North Carolina Now; Episode from 1999-07-13

It's Tuesday, July 13th, tonight a profile of a long-time public servant in North Carolina now. Hello, I'm Marieta Matray. Welcome to North Carolina now for this Tuesday evening. If you hail from the Charlotte area or have paid even the slightest bit of attention to the business of state government in recent years, then you're familiar with Ruth Easterling. She is an 88-year-old state representative who has earned the respect of everyone from the governor on down. On tonight's program, we'll profile this dynamic elder statesman. But at first tonight, members of the state house and the senate are headed for a showdown over the UNC Bond proposal, and to fill us in on the latest, we turn to legislative correspondent Sonia Williams. Hello, Sonia.

Hi, Marieta. I understand it's been a very busy day down there in the general assembly. It certainly has, Marieta. This afternoon, the house gave final approval to their $1.2 billion bond proposal, the measure passed by a vote of 108 to 2, and was immediately sent to the senate where, as expected, the senate voted not to accept the house plan. Now, Senator Tony Ran, sponsor of the original $3 billion proposal, said that the house plan made too many cuts in funding of critical needs of the UNC system and community colleges. And some senators also said they'd heard conflicting reports on the way that the scale down list was developed, and some questioned exactly how much input the chancellor's actually had in developing the list. So the senate voted not to concur, and the next step is for conferries from both the house and the senate to meet and try and work out a compromise. And right now, there is a lot of compromising that needs to be done, because there are some major differences in the two proposals. You may remember that the original bill that passed the senate called for $3 billion in limited obligation bonds, which do not require a public vote. But the house changed that plan dramatically after several days of Democrats' caucusing

and then Republicans' caucusing. And now, the house plan includes $1.2 billion in bonds with a public referendum in the May 2000 primary, so there are some major funding differences, as well as the referendum provision to be worked out. So, Sonia, there are so many differences in these two proposals. So how difficult of a task is this going to be to have this all worked out in a conference committee? Well, Maria, it all depends on how willing each side is to concede on certain provisions. The house as a body, and particularly house Republicans, have been adamant about making the bonds, general obligation bonds, which call for a referendum in the plan. Now last week, attempts to even include a smaller bond without a public vote were rejected. So it looks like it could be difficult to get the house to accept any proposal that does not include a public vote. At the same time, senate Democrats are equally as adamant about giving the UNC system and the community colleges some money right away so that they can begin to address some of their critical needs.

Now senate members argued that waiting until May to decide whether or not the higher education system will get the money they need for repairs will throw the systems behind and ultimately raise the price tag of their needs. And university officials agree that they do need at least some money now to get started on these projects. But the key will be coming up with an amount and a plan that the house, which wants a referendum and the senate which wants money allotted now, can agree to. As I said earlier, thus far, the house has rejected all efforts to include bonds without a public vote. So it will be interesting to see what type of compromise they can come up with. Well, Sanya is going to be an interesting next couple of days and I'm sure that you'll keep us posted. But in the meantime, thanks for the information you've provided tonight. Thank you. As the issue of the UNC bond proposal may extend the length of this legislative session, the main business of lawmakers to adopt a state budget was completed in record time. This year, the House of Representatives presented a spending plan that was accepted by the state senate before the start of the fiscal year.

Some say thanks in large part to Representative Ruth Easterling, co-chair of the House Appropriations Committee. She starts before seven every morning at the brownstone hotel in Raleigh, her home away from home for the past 22 years. At 88, she is the senior member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, now serving her 12th term from the 58th district Mecklenburg County. On this summer morning, before she reports to her office, she'll make a stop at the governor's mansion, where she'll have breakfast with other leaders from the House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate. Well Ruth is one of those gentle, caring souls, the kind you sometimes say wouldn't be successful in politics because she is so caring and so loving by the same token.

She knows how to get things done. She works hard and she finds her votes and she lines them up. She's no softie. While most people her age are settling down to less demanding activities, Ruth Easterling has made a name for herself as one of the busiest women in the state. She has fought hard for legislation regarding children's health, equitable distribution and divorce cases, the environment, adult daycare and domestic violence. Marie, I'm going to leave my purse in here because I've already taken my vitamins. She has a number of special areas of interest, but she is very helpful on many, many issues that make North Carolina a better place to live. Oh, it was a bath.

1888. 1888. No, 89. No, I'm not 89. I'm not 89. I'll be 89. You know, someone that a young, I thought young freshman could at least keep up with this little old lady from Mecklenburg County, a little did I know. I couldn't keep up with her. Ball of the energy. Ruth is conscientious. She knows the issue and she takes this very seriously. She really does. She's almost like the little energizer bunny. She just keeps going and going and going, but she is very committed to what she's doing. Representative Easterling says she's learned a lot about commitment from her parents, Lily and Ben Moss. She and her younger sister, Ruby, lived through hard times in the Carolinas. I grew up in Gaffney and Blacksburg and Chesney and Shelby. My father was a textile weave room overseer.

Earlier than that, he was a loom fixer. And he moved from place to place when he could get a better job. Representative Easterling wanted to be an English teacher. She graduated from Livingstone College in 1932. The Great Depression was in full swing and no one was hiring teachers. She was fortunate to get a job with the Blumenthal Brothers at Radiator Specialty Company based in Charlotte. There she learned the business skills that was serve her well in her career. During those early years, she was married and divorced and experienced with lasting effects. We had bought three farms and I had to pay for them. When we were divorced, I had no part in that economic side of the marriage. When she became State President of Business and Professional Women in 1962, she asked then Governor Terry Sanford to establish the North Carolina Commission on the Status of

Women. And when she was elected National President of the Business and Professional Women in 1970, she worked diligently for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Young women in business today are teaching school, are attorneys. They're not even born then. So they don't know the struggle that most of us went through. Representative Easterlings' first local political experience was on the Charlotte City Council. She was elected to State Office in 1976 when women in politics were a novelty. So the caption under the picture in the paper, this is my freshman year, says legislators get ready for the session. So he's sitting there looking at papers at his desk, I'm standing up, putting on lipstick. That's what they put in the paper. And I'm a freshman, you know, and it named us, you know, it wasn't anonymous at all.

More than 20 years later, she is one of the most powerful women in the house. Representative Easterlings recognize. I made sure you could see me this year. Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen, young people. She provides a good model in terms of doing your homework and your research. And she's just so full of energy that she provides a great example to follow in keeping up your spirits and your energy level and your fire to get the job done. She's just a great legislator. It does work. It really does work.

And I've heard people say, you know, democracy is a messy business, but it's the greatest business. It's a wonderful system. She led the effort for fellow Mecklenburg County representative Jim Black to become speaker of the house. She's done a wonderful job. She said such a wonderful example for all of us, for all of mankind and woman kind. She's just an amazing person and has been a wonderful experience of my life to have known her and to have worked with her. Well, I always think, don't limit yourself. You can do more than you think you can do. Don't refuse to do something because you think you can't do it because you can if you try. And this coming Friday night representative Easterling will be recognized for outstanding services on behalf of the young children in North Carolina, the annual award presented by the daycare services association. And coming up on North Carolina now, I'll look at music and games in the old time tradition.

But first, let's check in with Mitchell Lewis for summary of what else is making news around the state. Thanks, Marina. Good evening, everyone. The State House has approved a bill that encourages officials to appoint more women to regulatory boards and commissions. The proposal urges those who make appointments to ensure that the membership reflects the proportion of women in the population. The measure also requires annual reporting to show the number and percentage of women appointed to various boards. Critics of the proposal believe the bill is a form of affirmative action and could cast doubt on the reason for appointing certain people to boards and commissions. State lawmakers may have worked out a plan for the tobacco settlement, but that plan is now being challenged by a group of lawyers. The attorneys are concerned about how the money will be distributed. The lawyers believe the fund should go directly to regular citizens and schools. The current settlement plan calls for the money to be split among farmers and allotment holders, tobacco dependent communities and health programs.

The legal group believes the current plan is unconstitutional and are hinting at the possibility of filing a lawsuit over the matter. Those who own condominiums at Shell Island Resort are asking coastal regulators to extend their sandbag permit for two more years. The owners are trying to save the building from beach erosion. Authorities are being credited with having helped reduce the pace of erosion over the past two years. The Coastal Resources Commission is scheduled to vote on the Permit Extension Request next week. If approved, the extension would be in effect through December 31st of 2001. North Carolina is one of 17 states that will be getting some relief from the federal government after enduring last week's scorching temperatures. The state is set to receive more than six and a half million dollars in emergency heat relief funds. We'll go to help low-income residents pay cooling bills and buy air conditioners. Part of the money will also go to 15 American Indian tribes. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather, highs across the state will range from the low 60s to upper 70s.

Most areas can expect another day of cloudy skies with showers and thunderstorms. In business news, controversy continues to brew over CPNL's Sharon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County. The company wants to more than double the storage capacity for high-level nuclear waste at the facility, but that plan is being challenged by Orange County commissioners. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has ruled that Orange County does have the right to intervene in CPNL's plan. The ruling means attorneys for both the county and CPNL will be allowed to present their arguments to the board within 90 days, after which a public hearing on the matter may be scheduled. DuPont will receive thousands of dollars in tax credits from the state as it converts a plant in Bladen County to use new Teflon technology. The credits will be equal to $50,000 per job. Critics claim DuPont is getting tax credits, but is not adding any jobs in its facility, but simply developing one line of business while phasing out another. However, supporters claim DuPont's tax credits are deserved, because the company is retaining

jobs in the state. The amount of control auto manufacturers have over the dealers that sell their cars is being reduced under a plan passed by the state house. The proposal was approved after automakers battled it for weeks. The bill would prevent manufacturers from buying franchises. Automakers would be allowed to temporarily own dealerships, but could not own them permanently. The Senate has already approved the measure, but now must vote on changes made to the bill by the house. And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. In an age where computers and faxes often seem to rule our lives, more and more people

are turning back to the simpler things in life. That's why some Western North Carolina artists think folk toys are finding their way back into the hearts of children both young and old. And a Shannon Vickery reports few folk toys are more popular these days than the Wimmy Diddle. Bob Miller is a historian of sorts. As he sits out under the blue sky of the Smoky Mountains, he's carving out a new future for a folk toy he once feared was lost forever. Oh man, I was a young person when I first saw the first Wimmy Diddle, so it's been around a long time. But until lately, there was little interest in the Wimmy Diddle. In fact, most people didn't even know what it is.

The Wimmy Diddle is a stick with not just cut anything, with a fella on it. And you rub it with what we call a rubbing stick. But the trick is to make the Wimmy Diddle G and Haw. In the mountain area, they always use the terminology G and Haw, because G and Haw's horse doll, G was right and Haw's left, that's how they trained their horses. So with the Wimmy Diddle, you want to make the propeller G or go to the right and Haw go to the left. Sound easy? That's... Come on, little more crook in that finger. Now that's G. Today, Miller spends most of his time making Wimmy Diddle's and teaching a new generation how to use the toy. And in the process, he also passes on a little bit of mountain history. It's a toy for kids, yeah. I might have been the only toy they got for Christmas.

Some right of hand made them say, I mean people stuck in the mountains hardly knew when Christmas was. The true origins of the Wimmy Diddle are unknown. It's been a favorite folk toy in Western North Carolina for centuries, one that's been known by many names. They've been whistling sticks, jeep sticks, and they just had lots of names. But whatever you call them, Miller says the Wimmy Diddle will intrigue you in a way modern toys can't. He says its charm is in its simplicity. It's a face movement thing, it's not slow and polky. These days, the Wimmy Diddle seems to be in high demand. Every year, the Southern Highlands craft guild holds the World Wimmy Diddle Championship. This year, about 50 people came out to compete in the competition. Some even brought some unusual Wimmy Diddle's with them. And Miller just hopes to convince other people to love the Wimmy Diddle as much as he does. I love it.

You know, you get out in the fresh air, you go out into mountains and cut your rotted in and sticks to make the Wimmy Diddle's out of, and then the time you get spending in the shop and all working on them and talking about them, well, I love it. If you'd like to learn more about the Wimmy Diddle and who wouldn't, you can call the Southern Highlands Crafts Guild and Asheville for more information. As we draw closer to the 21st century, we think it's so worth looking at those things

that have been and still are an important part of our culture. Music is one of them. And not too long ago, Mitchell Lewis caught up with the man who has helped mold as well as preserve a certain genre of music throughout the 20th century. He is 92-year-old Jack Lourd Law, who is considered to be the fastest banjo player for his age in this country and perhaps the world. My mother bought me the first banjo at age 16, and I kept the door close, she kept the door closed, so she wouldn't hear me rehearse. And I played the scale, C-D-D-D-D-D-D-D, and then back again and over and over again till I got it faster and faster.

And it was that playing that later led to Jack Lourd Law being dubbed the fastest banjoist for his age by fellow banjo players across the country. Jack Lourd Law was born February 16th, 1907 in Chapel Hill. He spent his childhood days involved in sports and selling, which developed into a career in life insurance. Ward Law attended college at UNC Chapel Hill in 1927 and auditioned for a well-known band leader. I tried out for K-Kites, I really got a guitar player. Rejection didn't deter Ward Law's musical aspirations, instead he created his own orchestra. The group traveled overseas, where he met a famous international performer. Some of us didn't have any money, including me. And I went, took the banjo in to see Josephine Baker, who was a black singing star in Paris. And she, I played black bottom for on the banjo, and she gave me a job with Jacob's jazz,

and it took seven weeks before the sax player, who was sitting next to me, convinced the boss there that I couldn't read music, and I couldn't, I was playing all by ear for seven months. In 1933, Ward Law organized a new group, Jack Ward Law and his Carolina Pines Orchestra. We wrote a song, Carolina Pines for Ginger Ale. They made Ginger Ale. And a lot of interesting things happened with that. That's got to started, we had a bus, we were on WPTF every night, 50,000 watts, we became well known, got a lot of big jobs. One of the group's biggest venues was in 1934, at the Steele Pier in Atlantic City. We all had a picture taken, and half of us had white shoes, and half black shoes. We played on a Columbia network, and that was quite an industrial thrill to be on that network

of every station in the United States. Garland border came one night and had the battle of music with us. That was the biggest crowd that's shown in the picture, and they thought it was, we ran that picture. People thought that was us drawing that crowd, but it was Garland border doing that. Currently, Wardlaw has an eight-member group called Jack Wardlaw's Banjos, which includes his son, John. They have traveled extensively throughout North Carolina and the country. Wardlaw says it's the banjo playing that's kept him going all these years. It's always been most important. I hope I can still do it. I have to walk with a cane now, and have nurses during the day, at night, and on weekends. But I'm still the fastest banjo player of anyone that age.

In addition to playing the banjo, Wardlaw has collected over 50,000 birth dates of clients and other people he's met over the years, and he sends most of them birth date cards. Lesson program for tonight. Thanks for having been a part of it. We'll see you tomorrow. Good night.