North Carolina Now; Episode from 1999-06-02

It's Wednesday, June 2nd. Tonight, a revolution in information technology where the television meets the computer. In North Carolina, now. Hello, everyone, and welcome to this Wednesday edition of North Carolina, now. I'm Shayna Vickory and former Rita Matray. What do your home computer and your television set have in common? Well, probably very little right now. And that is all about to change with the coming revolution of digital television. We know that digital television will bring vastly improved pictures and sound, but DTV will also bring with it another feature that could have an even bigger impact on society. It's called data casting. All this week, we've been giving you information on what you can look forward to from the eventual change over to digital technology in the television industry. Tonight, we look at how digital technology will make it possible to blend television programming

together with the remarkable information and internet capabilities of the home computer. John Honoural reports, voice I could make. In the new world of digital television, the exciting possibilities don't stop with better pictures and sound. You're going to be able to interact with your TV. How will this be possible? Well, I'll throw an innovation called data casting. In a digital television signal, there's not only room for pictures and sound, but for other kinds of information as well. The same kind of information or data you find using your computer on the internet. The internet is a wonderful tool, one of one of the greatest technological tools that's ever come along. It doesn't have anywhere near the potential that data casting on digital television will have. So what it's going to mean is an enormously new horizon for consumers and viewers to access the data information via their television set, which is going to be a computer. That's right. Your home computer and television could be one and the same. That means you can watch your favorite television programs, say, a documentary, and click

on a computer symbol or icon to get more information about what you're watching. For example, a biography of one of the people being interviewed. Or say you're watching a sports event, clear statistics, and team records are only a click away. You will even be able to order merchandise you see on TV simply by clicking on an icon. And you'll be able to get the information a lot faster than you do now on the internet. That's because the data is coming over the airwaves with the program, not over a phone line. Even if we're doing high-definition television or even if we're doing multi-casting with four channels of service, we still have the capacity to deliver the equivalent of a floppy disk per second of data information. But with such promising technology comes some concerns. Is there a danger of becoming a sealed-off society? According to a recent study conducted at Meredith College, North Carolina is on average spend about 21 hours a week in front of the TV. More than half of the state's population owns a personal computer.

With digital TV, you will have access to even more programs and more data information delivered faster than many ever thought possible. There are real issues about that, and I think we're less community involved because of the internet. I mean, the internet has virtual communities on it, and where you go have neighbors electronically where we're not even going outside to talk to our neighbor now. So I think it's interesting. I still think we have those needs to communicate. But if you're going to provide me with services that allow me to do that at home, then those needs are going to be met there instead of where they used to be met. So there are concerns like that. Because that must be addressed as DTV's potential is unlocked by broadcasters, the government, and educators. Perhaps one of DTV's biggest impacts will be felt here in the classroom, where the PC, the internet, and educational TV are already an important part of the curriculum. In the new digital age, the three technologies will become one. That's an exciting prospect for educators, like Marie Spaswell, principal at Bailey Wick

Elementary School in Raleigh. For class, we're watching a documentary on a European country. And they could, within the viewing of the documentary, go to a site and get additional information and reference to the population and reference to the economy and reference to the trade or the educational system, think about what, you know, that opens up for children. We're going to be able to have that access at our fingertips while we're sitting watching television. And data casting won't just benefit younger students. It will play an important role in higher education as well. It holds the potential to carry data and other information that will be available to the student at a click in the same way the World Wide Web provides additional information if you want to dig deeper into a given subject.

So I believe digital television and the conversion is going to make it possible for us to reach more North Carolinians and more effectively. For example, UNC-TV already offers North Carolina's Community College System a slew of telecourses, classes offered via the television. This throughout the state also offer courses on the internet. When the two technologies merge, the possibilities for higher education become almost endless. Data casting, as I understand it, and as I envision it developing, will allow, first of all, the instructor to pull up all the manner of different instructional tools into the telecast of video clips, it will allow the student to access documents that would otherwise not be available, especially in the traditional telecourse setting. It is going to allow the instructor and the teacher to collaborate in ways that are

unheard of in the past. And I think that's an exciting opportunity for both the student and the instructor. And especially when you consider how quickly the internet has become an integral part of our society. A decade ago, it didn't even exist. For those pioneering the DTV transition, that's a good indication that data casting will be enthusiastically received by a population hungry for the world's wealth of information. Educational programming provided by public television will have its biggest impact when data casting and multi-casting are combined. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at multi-casting and what it can mean for education, particularly here in North Carolina. Well, coming up, a conversation with the author of a new book on natural tourism adventures right here in the North Carolina mountains. But first, let's turn to Mitchell Lewis at the North Carolina Now News Desk for a summary of today's news. Hi, Mitch.

Hello, Shannon. Good evening, everyone. Topping the news, the full membership of the State House of Representatives took up floor debate today on a proposed state budget. The $13 billion spending package will likely not include a plan for the immediate repayment of a court-ordered refund of $360 million in intangibles taxes. The deferred refund will make it easier to close a gap in the tight 2000 budget. Budget leaders have also received a boost from Winston-Salem-based RJR in the form of $69 million in state tax revenue from the sale of the company's international tobacco unit. A state Senate committee has endorsed a bill that aims to place tougher restrictions on certain forms of campaign financing and advertising. One of the main provisions of the bill calls for groups that publish election flyers and air broadcast media ads to state whether the advertisements are authorized by a particular candidate. Sponsors of the bill argue the restrictions would help control negative campaigning, but some legal experts say the measure, if approved, will probably be challenged in court. The provision in the bill seeks to limit the political activity of lobbyists by prohibiting

them and political committees from raising money for candidates during a legislative session. Some stores selling beer and wine in poor neighborhoods may have to close their doors under a bill being considered in the state house. The bill would allow the state to revoke the ABC license of a merchant, where alcohol sales account for more than half of a store's annual sales. Some lawmakers see the proposal as an effort to help improve the quality of life in poorer neighborhoods. The bill has already gained approval from the state Senate. Back over in the Senate, the Yomper Chamber has approved a bill which allows rural electrical co-ops to expand into other businesses. Under the measure, co-ops can use up to 10 percent of their assets to venture into other businesses such as Internet access or water and sewer service. The co-operatives would be permitted to buy out existing propane businesses, but they would not be allowed to create new companies. The bill also restricts co-op board members from investing in new subsidiaries. UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Michael Hooker is back at home after undergoing chemotherapy

treatments at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. Hooker, who has been battling lymphatic cancer since mid-January, was expected to return to work yesterday, but stayed in Maryland for another round of treatments before returning home. Hooker's doctors at UNC hospitals urged the 53-year-old Southwest Virginia native to take a medical leave of absence from his university post back in mid-April. William McCoy has since been serving as acting chancellor of UNC Chapel Hill. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather, highs across the state will range from the upper seventies to upper eighties. Most areas can expect partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of afternoon showers. In business news, U.S. Airways has announced it will give raises to 9,500 passenger service workers who have gone seven years without a pay increase. The result will be a 13.7 percent raise, meaning a 15-year employee will earn an hourly salary of $20.33 effective immediately. The move comes two weeks after an emotional annual meeting, at which workers protested

long stretches without raises, as executives were awarded incentive plans potentially worth millions. Stonecutter Mills is closing its plans in Rutherford and Polk counties, putting nearly 800 Western North Carolinians out of work. Stonecutter officials blamed the NAFTA agreement and a sharp downturn in new orders for the shutdown. The closings are expected to take place by mid-July. All told, roughly 2,200 textile jobs have been lost in Rutherford County since December. And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. If you're looking for a unique adventure for this summer, tonight's guests may have

some ideas. Outdoor writer Mary Ellen Hammond has co-authored a new book called Natural Adventures in the Mountains of Western North Carolina, and she joins us tonight to tell us more. Thank you so much for being our guest tonight. Well, thanks for inviting me, Shannon. You know, a lot of people when they're thinking of adventures and summer getaways, perhaps most may not think of the Mountains of Western North Carolina. Why did you decide to do this book on the Western part of our state? Well, there are a couple of reasons. My co-author, who's also my husband, was born in Raleigh, grew up in North Carolina, and did a lot of family vacationing there as a child. He and I had both worked in the recreation industry, and we knew what demand there was for information, and the book was really his idea, and we did it together. A lot of the things that he did as a child were still there, very similar, and we just wanted to share

that information with everyone, because we think it's such a great place to visit and live. It had to be a lot of fun to do this book, as I was telling you right before the interview, I'm a little jealous. That's something I think we would all like to do. But when you're talking about adventures in the Western part of our state, what are some of the things that you could share with us, that people could do, that perhaps they don't think about? Well, the idea of adventure is really in the mind of the beholder. An adventure could be a beautiful drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, or the Cherhala Skyway, or it could be whitewater kayaking on the Nanahale River. And everything in between, it could be gem mining in the Cali Valley near Franklin, could be hiking up in graveyard fields off the parkway. So you name it, it's there. Wow. Are these age-specific activities, and do they require any type of outdoor experience when you're doing them?

I would say generally, most of them do not. Some of them are age-specific, but this book includes 50 adventures, and they run the gamut for adventures of all ages. So if you're wanting to go whitewater rafting, you don't need any experience, but you might want to have a guide in your raft. If you want to do whitewater kayaking, you most likely will want some experience, or you want to take a class while you're there. Of course, a beautiful drive, or finding a great picnic spot, doesn't take any experience at all. It just takes a desire and an interest. How about cost? If I'm on a budget this summer, are there things in the book that I can do as well? Absolutely. I'd say the majority of the adventures in the book are free. In Franklin, there's a great gem and mineral museum that's absolutely free to go to. And if you wanted to make a day of it, then you could go gem mining in the Cali Valley, and that's very inexpensive. It may be $5 a person for a whole day.

In the book, you kind of add to these adventures some historical background material, full of little anecdotes about the places that you're telling people to visit. Was there anything when you were doing your research that surprised you to learn about some of these places? A lot, actually. What comes to mind, I've just mentioned gem mining, actually gem mines are really an old thing in the Cali Valley. They've been around a long time. Just after the turn of the century, there were an awful lot of corundum mines in the Cali Valley of North Carolina. Corundum was used as an industrial product. It turns out that sapphires are a impurity that appears in corundum deposits. And that's why there are so many sapphires around Franklin, so many gems. And that's how gem mining got started, actually.

That is interesting. I didn't know that. What do you think that people don't just naturally think of the mountains? When they're thinking about planning their vacations or doing some type of adventuresome get away? Actually, I think a lot of people do think of the mountains. They may not think of the mountains in specific ways. They may think, well, I'm going to go whitewater rafting or I'm going to go when the fall colors are at their brightest. But they may not realize that there are huge numbers of wildflowers there. That if they went in May, they could see all kinds of blooming pink plants in the pink beds, rhododendron and laurel. And I'm not sure that people realize what a wide variety of activities there are to do there. What do you hope that people take away from reading this book and perhaps even going on some of these adventures? I think what I like what people to experience is the richness of the natural resources

of the area and also to have a personal experience with these adventures, something that they can take home with them and have a really great memory that they can go back to anytime they want. Well, a wonderful project in Mary Ellen Hammond. We certainly thank you so much for sharing it with us tonight. Thanks for inviting me, my pleasure. Once again, the book is called Natural Adventures in the Mountains of Western North Carolina, by authors Mary Ellen Hammond and Jim Parram. If you are interested in getting a copy, you can call 1-828-488-6601. Yesterday marked the beginning of the 1999 hurricane season. This year is part of emergency

management efforts to minimize possible storm damage. Officials are looking at ways to reclaim some of the debris generated by such storms. Producer Ginger Long takes us to Kingston to look at how an old idea is being employed to provide a new way of dealing with disasters. In September 1996, Hurricane Fran swept across North Carolina, leaving huge amounts of debris in her wake. Planning for how to respond to future storms is part of the job of North Carolina Emergency Management. Mark Munden is manager of Infrastructure Support. It was estimated that $392 million was spent in Fran and about $319 million of that was related to debris management issues. Much of the debris ended up in landfills. This option is getting less and less viable as the state's cities and counties strive to

comply with legislative mandates to minimize landfill use. Back in 1989, they passed several solid waste management legislations. One, requiring that by 2001, June 1st, 2001, we reduced our landfill debris by 40%. This was a goal that the legislature wanted the state to try to achieve. We have to look at alternatives for the future as we go into the new millennia rather than ways we've traditionally handled debris in the past. In search of these alternatives, Munden formed a disaster debris steering committee. The committee, composed of private and public sector individuals all around the state, started meeting in March of 1999. Their focus is to look at problems associated with disasters and come up with new possibilities for debris management. One member of the steering committee is Pete Hendrix, a deconstruction specialist. Hendrix has worked for decades in North Carolina, taking houses apart and reusing the materials

for new houses and renovations. These same techniques can be used following storms. You come in after a tornado or a hurricane and you've got huge amounts of debris. A lot of it is vegetative debris from trees and bushes, but you have all this construction debris. Once large machinery touches this stuff, it's going to be rat splintered, twisted, and it won't be any good for a teacher building project. So the idea is instead of coming in with large machines, it's coming in with a lot of hands and starting to deconstruction techniques before the machines get there. Before this can happen, people need to be trained in the techniques of deconstruction. Hendrix and Munden saw the possibilities for teaching these techniques in Kingston. Following Fran, the major damage in Kingston was from flooding that went on for many days after the hurricane had passed. Like other communities, Kingston received federal and state funds to purchase houses which were either greatly damaged by the storm or were considered

to be high risk in the event of future storms. City officials had to make decisions on how to dispose of these houses. Tommy Lee Jr. is City of Kingston Director of Inspections and Code Enforcement. The grant that we had a demolition specialist coming down from FEMA wanting to know how many houses we were going to have to dispose of and wanted to sign us up to tear them down and take them through the landfill. And we just had to tell him that we weren't quite ready to make that decision yet. We thought there might be a possibility to use the houses as a resource rather than just end up with 100, 200 or 300 vacant lots when we already had enough vacant lots in some of these neighborhoods. In the pilot project, Hendricks and his wife Robin are teaching city and county building inspectors, state emergency management staff and others to take one of the flood buyout houses apart step by step.

There are three categories of stuff that we're producing here. One is stuff that will be reused in construction projects here in the city. Then there's a category of the things that can be recycled sent back through like the metal and some of the aggregates. And then there's the throw away. That's what I call harvesting. Just like harvest in September to make new lumber, we're harvesting houses to create building materials. The deconstructed materials could be stored and used in any construction project. There are a significant number of vacant lots in these neighborhoods and it would be possible to move an appropriate house into these neighborhoods and then use the materials from the deconstruction project to affect the renovation. Munden hopes that communities around the state will learn the techniques of deconstruction and incorporate them into local disaster planning. The state and the Fed are working with the local and city governments and trying to develop pre-plans and have alternatives in place so that when they have the next event, they

will be prepared. And surprisingly, everywhere we've been, people say this is really a neat idea. I think if we start small and do a good job, that by the time our children get grown, that this will be routine, nobody will even think twice about deconstruction. And people will just be sort of horrified to think that the bulldozers trashed all those buildings for all those years. Hendrix estimates that 60 to 70% of the volume of a deconstructed house can either be reused or recycled. Kingston officials plan to use much of the materials taken out of the house in this story as part of an urban rebuilding program named the Call Kingston Home Project. If you have questions or would like more information, you can call Mark Munden at the North Carolina Emergency Management at 919-733-0795. Well that's it for tonight's show. Please join us again tomorrow night when we'll be speaking with a representative from the American Association of Retired Persons about a range of issues

facing older Americans. Plus how a new technology called multicasting may revolutionize the television industry. Good evening everyone, we'll see you again tomorrow night.