North Carolina Now; Episode from 1999-07-01

It's Thursday, July 1st, tonight, a new look for an old friend in North Carolina now. Hello, I'm Marieta Matray. Welcome to North Carolina now. As the 4th of July draws near, we focus tonight on one of our state's most patriotic landmarks. A little bit later in the program, Bob Garner will take us to the battleship North Carolina to tell us about a multi-million-dollar renovation currently underway on the showboat. Also on tonight's program, we'll look at the challenge that many hospitals and other medical facilities face and trying to secure experienced nurses. On the legislative front, the state senate has given final approval to a three-billion-dollar university bond package. Mitchell Lewis will have more on the next step for the bond issue a little bit later. And we'll hear from the state's new secretary of transportation in just a moment. But first,

the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games are just a few days away from wrapping up. The international event is the largest ever hosted by the state of North Carolina. Game organizers and state officials alike have expressed high hopes that this would be the finest competition ever held in the history of Special Olympics. And while by most indications, the games are proving to be a success, there has been some misfortune cast upon the event. Today's news that a 14-year-old Egyptian athlete named Mohammed Baran has died is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events to hit these 1999 World Summer Games. The medical examiner's report states that the volleyball player died in his sleep some time last night and was discovered this morning in his room here at Morrison Dormatory on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At a press conference this afternoon, details of Baran's death were revealed by officials of the

World Summer Games. I'm here to share with you the very sad news that one of our athletes, Mohammed Abdul Baset, Baran of the Egyptian delegation this morning died while sleeping. It is tragic, it is saddening, but sadly also unavoidable this passing. We know that he had an underlying seizure disorder. He was on medication for that. That is the most likely explanation for what happened. This was unwitnest, and so whether he actually had a seizure or not is unknown, but everything that we now know seems to point in that direction. But this is not the first incident to hit the games, and it's not the first death. On the first Saturday of the first weekend of these games, a retired 62-year-old Hendersonville man who had been working as a volunteer collapsed and died while helping with events set up at Carter Finley Stadium in Raleigh. And so far, four athletes

have come up missing and have yet to be found. Before the official start of the games, a pair of special Olympians from the Dominican Republic intentionally deserted their team during a shopping spree in Greensboro. The latest word is at the pair of basketball players is believed to be somewhere in New York State. Two more athletes also disappeared from their delegation earlier this week. The pair of soccer players from Morocco were last seen during an afternoon lunch break with teammates at NC State University on Monday. Officials with the World Summer Games say that while the events are tragic and unfortunate, they in no way more the spirit of the games. I can tell you that the experience for the delegations, the families, the constituencies for these games has been overwhelmingly positive, but we need to take time out each time there is an occurrence like this, particularly in Neal orcs case and in Mohamed's case to take time out to more. I think the games have gone spectacularly well. I think these these really tremendously sad moments,

really are part of obviously are part of life. I mean, they don't want to sound trite or say state the obvious, but they're part of life. We have a great, wonderful, large event with tens of thousands of people participating in official roles and hundreds of thousands participating in other roles. And unfortunately, we have, as Joe says, have had to stop to mourn. The coach of the deceased Egyptian athlete says Baren had a history of seizures. World Summer Games organizers will call for a moment of silence at all of tonight's games. The Egyptian delegation has also asked that they be allowed to finish their competitions and that the public respect their privacy concerning the death of Baren. Well, since the shake-up at the State Department of Transportation a little under two years ago, focus at the DOT has been on improving the efficiency of the department. The state's road planning process has been overhauled, new

ethics guidelines have been put in place and strides have been made to improve customer service. Earlier this week, when Governor Hunt announced his new transportation secretary, he pledged that David McCoy would continue the improvements made at DOT. Pledging to provide safe, convenient and affordable transportation to the people of North Carolina, David McCoy took the reins of the State Department of Transportation this week. McCoy was tapped by Governor Hunt to fill the position vacated by Norris Tulson, who was running for Governor. Secretary David McCoy, welcome to the program. Thank you. I appreciate being here. What will be your focus as the new secretary of transportation? Well, my first focus, of course, is going to be safety. It's absolutely essential that the department continue to provide safe

transportation services for all the citizens, the motoring public, and also our employees. You know that last year we had four employees killed in construction zones and that's just totally unacceptable. We would ask that all of our citizens using our transportation services be mindful of the fact that we have people, men, and women out there that are working and that their lives or their responsibility is where? Well, to slow down where their seat belts while they're in our construction zones. And if they do that, then we don't have to worry so much about our employees and we don't have to worry so much about our motoring public. Secretary Tulson was put into the transportation department to kind of clean up a little bit of some of the activities that we're going on in there. What has Governor Hunt said to you as you pick up where secretary Tulson left off in regard to kind of the restructuring or the cleaning up of the transportation department? Why don't we be careful with my choice? Sure, because I think at that time there was a perception

by the public that the department needed to have a re-review, Norris went in. He had a very difficult task and he did a splendid job working with the board and with the public and as a result we do have an enhanced department of transportation. What I see and what the governor has asked me to do is to continue the reforms that have been put in place. It is absolutely critical that the public have confidence and our ability to do our jobs for them. You have admitted though that you don't have much experience in the transportation department. Will this hinder you in your job? I don't think so. It's true. I don't have a lot of experience in transportation per se. Although I am a user, I have been in the car on the roads. I ride back and forth on I-40 every day. I've used the train. I've used planes. I understand from the public's perception perspective the transportation services. What I do have is a set of skills that have I've gained through my legal training, through my career in public service. I've been a manager starting

at the commission of Indian Affairs working up through the department administration, overseen purchasing contract, motor fleet. So I do have a host of experiences that I think have prepared me well for this task. We have been hearing a lot in recent years about the development of mass transit in North Carolina. Where do we stand as far as developing a public transportation system that provides quick and easy access between North Carolina's major cities? Well, the governor has repeatedly stated going back for some time that he wants to have a two-hour train from Charlotte to Raleigh. And we're going to do everything we can to see that that happened. Now, it may not be that we can do it in his term, but we're going to do our level best to see that that happens. We have, as you know, Congressman Price has been working with the department and with the federal government to provide funds for this type of activity. In addition to that, we have light rail that we have on the master plan that we've been working with the city of Raleigh, for example, is. So we have a lot going on in the state in Charlotte plans for a rail

system. It's very, very exciting. And it is the way that we have to be thinking about what are our public's needs and how are we going to meet them, not right now, but also 25 years from now, 50 years from now. What will North Carolina look like? You think about it just 100 years ago, 100 years ago, Orbital and Wilbur Wright had not made their flight yet. At that time, Railroad was king. And how things have changed. And we do have to think about how are things going to be in 100 years? Try to plan. Think about being very visionary. How can we get there? What will the public's needs be? So it's very, very critical that we every day be thinking about 100 years from now, 50 years from now, trying to put in place in our planning efforts, those little steps that will lead to the big pieces later on. But as we tackle these major developments and build up our state's highway infrastructure, there's the environment there that we need to be concerned with. And what role do you think the state plays and should play in protecting some of these habitats that may be lost from the building of roads? Absolutely. That's a twofold thing.

One, roads are an economic incubator. There are tools that we use to help attract business to North Carolina and business is critical. The progress that we've seen in the vitality that we enjoy in North Carolina is doing large part to the wonderful road system we have in the fact that we can lure business here. But also, we do have to be mindful of the fact that we have to have a clean sustainable environment that's based on principles of smart growth for us now, but more importantly for our children's future. Secretary McCourt, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us. I wish you well in your new position. Well, thank you. I appreciate that very much. Thank you. Now Secretary McCourt is the Chippewa Indian and a career public servant. He has overseen operations and personnel in the governor's office. Has Governor Hans deputy a chief of staff since the November of 1997? I'm still ahead on North Carolina now. How school children have scraped together their change to save a piece of history. But first, here's Mitchell Lewis with today's statewide news headlines. Thanks, Marita. Good evening,

everyone. Topping the news, the $3 billion university system bond package has advanced another step within the General Assembly. Today, the state senate voted to approve the package during the third reading on the issue. The limited obligation bonds would be used for renovations and repairs within the university and community college systems. The bond package will now go to the House Finance Committee for approval. If it is passed there, it will go to the full house for a final vote. Governor Hunt has announced a new comprehensive statewide effort to examine and recommend ways to help the state's rural communities and families facing plant closings and layoffs, as well as agricultural troubles. Today, the governor appointed former White House chief of staff and Charlotte native, Erskine Bowles, to head a task force on the issue. Bowles spoke about what the panel plans to do to ensure economic growth within targeted communities. We'll listen to the residents. We'll listen to the local officials. We'll listen to the private and not-for-profit groups in the state agencies that have been working professionally

with these counties for years. With this background, we will then evaluate the currently available physical, human, and economic resources existing in rural North Carolina today. Then we will do our best to determine what needs to be done to both preserve the quality of life in rural North Carolina and also ensure strong, rural, economic development for the next 20 to 30 years. An estimated 23,000 people lost their jobs in North Carolina last year because of layoffs or plant closings. Most of those job losses were in rural areas. Tougher juvenile laws went into effect in North Carolina today. The Juvenile Justice Reform Act will allow authorities to implement tougher punishments against juveniles who commit violent crimes. The new law also holds parents accountable when their child gets in trouble. Parents will be required to attend court hearings

and attend family counseling or parenting classes. And as the new law takes effect, Governor Hunt has announced $1.8 million in grants that may help to curb juvenile crime. The money will go to prevention and punishment programs in 27 counties. North Carolina Food Stamp recipients are now receiving their benefits in a different way. Instead of paper food stamps, recipients can use plastic cards at grocery stores. The electronics benefit transfer system will save counties the cost of storing, ensuring, and mailing valuable paper food stamps, as well as cut the federal government's printing costs. The use of the cards will also end the practice of selling food stamps for cash. Recent rains in eastern North Carolina have tobacco growers concerned about blue mold. The fungus thrives in moist conditions and has already been spotted in 14 counties this year. Farmers have had trouble controlling the mold within the last few years, because it has developed a resistance to the fungicide used to treat it. Experts say that unless sunny conditions return, blue mold could cause severe damage to

tobacco crops in the Tarheal state. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather, highs across the state will range from the mid-80s to low 90s. Most areas can expect partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms. In business news, the Pillotex Corporation is challenging the results of a recent vote to unionize six of the company's North Carolina plants. Late last month, Pillotex employees in Cabarras and Rowan counties voted in favor of representation by the union of needle trades, industrial and textile employees. The historic vote marks the first success for the union in 25 years of trying to organize workers at the half-dozen textile facilities. In filing their complaint to the National Labor Relations Board, company management claimed the union intentionally challenged voters who were supporters of the company. And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. Recruits who get big signing bonuses and are pursued across national borders

sounds like professional athletes, but actually their nurses. And there's an intense competition going on in North Carolina to find them. Reporter Kelly McKenry has our story. My name is Sandy and I'm going to be your nurse today. Sandy McDonald has come a long way to take care of patients here at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem. She's from Canada, one of 28 on staff here at Baptist. While working at a Toronto hospital, she heard about a job fair held by U.S Medical Center. And I really went on a lot to see what they were offering. Baptist offered her a moving allowance, helping getting a visa as well as a state license and educational benefits. And they made good on all their promises. And that sold me. And everything, all the arrangements that were made happened exactly on time. And that built my confidence to say, okay, they want me. This is going to be the way they say it's going to be and I'm going to move. In fact, so many U.S.

hospitals are recruiting Canadian nurses. Canada is now trying to get them back. That's because the pool of available nurses is shrinking as women move into other less traditional careers. Nursing student Carly Blankenship says her high school friends just weren't interested in nursing. As far as I know, I think I'm the only one, as far as the group that I was with. Others went into computers, even into politics, graphics, design. Although nursing schools are still full, the waiting list is smaller than ever, sparking concern about a possible shortage in the future. The results say recruiters is a fierce competition to attract and keep nurses. And to me, it's a biased market if you're a nurse this day and age. One reason is the explosive growth of health care. There are not only nursing jobs in hospitals, but home health and hospice centers. And as medicine becomes more specialized, nurses trained for those disciplines are even tougher to find. It's now standard for

them to get a hefty signing bonus. For experienced nurses, we are offering a $5,000 sign-in bonus for critical care nurses who have two years of experience in their discipline. Not everyone pays bonuses like that. Some say they can cause resentment among nurses already on staff. And to give you an idea of how intense the recruiting efforts are, one North Carolina hospital I talked with wouldn't reveal its marketing strategy for fear of tipping off the competition. I'm forever reading nursing journals, newspapers, etc. to see what the competition is doing. And recruiting starts long before students have graduated. Every summer Baptist brings in several interns or externs as they call them, many ending up with full-time jobs there. We had 15 externs with us last year. And as of last week, 10 of them have applied with us and seven have already signed on board for full time. Students are well aware of all the

opportunities. Just from doing clinicals and other hospitals and listening to the staff talk, it seems like there's definitely going to be, you know, there's still a need and there's a shortage beginning. So I really don't find that it's going to be difficult to define a job. All the perks now offered nurses were unheard of when Eileen Smith graduated from nursing school back in 1968. There was not the recruitment. In fact, when I graduated from a two-year nursing program, there was somewhat of a shortage, but there still was not the thousands of dollar bonuses that they were paying now. It's a pretty good time to be a nurse. Yes, it is. And it could get better. The average age of operating room nurses is 53. Many were trained during Vietnam and are now starting to retire, leaving even more jobs wanting. There's not a shortage yet, but students who cross nursing off their career list may want to rethink as this traditional profession offers a lot of non-traditional benefits.

Many of our high school students are just not going into nursing and I think they're missing a real opportunity. I think they need to come and follow us and I think we as nurses need to realize that and to be better mentors so that these kids will see our enthusiasm and want to do it, want to come into the hospital and work. And many hospitals are now recruiting nurses over the internet, a tool they say is working well. For the past 38 years, the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington has attracted an average of over a quarter of a million visitors per year. Now, though, the historic worship is getting some long overdue renovation. Thanks to the completion of a successful fundraising drive, Bob Garner has more. The USS North Carolina is going to remain open 365 days a year. However, during the next

couple of years, Operation Ship Shape is going to be going on and at the end of that period, the Battleship North Carolina is going to be a lot more visitor-friendly. Actually, the fundraising portion of Operation Ship Shape has already been completed with the raising of $6.3 million. Well, over the $5 million goal. Three million dollars came in the form of a legislative appropriation, but the remaining money was raised through a corporate campaign and a grassroots effort which included many of North Carolina schoolchildren once again coming to the old ship's aid. Back in 1961, over 700,000 of the state public school students contributed nickels and dimes from their lunch money to help raise the $330,000 needed to buy the battleship from the federal government and to bring it to a permanent home in Wilmington. History repeated itself this time around. When I first got here, a lot of people talked about, talked to me and came up and met me, talked about how they had given nickels and dimes their lunch money in 1961

to save our ship. Well, what's been gratifying about the capital campaign is the fact that those same kids are now adults and have come back and not only have given money themselves, but in many cases, particularly the ones who are teachers in the state of North Carolina have done, have taken the initiative and done things with their classes so that the kids of today get the same sort of feeling that they got back in 1961. Workers are busy in this summer sweltering temperatures with phase one of the renovation, which involves removing the battleships worn, teet-decking, sandblasting the deck down to bare metal, and then applying two coats of paint. The work is being done in section so that a relatively small space is off limits to visitors at any one time. This wooden deck hasn't been replaced since the USS North Carolina was commissioned in 1941. Now, if the work stays on schedule, all the present teet-decking should have been removed by the end of the summer. After that, during the fall and winter months, visitors will have the treat of seeing craftsmen install new teet-decking, an art that's pretty well been lost.

Below decks, a large area that's been closed off and left virtually untouched since the end of World War II will be refurbished and outfitted with new heating and air conditioning. The officer's state rooms and bath facilities, making up most of this section, will be used to house groups during overnight stays aboard the battleship, part of a new effort to bring history alive. Various cruise compartments on the main deck will be turned into vastly expanded display space, which will also have modern climate control added. Captain Choi says the battleship is receiving ship's artifacts from former officers and crewmen at such a rapid rate that it can now display less than 10 percent of what's been donated. There will be a new room displaying the names of North Carolinians killed during World War II. As for the present ship's museum, it will be returned to its original appearance as the ship's ward room, the dining and meeting space for nearly 150 officers during the war. We're going to take the ward room back to really what it looked like in World War II because what you see here now is really an adaptive reuse of the

space. So we'll take it back and you'll actually be able to come in here and be able to eat. The kids who are staying overnight will eat here or on the mestex, but we can do other functions here to really give the people a feel for what it was like to be on board a ship in the ward room during World War II. The USS North Carolina was the most decorated battleship of World War II and the only ship of its time to be involved in every major offensive of the war and the Pacific. But Captain Choi says that with the passing of time, young people are losing their appreciation for the wartime sacrifices made by those who fought two generations ago. Restoring the USS North Carolina to a state closer to its original wartime condition is designed to help teach the importance of that sacrifice. And once again, the battleship will remain open while the renovations are taking place

and that wraps up tonight's edition of North Carolina now. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you tomorrow. Good night.