North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 11/06/1995

It's Monday November 6. Tonight remembering one woman's struggle to protect you know river and the legacy she has left for North Carolina. Nell. Good evening welcome to North Carolina now I'm

Christina Copeland Merida Trey has the evening off. Well it's been a cold weekend here in North Carolina but the pants are sure warm the hearts of a lot of people yesterday with their 13 to 7 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The first time an expansion team has ever beaten a defending Super Bowl champion. Way to go guys. But that was a bright spot in an otherwise sorrow filled weekend. North Carolina has joined the world in mourning the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. It was only seven weeks ago that a delegation from North Carolina traveled to Israel and met with the prime minister. Tonight we'll talk with one of the members of that delegation will also pay tribute to a woman who devoted her life to protecting the river. Margaret Nygaard who passed away this weekend. But first an issue of concern to anyone who cares about the quality of education in our state. A new report shows that many of the North Carolina students recruited into the teaching profession don't want to stay there. In fact only one in three plans to make teaching a long term career.

They cite the lack of respect and low pay they receive among their reasons for leaving. The teachers are part of a special program set up nine years ago called Teaching Fellows. Students are selected for the program and they were awarded college scholarships in return for four years of teaching at a North Carolina school after they graduate in August Maria Lundberg accompanied a sophomore class of teaching fellows as they travel the state to learn more about what they'll face in the classroom. It's 7:00 in the morning and the campus of merit of the college is full of activity 400 students from 14 colleges are preparing to begin a weeklong tour of eastern North Carolina. The discovery trip is designed to introduce the teaching fellows to the school's culture and economy in that part of the state. While writing to the first stop of the day several students talked about what they hope to learn from this experience. I think it's I mean a lot of different ways to handle and tackle the problems in different areas or even get ideas from the different school

systems and their principals or their superintendents because every county handles things so differently because the population and fireman that is most I mean a lot of the different ways to teach and give me hope was creative ideas. My main focus for this trip is observation skills learning to see what sessional teachers and seasoned teachers have learned just by doing it for a long time. When you're teaching you know do you have to deal with this. Do you get to deal with that. What's going on. Sarah I think that this helps you to understand what it all entails and what you do have to deal with on this day. These students arrived to visit J.H. Rose High School in Greenville. Here they'll have a chance to observe classes and ask questions of experienced educators and several begetting teachers offer the Teaching Fellows some advice and suggestions.

One thing that we encourage wanted you going into the education says we know you have a couple more years of research where you go and what kind of school you're going into it's really important your first year needs to be an extremely good year for you because that is the first year which decides how you how your other teaching years are going to be. There are a lot of problems that are existing today within education and there are lot of good things that are coming out of it. And if this thing we get to fear is our own students and build the lives of their living in NYC were shaping and molding here in our school. That's one thing that we get to see a daily edit on a daily basis. When the students visit several classrooms they get the opportunity to observe different teaching styles and methods but classroom instruction is only one aspect of the trip. I hope students will see the diverse populations the land the geography. Look at the many different kinds of innovations that are going on in education in North Carolina and that they will keep their options open about where they choose to teach.

This gives the students the teachers the future teachers in North Carolina an opportunity to look at education in a much more global perspective. In addition to what goes on in the classroom because the economy technology industry business all of these things play a major role and have an impact on what goes on in that classroom. And we want teachers to be aware of those things in today's society. Teaching is very challenging and often difficult but these outstanding students are committed to becoming teachers. I just feel like if I can make a difference in our lives back at this time. You know one line. And to want to be in school because you think about all the good teachers that you had and all the things they did for you and I just look back to Al I could just be somebody else what they did or made and that would be the best thing in the world. I feel it's my payback to society you know growing up I was so lucky I had a lot of great

teachers think urge me to go on to pursue my education because I'm I was inexact with smarts good in class I was I was lazy like you know most other students aren't. Those teachers encouraged me really helped me out and I figured you know this is my way to pay back to them what they've done for me and my teachers inspired me to be teachers and to be a teacher and I was like yes and I want to damn me I want to I want to help people teach the discovery trip is designed to explore the diversity of our state. In addition to visiting schools the Teaching Fellows also get a firsthand look at many businesses in eastern North Carolina. One is Burroughs welcome in Greenville where this group of teaching fellows arrives for a visit. We have a couple of different focus areas one is with teachers themselves and then one is with the students. After hearing about education programs Burroughs welcome has created students suited up for a tour of the plant. Visits like this one allow them to see the importance of a good relationship between businesses and schools.

It's the final day of the trip. After a week on the road the teaching fellows have traveled more than sixteen hundred miles. They've seen 76 schools and 43 districts and more than 30 businesses as the students say goodbye to friends and board the buses to head home. They take along a new appreciation for the teaching profession and the challenges that await them. I learned a lot about technology in the school is a lot about cultural diversity. The schools that we toured they had different programs innovative programs and I learned a lot from one of the major things that I got out of the trip was seeing how businesses and schools that arise in the community and how businesses contribute to learning and are. I suppose I didn't realize that months or so and some of the counties that we went to and I just learned that those are the counties that really need good teachers. I was taking notes a lot during the trip. I've seen a lot of creative ideas things you can do to keep your students

involved. We've seen a lot of schools that are now into the Internet doing the networking of the computer systems and there's a lot more resources out there that I never even dreamed of as the education journey begins for these teachers of the future the knowledge gained from this discovery trip will undoubtedly help prepare them for the classrooms of tomorrow. The Teaching Fellows report made a number of recommendations for keeping these young teachers in the classrooms after their four years is up. Among them are better school assignments for beginning teachers and making teacher salaries more competitive with other professions. The tragic assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has affected people around the world and here in North Carolina memorial services for people of all faiths were held this weekend across the state. Governor Hunt issued a statement today expressing his condolences and calling on North Carolinians to pray that Mr Bean's dream of peace in the Middle East will one day come true. It may surprise people to know that there are many ties between Israel and the charred

Heel State. In mid-September the governor led a delegation to Israel. And joining me now is one of the people who helped coordinate that trip Bill Cosell. Mr. Purcell thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you for having me. What was your feelings when you first heard that the prime minister had been shot. Devastated it was it was as if we had lost someone within our family. We as as a North Carolinian who had just recently gone to Israel and met with the prime minister we had had personal contact with him. But as a member of the Jewish community I had followed his career and followed the politics of Israel and felt as if we he was one of our world leaders and really one of our heroes. What was that he like when you met him in Israel in September. He was a remarkable person to be in. In the fact that he was extra extremely humble and extremely of himself he was not a person

who came across. He had he was a man. He was a man who happened to be a prime minister and a world figure but who he was is who he was and that humility it was it was it was very remarkable to see someone of that stature so reserved. What was the purpose of the mission there were many different purposes. Tell us about some of them. Well Jim Hunt has embarked on a strategy to develop international strategic partnerships in in order to make North Carolina more competitive globally as communication becomes easier and as travel becomes easier. North Carolina needs to have the advantage of developing its partnerships. And the pilot project was with Israel and Israel is an ideal partner for North Carolina to develop a relationship with for a variety of reasons. Probably the two most important economic reasons are that Israel is a.

Is poised as the peace process takes place to become a major focal point for trade. It's the most educated. It's one of the leading education probably the most educated country in the world. There are more scientists and engineers per capita than any other country in the world. And as the peace process takes place they will take a lead role in trade throughout the Mideast. But it's also poised to be a part of the hub of trade for the European community as well. So there are so many companies here that do have time to Israel. Sapiens Exide Sara Lee field Christe. And were there any other business ties made during this trip. Well North Carolina has just received an order for from the Israeli military with Freightliner to develop to develop 50 million dollars worth of trucks and it speaks well of Freightliner its

ability to produce these trucks that the Israeli military who has some of the highest standards in the world would choose this North Carolina based company to give that sort of piece of business to the. Another aspect of the economic relationship is in the is in the high tech research and development area. Israel has more scientists than any other per capita than any other country in the world. The government spends more money per capita than any other country in the world on research and development and has a number of venture capital programs for joint projects with other countries. And what we wanted to do was to bring North Carolina biotechnology information technologist to Israel to try to develop partnerships and take advantage of these funding vehicles that exist. One of the other items I know that was discussed over there is a project that lira being the prime minister's widow is going to be involved in can you tell me a little bit more about that. Well we're we're being is the spokes person within Israel for autism.

And when a. Director of the Chapel Hill teach program. Came to us with the idea of developing a program between Israel and North Carolina based on the teaching model the teach model which you may know is probably the world's leading program in autism services. And when Marcus approach the Israelis you know the notion that North Carolina Jim Hahn is developing partnerships would you like to do a partnership on autism. They jumped at the opportunity and out of this partnership the entire autism services within Israel are going to be remodeled and refurbished refashioned after the Chapel Hill teach program in a ravine. Being the spokes person was just delighted about this partnership and integrating the trip she gave us. She was the easiest probably the easiest part of the entire trip to schedule she said any

evening you want. We will while you're in Israel we will schedule a dinner at our. In Jerusalem you just tell us which evening and we had dinner portion of the delegation the entire delegation unfortunately was unable to go. It was a fairly private dinner but we had a small group that went and had dinner at the prime minister's home. That unfortunately is all the time we have and I want to thank you for taking the time to be with us today. I'm sure that that delegation brought back some wonderful information I would have liked to have heard it under better circumstances. But thanks for being with very much. Thank you. There's been a lot of other news happening around our state today. Let's check in with Michel Louis at the now news desk kind rich. Thanks Christina. Good evening everyone. Federal retirees whose pensions were unlawfully taxed in North Carolina found out today they won't be getting a refund of their money. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the retirees in a decision today. The case goes back to 1989 when the high court ruled it was unlawful for the state to tax federal pension

plans especially since state pensions were exempt from the same tax at that time North Carolina was one of many states taxing federal pensions. So a group of North Carolina federal retirees sued seeking refunds from the years 1995 through 1998. Today's decision came despite an earlier ruling that the decision should have been applied retroactively. Many state agencies are rushing to get rule changes into the next edition of the North Carolina register under a new law taking effect December 1st. The General Assembly will now have the power to block rule changes within state agencies. That's because the number of rule changes to be published in The Register to go up in the weeks between October 12th and October 30 first. Three hundred thirty three new rules were filed with the state register while six hundred twenty four rules were amended and 204 rules were repealed. Register officials say they've had so much paperwork submitted they don't have enough money to pay for printing costs. Republican candidate for governor Richard Vinroot won a straw poll taken this weekend during the GOP s Hall of Fame dinner. The Charlotte mayor captured

53 percent of the four hundred thirty six ballots cast in the poll. State House Majority Whip Robin Hayes received 31 percent of the vote while Guilford County Commissioner Steve Arnold got 16 percent. Hayes and Arnold have downplayed the results saying those attending the dinner were not a cross-section of the Republican Party. Homeowners seeking a way out of building restrictions got a setback today from the state supreme court in the Charlotte case the state Supreme Court ruled homeowners associations can enforce building restrictions as long as there is no evidence that they acted arbitrarily or in bad faith. The case stems from a Charlotte resident who put vinyl siding on a house despite three rejections by his homeowners association. And now let's take a look at tomorrow's weather. High temperatures will range from a chilly 53 in the northern mountains to the high 60s near Wilmington. Skies are expected to be cloudy with a possibility of showers and afternoon thunderstorms for the entire state. It's also expected to be quite windy in business news day one of a tobacco conference going on this week at Duke University got underway today with out

two prominent researchers. The conference is focusing on nicotine research and the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company is helping to foot the bill. That upset two researchers who pulled out of the conference after learning RJR helped by their plane tickets. However several Duke Scientists say the information gained during the event is more important than who helps pay for the conference. The stock market declined today as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 11 and a half points to close at forty eight fourteen point one about 309 million shares traded hands. The Standard Poor's 500 and the Nasdaq composite index both well and now for some stocks of North Carolina interest me. Along with the death of youth soccer being North Caroline is also mourning the loss of one of its most ardent

preservationists. Margaret Nygaard died this weekend of an apparent heart attack. It was 30 years ago that she founded the Association for the preservation of the river. Her belief was that the best way to preserve the land was to buy it a year and a half ago and the park spent some time with this fascinating river woman. Whenever people gather to talk about North Carolina eventually the conversation gets around to rivers. For many old Murphy some of the most beautiful in the world are in the Old North State. So today I'm going to tell you a story about one of those rivers the most important. I'm going to tell you about the River Walk. She was born in India raised in England until German bombing forced her family to evacuate to Canada and after the war she moved from Vancouver to California to Kansas to Tennessee and finally to north central North Carolina. Along the way she earned a Ph.D. in English and raised four children. But it was along the small river that she was to make her mark a mark that many

think may never be a race. Margaret Nygaard founded an organization called the Association for that you know River. She set out to save the river for all time. What we did was instead of saying not in our backyard which is the tendency was to say not the reservoir but we found another public purpose the park and do this in our backyard. That was our way of giving a positive rather than a negative message. And I'm sure that's what made friends. And at first I know that City Hall. They thought we were crazy. MARGARET There seems to be some kind of passion in you. What is it that gives you that drive in spite of everything you seem to persevered to endure.

What moves you. I do believe that nobody would put bets on us 30 years ago but I'm not the only one with the passion. This whole effort has had a kind of magnetism and indeed every member of our family shares it. They're all the rivers part of their blood and bones. They've grafted it. They know all the nooks and crannies and their friends feel the same way. And so there's a there's a kind of force that this reality that the quiet water and the beautiful surroundings make which attracts creative people. Margaret Nygaard determination to save the Ino river from development is a textbook case in grassroots political action a lot by lot acre by acre the organization raise the money cajole the legislature front the developers and

over 30 years served notice this river is the people's river. Margaret Nygaard says it's a stewardship. Oh very much so. But I you know. I don't know how one achieves it except as I say to to bond by belonging and walking and exploring. There is an almost spiritual drive in this extraordinary woman. I just believe that it sent people I had not cultivated and they had the concern is there and I believe that's in every one of us. I do believe that the conservationist is everybody partly because it's a question of survival. You've got to have clean air and you've got to have clean water. And the one thing I think perhaps people don't realize that they have to have is open space and

quietness. It's a little hard to explain that in the years before Christ the poet Virgil wrote so long as rivers run down to the sea as long as shadows touch the mountain slopes as long as stars graze in the vault of heaven shall honor you and your praises. Virgil might have been thinking of Margaret. They'll wrap it up for this edition of North Carolina now. Tomorrow we take you to Charlotte for a look at what's been

named the best public library system in the country. And be sure to be with us on Thursday and Friday when we'll have a two part series on how Medicare changes under consideration in Washington could affect you here in North Carolina. Merida will be back tomorrow. Thanks for inviting me into your home this evening. Good night everyone.