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Stakes high in debate for Senate
Andrew Taylor, political scienceTight supply drives up gas costs
Ed Erickson, economicsNCSU Professor Wins Award for Pest Research
Fred Gould, entomologyTextile executives break tradition, support Democrats
Roland Stephen, political scienceFootnotes: Grant helps study of flowers
Michael Purugganan, geneticsPeople
Salah E. Elmaghraby, industrial engineering; Carla Mattos, molecular and structural biochemistry; Jagdish "Jay" Narayan, materials science and engineeringMixed picture for area jobless
Michael Walden, agricultural and resource economicsGive Raleigh an icon
Marvin Malecha, College of DesignColleges focus on marketing
Board of Trustees, Public Affairs, marketing campaignsGetting involved: Creative genius
African-American Cultural CenterStamping makes an impression
Craft CenterTar Heel of the week: Book dealer offers hot jazz, black culture
Bruce Bridges, has taught at NCSU
Shack-a-thon
for Habitat for Humanity
students
Second
Chance raising money for animals
auction of NCSU items
Bush
Cabinet shows up often in N.C. political battlefield
Commerce Secretary Don Evans visited
the Raleigh area in April, to speak at N.C. State University, to tour a work-force
staffing center and, according
to his spokesman, "to discuss President Bush's commitment to better prepare
workers in the 21st century and his leadership in strengthening the economy
and creating more jobs."
Stout-hearted
crowd expected to sample 300 brews at World Beer Festival
Natalie Abernethy, alumna
Inventor
to give Christian testimony, concerts, lectures
Deborah Chung will speak at N.C. State.
Mystic,
minister, purpose and prizes
Self-Knowledge Symposium
Letter
to the editor: Cold coverage
tailgating
Organic
Farming Studied As Demand Rises
Nancy Creamer, Center for Environmental Farming Systems
Economy
plods along amid pressures
Art Padilla, business management
Gene-engineered
insects that don’t spread disease
Fred Gould, entomology
Supply
chain in spotlight for top-rank lecture
Ron Handfield, business management
University
is reshaping Circle
Research Triangle Park
Gamble
envisions "research corridor" along I-90 to boost state's
economy
Research Triangle Park
Sept. 27, 2004
News & Observer
By TIM SIMMONS
© Copyright 2004
Mention a BMW, and adults think of quality. Talk about an iPod, and college kids know they want one.
But throw out the name of a major university, and chances are pretty good that neither adults nor students can tell you a thing about its academic programs.
The difference often boils down to marketing campaigns, a corporate staple that has drawn the interest of trustees at N.C. State University.
"You know, we can comfort each other about our greatness every time we get together, but in the rest of the world we aren't perceived as being that great," trustee Richard Robb told his colleagues at a recent meeting.
The problem, he said, isn't that NCSU lacks excellent programs or top-notch faculty. The problem is that the university does a mediocre job of selling itself to the nation's top students.
"We wouldn't do too well in a singles bar," Robb said.
The idea that universities should be packaged and sold like a corporate product seems a bit tawdry to some in higher education.
"Traditionally, that's not how universities have operated," said Amanda Adolph, director of marketing at the American Council on Education. "But the environment for top students has become so competitive that many schools have turned to the corporate model of attracting business."
One of the schools most often cited when talk turns to marketing is the University of Maryland at College Park.
In the 1980s, it was known mostly as a party school with relatively low standards, but school officials made a concerted effort to improve the university throughout the 1990s.
But it was 2001 before those improvements were noticed beyond the campus. Recognition finally came thanks largely to an aggressive -- and expensive -- marketing campaign.
Student applications and the quality of those who applied have increased markedly since then.
NCSU trustees don't know where their current interest in marketing will lead them. A small group will work with the chancellor's office to get the conversation started. A rough outline of ideas should emerge by late fall or early spring.
Experience from other universities suggests that the process won't go far unless school leaders are willing to ask people what they think -- and then close their mouths and listen.
"You have to know what people think if you want to know how to position yourself," Adolph said.
Learning from students
The advice makes plenty of sense to admissions officers, who spend a good deal of time reinforcing -- and dispelling -- the opinions of potential students.
"It's not about standing on top of a mountain with a megaphone shouting to the people down below about how good you are," said Steve Farmer, senior associate director of admissions at UNC-Chapel Hill. "You need to ask them first what kind of school they think you are. It's not always easy to hear what people think of you, but it's how you learn."
It's also helpful to seek the opinions of people who aren't already familiar with the school -- or the school they think they know.
"There are juniors and seniors in high school who know more about Duke University today than their parents who are alumni," said Christoph Guttentag, Duke's director of undergraduate admissions. "That's because their parents know the Duke of 20 years ago and haven't kept up with the changes."
Rapid improvement is a point of pride at NCSU -- and a source of frustration when it comes to changing people's minds about the state's largest university.
With an eye toward meeting its current fund-raising goals, the university started its "Achieve!" marketing campaign two years ago to help change the minds of people who might see NCSU as a student's second choice.
The school's roots in agriculture are still apparent in the campaign. But those who spend a few minutes with the marketing materials also learn about the research centers on Centennial Campus, about the school's endowment of more than $300 million and about a host of national honors awarded to students.
"It's been a good campaign," said Debbie Griffith, associate vice chancellor for public affairs. "But we are not targeting students with that material. It's not focused on recruitment."
Costly campaigns
An important question that trustees will need to answer in recruiting students is how much they want to spend as they craft a message to reach them.
The University of Maryland's initial marketing effort -- known as the Zoom campaign -- cost $650,000. A five-year campaign at the University of Houston is reportedly costing that school $1 million a year.
By comparison, NCSU's "Achieve!" campaign has spent less than $200,000 since it began, Griffith said.
Regardless of cost, the best campaigns will miss the mark if they aren't followed with plenty of good old-fashioned personal attention.
"You have to go back time and time again," said N.C. Central University Chancellor James Ammons Jr., who has spent countless hours recruiting students since he arrived three years ago.
"You don't get much traction unless you retrace your steps. That's just the market today."
Sept. 27, 2004
News & Observer
By ROB CHRISTENSEN
© Copyright 2004
Tonight's televised U.S. Senate debate will feature a veteran congressman and a former White House chief of staff; a smooth former appliance salesman versus a wonkish Wall Street deal-maker.
For Republican Richard Burr, the five-term congressman from Winston-Salem and a former salesman, the stakes may be higher. Trailing in the polls for months, he is under pressure to do something to shake up the race to succeed Democratic Sen. John Edwards.
For Democrat Erskine Bowles, the Charlotte investment banker and former Clinton administration official, his goal is not to embarrass himself in the only Senate debate now scheduled.
"The onus is on the candidate who is behind in the polls," said Andrew Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State University. "You have to expect Burr to go on the offensive and go after Bowles. ... Something has to change in this race for him to win it. His opportunities are dwindling."
A new poll conducted for The News & Observer and other news organizations finds Bowles continuing to lead Burr, 49 percent to 40 percent, with 11 percent of those surveyed undecided.
Bowles has maintained a similar lead since at least June.
The survey of 600 likely voters was conducted by Research 2000 for The N&O, WRAL-TV and WUNC radio last Monday through Wednesday. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Burr was leading in the Triad, Charlotte area and Western North Carolina. But Bowles was leading overall because of his strength in the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina while battling Burr closely in the GOP-leaning Charlotte area.
Both candidates largely pulled off the campaign trail over the weekend to prep for the debate, which has the potential to be a defining moment of the campaign.
This debate may take on added importance because the Senate contest has yet to capture broad public attention. It has been overshadowed by a delayed GOP gubernatorial primary and the splash made by Edwards being named to the national ticket.
"This is one of the first times people will have the opportunity to see both players on the stage," said Marc Rotterman, a GOP political consultant. "I think at this point, North Carolinians are just beginning to focus on the Senate race."
This will be Burr's first statewide debate. Burr's speaking style is cool, relaxed and conversational, although he sometimes drifts into Washington-speak jargon.
Burr has stepped up his criticism of Bowles in recent days both in TV commercials and on the campaign trail, accusing him of favoring higher taxes and linking him to Clinton and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Expect more of the same, said Taylor, who says its likely that Burr will plow GOP-favorable turf such as the war on terrorism, taxes and smaller government. But Burr can only be so aggressive without alienating swing voters.
"Burr's going to have to prove that he can capture the middle ground," said Brad Crone, a Democratic political consultant. "A lot of the vote that is undecided are moderate, mainstream voters in the metropolitan areas."
Burr has pushed for a series of debates, but Bowles so far has agreed to only one. That is the reverse of the situation two years ago when Bowles, trailing Republican Elizabeth Dole, called for seven debates in 2002.
While Burr has a cool style well-suited for television, Bowles has a hotter, more emotive speaking style.
He is likely to stress issues that play well for Democrats, such as jobs, the economy and health care. He will try to tie job losses to the Bush administration, Taylor said.
The two Senate candidates come to the debate with different goals. Burr needs to raise doubts about Bowles, while further introducing himself to voters. Bowles is more likely to play defense.
"It's much more important to Burr," said Ted Arrington, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "Bowles just wants to get out of it alive."Challenges facing the candidates
WHAT RICHARD BURR MUST ACCOMPLISH
1. Introduce himself to voters who are just beginning to tune into the Senate race.
2. Raise doubts about Democrat Erskine Bowles, tying him into the national Democratic Party. But he must do so without coming across as harsh.
3. Demonstrate his mastery of a broad range of national issues, particularly involving Republican strengths such as national security, taxes and controlling the size of government.
4. Speak English as opposed to using Washington jargon.
WHAT ERSKINE BOWLES MUST ACCOMPLISH
1. Not make any major mistakes.
2. Not allow himself to be beat up by Burr, defending himself and counter-punching when necessary.
3. Stress issues where Democrats are strong such as jobs, health care and education.
4. Not come across as too wonkish.
ABOUT THE POLL
The Research 2000 North Carolina Poll was conducted for The News & Observer, WRAL-TV and WUNC radio from Sept. 20 through Sept. 22. A total of 600 likely voters statewide who vote regularly in state elections were interviewed by telephone. Those interviewed were selected by the random variation of the last four digits of telephone numbers. A cross-section of exchanges was used to ensure an accurate reflection of the state. Quotas were assigned to reflect the voter registration by county.
The margin of sampling error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians,
is no more than plus or minus 4 percentage points. This means that there is
a 95 percent probability that the true figure would fall within that range
if the entire population were sampled. The margin for error is higher for any
subgroup, such as respondents of a particular political party or from a specific
region of the state.
When and where to watch
The one-hour debate will be broadcast at 7 p.m. tonight from the studios of
UNC-TV in Research Triangle Park.
Among the stations planning to air the debate live are UNC, WRAL, WTVD, and
WNCN in the Triangle, WITN in Washington, N.C., and WNCT in Greenville. A number
of stations also plan to air the broadcast on a delayed basis.
The debate is sponsored by the N.C. Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation. It will be moderated by Carl Kassell, an anchor for National Public Radio.
Besides an opening and closing statement, the candidates will field questions posed by the moderator that had earlier been submitted by North Carolina journalists.
Only invited supporters of the candidates may attend the debate.
Book dealer offers hot jazz, black culture
Sept. 26, 2004
News & Observer
By THOMASI MCDONALD
© Copyright 2004
DURHAM -- An appreciative quiet drapes the patrons seated inside The Know Bookstore's restaurant as jazz pianist Yusef Salim completes a reflective, intensely personal solo.
Salim is one of jazz music's unsung heroes, and has played with the likes of Gary Bartz, Sonny Stitt, and Billie Holiday. When he finishes his musical statement, he winks, and the crowd bursts into applause.
And this is the lyric: There is a growing awareness among music buffs that jazz at The Know Bookstore on Friday nights is one of the hottest tickets in the Triangle. But few realize that for more than 20 years, the bookstore's owner, Bruce Bridges, has created a citadel of African-American learning and culture at 2520 Fayetteville St.
Walk into the bookstore and the aroma of Shahada incense wafts through the air, mingling with the down-home smells of corn bread, turnip greens, fried trout and jerk chicken.
Books and posters, videotapes and audiotapes, art and clothing unavailable in most Triangle bookstores are routine stock at The Know; original oil paintings of African-American icons grace the restaurant walls. Speeches and interviews with the likes of African-American revolutionaries, thinkers and writers such as Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, James Baldwin and Stokely Carmichael share space in the CD and DVD bin with little-known historian Ivan Van Sertima and back-to-Africa man Marcus Garvey. There is even a CD by Ike and Tina Turner in the mix.
"We see The Know as a trail-blazing outlet in our community," said Alan Omar, the owner of Omar on the Nile, a Chapel Hill-based natural fruit drink company.
Wilmer Johnson recently visited the bookstore with his son, Desmond, 14.
"I've been trying to tell him about the history of Hayti. You got anything?" Johnson asked Bridges, referring to the Durham black business district that was razed in the late 1960s and early '70s to make way for the Durham Freeway.
But something else caught the eye of Desmond Johnson, a ninth-grader who was visiting the store for the first time.
"Dad, can I get this one?" he asked, holding up a T-shirt bearing a 1965 photo of Muhammad Ali with his arms aloft after he knocked out Sonny Liston. "It has unbelievable things," the youngster said while looking around the store.
Words like that please the owner of the oldest black-owned bookstore in the state.
"We have a lot of funeral homes, beauty shops, convenience stores and restaurants, but no one ever thought about opening a business for the mind," he adds, tapping his forehead.
Even on a slow day, Bridges -- a thin man with a full beard who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall -- is perpetually busy. Along with assisting book customers, he's checking in orders from distributors, taking orders from restaurant patrons and talking on a cordless phone.
A happening place
The conversations inside the place are reminiscent of the stuff that make the best barbershops and beauty salons happening places. There are no sacred cows: Questions such as what happened to the Nation of Islam's millions and decidedly unscientific theories about why the season's hurricanes keep hitting Florida before the November presidential election.
The bookstore owner has hit a few bumps along the way. Earlier this year, a Durham County sheriff's deputy showed up unannounced to collect $639.18 in unpaid business taxes stretching back to 1998. Bridges paid the money on the spot. He said it was an honest mistake.
"I just hadn't got around to it," he said.
Bridges, 54, was born at Duke Hospital, the oldest of Oscar and Alice Bridges' seven children. He always loved books, and was a constant visitor to the library behind the offices of McDougald Terrace, where he grew up.
Early on, he developed a keen sense of race consciousness, and readily recalls life in segregated Durham.
"When I was 7 or 8 walking downtown with my mother, we passed an Amos and Andy shop and I wanted a hot dog," Bridges recalls. "My mother said, 'No. I'm not taking you anywhere we can't sit down to eat.' "
By the the time he enrolled at Durham High School, he was participating in the civil rights and black power movements.
During a boycott of Durham stores that would not hire blacks, Bridges handed out leaflets and wrote poetry that he would recite at weekly meetings the boycotters held at neighborhood churches.
Bridges, who has a doctorate in African studies, has taught at N.C. Central University, St. Augustine's College and N.C. State University.
He once moonlighted as a manager for local rhythm-and-blues groups, including the Modulations, who earned some national attention after an appearance on "Soul Train" in the mid-1970s, singing their hit, "Worth Your Weight in Gold."
Creating a market
In 1981, Bridges started the Cultural Awareness Seminar at the NCCU Student Union. By the fall, the class numbers swelled and the seminar moved to St. Joseph's AME Church on Fayetteville Street.
The program was later featured on the old WDUR radio station. Bridges opened his first bookstore on Dillard Street because his radio audience asked about books.
"I had actually created a market and needed a place to sell these books," Bridges said.
Bridges moved the bookstore to its current location in 1991.
Friday night jazz at The Know has been an effective way to introduce Triangle residents to a neighborhood that has received a bad reputation over the years, said Larry Thomas of Chapel Hill, a prominent musicologist who acts as producer for the jazz at The Know.
"The Know is part of a community that's not considered a good part of town," Thomas said. "But the music allows people from different backgrounds to come together. It destroys the stereotype because when they get over there they realize it's no more funky than their own neighborhoods."
Businessman, teacher, activist, author, music promoter: Bridges has spread the gospel about Africa's and African-Americans' contributions to civilization.
"My mission is the same as it was when I started the Cultural Awareness Seminar years ago," Bridges said. "It's from Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song.' "
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."
BRUCE BRIDGES
BORN: Jan. 17, 1950, in Durham.
PARENTS: Oscar and Alice Bridges, the oldest of seven children.
EDUCATION: Undergraduate degree, N.C. Central University; further studies at the University of Cincinnati and the University of West Indies, where he eventually obtained a Ph.D. in African studies. Also studied at the University of Ghana in Accra.
MARITAL STATUS: Single
NEWEST WORK: "Recapturing the African Mind," scheduled for publication in 2005.
NOW READING: "Ready for Revolution: The Life and Struggles of Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), by Stokely Carmichael.
FAVORITE HISTORIANS: John Henrik Clarke, Chancellor Williams and Hubert Harrison.
HOBBIES: reading, listening to jazz
MEMORABLE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE:
Published poet at the age of 13. His poem, "Jim Crow Has Got to Go," was
published by Jet magazine.
Tight supply drives up gas costs
Sept. 26, 2004
Fayetteville Observer
By Al Greenwood
© Copyright 2004
The company that provides natural gas to Fayetteville homes expects winter prices to rise by as much as 10 percent from last year's high prices.
The increase expected by Piedmont Natural Gas would be part of a national trend toward rising gas prices, according to a short-term forecast by the Energy Information Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Natural gas supplies have remained tight since last winter, said Dave Costello, an economist at the Energy Information Administration. This year, prices were aggravated by rising oil prices, which exceeded $40 a barrel. Many companies that would normally buy oil switched to natural gas, which further tightened supplies of the fuel, Costello said. The U.S. economy grew this year, which also increased demand for natural gas.
''All of these conditions and a normal heating market would add another layer, a significant layer, of demand on the natural gas market,'' he said.
As a result, the Energy Information Administration expects spot prices for natural gas to rise slightly from those prices during the winter of 2003-2004. The spot price is the amount of money paid for natural gas for its immediate sale and delivery.
After the winter of 2000-2001, last year's winter had the highest gas prices ever, according to the Energy Information Administration. From November 2003 through February, the monthly average cost of 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas ranged from $7.88 to $9.97.
Homeowners aren't the only ones getting burned by high natural gas prices.
DuPont's Fayetteville Works site uses natural gas as a raw material to make safety glass. Textile companies such as M.J. Soffe burn natural gas to dry clothes.
The increase in prices will affect businesses like a tax increase, said James F. Smith, professor of finance at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ''If you have to spend money on natural gas, you have less money to spend on other things,'' he said.
However, the rise in gas prices is not large enough to reverse economic recovery, Smith said.
The tight supplies of natural gas point to a larger problem, said Ed Erickson, professor of economics at N.C. State University. Companies are, for environmental reasons, prohibited from drilling in several areas with potential reserves of natural gas, he said.
Meanwhile, demand for natural gas has continued to increase, Erickson said. ''You are going to run up the limit.''
The country can import natural gas from overseas, but it has only four ports that can accept it, said Peggy Laramie, spokeswoman of the American Gas Association, a trade group in Washington D.C. Those ports supply about 3 percent of the nation's natural gas. Four more terminals that can accept natural gas from ships are proposed, but they will not be completed until at least 2006, Laramie said.
A mild winter will lower the nation's demand for natural gas, Erickson said, but relying on the weather is not a long-term solution. The weather can take as quickly as it can give, he said.
The mild summer caused supplies of natural gas to be 7.5 percent above the five-year average, said Bill Trapmann, industry economist at the Energy Information Administration. But that was before Hurricane Ivan caused gas producers to shut off gas wells on the Gulf Coast. That eliminated about 33.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas that would have been produced.
Trapmann does not know when the gas wells on the Gulf Coast will resume production.
Gas prices are more volatile now then they were a decade ago, said David Trusty, vice president of investor relations for Piedmont.
Piedmont does not earn extra money when gas prices rise, he said. The company buys its natural gas at a higher price and passes the increase down to its customers.
Lowering bills
Homeowners can take a few steps to lower their gas bills, he said.
Lower thermostats.
Make sure furnaces run efficiently.
Install weather stripping on windows and doors.
Like many utility companies, Piedmont can spread out its customers' gas bills throughout the year.
GAS VS. ELECTRIC
Natural gas is a less expensive energy source than electricity, according to Energy Star. The following are typical Cape Fear region energy costs of household appliances:
Furnace
Gas: 60 to 80 cents an hour
Electric: 80 cents to $1.20 an hour
Range, per burner
Gas: 5 cents an hour
Electric: 10 to 16 cents an hour
Oven
Gas: 6 to 8 cents an hour
Electric: 14 to 19 cents an hour
Clothes dryer
Gas: 10 to 16 cents a load
Electric: 30 to 45 cents a load
Clothes washer
Hot wash, warm rinse
Gas: 17 to 21 cents a load
Electric: 65 to 80 cents a load
Warm wash, cold rinse
Gas: 8 to 10 cents a load
Electric: 20 to 30 cents a load
Water heater
Gas: 40 to 60 cents per day
Electric: 90 cents to $1.30 a day
Source: Energy Star
NCSU Professor Wins Award for Pest Research
Sept. 27, 2004
Local Tech Wire
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH – Fred Gould, who researches transgenic pest management technology at North Carolina State University, will receive a major award for contributions to American agriculture today.
Gould was among the first researchers to show that insects could develop resistance to transgenic crops.
Gould is the recipient of the Humbold Award, which includes $15,000. He plans to donate the money to NCSU libraries and to the Department of Entomology.
As part of the award, an NCSU student will receive a $5,000 scholarship for agriculture research in germany. The winner is Melanie Bateman, a doctoral student from Weaverville, NC.
Second Chance raising money for animals
Sept. 24, 2004
News 14 Carolina
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Second Chance Pet Adoptions is holding its Fourth Annual Auction for the Animals at Exploris Museum in downtown Raleigh Saturday from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.
The annual fundraising event provides nearly 20 percent of Second Chance’s annual operating funds. This year’s goal is to raise $25,000.
Admission is $20 per person and includes appetizers as well as wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages.
Among this year’s items for the auction are trips to Anguilla, British West Indies and Topsail Beach.
Other items include: a football signed by the NCSU team (from last year including Chuck Amato, Philip Rivers and T.A. McLendon), basketballs signed by the NCSU women's team and the NCSU men's team, weekend Harley rentals from Ray Price Harley Davidson, home theatre surround sound system, restaurant gift certificates, a year of unlimited movies for 4 at Raleigh Grande/Crossroads theatres, art, handcrafted jewelry, and much, much more. Second Chance will also be holding a drawing for the raffle winner of an all-inclusive trip to St. Croix.
Second Chance said thousands of cats and dogs are homeless in America, and, in particular, the Triangle.
Textile executives break tradition, support Democrats
Sept. 25, 2004
Associated Press; Charlotte Observer; Durham Herald-Sun; News & Observer; WCNC; Wilmington Morning Star; Kansas.com, KS; Miami Herald, FL; philly.com, PA; San Jose Mercury News; The State, SC; WVEC, VA
By JENNIFER HOLLAND
© Copyright 2004
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The drain of jobs to cheaper markets overseas and the Republican candidate's eagerness to usher in free trade agreements has prompted textile leaders to support a Democrat in South Carolina's U.S. Senate race this year.
"There's a lot of Republicans up here who would struggle to vote for a Democrat, but in the textile industry there's a number of us who are finding it much easier this election," said Carl Lehner, chief executive officer of Leigh Fibers in Spartanburg.
Industry leaders embraced Democrat Inez Tenenbaum after U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., defeated their favored candidate, former Gov. David Beasley, in the GOP primary. The winner will replace retiring Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, D-S.C.
Many textile executives vowed to support DeMint's opponent — Republican or Democrat — after the congressman voted two years ago to give the president added power to negotiate trade agreements.
"Inez is far more supportive of our industry than Jim DeMint is," Lehner said. "He has consistently voted with President Bush on free trade issues, which generally work against the interest of the textile industry."
In the Carolinas, textile mills used to be the backbone of many communities' economies. As those factories are shuttered, many people in often rural areas are left without jobs — and sometimes without options.
The fate of the textile industry has been less of an issue in the North Carolina Senate race between Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Richard Burr, but it's still important.
Bowles, a Charlotte, N.C., investment banker and President Clinton's former chief of staff, has received more than $100,000 from the textile industry. His wife, Crandall, leads Springs Industries, a bedding and drapery manufacturer near the state line in Rock Hill, S.C.
Democrats Tenenbaum and Bowles each oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement, while DeMint supports it. Burr, the North Carolina Congressman, has said the agreement "doesn't cut it."
The agreement must be ratified by Congress, which means whoever wins the November elections likely will get to vote on the deal.
Tenenbaum, the state's education superintendent, promises it's not too late to save the battered industry and blames DeMint's votes during his three terms in Congress for the loss of thousands of South Carolina textile jobs.
DeMint is unapologetic about his support of free trade, saying it's the only way to create jobs that keep the state competitive in the global marketplace.
"What we're doing now is not free trade at all," said Jock Nash, a Washington lobbyist and lawyer for textile magnate Roger Milliken of Spartanburg. "When a corporation leaves America and goes to China to make their stuff and sells it back here, that's not trade. You're seeing the deconstruction of our manufacturing base."
Milliken poured money into Beasley's campaign, but has so far been silent in the DeMint-Tenenbaum race.
Robert Edsall, who owns a Spartanburg-based textile marketing company, said industry leaders raised about $35,000 for Tenenbaum at a $500-a-plate luncheon last month.
The American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition has put up billboards across South Carolina and pushed to get every textile, apparel and fiber employee registered to vote.
Lehner hopes to convince his employees and their peers across the Republican-leaning state that it's OK to vote for a Democrat.
He has set up Internet access for his 200 employees to register to vote online or pick up a registration form.
"I've also given talks to our employees indicating to them that trade policies make a difference, who determines trade policies make a difference and that some candidates have been more supportive of our industry than others," Lehner said.
University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato questions how effective the textile vote, formerly a solid GOP voting bloc, will be this year.
"They have moved to Democrats almost out of desperation, things are so bad," he said. "It's important, but it's not as important as it once was because this is a shrunken force."
Lehner, who has contributed thousands of dollars to Republicans in the past, said it's the first time in 20 years with the company that he's gotten involved in politics with his employees.
"With quotas coming off in January, it's pretty important that people pay attention to this election," said Lehner, who has 100 fewer employees than a decade ago. Global quotas on textiles are set to expire on Jan. 1, and U.S. companies are bracing for a flood of cheaply made Chinese apparel.
Tenenbaum has accused DeMint of being a Washington insider who's failed to enforce trade policies, especially with China. She also has called for a moratorium on new trade policies until their long-term effects can be studied.
South Carolina's economy has perked up recently, but the textile industry will never return to what it once was.
"Unless the Democratic candidates really believe that they are going to roll back existing free trade commitments, that's not going to change," said Roland Stephen, associate professor of political economy at North Carolina State University.
He said candidates should talk about giving tools to businesses and to workers to adjust to the global market.
Textile leaders say they welcome trade on a fair playing field.
They have lobbied lawmakers to close all import loopholes, keep tariffs and duties at their current levels, use only U.S. companies for defense and security contracts and strictly enforce safeguards against growing imports from China.
DeMint has tried to tame the trade issue, regularly pointing out that jobs in the state were lost to the recession and increased business efficiency. He says free trade helped South Carolina's exports grow by 22 percent in 2003.
DeMint says he just wants America to be competitive.
"We do that by opening markets and enforcing the trade agreements that we have and providing new opportunities for our exporters here," said his campaign spokeswoman, Kara Borie.
Economists and experts say free trade is good for the country as a whole but may have negative effects.
"It's in our best interest to have developing countries develop," Stephen said. However, "it is true that this transition is a painful one."
Shack-a-thon for Habitat for Humanity
Sept. 24, 2004
News 14 Carolina
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Some NC State students have been learning a valuable lesson this week.
Students have been gathering in the university's Brickyard since Sunday for the annual Shack-a-thon.
They live in a homemade shack trying to collect donations for Wake County's Habitat for Humanity program.
Twenty-one student groups are participating in the event this year.
They hope the fundraiser yields more than $10,000 for the organization.
Sept. 27, 2004
News & Observer
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Ever wonder why a plant blooms when it does? Ever wonder how much it would cost to find out?
The lab of Michael Purugganan at N.C. State University will receive about $1.35 million to uncover differences in the genes that control flowering response in Arabidopsis -- or mustard weed -- plants from a wide range of European climates.
NCSU's portion of the grant is part of $5 million provided by the National Science Foundation's Frontiers for Integrated Biological Research program.
Purugganan, associate professor of genetics at NCSU, will team with researchers from Brown University, Kansas State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology.
Changes in the length of day, temperature and season may serve as harbingers of flowering time, but on the whole, Purugganan says, little is understood about the ecology and evolution of the flowering process. The scientists also hope to learn more about changes, if any, implicit in the gradual warming because of global climate change.
Sept. 27, 2004
News & Observer
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
SALAH E. ELMAGHRABY, professor of industrial engineering and operations research, has been named Fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. The award recognizes members who have made significant contributions to the advancements in the related fields in addition to service to the professional field. Elmaghraby has been on the faculty since 1967.
CARLA MATTOS, an assistant professor in the department of molecular and structural biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has received a 2003 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest national honor for researchers in the early stages of their careers. Mattos, who joined the faculty in 1999, was among 57 recipients honored during a recent ceremony at the White House.
JAGDISH "JAY" NARAYAN, professor of materials science and engineering and director of the NSF Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures, has been selected to lecture at ASM International's annual event, to be held in October in Columbus, Ohio.
Bush Cabinet shows up often in N.C. political battlefield
Sept. 25, 2004
Charlotte Observer
By TIM FUNK
© Copyright 2004
This week it was Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, who dropped by Asheville to announce up to $10 million for N.C. workers affected by hurricane-related storms.
Then there was National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who stopped in Charlotte early last week to defend the war in Iraq. And at the same time elsewhere in the state was Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, who visited Greenville to promote caps on medical liability lawsuits -- another of President Bush's causes.
North Carolina, where Bush is battling Sen. John Kerry for 15 electoral votes, has become a must-stop state for many of the president's emissaries this election season.
Over the past year, 10 of the 14 members of Bush's Cabinet have visited the Tar Heel State, according to checks with the various federal departments and press accounts from N.C. newspapers. Add Rice, who's not technically a member of the Cabinet, and it's 11 high-level visitors who have stopped in to bring federal goodies, talk up the president's agenda or boost the election of House and Senate Republicans who have pledged to support his congressional proposals.
Does North Carolina's popularity as a destination have anything to do with it being a battleground state?
For an answer, look to next-door neighbor South Carolina, which looks to be an easy pickup for Bush. Number of Cabinet visitors there in the past year: Three, and no sightings of Rice.
Though several of the N.C. visits were labeled official business, the political benefit to Bush was apparent.
Chao, who surveyed flood damage while in Asheville, made it clear she was representing a president who cared.
"President Bush and I want workers affected by these disasters to know that help is available now," Chao said in a statement her office released the day of her visit.
Cabinet secretaries boost their boss's re-election in several interlocking ways, says Ferrell Guillory, director of UNC Chapel Hill's Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life.
As his employees, they can vouch for him. As newsmakers, they can get his name on the air and in the headlines. As cheerleaders for the administration, they can energize local partisans. And as government officials, with their fingers on the federal purse strings, they can deliver money in the president's name.
"All of these kind of mix together to create some buzz on behalf of a candidate," Guillory says. "Incumbents have this advantage; challengers do not."
Some Cabinet members are more political than others in how they promote the president.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has a military background and a diplomatic job, does not actively campaign for Bush. But he does speak up for the president's policies, as he did in the commencement address he delivered at Wake Forest University in May.
As a Democrat, Transportation Secretary -- and former California congressman -- Norman Mineta has a deal with Bush that he won't perform political duties for the president. And whenever members of Congress appear with him, his spokesman says, he insists that both parties be represented. His lone trip to North Carolina in the past year: To Kitty Hawk, in December, for the nonpartisan 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight.
Commerce Secretary Don Evans visited the Raleigh area in April, to speak at N.C. State University, to tour a work-force staffing center and, according to his spokesman, "to discuss President Bush's commitment to better prepare workers in the 21st century and his leadership in strengthening the economy and creating more jobs."
Chao has been in North Carolina more than any of the other Cabinet members. Just over a year ago, she came to Kannapolis to announce $20.6 million in grants to aid Pillowtex workers who'd lost their livelihoods.
During his Greenville visit, Thompson, a former GOP governor of Wisconsin, campaigned for Rep. Richard Burr of Winston-Salem, the Republican running for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat John Edwards -- Kerry's running mate and a former trial lawyer.
And when Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman stopped in Brevard on Sept. 12 for a Job Corps event, she saluted the appearance of Rep. Charles Taylor, R-N.C., a solid Bush supporter who is running for re-election.
"We are very pleased (that he's here), we work very closely with him on forest issues," she told the crowd. "He is the only forester in the Congress and chairs the subcommittee on Interior appropriations, which gives the Forest Service its money. So he is a very, very important person to us."
Letter to the editor: Cold coverage
Sept. 25, 2004
News & Observer
© Copyright 2004
I am an N.C. State University student, and my husband has football season tickets. Not long ago, N.C. State fans were described by some as being out of control, violent and unsupervised. They were criticized mercilessly for an isolated shooting incident that didn't even take place on N.C. State property.
Now, in your Sept. 19 article "Tepid tailgating a turnoff," the mood was described as "tepid." You need to decide which fans you prefer, because it seems to me as if we cannot do anything right.
What I do not understand is why it is that whenever something goes wrong at N.C. State, it is front-page news for weeks, and when we do something right, we are condemned.
Melissa Buff
Cary
Stout-hearted crowd expected to sample 300 brews at World Beer Festival
Sept. 25, 2004
Durham Herald-Sun
By AL CARSON
© Copyright 2004
DURHAM -- As an Englishman, Jon Connolly doesn't balk at a beer served at room temperature. It's the custom there.
Then again, an ice-cold one sounds good to him, too.
Connolly is a self-described equal-opportunity sipper.
"I can drink cold beer, warm beer, any beer ... as long as it's liquid," he says with a laugh.
For Connolly, today is the World Series of brew, right here in the Bull City. The ninth-annual World Beer Festival takes place at historic Durham Athletic Park at Morris and Corporation streets.
Connolly, who in February will have been brewmaster for 10 years at the Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill, has been at all eight previous festivals. He likes the Durham location.
"I've been to quite a few of these beer festivals around the Southeast and the country, and this is one of the better ones," Connolly said. "It's very well-attended, with good music and a lot of food vendors."
A grass field is nice, too, he said.
"Some of the other ones, like in Washington, D.C., are on city blocks that are all concrete," he said. "This is much kinder on the feet, and it is a really friendly atmosphere for beer lovers and families, too."
Connolly got his start with studying brew while living in California nearly 20 years ago.
"I sort of learned about beer and got an interest in it during the late '80s when the whole brew-pub thing was just getting going," he said.
Carolina Brewery is one of 130 breweries that will be represented at the festival, which will offer samples of more than 300 beers. Six of those beers will be Connolly's creations.
"We will be taking our Oktoberfest beer, some of our popular beers here at the brewery and a couple of specialty beers," he said.
One of the featured beers will be the Copperline Amber Ale, which won a gold medal at The World Beer Championships.
Businessman Scott Maitland's award-winning Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery, one of the official sponsors of the World Beer Festival, is located just east of the Carolina Brewery on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.
"Being in Chapel Hill, there is lots of room for players in the beer business," Connolly said. "We don't try to emulate their beer, and they don't do ours, either. We have a niche, I think, for both breweries."
Meanwhile, Natalie Abernethy, the festival's director, is expecting large crowds, come rain or come shine. A festival Web site indicated Friday that tickets only remained for the afternoon session.
"With a nice day, we're looking at 6,000 to 7,000 people showing up," Abernethy said.
And even with rain, event organizers have it covered -- with a tent of big-top proportions, 100 feet wide and 275 feet long.
"We have over 30,000 square feet of tent -- a big, gorgeous circus tent," Abernethy said. "And all of the food vendors have their own small tents, and merchandise vendors have their own setups."
A graduate of N.C. State University, Abernethy said she found the perfect job in marketing four years ago "because I like microbrews and good beer, beer with flavor."
When asked how many beers a person can taste in four hours, she said it is up to the individual.
"We're doing 2-ounce pours," she said. "It's not like we're giving out pints. "I think you could probably taste 40 or 50 different beers, if you are there for all four hours."
This year, festival-goers will face the largest beer selection ever, with about 25 percent more breweries represented than last year. And there is lots more to the festival than just beer, including music and food. The Chatham County Line, Randy Whitt, Lamar Jonz and Cool John Ferguson will perform.
In addition, Cabot, the Vermont cheese folks, will be giving out free samples, while Page Skelton of Chapel Hill will be pushing his Cackalacky Classic Hot Sauce and his newest product, BEER-B-Q rub, which means free samples of roasted pork.
"Things have been crazy," Skelton said. "I've been on the road for almost two weeks now, with all the trappings that come along with it -- practicing for the World Beer Festival, of course."
This is Skelton's second year at the festival, which he called "one of the best festivals we do."
"Beer people are looking around at beer, beer, beer," he said, "and then they see hot sauce. It's a nice tickle."
Skelton said he plans to cook Boston butts, as he did a year ago when "people went nuts for it."
But this year, the taste will be a little different, with Cackalacky's new BEER-B-Q rub going on the pork before cooking and Cackalacky added afterward to taste.
Skelton, however, wasn't worried about drying up while cooking. He figures that between himself, his wife Caroline and one helper in the booth, there will be opportunities for him to slip away and sample a few brews, as well.
Another major festival sponsor, Julie Bradford, editor of Durham's All About Beer magazine, is a big fan of the World Beer Festival.
Her husband Daniel Bradford, "is a tireless promoter of good beer," she said, and he has been the director of the Great America Beer Festival in Denver, as well as a writer and educator, "hammering on the cause of good beer."
The World Beer Festival, she said, "is a terrific event. The old ballpark is the best site for a festival."
Organizers say this year's event will have a serious focus for beer drinkers, too.
"We've got this group called 'Pop the Cap' that has formed to try and bring North Carolina beer laws up to date," Julie Bradford said. "That would just mean lifting the 6 percent cap on alcohol content. There are only five states in the country that still do that. There isn't any limitation on any other alcoholic beverage, so why single out beer?"
Bradford said the idea isn't about being able to get more intoxicated from the beer, but deals with traditional brewing styles.
"It means that about one-third of the classic beer styles in the world can't be made here and can't be sold here," she said. "We've got some very talented brewers who want to make these and retailers who would like to sell them and people who would like to enjoy them. We want to join the other 45 states."
Started by Sean Wilson, the "Pop the Cap" movement is supported by beer drinkers who moved here from out of state and "know the beer world is bigger than we are allowed to see in North Carolina," Bradford said.
A benefit to support the Pop The Cap campaign also is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday at the Carolina Theatre. The benefit will include the premiere screening of a regional documentary called "American Beer." A reception featuring the filmmaker and the beer talked about in the movie will follow the show.
Inventor to give Christian testimony, concerts, lectures
Sept. 25, 2004
Durham Herald-Sun
By FLO JOHNSTON
© Copyright 2004
DURHAM -- A well-known inventor, who came up with "smart concrete" in 2002, will share her Christian testimony on the campuses of three Triangle universities next weekend.
Deborah Chung, who holds a doctorate from MIT and is now a professor of engineering at Buffalo University, will speak and entertain (she's also an accomplished pianist) at N.C. State, Duke University and UNC.
Chung will give her lecture "Making of an Inventor" at N.C. State on Friday at noon in the Taley Student Center and at 4 p.m. in Room 113 of the Physics Building at Duke. She will lecture at UNC on Sunday at 7 p.m. in Room 1505 of the Student Union at UNC.
Friday at 7:30 p.m., she will be at Greystone Baptist Church, 2601 Hillsborough Road in Durham for a concert, food and Christian testimony.
A party for students from all three universities will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday at 4114 Carpenter Pond Road, Durham. In addition to music and speaking, there will be an abundance of food and games, said Brevard Brown, who works with international students at First Baptist Church.
These events are planned specially to bring together international students in the Triangle area, Brown said. Bridges International, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and Duke Chinese Christian Fellowship are the sponsors.
Chung, the first woman to receive a B.S. degree in engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1973, says that she unexpectedly received God's call on March 28, 1998, while she was on a plane flying alone from Buffalo to San Diego. She said she heard God's voice speaking in Cantonese saying, "Go and make disciples of all nations ..."
Within a few months of that call, she began to preach and give evangelistic concerts, which are often titled, "Science, Music and Life."
"In 2002, in spite of the evangelistic limitations in China, I gave concert-lectures to audiences at China universities," Chung writes in a press release. "This willingness is partly because of the importance of my smart concrete in the eyes of Chinese researchers and government research funding agencies."
Chung's smart concrete is a patented technology. It adds short carbon fiber into concrete with a conventional concrete mixer, and though it is not in common use yet, experts say it has the ability to sense tiny structural flaws before they become significant. It could be used in monitoring the internal condition of structures and following an earthquake, according to the Web page of Emerging Construction Technologies.
Mystic, minister, purpose and prizes
Sept. 25, 2004
Durham Herald-Sun
By Jim Wise
© Copyright 2004
Mentions the Self-Knowledge Symposium. For a copy of this article, contact News Services at 5-3470.
Getting involved: Creative genius
Sept. 25, 2004
News & Observer
By Joyce Sykes
© Copyright 2004
CREATIVE GENIUS: N.C. State University's African-American Cultural Center will kick off its 2004 fall series of programs, "Changing the Landscapes of Society: African-American Creative Genius," Tuesday at the Campus Cinema in Witherspoon Student Center. Frank L. Matthews, co-founder and publisher of "Black Issues in Higher Education," will give a public lecture from 4 to 5 p.m. and a reception will follow Matthews' talk. Information: 515-1451.
Sept. 25, 2004
News & Observer
By MARCY SMITH RICE
© Copyright 2004
Not quite ready to dive into altered books? You can take baby steps into
embellishment with rubber stamps.
Stamping starting making its mark on the decorative crafts scene about 10 years
ago.
"Stamps are ageless," Laura Purcell, certified stamping fanatic, said.
Little kids can stamp, as can crafts-challenged adults. But it also offers
tremendous potential to stamp artists who combine various stamps and colors
to add depth.
Embossing velvet
Once you start stamping, it's hard to stop. Purcell, in fact, has not stopped since she started 10 years ago. She now has about 3,000 stamps, stored in 22 rolling carts, with two layers in each of three drawers. (And that's not counting the Christmas stamps.)
"They range from itty bitty to 8 by 8 inches," Purcell said.
For beginning stampers, Purcell recommends getting some stamps, dye ink and paper (card stock or other heavy paper is best). You'll find stamps mounted on paper, foam, plastic or wood. Purcell likes stamps mounted on wood.
Before you start: Purcell's prime tip is "Make sure your ink pads are good and wet." This keeps the ink from glopping into the non-design crevices of the stamp. Also, be sure to clean your stamps right after using them to keep the ink from building up.
Papercrafts
Cards. This is the most basic use. "I haven't been in a Hallmark store in six, seven years," Purcell said. You can stamp directly onto cardstock. Or, for a collage effect, stamp a design onto a separate piece of colored paper, then cut it out and glue onto the card front. Inside, you can stamp a message, using a set of alphabet stamps.
Wrapping paper. Lay out a swath of paper and stamp all over it. This is a great activity for kids.
Stationery. Stamp across the top or down the side with a small or midsize stamp. Embellish with lines, if desired.
Art. Purcell's primary work is in collage, using the stamps in combination with other paper, found objects, fabric, beads, etc.
Home decor
Walls. Stamp a border around the ceiling or along a chair rail. Or "use randomly all over like a wallpaper," Purcell said.
Switchplates. Less scary than stamping a whole wall. Stamp paper, then cut it and glue onto plate. Or buy wooden switchplates, apply a base coat, then stamp your design using paint or pigment ink.
Furniture. Stamp colors or try a new technique: "I have a piece of furniture that I stamped with glue and put gold leaf on it," Purcell said.
Quilts. "I stamp fabric and use it as part of a square," Purcell said. Use fabric paints or pigment dyes. Pigment dyes take longer to dry than dye ink, but the color is richer and thicker, Purcell said.
Clothing. Use fabric paint to stamp patterns around a hem or all over a dress or vest or coat.
To take stamping to the next level, invest in a heat gun and embossing powder. Easy to find at crafts stores, these items produce a dramatic raised effect.
For inspiration, Purcell often turns to the magazine Somerset Studio, which has a lot of paper arts, with an emphasis on stamping. A huge crop of stamping books fills the shelves. "Rubber Stamping for the First Time" by Carol Sheffler provides a variety of techniques and projects designed for beginners. Another particularly inspiring book is "Stamp!" (Quarry Books, 2004)
Embossing velvet. Press velvet into the stamp, mashing the nap of the velvet so that it bears a shiny imprint of the stamp. "I love it," Purcell said. "I have two jackets, a vest and a Christmas tree skirt." (For full directions, see above.)
Rah rah
N.C. State's Crafts Center is turning 40. To kick off its yearlong birthday party, crafters will gather in the Fanzone at Carter-Finley Stadium before N.C. State's Homecoming game against Wake Forest University on Oct. 2. Spinners and weavers, glass bead-makers, potters and woodworkers (with a big lathe on site) will demonstrate crafts from about 9:30 to 11:30. Look for the big telescope. You'll need a game ticket for entry. For information about more birthday events, see www.fis.ncsu.edu/Crafts_Center/ home.html or call 515-2457.
Mixed picture for area jobless
Sept. 25, 2004
News & Observer
By KARIN RIVES
© Copyright 2004
The Triangle lost 500 jobs in August, halting a rapid expansion of the job market the month before.
At the same time, the region's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of one percentage point to 3.4 percent.
This apparent contradiction could stem from self-employed people and illegal immigrants being undercounted in the monthly payroll and household surveys, which provide the basis for the state's employment reports, said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wachovia Securities.
That provides a skewed picture of what's really going on in the job market, he said.
Two separate government surveys that Wachovia Securities adjusted for seasonal factors report different figures for the number of jobs added in the Triangle since January: 7,500 or 17,500.Although the numbers are modest compared with the rapid gains of the late 1990s, they show that the recovery is on track, Vitner said.
"It's not that the economy is doing great, it's doing OK," he said. "We're seeing gains in virtually every industry throughout the Triangle."
The N.C. Employment Security Commission released local unemployment statistics Friday that are not adjusted for seasonal factors such as students returning to school, which normally results in a large drop in employment in August. The unadjusted drop in employment was 9,500.
The six counties are Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, Orange and Wake. All but Chatham County, which rose from a low 2.8 percent to 2.9 percent, either saw a slight drop in unemployment or no change.
Since August 2003, state government has added 3,300 employees in the Triangle, and the health care industry 2,200, according to the ESC. Construction companies grew their payrolls by 1,700. Employment services companies shed 700 and banking and finance companies lost 600.
For the month of August, restaurants and bars led in job creation with 1,100 new jobs, according to the ESC. The professional and business services industry lost 900, more than any other.
Michael L. Walden, an economist at N.C. State University, cautioned against reading too much into data for one month. The drop in employment was part of a temporary setback in the nation's economy over the summer, he said.
"I think the Triangle is still on track to generate 25,000 new jobs over the next year," Walden said.
At Smither & Associates, a Chapel Hill staffing firm that caters to small employers, business began to pick up in the summer and has remained strong since, said Anita Badrock, a vice president.
Employers call from many industries looking for professionals with specific skills, such as accountants, she said.
She has also also spotted another trend: The rapid influx of people, especially from the West Coast, who move to the Triangle without jobs after hearing about the strong job market here. Since the spring, more than 200 such newcomers have contacted her office seeking work.
Sept. 26, 2004
News & Observer
© Copyright 2004
'It is such a big building that I think the fundamental decision to go underground is correct. Any time you have to create a big box that can't have much penetration from the sidewalks, the street, it deadens the urban environment. It is a wise decision to put those functions down and bring up to the sidewalk all those public activities. There's nothing worse in an urban environment than a convention center that's dark.
'The notion of it being an icon is important. Many people are going to be coming to Raleigh, and they're going to be identifying with our city on the basis of that first impression when they arrive at the public plaza of the convention center. They're going to come from the airport in a cab, arrive there, and that's going to be Raleigh. What we need to build is something that speaks for our time and into the future. We are speaking to future generations with this building; therefore, I believe that particular moment has to be iconic. Whether that's with a tower or with an arrival place, I don't have an opinion, except to say if you do it with a tower, it can't be a little tower. It has to be a statement; otherwise, that iconic moment will be seen as something that's timid. To make the statement, make it boldly for our time and speaking to the future. Don't be timid.
'There was a building in Los Angeles from the '30s, the Pan Pacific Auditorium. In the eyes of our time, it was very modest. But even though the structure burned, the entrance facade was preserved and reincorporated into a new building because it spoke so clearly about the art deco moment in architectural history. This has to be that kind of thing, recognizing that we are the capital city, that Raleigh is on the move, and that these are people who have the same kind of boldness and vision as the people who did Research Triangle Park.
'We really have to think about the pedestrian, the person who has to live with it every day, because more people are going to be living and working downtown. It's this great civic moment, a place where you can sit and watch people, perhaps go to a bistro, a great restaurant overlooking it. It's our chance for a place that will enliven the whole downtown.
'The design is getting there, but the thing about iconic buildings is, somebody's going to be offended. The architects have done a fantastic job of listening to everybody. At some point, not everybody can be listened to. That's going to be in the next few weeks. We're going to see them taking some of those courageous positions. At this moment, it has one more step to make, and I hope it is one that takes on this iconic issue.'
-- Marvin Malecha, dean of the school of design at N.C. State University
Clemson study aims to control Beach Vitex
Sept. 25, 2004
Myrtle Beach Sun News
By Kelly Marshall
© Copyright 2004
Researchers from Clemson University have sprayed their first batch of test chemicals on patches of Beach Vitex in Georgetown County in hopes of controlling the fast-spreading plant.
The plant, which has been been compared to kudzu, another fast-growing species growing across South Carolina, has taken root in DeBordieu, Pawleys Island and Hobcaw Barony and is spreading to other parts of the state.
The spraying program in Georgetown County is the first time scientists have attempted to find an herbicide that will control Beach Vitex before it crowds out native species.
Beach Vitex is quickly overtaking sea oats and American beach grass in Georgetown County and is possibly a threat to the local dune system, according to some researchers.
"Most people have been trying to use manual labor or mechanical equipment to move it," said Jack Whetstone, a professor at the Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, located at Hobcaw Barony.
"We're using herbicides that are commonly used for broad- leaf plants and are EPA approved."
If the study is successful, it will help landowners know what chemicals can be used to control it.
Results of the spraying program won't be known until spring, Whetstone said.
So far, Glyphosate, Amaza pyr, 2,4-D, Triclopyr have been sprayed on several plants around DeBordieu.
Money from the spraying program is coming from a $47,000 grant given to the S.C. Beach Vitex Task Force to help study the plant and hold seminars on its identification.
The grant was given by the S.C. Exotic Pests Plant Coun-
cil.
"We're looking at a method of spraying around the trunk of the plant," Whetstone said. "We like to have different tools in our toolbox."
North Carolina is requesting information from South Carolina about how to handle the plant, which was brought to the United States in the late 1980s as a way to control sand erosion, said Betsy Brabson, who leads the S.C. Beach Vitex Task Force.
Clemson is discussing the issue with the the N.C. State University Extension Service, Whetstone said.
"We're trying to figure out what to do," Brabson said. "North Carolina is looking to us for guidance."
Clemson researchers have looked at the growth rate of Beach Vitex. The plant, which can be used for medicinal purposes, has thrived on Georgetown County beaches.
"We found out where it had been established for a while, it had established a monoculture," said Chuck Gresham, a Clemson assistant professor.
"On the other hand, the plant can be used to reduce the growth of lung cancer," he said. "I think there are good and bad things in the plant, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
The plant, first brought to the country for ornamental landscaping, has been pushed to other locations by recent high tides, Brabson said.
Brabson found Beach Vitex on North Island, an area in Winyah Bay reachable only by boat.
Vitex runners break off, spreading their seeds to different locations, she said.
Some local greenhouses have stopped selling the plant because of bad publicity. Beach Vitex could soon be named a noxious species.
"We're trying to educate people on what it looks like," she said. "We're trying to figure out what to do."
The plant also has been seen on the Isle of Palms, Folly Beach and Seabrook Island, she said.
Organic Farming Studied As Demand Rises
Sept. 26, 2004
Associated Press; Charlotte Observer; WCNC; Wilmington Morning Star; ABC News; Akron Beacon Journal, OH; Albany Times Union, NY; Biloxi Sun Herald, MS; Boston.com, MA; Bradenton Herald, FL; Canton Repository, OH; Centre Daily Times, PA; Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH; Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA; The Daily Comet; LA; Duluth News Tribune, MN; Forbes; Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN; Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN; Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX; Grand Forks Herald, ND; Kansas.com, KS; Kansas City Star, MO; Kentucky.com, KY; Lakeland Ledger, FL; The Ledger, FL; Macon Telegraph, GA; Miami Herald, FL; MLive.com, MI; Monterey County Herald, CA; Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC; Newsday, NY; Ocala Star-Banner, FL; Philadelphia Inquirer; phillyburbs.com, PA; Pioneer Press, MN; San Jose Mercury News, CA; San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA; Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL; Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA; SiliconValley.com, CA; Springfield News Sun, OH; The State, SC; Tallahassee.com, FL; Tallahassee Democrat, FL; Times Daily, AL; Times Picayune, LA; Tuscaloosa News, AL; Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA; Worcester Telegram, MA; WTOP, D.C.; WVEC, VA; Xposed.com; Yahoo News
By JONATHAN DREW
© Copyright 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Organic farming sounds simple _ no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or genetically engineered plants. But succeeding at it can be complicated. A recent wave of research at universities around the country seeks to take some of the guesswork and financial uncertainty out of the practice.
"There's so many things that interact naturally that you can't control that you could with chemicals. I think you could spend a whole lifetime learning how," said Dale Dyko, who raises corn, spelt _ a type of wheat _ and soybeans on about 30 acres in Xenia in western Ohio.
Organic food sales almost tripled from 1997 through 2003 to $10.4 billion, according to the Organic Trade Association. Organic fruits and vegetables account for most of the sales, while organic meats and snack foods _ such as corn chips and rice cakes _ are two of the fastest growing segments.
"Organic agriculture is just a growth culture within all agricultural industries," said Matt Kleinhenz, the lead researcher on a study at Ohio State University. "Scientifically and practically we don't know enough about it."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it has been increasing its financial support of organic farming research at universities and other organizations since 2000. Funding for one program has increased nearly fourfold to about $1.9 million from 2000, said Philip Schwab, a policy adviser with the agency.
However, organic farming makes up only a small part of U.S. agriculture. Certified organic crops were grown on 562,486 acres in 2002, a fraction of the 300 million acres on which all crops were harvested, according to the USDA's census.
Making money at farming has for generations meant using chemicals to kill weeds, fight off insects and disease and otherwise wrench predictable results from soil and plants. Going organic _ and thus abandoning use of nearly all chemicals _ unleashes a different set of variables.
"Conventional ag is a little bit more like a recipe. You know what to pour out of the bag," said Nancy Creamer, director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems at North Carolina State University.
Farmers like Ed Snavely, who switched from traditional to organic methods in 1986, say they have relied on advice from other growers and trial and error to develop their techniques.
Snavely monitors temperature and soil moisture and scrapes his fingers through the dirt looking for young weeds just below the surface that look like tiny, white hairs to decide when to attach the tools to his tractor that will rip the weeds from the soil.
He'll typically do so three times before planting his crops, which include corn, buckwheat, soybeans and hay, and four times after planting. Waiting even a day too long can allow the weeds to grow too big to manage easily, he said.
Snavely used to kill weeds on his 100 acres in Knox County by spraying chemicals, which required only one trip through the fields.
"With most of your conventional farmers, it's plant, spray and forget. If you're going to go organic, you can't plant and forget. You've got to be out there walking your fields," he said.
Going organic can also be a financial risk. In subtracting nearly all chemicals, farmers say they also subtract from their profits in the first few years. It takes time to master a new way of farming.
Compounding the problem, a farmer who switches from conventional growing methods has to wait three years to obtain certification from the government, a label that helps ensure higher prices.
Snavely said he would have benefited if more scientific data had been available when he first made the switch.
"I took some big yield reductions because I didn't know what I was doing," he said.
Current studies aim to generate data that can be accessed through the Internet or obtained from university and government employees who consult with farmers.
Cathy Eastman, vegetable entomologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, leads a study that uses three different crop strategies and three kinds of soil enrichment. Scientists from five different fields are studying plant and soil health and how to control weeds and insects.
Kleinhenz and other researchers at Ohio State are studying how farmers can survive a transition to organic farming from conventional farming. They are examining economics, horticulture, soil biology, plant diseases and other issues.
The researchers are looking at four different ways of switching to an organic method over three years: leaving the ground fallow, growing hay, growing a series of vegetables in open air and growing a series of vegetables under plastic tunnels.
Each method is tested with and without composted manure, giving researchers a total of eight plots to test.
Among their initial findings: manure has improved soil fertility faster than expected and weeds have produced fewer seeds in the fallow fields, indicating that the weed population would probably decline more quickly there.
North Carolina State's Creamer said the organic farming studies will also benefit conventional farmers. A study she's leading tests how crops grow after the removal of each of three chemicals _ a herbicide, pesticide and chemical fertilizer.
"A lot of conventional farmers have been waiting for the universities to confirm some of the existing anecdotal evidence," she said.
Economy plods along amid pressures
Sept. 27, 2004
Miami Herald, FL
By NANCY SAN MARTIN
© Copyright 2004
Growing numbers of tourists are visiting Cuba, but the island is not a magnet for repeat visitors. Cuba isn't attracting new foreign investments but the most prominent joint ventures remain strong. A recent oil exploration struck out, but generated interest for further drilling.
Cuba may be a country of economic contradictions but the economy keeps plugging along.
The island's economy, analysts say, is still benefiting from President Fidel Castro's decision to open the door to foreign investors and introduce some capitalist-style reforms a decade ago.
But not all is well in the still largely centrally controlled economy, and there are some ominous signs on the horizon.
''It's not doing well at all, and all indications are that it's going to be doing worse in the future,'' said economist Maria Dolores Espino, of St. Thomas University.
That assumption is at the heart of Bush administration plans to force change on Castro's government by take aim at its most vulnerable spot: its cash-strapped coffers.
Tightened restrictions on Cuban Americans' travel and remittances to the island are among the tactics touted by the White House as the most effective way to hasten democratic transition in this hemisphere's last remaining communist nation.
FEWER U.S. VISITORS
Earlier this month, Cuba announced a 25 percent drop in the number of U.S. visitors since new travel restrictions took effect June 30, and said the trend isn't expected to change before the U.S. presidential election.
Analysts, however, say it's too soon to determine whether the new rules will have long-lasting effects on the Cuban government and economy: ''There is no doubt that the measures will have a negative impact,'' Espino said. "But Cuba has done without before.''
Over the past decade, tourism has replaced sugar exports as Cuba's main foreign-exchange earner, bringing in as much as $2 billion in gross revenue each year. Remittances from Cubans living abroad account for another $400 million to $1 billion a year, according to various estimates.
Cuban Americans make up the largest portion of the U.S. visitors, but the new rules now restrict family visits to the island to once every three years instead of once a year, and remittances may only be sent to immediate family members.
Of the 176,000 U.S. residents who legally traveled to Cuba in 2003, and spent an estimated $200 million there, about 128,000 claimed to be visiting family.
Even with the loss of Cuban-American visitors, Cuban officials have said they expect to meet their goal of 2 million tourists in 2004. In June, authorities celebrated the arrival of the millionth tourist and an 11.8 percent increase in visitors, compared to the same period last year.
But an increase in visitors is not likely to make a significant dent in the overall economy, said Art Padilla, a professor at North Carolina State University.
''The Caribbean tourism market, in general, is beginning to show signs of maturity,'' said Padilla, who has studied Cuba's tourism industry. "Total growth has flattened. There is a limit to what you can do in Cuba and in other places.''
RETURN VISITS DOWN
Anecdotal evidence suggests that many first-time visitors to Cuba choose not to return because they are turned off by poor service and the blatant disparity that exists between foreigners and Cubans, Padilla added.
Foreign investment also has taken a dive in recent years. The Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean reports that net foreign investment in Cuba for the past two years has stood at zero.
Between 1988 and 2003, Cuba signed 585 ''economic associations with foreign capital,'' most of them joint ventures between government entities and private investors. By the end of 2003, only 342 remained active, according to Paolo Spadoni, of the University of Florida. He prepared a report on the issue this summer.
However, he notes in the report, that the fact that 342 economic associations survive indicates that "someone must be making money.''
Cuba also has diversified its partnerships beyond traditional arrangements that concentrated primarily on tourism, construction and basic industry.
''The presence of foreign investment in Cuba has been particularly strong in all the industries that have experienced the highest growth over the past decade such as oil, electricity generation, telecommunications, nickel and tourism,'' Spadoni's report states. "These sectors are considered by Cuban authorities as the engines of future growth and still offer the brightest investment opportunities in Cuba.''
In the energy sector, where Cuba must import half its oil and gas needs, the Spanish company Repsol YPF hit a dry hole in June when it sank its first offshore exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico.
But last month the company announced the dry hole produced indications of high-quality crude nearby, so it will continue studying the area and could begin drilling again within the next year.
So the economy plods along as Cuba hopes to cash in on tourism and remittances and, literally, strike it rich with oil.
University is reshaping Circle
Sept. 26, 2004
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH
By Barb Galbincea
© Copyright 2004
Even before he was president of Case Western Reserve Uni versity, Dr. Edward Hundert felt the lure of University Circle as a deep vein of possibility.
As a candidate for the Case job
in late 2001, Hundert delayed his flight home to Rochester, N.Y., so he could
explore the Circle, marveling at the riches
on the university's doorstep - Severance Hall, the Cleveland Museum of Art
and much more. While he walked, a copy of the university's master plan in hand,
he imagined how those resources could be mined to create what he eventually
would dub "the world's most powerful learning environment."
Two years into his presidency, Hundert's enthusiasm for University Circle
hasn't dimmed. And as president of Case he is overseeing an ongoing, multimillion-dollar
investment in the campus, including new development that promises to help
shape the Circle.
Case will put its campus and the rest of University Circle in the national spotlight when it hosts the vice presidential debate Oct. 5.
A national advertising campaign that kicked off last week also is trying to win wider name recognition and drive home the "Case" brand.
The university's influence on the Circle is evident in a $126 million project on North Campus that includes seven residence halls and a 1,200-car parking garage between East 115th and East 118th streets. Scheduled for completion next August, it's the first phase of a $300 million plan to rebuild and consolidate undergraduate housing over the next decade.
In the last few years, other Case projects such as the landmark $62 million Peter B. Lewis Building and the $110 million Wolstein Research Building have made their own contributions to the character of the 550-acre Circle, where the university owns 150 of the acres.
More buildings
planned for campus
Yet to come are a $50 million to $60 million student union near Freiberger Field, an $8 million alumni house on Euclid Avenue and the $6 million Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations on Bellflower Road, said Ken Basch, Case's vice president for campus planning and operations.
On the former site of Mt. Sinai Medical Center 14 acres that is now Case's West Quad university leaders and those from local hospital systems are beginning to talk about shaping an academic and commercial complex dedicated to biomedical science and its applications, according to Ralph Horwitz, dean of the university's medical school.
Case already plans an $8 million building to house the Cleveland Center for Structural Biology and the Power Partnership for Ohio, a fuel-cell collaboration, on the West Quad. And Horwitz hopes that by early next year Case and its partners can solicit proposals from private developers to start shaping the rest of the complex.
Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell is enthusiastic about the prospect of what she calls "our own Research Triangle," a reference to North Carolina's well-regarded research endeavor built around Duke University, the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University.
Right from the start, Campbell said, Hundert embraced the idea of partnerships, recognizing that a stronger city and region will help Case achieve its goals. Last month, for example, Case announced an incentive program designed to reward employees who buy homes in Cleveland, with the largest awards going to those in neighborhoods around campus. The city's health department eventually will be housed on the West Quad as part of a joint public health initiative.
And in a move meant to be symbolic of the growing alliance between Case and other nonprofits, the university's faculty/staff dining room the Case Club has relocated to the restaurant at Severance Hall, home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Alliances within,
beyond neighborhood
Perhaps the most visible partnership that Hundert helped to broker was a 50-year affiliation agreement reached in late 2002 between Case and University Hospitals, just when it seemed that the next-door neighbors might never resolve their differences.
Case also has forged alliances beyond its immediate neighborhood, including one with the Cleveland Clinic that created a new medical scho