North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 01/30/1996

The It's Tuesday January 30th tonight building Olympic during his in North Carolina. Hello everyone I'm reading. Thanks for tuning in on this Tuesday evening. I hope you have a good day today. State Representative

Sam Ellis will join me for tonight's program. He'll be here to talk about a new legislative study commission that's looking into ways to ease the tension between North Carolina's rural communities and the rapidly growing cities. Also tonight will throw the spotlight on a group of North Carolina youngsters who dream of Olympic gold. But first Maria Lundberg checks in on some freshman college students who she first introduced us to this fall. There is a new program at North Carolina State University is called first year college and it's designed to make college freshman more successful along with decreasing the number of students who drop out at the end of their first year as the program moves into its second semester. Maria brings us this follow up report on how things are going. It was August 1995 when we visited the NC State campus as first year students moved into their dorms and prepared for a brand new experience starting college. Because this time of transition is filled with adjustments and anxiety. The first year

college program was created. It's a comprehensive academic support program for students who haven't selected a major field of study. The first year college was designed to provide an environment for success. Creating a small community within a large university it offers academic advising tutoring by upper class mentors career exploration and help in coping with personal transitions. Nearly 800 students are participating in this voluntary program. Now that's a first semester for the first year college has been completed. It's a good time to take a look at the program and find out just how well it's working. Well I'd like to say everything's perfect it's not. We have a lot of students done very well we're pleasantly surprised with the percentage of our students have done well but we're disappointed with a percentage that has not done well. Matter how much we told them they didn't hear apparently about the difference between high school and college and they will come back to us and simply say I didn't study hard enough the first semester they now

understand that they've got to work harder and we're talking to them again about time management. The number of hours they need to study per week in the group seems to be listening for those first year college students who didn't do well the first semester and in 10th program of academic assistance has been put in place. They for the most part will have to meet an additional one time a week with their academic advisor outside of class tell their advisor how they're doing. Give examples of how they're doing we need to know that they're in class. We need to know that they're doing all their homework and achieving well in the requires as in exams. We're requiring that group of students for the most part requiring them to get tutors in all classes. And we provide that tutoring through the university system it's free to those students so we're being a little bit more intrusive in our advising for that group of students. But administrators also see many good results from the program. But I think success is that we kept Ninety eight percent of the students here. The student's review of their advisors has been extremely high I think they do feel cared for and

supported by their with advisors. I think that that sense of somebody who's an adult who cares for me who knows my name that makes a big difference I think in a lot of ways we are right on track with what we know about how the student development works that students have been working through a lot of personal and social adaptation issues. And Janice Odom says the staff has already learned a lot from this experience. I think the surprise to many folks from perhaps haven't lived and worked with students in a residential setting. There's been the shock of the intensity of their personal life and how much this affects academics. But a large number of the students in this program are doing very well. And they say the program has definitely made a difference. I had a lot of doubts about you know the state was right for me. What I want to major in for should college when we moved in there are people who are walking around in the red shirts. And he if you needed help they were

there for you and it first moving day was kind of a tell tale of the rest of the semester because again they were there for the all time they had tutors and I went to a lot for different classes. I think that helped a lot. No pressure you know had to rush and I made it clear in a major I can just you know test the waters so to speak and see what all I can. I think you know tell me so far and I think I'm on the right track to decide exactly what I want to do. If you want to help it's there for you if you step in you're in people not going to come beating down your door to offer you tutoring services I mean. He is one of the reasons that there are people who don't do well in this environment I don't see how you can't help but do well. And if so much effort to be there you'd be a fool not to take it. That really Delaware resident Don Huey came to NC State specifically because of the first year college program ever. I feel very lucky to be in this program because I am unsure of what I need what I want to do and it will help me figure it out and also it's nice to know that my advisor is right there in the

building for me. If I ever have an emotional problem or an academic problem or social problem he's right there to listen any time and I just feel like the support that we've had the academic mentoring that we have has been wonderful. I think it's helped a lot because I feel that most college freshmen especially during the first semester aren't sure what quite to expect. They're not totally dependent on their families but then again they're not all independent either. It's kind of a hard transition to make. And the first year college program provides us with support and help when we feel like we need it and allows us to be on our own we don't think we do. The administrator is in charge of first year college are changing and adapting the program as they evaluate it. Much of what they do next year will reflect what they've learned during this inaugural year of the program. Maria will bring us another progress report in June to see how the program has fared after one full year in operation. Coming up State Representative Sam out West joins me on set. But right now it's time to check in with Michel Louis at the North Carolina now news desk. Good evening back.

Thanks Marina. Good evening everyone. Former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot announced that he will run for governor in the upcoming election Vinroot will run against fellow Republican Robin Hayes and he says he has strong support among state Republicans. At a press conference in Raleigh today then Ruth attacked a Democratic governor Jim Hunt comparing him to a weathervane blowing in the wind. He criticized Hunt's education reform welfare reform and tax policies. He said he would tackle those issues on the first day and not wait until election time. Controversy already surrounds the first workplace magnet school in the state. The school is set to open in August in Charlotte nearly a third of the schools in Rome and will be made up of children whose parents work in the nearby university research park. Parents of students who actually live in the neighborhood say the situation is unfair to their kids workplace schools are being developed to foster a partnership between high tech companies and new methods of teaching. The North Carolina chapter of the Sierra Club says higher speed limits in the state are

bad for the environment. The group says cars travelling faster could lead to an increase in emissions of nitric oxide which in turn causes increases and ozone and nitrogen that pollutes the rivers and streams. The Sierra Club is asking state officials to study the impact higher speeds would have on air and water quality. It's up to the North Carolina General Assembly whether speed limits would go up on state roads. And Duke Power Company is getting good marks for efficiency. The company's eight coal fired plants are once again ranked as the most efficient utilities owned by American investors. This is the 21st time Duke's power plants have been awarded the top ranking by the industry magazine electric light and power. Bull Durham was the first movie to put Durham on the map and today city officials found out that the city will be the set for another film. The film is called Kiss the Girls and stars actor Morgan Freeman. Residents hope that the new movie will pump money as well as recognition into the local economy and knowledge. Take a look at

tomorrow's weather forecast. High temperatures will be a bit lower than today ranging from the upper 20s in the northern mountains to the low 50s at the southern beaches. All ok sions will be under cloudy skies. However there are potentially hazardous conditions predicted for some areas. The Boone area has a 40 percent chance of snow. There is also a 40 to 50 percent chance of rain possibly mixed with freezing rain or sleet forecast for the triangle area locations to the north west of the triangle in business news hearings began today on doing away with profit limits imposed on Bellsouth and opening competition among local phone service companies. The hearings come at the same time as a report questioning why state officials haven't looked more closely at bellsouth profits over the past decade. The company is under attack by telephone regulators in some south eastern states who claim customers have been overcharged by hundreds of millions of dollars. The state utilities commission has not looked into the company's practices in this state. Charlotte is facing more competition in the race to lure new

business to the city. Officials in Volusia County Florida home to Daytona Beach are among the growing number of cities vying to become the headquarters of the bass angler sportsman's society. The well-known fishing organization also plans to build a theme park and retail complex. The organization to bring about 120 million dollars to the state. Other cities in the running include Birmingham Montgomery and Nashville. The company plans to make a decision in March. Well it was another banner day on Wall Street with the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring more than 76 points to close at a record fifty three eighty one point twenty one. Volume was heavy with 464 million shares trading hands. The Standard Poor's 500 Index rose six points while the Nasdaq composite index was up almost 10 points. Now for some stocks of North Carolina. The

growing tensions between North Carolina cities and their more rural neighborhoods will be the subject of a legislative study commission over the next few months the group will look at trying to get these two societies to live together more amicably. Republican State Representative Sam Ellis of Wake County is the co-chair of the property issues Commission and he joins me tonight to talk about this issue representative Ellis thank you for being here. Thanks for having me. Let's talk about let's define the problem. What kind of tension exists between the rural communities and their neighbors. Well it largely is to do with the communities themselves and it is with the leadership of the municipalities and the lack of input that the rural citizen has in that miniscule

government. Several years back. Well up until 1959 North Carolina had a pretty open annexation policy where the municipalities felt they didn't have much control over which way they were growing and I'll in how to prevent urban sprawl. So let North Carolina embark on a mission of providing greater control to the municipalities to try to prevent that. And I think the mood largely in a productive direction and there was a positive direction to allow the cities to control their growth. What also happened at that same time when the when this was set up is I'll give you some of the factual things about how it operates. The county has gives up its control over an area to the municipality that's called extraterritorial jurisdiction. When that happens the city then takes over the zoning and planning process for those areas that are external extraterritorial jurisdiction. They give that control to the

municipality. The zoning and planning board then has two members appointed by the county commissioners to their planning boards who are there to provide input from that community. Substantially that's not exactly what happens. Most of these dwellers don't understand that that's what these two people are for. So when the city comes out and says well you can't have this that you've had in front of your store there any longer because now you're under city zoning and planning. They don't understand that. Well what about these people who live in these areas do they have to pay the city taxes. Not at that time. Now there is no miniscule tax applied until the municipality moves to an exit and there has been an annexation. So you have two levels of problem here a problem is you have a block of North Carolina's citizens who have no electoral input into this governing body.

They can't vote for the mayor the city can examine. OK. We have a constitutional problem in that. I tried to arrange to have these citizens vote in certain levels of municipal election. And the problem with that is the Constitution says if you're qualified to vote you're qualified to run. So you could end up with a situation where the mayor and city council actually don't live in the city. So that doesn't work. I think there are processes and that's something that we'll get into a little later in the program is what kind of recommendations are to be made to alleviate this sensation these people are experiencing is that they are controlled by a government they don't vote for. And does this problem exist around all of North Carolina's major cities. It does and it's well in fact all over the state. I've had input from people everywhere in this state. We have municipalities who have managed to control this area and maintain a good working incommunicative relationship with these extraterritorial jurisdiction dwellers. And we've had an espousal of these that have been heavy handed and abusive in their lack

of regard for the citizens. And so they're shining examples of both. What we hope to do is improve communication in this process of extraterritorial jurisdiction give these people out there some feeling that they have control over their destiny as it were for for their property. What kind of ideas will you be bringing to this study commission. How do you see that this problem can be fixed. Well there are several you may have noticed several bills were filed in this last session recognizing that the trend now was going to be let's find out what the voter thinks. There are people on this committee who would have us return to the 1959 situation that before we could. And except prop before many minutes ballot economics they would have to be a vote of the people out there. I don't know that that's always good. It sounds good but I can see a circumstance where 40 percent of the residents in a development

say have failed sewage systems and particularly in a system that you have a community system. And some people have Wales. Well the paper going to say with Wales I don't have a problem I have my own septic tank my own whale and those 40 percent of you over here just are going to have to move out. So maybe it's good to have a minority input in the city be able to recognise it. But I think it needs to be done with a greater level of communication. Another problem is let's take that same scenario where you have a failed system and some people have set big tanks that are working fine. I don't think when the municipality annexes in begins to provide services is necessarily fair to that individual who has the system that is working to tell him what we're going to double your taxes and we're going to charge you a 10 or a $15000 an acre assessment charge for the installation of these lines that you're not even going to use. That seems terribly unfair to that citizen who has been responsible and has taken personal

responsibility for the development their own property. Sounds like you've got your hands full. It's going to be hard. When will the committee get started and when do you plan to have some sort of recommendation come out of it. Well we're going to meet our first meeting will be February 8 and what we've asked the staff to do is to deal with this issue and a couple others will be looking at is to tell us exactly how the process should work ideally. Give us the legal ramifications of each of the moves that are the norm in this municipality can take a. Then this second meeting will be let's hear from citizens who live in these extra territorial regions and these pre-DNA next reason regions. What have you experienced. What are your frustrations What are your recommendations. It's very important to me that we hear what those people are saying. Then the third meeting will be probably with the members of the committee who have now heard all of this information and perhaps the league of Rep league of municipalities which represents

the view of the cities in North Carolina. Let's see now. We've all heard these things. Let's sit down and find some solutions to balance this. To some an oppressive power into others a necessary power. Let's find some balance for this and see if we can make sure all the needs of the citizens of North Carolina represented at the table. Well Representative Jim Ellis I greatly appreciate your time here today and good luck with your project. Thank you very much. Thanks you. We owe our thanks and some of the top figure skaters in the world will show their artistry and athleticism tonight at

a performance in Raleigh skaters like Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi have turned their gold medals into million dollar careers and drawn millions of new fans into the sport. It's also given young skaters the desire to become the next skating superstar. Christina Copeland actually took to the ice and Carrie to meet some of those the limbic hopefuls. There was a time when I had great dreams of becoming an Olympic champion but those dreams didn't quite turn into reality. But for some kids that dream is still very very real. Every afternoon close to two dozen skaters come to the ice house in caring for up to three hours of practice practice and more fresh. Right. Just say right there and pull it and step across. That's it. John Carlo a former junior national champion is one of the coaches at the rink.

In the beginning the kids loved to skate and that's the main thing. The kids love the skate. I think they get immense satisfaction of the achievement of trying to get that triple jump or make it you know that incentive to make it because it's so popular these days on television and shows probably in the country in the world. A BusinessWeek survey found the figure skating is one of America's most popular sports and women's figure skating ranks second only to the National Football League in North Carolina. There are four Skating Club sanctioned by the U.S. Figure Skating Association with almost 300 members. The ice house is home to one of them a place where the difficulty is made to look graceful and effortless. It's a lot of training but once you get there. It's really fun. Angela Ward has been skating for six years half of her life her family just moved from Chicago where she had a private coach as well as a choreographer and an ice dancing

instructor. Not unusual even for young competitors. What may be unusual is the lengths her family has gone to to see that Angela can continue to train in her new state. Her father got a job in Wilmington but there's no longer a rink there. Carrie was the closest location. What my husband does about it was that it traveled a lot with his work any way that we could work it out and make it manageable for us to live here so that she could stick to her sport ice skating and still get a good education. Despite all the hours on the ice Angela says her skating doesn't take away from her responsibilities outside the rink doesn't really interfere with my schoolwork because I do my schoolwork before I come to school so I don't have to do anything after skating for parents after school hours are spent in the rinks restaurant. Well weekends can mean a lot of travel to competitions because there are only a handful of competitions in North Carolina that usually means going to other states. He's a family very busy but it's just work.

Because when you see your kid having a lot of fun and it's worth it. Linda was only 10 but she's been skating for four years and is already a competition veteran. She placed eighth out of 64 juvenile skaters at a multi state competition last year and she'll try again this year. When we do get there I think that good morning guys think you're skating not only takes dedication to be a competitor takes money and lots of it. When you add up the cost of the skates the coaches the ice time and the travel. Not to mention the costumes. It's not unusual for parents to spend 15 to 20 thousand dollars a year. But the parents say they believe their children get something invaluable in return. One of the things that I've been getting is the one with her but it's her every day dreams of medals made through these skaters

heads the road to skating superstardom is a long and hard one. John Carlo knows the long hours it takes to turn a good skater into a great skater and even then it still takes a mixture of timing and luck. So many factors involved not just the raw talent but again we're talking about the dedication longevity of staying in the sport. The cost of getting all the right people to get all the right things done to create that tribute. And Julie Ward says she wants to continue competing but she doesn't want to go to the Olympics. Instead she would like to other kids someday and maybe help them on their way to victory. The former North Carolina club sanctioned by the U.S. Figure Skating Association are located in Charlotte Greensboro Winston-Salem and the one that you saw in Cary. Well that's our show for tonight and tomorrow night's program will have as guests members of the governor's office of citizens affairs. This group is traveling around the state hearing your complaints and concerns

about state government and trying to find solutions for you. They'll be here to tell you when they'll be in your town. Also tomorrow night Michel Louis spotlights the North Carolina Search and rescue dog unit. This union of faithful companions has been successful in saving lives across the state. That's all coming up tomorrow. So please join us. Have a good night.