be fair in the triangle and Greenville areas with a low around 64. Elsewhere across the state expect partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Tomorrow it'll be partly cloudy across the state in the mountains there will be a slight chance for afternoon rain and thunderstorms eyes will be mostly in the mid to upper 80s. A North Carolina company has a 480 million dollar expansion in the works. Lowe's company's plans to increase the number of its stores by 25 percent in the next two and a half years. The North Wilkesboro based hardware and home improvement store chain has three hundred twenty four stores now and plans to grow to 400 stores. In addition Lowe's plans to replace some of its existing stores with super stores the size of football fields. What publishing is shutting down its federal facility at the end of the year and its 600

employees will be losing their jobs. The jobs will be phased out gradually over the next few months. The closing is part of a 105 million dollar deal which gives Milton Bradley's division of Hasbro ownership of Western publishing's puzzling game division. The stock market was mixed today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly two points to close at thirty seven fifty five point seventy six. Decliners lead gainers by about six to five. Two hundred fifty eight million shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The Standard Poor's 500 index was slightly higher while the Nasdaq composite index rose over 2 points. Analysts say worries about inflation interest rates and Treasury auctions scared cautious investors away from the market speculation about whether the Federal Reserve Board will once again tighten credit policy in the near future. Has preoccupied traders and now for some stocks of North Carolina interest. Tonight

we continue our look at the controversial Randleman dam project in Greensboro last evening you heard from a proponent of the project. Tonight we give you the other side of the debate. Our guests this evening are convinced that the Randleman dam is a bad idea and they are here to tell us why. Margaret Jordan Ellis lives downstream from the site. And Allan Horton is a local businessman and community activist. Thank you both for being here. Let's get right into it because this is such a controversial issue now. The reason this dam this whole project is being proposed is to provide additional water for that particular area Greensburg and surrounding areas twenty eight million gallons. We'll go to Greensboro Springs. It's a forty eight million gallon supply. All right. The proponents say this is a serious need and it's the best source of water. You obviously disagree. Well it's probably possibly the worst place to put like in the Piedmont the Environmental Protection Agency when this was a Corps project

flat out said they didn't like the location it was a poor location for recreation and water supplies. And they all the Environmental Protection Agency has to approve this project again and I think that's very highly doubtful. The proponents say that the environmental issue has been resolved that there have been studies that say that the main reason that you oppose this is because you're trying to limit growth. Is that what you're trying to do. No this is one of the biggest areas for growth in the state of North Carolina it is a geographical center saying that it is growing every day and so is ghost and all along the river and deep river is deep in name only. We do not have the water. We simply do not have the water the children are running across the river enjoying that go. Great fun going from Canada to Chatham County. So today I'm this what are you saying then it would not provide enough water that you know we don't have the water and the water has to be have chemicals in it to purify it is going to cost more and more

more chemicals to purify this war. However this is a this argument for four Rand one is very similar to the arguments that Virginia Beach is using. They are they're saying they have to have water from like gaston there are no alternatives. The Greensboro High Point area saying we have to have random water. There are no art alternatives. There are alternatives like what Burlington for example. It has a brand you like like Macintosh that supplies 36 million gallons a day. That Burlington is not even using. And they have all for Greensboro 10 million gallons a day. That would almost double the population of Greensboro. But this project would give twenty eight million. Twenty eight degrees. Yeah. And with conservation in there the pricing mechanism that is in effect in Greensburg. They are basically giving their water away. They have a scale of pricing that the more water you use the cheaper the cost that needs to be flattened out like it is in point to encourage conservation encourage

conservation. Yeah. All right. Well. Let's get back to this issue of environment now. There's the chemical plant. And there's a landfill. Right. But the proponents say that the water can be treated. That would deal with all of those problems and that the water coming out of the tap and in the showers would be clean and safe. Oh there's a whole lot going on in the water Waterworld the Safe Water Drinking Act is being revised in Congress the Clean Water Act is being revised in Congress. This is after the debacle in Milwaukee that people died from drinking what was federally licensed federally standardized water it was it was it met the standards when they drank it and people died from a cryptosporidium which is a parasite. That's not in the standards so all. All an engineer can ever guarantee you is we will give you water that meets the standards. We're saying the standards are not adequate. The Senate version of the Clean Water Act is

actually taking contaminants off of the standards they're 83 now in the Senate is proposing 15 standards. So there are and there's a myriad of chemicals out in the world and the standards are not going to protect you from drinking your water. And Mr. analysis you're also concerned not only for the immediate area where you live but also for the rivers that are below this area the Yadkin and others. Yes they have point sewage water dirty water will go into the Yadkin River Basin which will affect that area of North Carolina hapon sewage water goes into the hollow River which goes into Jordan Lake and into eventually into the Cape Fear River which goes to the way this will affect people on the way to Wilmington. People can they all day arms but they can't make water and we do not have the water. So that's your primary concern the fact that it just is simply not growing safe it is growing and all of our area growing this will affect our ponds and our wells. Seriously. This they take this

water much many many more chemicals will have to be put into the water for it to be highly polluted. These chemicals will cause cancer we have been told that this will be one of the highest rates of cancer in the state. If they do this then there is what Ms Ellis said about that. There is no there is not a lot of water in the deep river the pump North Carolina Public health is questioned. The high point discharging their sewage into the water in the into the river because of the lack of water going in the river during a drought condition. Ninety seven percent of the water going into the deep river would be sewage now. Now that's no place to get a drinking water content now is so low they're having to spend millions of dollars. All right let me ask you one more very quickly environment need. What about cost. We've been told that this is going to cost about ninety six million dollars. Ninety six million dollars figure is a 1983 figure that's been that's been changed in the Nifty elated. Ninety six you might as

well say it's too low an underestimation. All right well this is such a complicated and controversial issue I know we'll hear much more about this we thank you for coming and sharing your side of the story. Come back. Thank you. We want to hear from you. Simply call out your comment line at 9 1 9 5 4 9 7 8 0 8. Or write us at P.O. Box 1 4 9 0 0 2 7 7 0. You can fax a message to 9 1 9 5 4 9 7 0 4 3 or Internet address at aol dot com and please give us a daytime phone number in case we need to follow up and we really do appreciate your calls and your letters and we encourage you to keep them coming we love

hearing what you think about North Carolina now. Now Mary Lou will be off again tomorrow night she will continue her work in the western part of the state. But Michel Louis will be here with the news and also with a report on the state's first alternative school that's designed specifically for at risk students usually alternative schools focus on gifted and talented students on magnet programs but this time they deal with those at risk students. And it's a program that's in Charlotte North Carolina so we'll have a report on that. And also Gretchen line will be back in our North Carolina now kitchen she's been away for a while but she'll be back with a wonderful Sicilia an orange salad that I'm sure you'll want the recipe for that. So tune in and write down our address and let us hear from you and we'll we're happy to welcome Gretchen back. We want to thank all of you who called last night on ask you and CTV we have over 400 telephone calls comments suggestions a lot of you called in to say how much you like North Carolina now. Thank you so much. Our guest tomorrow night will be you and see

Wilmington Chancellor Jim Lucy talking about a special we'll have on tomorrow night about Korea so tune in for that. Until then I'm more educated by the way that's all for now. Goodnight to you and.