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NCSU pursues tuition boost
Panel suggests $900 over 3 years
Retail
Giant May Provide Spark In Erwin's Economy
Lowe's Wants To Hire 130 Employees For New Plant In Area
Tutoring
programs trimmed
As budget slashing hits campuses, students lose assistance with hard subjects
Putting
all the eggs in one basket
An egg farm proposed for the Hyde County community of Ponzer has generated
excitement and controversy in a county that badly needs industry and jobs
but is also vulnerable to pollution from runoff.
Agribusiness
Council holds meeting
Cape Fear Farm Credit sponsored a table at the Agribusiness Council's Annual
Meeting that was recently held at the North Raleigh Hilton. State Sen. Charlie
Albertson, D-Duplin, joined the Cape Fear Farm Credit employees and their
guests for dinner.
Briefs:
Law school fairs set in Durham, Raleigh
Representatives from more than 60 law schools from across the nation are coming
to the Triangle for two events in the next week to talk with prospective law
students.
Column:
SCHULKEN COLUMN: The new economy
On any weekday morning, the U.S. 264 bypass east of Greenville writhes with
traffic.
Study:
Immigration patterns strengthen Texas’ political clout
Noah Pickus, Institute for Emerging Issues
Grassroots
Nutrition Programs Honored With Awards Show the Influence Local Efforts Can
Have on Community Health
cites NC Cooperative Extension
Oct. 28, 2003
The News & Observer
By Barbara Barrett, staff writer
© Copyright 2003 The News & Observer Publishing Company.
RALEIGH -- Add N.C. State to the list of public universities that could ask students to pay more to go to school over the next few years.
On Monday, an NCSU task force voted to recommend raising tuition $300 annually over the next three years.
Students say they are increasingly strapped for cash to pay tuition, but the university says it needs help to meet critical needs for faculty salaries and operating budgets.
UNC-Chapel Hill has recommended the same increase of $900 total over three years, and other increases are being considered by UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Charlotte and East Carolina University, according to NCSU Provost James Oblinger.
Those recommendations come on top of the 5 percent tuition increase that the state General Assembly approved in June.
The UNC system Board of Governors is expected to vote on whether to permit the campus-initiated tuition increases to go ahead. Last winter it banned campus-based tuition increases for this year, but board members have asked for recommendations. NCSU's recommendation still must go through Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and the campus's board of trustees.
Monday's meeting was marked by impassioned pleas from students to keep the tuition increase at bay or at least keep all the money in financial aid or operating funds to keep course sections and tutoring programs alive. Amanda Devore, a senior majoring in accounting and a task force member, said none of the money should go to faculty salaries.
In an emotional statement before the tuition vote, she said others at the table weren't listening to student needs.
"When is this trend going to stop?" she asked.
She warned that students may organize to ask that the Board of Governors rescind the power that campuses have to initiate their own tuition increases.
But Chris Gould, head of the physics department, said the money would help keep key faculty and retain the university's high academic standards. He argued for flexibility in spending the money.
"At some level, you've got to trust that the administration's going to do the right thing," he said.
For NCSU, where in-state tuition now is $3,970, the increase would bring in $7.5 million the first year.
In the end Monday, task force members decided that more than half the money would go toward two areas -- support for graduate students and financial aid for needy students so they wouldn't be affected by the increase.
Additional money would go for "academic excellence," a broad category that would include increasing course offerings, improving strapped tutoring programs and purchasing books and equipment. And another chunk would go to increase salaries for faculty and administrators, especially those being courted by rival institutions.
"It's not enough to help us get back on track with all that we've lost from appropriations, but the beauty of the [campus-initiated tuition increase] is we're in control of how the money is spent," Oblinger said.
Staff writer Barbara Barrett can be reached at 829-4870.
Retail Giant May Provide Spark In Erwin's Economy
Oct. 27, 2003
WRAL-TV
By Kelsey Carlson, reporter name, staff writer
© Copyright 2003 wral.com
ERWIN, N.C. -- Erwin was the so-called "Denim Capital of the World" until 800 textile jobs were driven out of town. However, the town may soon get some help in the form of a retail giant.
George Joseph Jr. has a view of an empty mill from his department store. He said he is taking a financial hit as a store owner and a personal blow as mayor.
"The only thing we want is our pride back. We want our jobs back. That's all we want," he said.
"We're no different than any other small town that has lost a major industry," interim town manager Bob Nicholl said.
Officials said Erwin will have to re-invent itself and it will soon get some help. Lowe's is opening a new store and adding 130 employees by the end of the year.
"I think that certainly is a step in the right direction," said Mike Walden, an economist at North Carolina State University.
Walden said small towns like Erwin will struggle more than the big cities to rebound from a declining economy, but he said having a retail business move in is the way to fight back.
"Often times, retail employment will generate enough strength and other businesses will come in," he said.
Lowe's is taking applications until the end of the week. Town officials do not believe the textile industry will be back, but Joseph said there may be potential buyers who can use the old textile facilities for something else.
Oct. 28, 2003
The News & Observer
By Barbara Barrett, staff writer
© Copyright 2003 The News & Observer Publishing Company.
When you're surrounded by 150 incredibly smart college students and your professor is lecturing about something called free radical hybridization, the world can seem a very lonely place.
It helps to know that later, after class, there's an older and wiser student waiting to guide you through those chemical reactions and help you understand that you're not the only one who doesn't understand organic chemistry.
At large universities such as N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill, small-scale tutoring programs have been the saving graces for students uneasy with the overwhelming and impersonal natures of large lecture classes. But now, those tutoring programs are increasingly in jeopardy as budget cuts continue to chip away at student services.
Chemistry students in Chapel Hill have lost their organized study groups. Some math students at NCSU aren't getting their homework graded. And in NCSU's nationally ranked College of Engineering -- where 216 students got one-on-one tutoring last spring -- there is no free tutoring anymore.
"It's hard to do it all by yourself," said Gina Hicks, a 19-year-old NCSU sophomore in chemical engineering who earned straight A's in high school but was struggling one recent morning over her physics homework.
"In class, you're so busy taking notes you don't really learn, you know?" she said. "You have to get help or you'll never get it."
Earlier this year, public universities in the UNC system were forced to trim nearly 4 percent from their budgets. Many distributed the cuts evenly across departments, telling administrators to avoid hurting the classroom, if possible. But that didn't happen, as lecturers lost jobs and crowded classes filled up even more.
Many tutoring programs also were slashed. Because the programs are decentralized and often run department by department, it's tough to get a full understanding of the effects on university tutoring services. But it's clear that the hand-holding some students rely on no longer exists the way it used to.
"They've increased the tuition, so we have to pay more," said John Simpson, a sophomore in chemical engineering at NCSU. "But they cut the hours and the supplemental instruction, so we pay more to get less."
Academics say studies have consistently shown that students who regularly attend tutoring sessions can lift their grades by a letter. Tutoring is especially useful in classes with high failure rates, such as chemistry, physics and math.
Hurting minorities
Many administrators are upset about the cutbacks. James Oblinger, NCSU's provost and executive vice chancellor, said the programs help both the brightest students and those struggling in class.
"We wouldn't be offering tutoring in courses if it wasn't an enhancement in the educational process," he said.
Tony Mitchell, assistant dean in NCSU's College of Engineering, said he is especially concerned about the college's minority and female students.
"By cutting that program, we are hurting the very people we say we want to help," said Mitchell, who also is director of minority engineering programs.
Melissa Daniel, director of the Undergraduate Tutorial Center at NCSU, didn't see budget cuts this year, in part because her program is run directly in the provost's office. But because of cutbacks elsewhere, more students are coming into her center for help, meaning there sometimes are longer waits for tutors.
Elsewhere at NCSU, the university's writing lab had to cut two of its 14 tutors this year, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences' extension writing lab ceased to exist altogether.
The NCSU physics department had to cut hours and tutors from its walk-in tutorial center, and director Elizabeth Rieg was told not to hire any undergraduate students this year because the department couldn't afford their $9-an-hour pay.
Already this semester, students have visited the center more than 2,500 times, but the number is down by a third from the same period last year.
On a recent morning, more than a dozen students gathered in the basement of Withers Hall, working on problems. When one raised a hand, a graduate student would scurry over to help. Because there are fewer tutors and more students, they sometimes have to wait longer. Rieg sometimes comes out of her office to help cover the workload.
"It's unfortunate [tutoring] has been cut in other areas," said Matt Corne, a physics graduate student who stood by a desk waiting for the next needy student. "We get engineering students asking about their homework in here."
Fewer get help
At UNC-Chapel Hill, the undergraduate tutorial center lost its reading program three years ago and got hit with another cut of nearly $10,000 this year, said Martha Keever, director of The Learning Center in the College of Arts and Sciences. The cut forced the center to slash its supplemental instruction programs in biology and chemistry, which had hired graduate students to attend lectures and then lead weekly study groups.
In fall 2001, the program helped 1,165 students. That fell to 900 last year, and Keever expects to help only 350 this fall.
"I've gone through cuts before, but it's getting scary," Keever said. "The state's just not supporting higher education."
Kristi Foster, a pre-med student at UNC-CH, is convinced that assistance helped her get an A in biology. When supplemental instruction was cut from organic chemistry last year, Foster suffered, she said. She and another student hired a $30-an-hour tutor, but the sessions weren't nearly so helpful, she said.
"I really lost the perspective of other students, and the learning from other students," she said.
Her professor, Tom Sorrell, is expecting students to suffer because of the losses. A midterm exam today will be "a disaster," he predicted. Students are going to finally realize they need help, and they won't have the tutoring services to turn to.
But, he added, there could be a silver lining in the tutoring cutbacks. Maybe now, he said, more students will turn to the professor for help and actually attend class.
Staff writer Barbara Barrett can be reached at 829-4870.
Putting all the eggs in one basket
Oct. 28, 2003
The Washington Daily News
By Bill Sandifer, staff writer
© Copyright 2003 The Washington Daily News.
An egg farm proposed for the Hyde County community of Ponzer has generated excitement and controversy in a county that badly needs industry and jobs but is also vulnerable to pollution from runoff.
Rose Acre Farms of Indiana, in business since 1940, is planning a 3- to 4-million-bird operation on 120-150 acres, according to Tony Wesner, executive vice president.
The operation would be built around 14 houses of 250,000 birds each, says Wesner, and would require an investment of about $55 million to complete.
The farm would employ about 125 people -- full-time with benefits, says Wesner. It would purchase locally grown grain -- an estimated 3- to 4-million bushels of corn and 1 million bushels of soybeans.
The proposal has been well-received by interim County Manager Don Davenport and various agricultural agencies.
However, Rose Acre's plans don't sit well with some.
Former Indianan says plan stinks
"I've got the proof. I was in whole neighborhoods of Cortland, Ind., where everyone has to buy drinking water and cooking water because their wells is so high in nitrates. It's coming from the waste. ... I smelt chicken manure from one end of that area to the other. ... I cannot find words in the English language to describe the smell. ... The flies are horrendous."
That assessment of neighborhoods surrounding Indiana egg farms comes from Bill Hendrix, a long-time Ponzer resident who grew up in Jasper County, Ind. In the past few months, Hendrix has spent quite a bit of time and expense, by his estimation, shuttling between Ponzer and Indiana, researching the impact of such operations.
Wesner, who said the farm to which Hendrix is referring is a Rose Acre facility, agrees that there are problems near the site of that Midwestern facility.
"That area does have a problem with nitrates in the groundwater," he said. "It's agriculture as a whole."
Other human factors such as septic tanks, lawns and the like contribute as well, he added.
The water table, he explained, is only about 8 feet beneath the surface with some wells as shallow as 20-25 feet. Shallow wells and sandy soils in the area contribute to surface water settling quickly into groundwater, according to Wesner. In addition, he said, nitrogen in commercial fertilizer typically leeches "quicker than organic nitrogen" found in animal waste.
And, according to Rodney Woolard, district conservationist, runoff from farmland is no more or less of a problem, whether it contains nitrogen from organic or inorganic waste. Streams and rivers that eventually receive such runoff don't know the difference between waste nutrients and commercial nutrients, said Woolard.
"We're not going to add to the nutrients in (Hyde) county," says Wesner. We're gonna substitute."
"You're just gonna replace one type of fertilizer with another," echoed Woolard. "The material is immaterial."
That substitution, he contends, will be applied at rates determined by the type of crop and soil analysis results.
Wesner says that waste from his egg farm in Cortland is unlikely to be the culprit in groundwater problems there.
"Seventy percent of all manure we produce ... goes out of the county," he said.
As for problems in Hendrix's home county of Jasper, Wesner said, "There is an egg producer in Jasper County, but it's not us."
Wesner also disagrees with Hendrix's contention that the area around Rose Acre's Cortland operation stinks.
He contends that outsiders, including a contingent from Hyde County, have visited Rose Acre farms -- old and new -- and have expressed no concerns about odor problems.
A nightmare for Ponzer?
When Hendrix heard that an egg farm was proposed for Ponzer, he indicated it was a nightmare come true.
"If it's not managed correctly, it can be a nightmare not only for the facility but for the surrounding community," concedes Ken Anderson, a poultry expert at N.C. State University's Cooperative Extension Service.
But Anderson is quick to add that egg farms in North Carolina are well-managed, and none he's seen matches the scenario described in Indiana.
"We don't have those types of issues here. ... Newer facilities are typically state-of-the-art," he explained. "All in the state are operated extremely well. I've personally been in all of them. They're managed by young, progressive individuals who understand the move in agriculture."
Anderson said the "move" he's referring to is a growing trend in which public and private interests scrutinize agricultural operations.
"Based upon the complexes that are in this state, Rose Acre's is going to have to equal or exceed (their standards) to come into this state," added Anderson.
Anderson cites existing operations in Nashville, Andrews and Monroe -- generally smaller complexes of fewer than a million birds -- as successfully run farms.
Wesner agrees that badly run egg farms using older "liquid-flush systems" were, indeed, a nightmare -- operations he described as "about as bad as it gets."
Hendrix recalled visiting a friend in Indiana and said, even on a chilly October day, the ammonia released from chicken waste sprayed on nearby fields "burnt your eyes." He also said his friend had "flies all over his screen door." The spraying site, he added, was about 10 miles away.
Even at Christmastime, Hendrix said his friend had flies inside his house. He added his friend can no longer cook outdoors because of the fly problem, even in cold months.
New technology
The facility proposed for Ponzer would use the same dry process that Rose Acre employs in Francesville, Ind., a million-bird operation, said Wesner. Manure is collected on a concrete base at ground level with birds housed 8 to 10 feet above. Fans that ventilate the facility suck air past the chickens and onto the manure pile, reducing moisture content to between 15 and 20 percent, Wesner explained.
"That's how we keep the flies to a minimum and odor to a minimum," he added. "Typically, you'll get more flies at a horse farm."
Hendrix contends that such dried manure is still a problem.
"The minute water hits it, you can smell ammonia," he said. "You cannot eliminate that; there's no way."
Wesner, however, disputes that.
"We don't experience that at all," he said.
NCSU's poultry expert concedes that it's important to keep the manure dry.
"The goal is to keep water away because water is the enemy of manure," explained Anderson.
Proper waste management, in addition to minimizing flies, promotes the presence of beneficial insects that aerate the manure, he added.
Manure piles are removed every 12 to 18 months by employees with a front-end loader, noted Wesner, a process he says, that takes his regular employees -- the firm, he said, uses no migrant or seasonal laborers -- about four to five days.
"We sell it all," he added, "and the demand is more than the supply."
Wesner estimates the 4 million birds proposed for Hyde County will produce roughly 35,000 tons of manure annually, an amount he contends will fertilize around 10,000 to 20,000 acres, depending upon the crops grown.
"It'll all be based on agronomy," he said.
Although Hendrix contends industry estimates are not accurate, his numbers were virtually the same as those estimated by Wesner. Hendrix, however, disagrees that demand will exceed supply.
"Hyde County can't use that much," said Hendrix.
A 'good neighbor'
Wade Hubers, however, contends that not only can farmers use the projected supply, but growers are anxious to realize the cost savings of using the manure -- about half the cost of commercial fertilizer in Indiana. The price for local farmers remains to be negotiated with Rose Acre, he said.
Hubers owns Matcha-Pungo Farm on land adjacent to the proposed egg farm, a neighbor he's looking forward to having, he said on Thursday.
Hyde has roughly 80,000 acres of land under cultivation, said Hubers, enough to absorb four times the estimated yield of chicken manure. Also, a cooperative of 40 farmers in four counties is in line to buy the manure, added Hubers.
"We have plenty of area to apply it at agronomic rates," he explained.
Hubers, who said he's visited Rose Acre egg farms several times -- once unannounced -- indicated he was pleased with what he saw, even though he admits he's generally no fan of chickens.
"I'm satisfied without any reservation that this is a company that stands by their environmental record," he said, adding he feels the operation will be a "good neighbor and a good business to have in the county."
Hubers is under no illusion that any livestock operation is odor-free, but he said that he noted no odor at Indiana farms until he was within a quarter-mile of the facility.
And the site favored by Rose Acre, he adds, is isolated; the nearest houses are roughly two miles away. Add to that a prevailing southwest wind, and the nearest downwind residents are in Columbia, some 30 miles away, he noted.
"The chances of it affecting any dwelling is so nil," he said.
N.C. State's Anderson also said a well-run egg farm should present no serious odor problem to nearby communities.
A contingent of Hyde residents that visited Rose Acre operations toured the manure pit and boarded their flight in the same clothes, said Hubers.
"It was not offensive to me; it was clean. There were some flies," Hubers said of even the older Cortland, Ind., facility. The number of flies, he added, was no worse than what's found around grain elevators.
"I'm gonna be working next to it," he noted. "The last thing I want is a stinkin' fly mess."
To assure himself that he knew what he was getting into, Hubers said, during an unannounced visit, he "snooped around on my own," checking out the operation. He indicated that what he saw satisfied him.
"Absolutely -- without reservation."
Show me
Promises of new technology that reduce or eliminate problems traditionally associated with the accumulation and disposal of large amounts of chicken manure, claims Hendrix, so far have not been fulfilled.
"When you hear they've got new technology to take care of the smells and the flies, it's a bunch of crap."
However, Hendrix said he's willing to take a show-me attitude.
"When they prove to me that it works," said Hendrix, "I'll campaign for 'em."
"He's never once contacted us," said Wesner, "and he's never once come to see our facilities."
If he becomes satisfied by Rose Acre officials that their version of the story is the correct one, Hendrix promises to roll out the welcome mat, providing industry representatives lodging and taking them fishing -- he owns a fish camp.
However, technology aside, Hendrix contends that rainfall and hurricanes make Hyde County unsuitable for such an operation.
Wesner maintains the newer concrete structures Rose Acre uses can withstand 90- to 100-mph winds. Based upon the blow delivered by Isabel and the high ground on the proposed site -- by all accounts, no flood surge reached the area -- Wesner is confident Isabel would have produced little or no damage had the facility already been built.
Hendrix contends Indiana has an annual rainfall of around 23 inches, while Hyde County averages about 52 inches.
"Eventually, it's gonna end up in the inland waterway and the Pungo River," he said of the nitrogen runoff he anticipates. "Everything from that chicken farm that's dumped on the west side of the inland waterway will end up in the Pungo River."
Anderson counters that, reiterating that manure as fertilizer will only replace commercial fertilizer which, he contends, contains nitrogen that is more water soluble than the nitrogen in organic fertilizer. The net result, he explained, is no change in runoff.
Hendrix also contends that the routine death rate among such a farm population runs 1 to 2 percent. Run the numbers, he says, and, on a given day, a farmer will face disposal of 2,000 to 3,000 dead chickens.
Wesner also disputes those numbers. On an average day, a 250,000-chicken building will see 20 to 25 dead birds, or a total of 400 for a 4-million-bird farm. Those dead birds will be composted by standards set by the State Veterinarian's office, said Wesner.
N.C. State's poultry expert confirmed Wesner's estimates.
In peak hot summer periods, such as are common in Eastern North Carolina, Hendrix contends farmers may find they have many thousands of dead chickens on their hands, an event that was not uncommon in years past.
Wesner, however, claims "cool-cell pads" -- evaporative coolers -- keep inside temperatures as much as 10 to 15 degrees below outside air temperatures. During a 17-day stretch of 104-degree-plus temperatures at its Georgia farm, Wesner said, "We didn't lose any above ordinary."
Environmental groups study issue
Mary Alsentzer, Pamlico-Tar River Foundation executive director, said that although the group is still studying the data, "We have lots of concerns about it," especially regarding water quality, air quality, quality of life and "environmental justice."
"We would want to see a complete environmental impact study for this facility before it's permitted," she said.
Although she added North Carolina law may not require such a study, Alsentzer hopes the state will conduct one.
Alsentzer said the issue also has appeared on the radar screens of the North Carolina Sierra Club and other environmental organizations.
However, she added that she's aware of Hyde County's need for industry and, should the studies weigh in in favor of Rose Acre, she would not want to oppose something that could be good for the county.
"Rose Acre does have a good track record as far as management," said poultry expert Anderson. "Rose Acre does have a good environmental track record."
Do chickens and Hornets mix?
Wildlife biologists, in opposing the Navy's proposal for an outlying landing field in Washington County, contend that jet noise could proved detrimental to nearby snow geese and tundra swan populations. Chickens, however, apparently are a little less perceptive.
"It really won't affect the laying population a great deal," said Anderson. "They become accustomed to noises. I've already had an engineer call me."
Anderson said the man only identified himself as a "consulting engineer for the airfield," adding the caller didn't say whether he was consulting for military or private concerns.
'The smell of money'
One of Hubers' interests in having a new neighbor goes beyond the need for an economic boost for the county. He decries the loss of young people who feel they must leave home to find a real job. Hubers told of a youth who, after talking to Rose Acre representatives, left with a smile on his face, optimistic that he could find a career at home.
"I don't know what else it could be that would be a better fit," concluded Hubers.
Back at N.C. State, Anderson simply summed up his lifelong work.
"I grew up in the poultry industry," he said. "Odors don't bother me; to me it's the smell of money."
Agribusiness Council holds meeting
Oct. 20, 2003
The Sampson Independent
By staff report
© Copyright 2003 The Sampson Independent.
Cape Fear Farm Credit sponsored
a table at the Agribusiness Council's Annual Meeting that was recently held
at the North Raleigh Hilton. State Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin, joined
the Cape Fear Farm Credit employees and their guests for dinner.
Approximately 500 agribusiness leaders, farmers, government leaders and legislators
attended a gala reception and a banquet, which were followed by a program. Approximated
43 elected officials attended the meeting and visited with constituents and
representatives from the council's diverse agribusiness members.
The program included the presentation of "Friends of Agriculture" awards to NC House Ag Committee Chairman Dewey Hill and Albertson, NC Senate Ag & Environment Committee chairman. Hill and Albertson were given this award because of their excellent and untiring leadership and support for agribusiness.
N.C. Agribusiness Council Executive Director Erica Upton Peterson says, "The NC State University ROTC color guard started the meeting with a patriotic flair, calling to mind the special role that Agribusiness plays in the security of our nation; the provision of basic necessities - food, clothing and shelter."
An agribusiness, Cape Fear Farm Credit is part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, the largest agricultural lending organization in the United States. The association, which is headquartered in Fayetteville, serves more than 2,450 members borrowers from its offices located in the 12 southeastern counties of North Carolina. Cape Fear also makes home loans through the Country Mortgages Program and provides life insurance, crop insurance and appraisal services. Additionally, financial planning services are available via an alliance with Money Concepts.
At August 31, 2003, Cape Fear Farm Credit had approximately $494.7 million of loans outstanding and another $151 million of loan volume fully participated with other banks and Farm Credit institutions.
Briefs: Law school fairs set in Durham, Raleigh
Oct. 28, 2003
The News & Observer
By staff report
© Copyright 2003 The News & Observer Publishing Company.
Representatives from more than 60 law schools from across the nation are coming to the Triangle for two events in the next week to talk with prospective law students.
The Southern Association for Pre Law Advisers conference is being held in Durham this week, and law school representatives will be available from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at the Millennium Hotel, 2800 Campus Walk Ave.
Then on Monday, N.C. State University holds a law school fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Talley Student Center on campus. More information about the fair Monday can be found at http://www.ncsu.edu/career /students/LAW.htm.
More than 500 students attended the fairs last year, according to NCSU. The law school fairs are open to all college students with serious interest in attending law school. No preregistration is required for either event.
SCHULKEN COLUMN: The new economy
Oct. 26, 2003
The Daily Reflector (Greenville, NC)
By Mary Schulken, staff writer
© Copyright 2003 Cox Newspapers.
On any weekday morning, the U.S. 264 bypass east of Greenville writhes with traffic.
Like bees working the hive, commuters stream toward their destination. Cell phone in ear, second cup in hand, bumper to bumper, they weave from lane to lane heading for a day's work.
The scene is the same on almost any highway leading into town. Even during less-than-expansive economic times, there is no denying what Greenville's rush hour proclaims: This is a job center, a place where work is to be found.
How to keep that stream of commerce flowing — and how to get it flowing as steadily in other places — has become an overriding question.
"We have already lost a generation of workers," said Noah Pickus, director of the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University. "The real challenge is to make sure we don't lose another generation."
North Carolina has shed more manufacturing than anywhere else in the nation: 97,000 factory jobs, or 12 percent of its total, between mid-2000 and the end of last year. Its traditional industries — textiles and furniture — have crumbled under the weight of free trade.
In Windsor, 366 jobs vanished when VF Jeanwear shut its doors.
In Robersonville, 355 people lost their jobs with Perdue Farms.
And in the west, the largest hemorrhage in history: 4,800 workers laid off from Pillowtex in Cabarrus and Rowan counties.
If you believe Pickus, the appropriate response has as much to do with changing culture as it does with tweaking economic policies.
"The new economy moves so much faster," he said during a recent meeting with The Daily Reflector's editorial board. "Flexibility, technology and knowledge are more applicable than lowering the cost of production."
The innovation economy. That's what Pickus and the "think and do" tank he directs call it. Tapping into the momentum requires an approach to economic development that rests on knowledge, entrepreneurship and creativity.
In practical terms, that means building on community strengths, seeking a niche and shaping an environment that attracts and sustains creative thinking.
In most communities, that culture change will requires a new way of looking at things. It carries implications across the board, from political leadership to financial resources to embracing diversity.
Greenville and Pitt County have nibbled at the edges of change. Here, a business and technology incubator nurtures the development of start-up enterprises. And Greenville's strategic link with East Carolina University is at the core of an effort to reshape its downtown and the neighborhoods nearby.
By no means is the so-called innovation economy the complete equation. Rather, Pickus said, the successful strategy must be multi-faceted, incorporating traditional initiatives like building infrastructure with measures that boost intellectual capital.
Yet, increasingly, the concept of entrepreneurship gets political mileage.
Last week, Gov. Mike Easley announced the creation of the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship, an initiative to stimulate the growth of small business in the 85 North Carolina counties classified as rural. The plan, announced at a rural economic development forum in Raleigh, includes $1.1 million to help displaced manufacturing workers start their own businesses, and $600,000 for demonstration grants to spur economic activity in rural areas.
On the same day, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Richard Vinroot called for eliminating the state's corporate income tax for manufacturers in an effort to improve North Carolina's business climate.
"We've got to make our government something that doesn't burden business, but that helps business," he said.
Where a knowledge-based economic development strategy fits in remains to be seen.
But it provides an interesting prism through which to view the debate about the future of this state.
Mary Schulken is senior associate editor and editorial page editor for The Daily Reflector.
Randallstown revitalization will arrive via Liberty Road
Oct. 28, 2003
Baltimore Sun, SunSpot.net
By Michael Olesker, staff report
© Copyright 2003 Baltimore Sun
In rain-splattered Randallstown yesterday, they joined voices to trumpet a bright new day of art and culture, and bicycle paths and pedestrian bridges, and theaters and playing fields. That day will take a few years to arrive, but so what? In Randallstown, it can feel like years just crossing from one side of cluttered Liberty Road to the other.
This northwest corridor of Baltimore County is a collage of green and leafy residential neighborhoods divided by a kind of Berlin Wall of gas stations and fast-food joints, bail bond operations and liquor stores, and traffic that coughs and wheezes and sputters at its center.
On overcast days like yesterday, Liberty Road seems to leak grimy oil from its pores. It looks like Ritchie Highway. It looks like the end product of several generations of zoning boards that must have been sleepwalking through the Great Uglification. It asks the question: How did such a place, once a sweet country lane, become such an embarrassment to the people who surround it?
Yesterday, at the Randallstown branch of the Baltimore County Library, they didn't so much answer that question as attempt to turn a page of history and move on.
"This is the beginning," said County Councilman Kenneth N. Oliver, who represents the area. "It's the first step in a long journey, but I'll tell you something: I've never seen so much enthusiasm as I've seen out of this community."
"Amazing," said Barry Schleifer, executive director of the Liberty Road-Randallstown Coalition Inc. "Usually, you see this kind of energy in a community when it's something negative. This is positive, constructive energy like I've never seen."
Included in that energy: a meeting at Randallstown High School last week where 400 residents showed up to meet a team of professional planners and land-use experts - an Urban Design Assistance Team (UDAT) - and to vent their emotions. They want parks for children. They want a movie theater and a farmers' market and a skating rink. They want a performing arts center and some classy restaurants. They want things that reflect a community of high-achieving, successful families.
Now comes the tough part.
Yesterday afternoon, more than a hundred people packed the library basement as the UDAT team unveiled initial plans to revitalize Randallstown. Partly, they want to clean up Liberty Road. Partly, they want to enhance public services. And, partly, they want to give the place a new image.
It happens, among other things, to be one of the wealthier areas of Baltimore County - a median household income of $58,000, compared with $50,000 for the entire county, according to Oliver. In the suburban exodus of middle-class blacks from the city to suburbia, the largest numbers went to Liberty Road.
Over the past several decades, residential neighborhoods have retained their charms - but the commercial strip of Liberty Road that serves as the area's spine has gotten more cramped and cluttered. As the community's common ground, it is also its universal depressant.
There is one more: considerable numbers of Section 8 subsidized housing. At the library yesterday, Albert Creamer bemoaned some of its residents. Creamer said he owns about 20 commercial properties along Liberty Road.
"I've been on Liberty Road for 45 years," he said. "I go around and see people eating food from the carryouts and dumping them right on the street. Last year, I spent $7,000 on vandalism to my properties. Just little things, but they build up. We've had people from the subsidized housing come over and rob customers coming out of one of the shops that rents from me. This is what tears a community down."
In parts of Baltimore County, this is not an uncommon lament. It's what prompted former County Executive C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger to focus attention on some of the older county neighborhoods, such as Dundalk and Essex and Middle River, and County Executive James T. Smith to hold that focus.
But there is also this: At the library yesterday, there was Fernando Magallanes, professor of landscape architecture and urban design at North Carolina State University. He headed the UDAT team that just completed a whirlwind study of Randallstown.
"What we found," said Magallanes, "is that people here love where they live. They love their homes. But the house is part of a street, and ..." And the street ultimately leads to Liberty Road.
"This is an area with very high demographics," said David Stein of the Weinberg Foundation, part-sponsor of the UDAT study. "Very stable neighborhoods, people with solid jobs. But there's been no one out there from the business community."
In other words, for all those families who made the trek to suburbia, the American dream seems to disconnect at Liberty Road. It's the heart of Randallstown, and it looks like a commercial slum. Maybe now they begin to clean it up. Maybe now, residents start feeling better about calling Randallstown home.
Study: Immigration patterns strengthen Texas’ political clout
Oct. 28, 2003
Harlingen Valley Morning Star, TX
By Kemberly Gong, staff report
© Copyright 2003
WASHINGTON — Immigration patterns have increased the political power of some states while decreasing the power of others, according to a report released Thursday by the Center for Immigration Studies.
The CIS, which favors immigration limits, said both illegal and legal immigration has had effects on congressional apportionment.
The study concluded that states like Texas, California and Florida have more congressional representation because of the higher numbers of non-citizens living there.
Congressional apportionment — or the division of state populations to determine how many members each state will have in the House of Representatives — occurs every 10 years after the national census. All residents — including non-citizens — are counted.
According to the study, Texas gained one new congressional seat in 2001 because of higher populations reported in the 2000 Census. It also gained a seat after the 1990 Census.
These gains are unfair to states like Indiana and Michigan that don’t have high levels of immigration, said the study’s co-author, Steven A. Camarota of the CIS.
"Immigration takes away representation from states composed almost entirely of U.S. citizens so new districts can be created in states with large non-citizen populations," he said.
Camarota said that because non-citizens can’t vote in congressional elections, citizens who live in districts with many non-citizen residents have more political clout than people living in districts with very few non-citizens.
Dudley L. Poston, one of the study’s authors and a sociology professor at Texas A&M University, said more than 10 percent of U.S. residents are foreign born.
The CIS estimated the nation’s illegal immigrant population at 7 million people.
Though he agreed that immigration levels have hurt political representation in states with fewer foreigners, Poston said that shifting immigration patterns also have economic consequences for states like Texas.
"If you reduced illegal immigration, it would have a big impact on Texas because of the reliance of the state economy on workers," Poston said.
"These are jobs that native Texans and legally resident Texans don’t want to do."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas had a population of roughly 20.8 million people in 2000 — 13.9 percent of whom said they were foreign born.
But for border towns like Brownsville, the numbers of immigrants are higher.
One-quarter of residents living in Cameron County in 2000 were foreign born.
But Poston said those statistics might not be accurate since people are not required to answer questions about their immigration status on their Census forms.
"People aren’t going to say, ‘Yes, I’m here illegally,’ because they know it’s against the law," Poston said.
The study concluded that the country faces two choices: keeping things the way they are or reducing the numbers of immigrants, which Camarota acknowledged would result in "acrimonious" political battles.
Noah Pickus, a professor at North Carolina State University, said he agrees that immigration trends present problems for some states, adding that states have a "perverse incentive to increase the number of illegal aliens" to gain more political representation in the House of Representatives.
And though he agreed that reducing immigration would help balance apportionment, he said it was not the only option that should be considered.
He said if legal immigration is reduced, it could cause a spike in illegal immigration.
There would be "more of the same kind of apportionment problems, but it would be more based in the illegal dimension," he said.
Grassroots Nutrition Programs Honored With Awards Show the Influence Local Efforts Can Have on Community Health
Oct. 27, 2003
Yahoo! Finance
By staff report
© Copyright 2003 Yahoo.com.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in the presence of community and public health nutrition professionals from across the country, the Dannon Institute recognized five innovative and impactful programs in nutrition education and communication. The programs were named winners of the sixth annual Dannon Institute Awards for Excellence in Community Nutrition®, a national awards program created to celebrate the accomplishments of local nutrition initiatives that have made a positive and significant impact on residents in the communities they serve.
"We hope that by recognizing and sharing the experience of these nutrition educators, we'll encourage others to undertake similar initiatives," said Cheryl Achterberg, Ph.D., Dean, Schreyer Honors College & Professor of Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University, and a member of the Dannon Institute Board of Directors. Dr. Achterberg encouraged nutrition educators to "learn from these programs and use them as a resource to develop or enhance projects that make a difference in their own communities, and to ultimately improve the health and well-being of people nationwide." The awards were presented during the American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo.
The "Promoting Healthy Activities Together (P.H.A.T.) Program," (Berkley, California) was created by California Adolescent Nutrition & Fitness (CANFit) in an effort to reverse the growing rate of overweight and obesity among San Francisco Bay Area African-American teens. The P.H.A.T. program incorporates hip-hop culture, including music, dance, emceeing, speech, language, and dress, into a health education program that teaches youth about healthy eating and physical activity.
The "Color Me Healthy" program (Raleigh, NC), developed by the faculty from NC Cooperative Extension Service at North Carolina State University and the Physical Activity and Nutrition Unit at NC Division of Public Health, provides fun, innovative, interactive learning opportunities for children ages four to five years old. Designed for day-care homes, Head Start classrooms, and child-care centers, the program uses color, music, and sensory exploration to teach children that healthy food and physical activity are fun.
"Osteoporosis Prevention for Female Athletes in High Risk Sports," (Conway, SC) was designed by Health Promotion Program at Coastal Carolina University to educate young female athletes in order to change their eating behavior early enough to prevent osteoporosis and boost bone health. A serious commitment to sport and exercise may predispose some female athletes to the development of eating disorders, and consequently osteoporosis. Through the "Osteoporosis Prevention" program, over 300 female athletes have been educated about how to institute nutrition and lifestyle changes that can build bone density and prevent injury.
"EatFit Intervention" Program (Davis, California), an initiative of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) administered by the University of California - Davis, is a goal-oriented intervention designed to challenge middle school students to improve their eating and fitness choices. "EatFit" reinforces the synergistic relationship among nutrition, physical activity, and overall physical fitness as a way for teens to increase their energy, improve their appearance, and gain greater independence.
The "Cornell Farm to School" Program (Ithaca, NY) links schools and farms to help children develop healthy eating habits and improve local farmers' incomes. By improving the school access to fresh, nutritious, locally grown and raised foods, the children, farmers and communities all benefit.
The Dannon Institute Awards for Excellence in Community Nutrition are given to programs that demonstrate innovation and impact in nutrition behavior change at the community level. Information on this and other Dannon Institute programs are available on-line at www.dannon-institute.org, via e-mail at dannon.institute@dannon.com or by telephone at (914) 366-5765.
The Dannon Institute is a non-profit organization founded to encourage, create and support programs in nutrition and health, and to enable people of all ages to learn and experience the role a healthy diet plays in their lifelong, overall health.