North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 01/27/1998

It's Tuesday January 27. Tonight designing new standards for some of society's most excepted products in North Carolina. Good evening everyone and welcome to this Tuesday edition of North Carolina now. Tonight we focus on two unique North Carolina programs that are meeting the special demands of consumers nationwide. We'll take you to the triad where you can browse for special items like an ice cream four or perhaps outdated china patterns

from a warehouse that's larger than four football fields. Plus tonight's guest has published a new report on how the Tarheel State is profiting from historic preservation. Author Donovan Rick Kummel will join us a little later in the program. But we begin tonight with a question many North Carolinians may have asked themselves at least once. What is your dream home look like. Some people want a gigantic kitchen and lots of storage space but for all the years the perfect house would be comfortable for anyone to live in from small children to the elderly that emergent concept is called Universal Design. In some of its leading proponents or architects at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Their goal is to change the way houses are built from the ground up. Ellen McHenry reports. To turn or not to turn. That is the question. Should a door handle turn open or push. Ron mace asked himself these kinds of questions. Childhood polio put him in a wheelchair but now he's the director of the Center for universal

design at NC State in Raleigh. If you have arthritis if you don't have any hands or if you have difficulty using them you may not be able to even open the door. Someone has to wait for you to get through the door. As a lever handle which is a very simple device that's been around forever. Almost anybody can use it. Universal Design means just that. Not specially made for the disabled but something that works for everyone. For instance curb ramps aren't just good for wheelchairs but also families with strollers and people pulling luggage or heavy supplies. The idea is to get architects and designers to start thinking about new ways to build things that help everyone. One way to do that is to reach them while they're still students. Students are receptive to challenges. And I think what we have to do is challenge them to think differently. The dean of NC State School of Design says many teachers are committed to universal design. But change comes slowly. I wish I could wave this banner to the world and say coming to any one of our studios and you'll see us doing

this. What I would suggest to you is coming to any one of our studios and we will be struggling with it. He is a powerful force in the construction industry. Many builders like to build things the way they've always been built and many people like to buy homes that look traditional. Our forefathers built it this way. We've always done it this way. So we continue to do it this way unless there's a demand or a need or something that creates the awareness of the need for the change. That's where universal design comes in. This bathroom sink hides the plumbing but still allows a wheelchair to fit underneath. This pair of scissors is comfortable large enough to fit anyone and can be used with either the right or left hand. And here's an easily operated thermostat that even tells you what your temperature setting is. But as good as those ideas may seem getting them into homes is another matter. Builders build what people want and so far

contractors say they haven't seen a great demand for universal design features. For many there's a stigma attached to building an accessible house. But experts say universal design should look specialized It should just make sense. A few more hours with a bulldozer to improve the contour of the lot to improve the accessibility into the home. Some features such as putting the the back of the bedroom on the first floor lowering the switches on the your light fixtures raising the receptacle of other little items. There are definitely universal in this and yet people don't notice that those Saw that doesn't put a stigma on the house. The truth is no one especially the disabled wants their houses to look like a hospital in a well designed house. The excessive features ought to be invisible. Magazines one often want to feature them and we've got to show them the homes and they say. What am I looking at. This is a beautiful attractive home.

I don't see anything. And when that happens I think we've succeeded but how much will these new design features cost us. Are they more expensive to build in traditional construction. Marginally so they're not as expensive this people think. Lots of times it is more a matter of style that goes into what they're trying to accomplish especially if they are done as an integral part of the design from the concept stage. You have to start from the very beginning. So consumers start asking for homes with universal design features. One prediction is that baby boomers hold the key to the future as well as as they start having their parents move in with them or they start seeing friends and family members who create change of life experiences brought on by accident or disease that require them to have more accessibility in their own homes and they're going to see the need for planning these sort of features in the homes that they will start building.

Many companies are trying to be more sensitive about including the disabled. For instance the makers of Barbie came out with a doll in a wheelchair. But apparently the designers never rolled that share into Barbie's Dreamhouse because it doesn't fit under the kitchen table. So they've hired the set of universal design to make the house accessible. Proponents say that's real progress in changing public perception but there's still a lot more work to be done. So ultimately it's up to us to decide how best to open the doors of our future. Do you want to turn or not to turn. Universal designers hope that once people see how comfortable and convenient their products are consumers will begin asking for them. Coming up how North Carolina is able to bring in millions of dollars just by renovating some of its buildings. But first let's check in with Michel Louis for a summary of today's statewide headlines. Hi Mitt. Hello Shannon. Good evening everyone. Topping our news the first execution by the state of North Carolina since 1995 will be carried out on Friday unless Governor Jim

Hunt sends otherwise convicted murderer Ricky Lee Sanderson is scheduled to die at 2 a.m. Friday morning for killing a Davidson County teenager in 1905. Sanderson has refused to appeal his death sentence and has chosen gas over lethal injection and met today with attorneys and opponents of the execution. His decision is expected soon. Some state lawmakers are working to come up with a suitable legal definition for domestic violence. Currently North Carolina law defines domestic violence for civil cases only. Now lawmakers and victims rights advocates are grappling with a broad definition that would apply to criminal law as well. The new definition will be part of a package of recommended improvements to the state's domestic violence laws. The new broader definition could cost millions of dollars and services. The state would be required to pay to victims of domestic violence a number of high profile elected officials have not yet filed for re-election and the filing deadline is less than one week away. Democrat Senate president pro tem Mark bass a night of Dare County has not filed but plans to do

so before February 2nd. Several Democratic and Republican House incumbents are also running out of time. This is crucial for House Majority Leader legal Daughtry of Johnston County who plans to run for governor in 2000. Advisers say a GOP minority in the House will deny Daughtry a platform of free access to media exposure. Lose Control lose your license is the message going out to the states middle and high school students who commit serious offenses at school. Lieutenant governor Dennis Wicker has announced a proposal to revoke for one year or postpone until 18. The driver's license of any student who is found selling or in possession of drugs. Students found with a weapon or any student who assaults a teacher or school employee would also suffer the punishment. The plan has the support of Governor Hunt school superintendent Mike Ward. Teachers and principals with wicker will present his proposal to the upcoming session of the General Assembly. The North Carolina Zoo has received an anonymous donation to help solve a nagging wild animal problem. The

unspecified gift from an out of state organization is likely to be used to purchase fencing to keep a population of beavers away from exhibits and visitors over a three year period. The beavers have chewed through more than 1000 trees and caused damage to some prized zoo exhibits. Protests from animal lovers prompted the zoo to reverse an earlier plan to euthanize the beavers. A winter storm snowstorm has brought much of western North Carolina to a virtual halt over a foot of snow has fallen in some areas. There are reports of hundreds of stranded cars and wrecks on highways. A winter storm warning has been extended for most of the mountains until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow and things are looking better for Wednesday's weather. Temperatures around the state will be in the upper 40s and lower 50s Wellington could see highs in the upper 50s. Clouds are expected to cover the entire state with rain and thunderstorms likely at the coast. In business news a small Durham computer software company has unveiled a new product that could help solve the Year 2000 problem. Relativity technologies today introduced its new product

called Rescue where the new software is designed to convert old computer codes into a new computer language and make those systems ready to handle 21st century dates. A number of deals are in the works to Team relativity technologies with several other computer firms contracted to solve the conversion problem. And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. North Carolina has a rich history that not only permeates our culture and heritage but also our

state's Milde NGs. In fact so many historic buildings have been preserved in the Tarheel State that we often take them for granted. However a new study takes a look at the impact such preservation has for North Carolina's economy. And here to tell us more is Donovan Wickham the author of The New study profiting from the past the impact of Historic Preservation on North Carolina's economy. And thank you so much for joining us here. Now a lot of people when they think of Historic Preservation the first two things that pop up there to their mind as benefits are cultural historical but they don't necessarily think of the impact that it can have on a state's economy. Well and that's absolutely true and I would suggest that there was cultural and social and even psychological benefits that that in the long run were probably the most important ones frankly. But I think what we've learned is that apart from any of those the job creation tax base creating economic development tourism attraction affordable housing rolls

that historic preservation plays been greatly under-appreciated and have a very important role in the states economy. Let's talk about North Carolina specifically. When you did your study what did you do. First of all to look at the economic impacts of Historic Preservation one of the the most enjoyable parts of the study for me was looking at the barrette of ways that historic preservation is involved in the economy of North Carolina. It literally in answer your question kind of cast the net wide about what are the various ways within this state to destroy preservation plays a role. And there's a whole bunch of them. I mean there is the job creation that the rehabilitation of historic structures has. There is the attraction to of out of state visitors into North Carolina because of the historic resources the number one reason that visitors come to North Carolina is for the historic sites and monuments and they not only come they come and spend more when they do come and visitors who come for other reasons but the movie industry. Now there is a place that's that's grown with North

Carolina now third in the nation after New York and California in the movie industry. The movie industry is not a store of preservation but the reason that film makers come here is really for three reasons for that. For the beaches for the wilderness area and to use the built heritage of North Carolina as background of these movies a huge industry has brought billions of dollars into the state and historic preservation is an essential vehicle for the making that case at a different scale but very similarly of the crafts industry very important particularly in western North Carolina. The craft is the crafts industry and yet it is most often from historic buildings where those crafts are sold to the visitors that come down the Blue Ridge Parkway. The real consciousness of economic development officials both in the public and the private sector in North Carolina of how the use. Our communities historic character not only to build the quality of life that for that community but also use it as a real

recruitment tool for businesses locating there. So I guess the most surprising thing was the breadth of ways in the state that historic preservation played a role in the economy. If you go put a number figure on it is there any way to tell how much economically money dollar figures that historic preservation brings to North Carolina. Well I can put in a whole series of numbers. That in the last 20 years where there's been tax credits for historic rehabilitation of historic properties that has created has represented the private sector investment of three hundred twenty five million dollars and the creation of jobs directly and indirectly of over 13000 jobs. You can look at the forty one main street communities in North Carolina and Main Street is downtown revitalization in the context of historic preservation. And over that time there has been seventy four hundred net new jobs created. There's been four hundred fifty million dollars worth of investment in downtowns. Thirty four hundred new businesses in downtown. And those are real dollars. Then

when you get into other areas like the tourism business that now the industry is now the second largest industry in North Carolina will be the largest by the turn of the century. One hundred sixty one thousand people getting paychecks totaling two and a half billion dollars a year in the tourism industry. But again the major reason people come here is is heritage tourism and the historic resources. So it's it's it's numbers upon numbers throughout the state. That certainly is a lot of numbers is there any way to come up with one figure totaling how much of an impact that historic preservation has. I would have to say it's in the billions of dollars and the reason it's not kind of a weasel response the reason that it's not a number is so is that is the effective tool of it. Of preservation as a vehicle not an. And that how can you say that if I am a tourist and I go to a historic site where I also play a round of golf. Which of my dollars is distinguishable to A to B. So to kind of try to say

well this is these dollars were only for preservation that only for golf would be kind of two to misrepresent the reader. I think what's important is that it's it's hundreds of millions of dollars a year going to the state's economy. Finally is there anything unique about North Carolina that makes preservation here such an economically attractive thing. Well I have to say that that what is the most unique about the findings in North Carolina that it's not true in the other states where I've done similar kinds of work or where I've traveled to is the very important role that preservation North Carolina plays there revolving fund over the last 20 years has acquired resold covenanted and seen the reinvestment you know over 300 properties across the state representing well over 60 million dollars worth of. Investment private sector investment in those properties and that as of well three hundred properties is not all that many in the scope of the whole state. I think that kind of model that that represents that a nonprofit

organization going out and kind of demonstrating in terms of the quality work being done in the way it's approached is a kind of tool for learning for the rest of us I think has really filtered out to other institutions in both the public and private sector. This is a state where lots and lots of people and institutions really get it really understand that link and make very effective use of it. Well interesting study and we certainly appreciate you coming and sharing it with us thanks very much. If you like a combi of the report profiting from the past the impact of Historic Preservation on North Carolina's economy. You can call preservation North Carolina at 9 1 9 8 3 2 3 6 5 2. For many people there are good china and flatware is more than aware it

has a history. It might be an heirloom passed down from a grandmother or the silver someone got 40 years ago when they were married. Often these old patterns have been discontinued so when a piece is lost or broken it can be difficult to replace in replacements limited business that as producer reports buys and sells more china crystal and flatware patterns than you can imagine. That page has a sign in the front of its business welcoming all well-behaved paths but this man is no pet store owner. He is president and founder of replacement the world's largest supplier of china crystal and flatware patterns continued and active. 16 years ago Paige quit his job as an auditor for the state of North Carolina to pursue his passion scavenging flea market. Actually I just wanted to do something that I thought was really fun for living. I would have not had any clue that the business would have grown like this. I did think there was a

demand you know for some of these old patterns but I would never have dreamed that there would be this kind of demand. Since 1981 more than 2 million customers have called on replacements to help them locate hard to find table ware pieces. What started as an addict operation today employs 500 full time staffers who fill more than 30000 orders a month. Just organize like a library ceiling high stacks are filled with more than a million pieces of china glassware and Crystal inventory runs the gamut from exotic old and unusual such as an ice cream store to the newer more popular some of the parents you know were very expensive when they were manufactured. You know other things we have that were given a spring at the grocery store where the value of a piece is sentimental or monetary whether the demand is from one person or many replacements was that whatever customers are looking for. The company depends on a worldwide network of suppliers who stole

our flea market antique shops and estate sales for missing pieces. A master sleuth page has not abandoned his own passion for collecting. You know I really do enjoy going to the flea markets and I would explain it is being what I would call an adult Easter egg. Customers can admire pages private collection of China sets and glass figurines in a showroom lined with antique showcases. I didn't realize they had these museum pieces and they are just fantastic. There's a turkey platter over there that makes me want to go home and cook turkey. We don't even eat turkey for customers who want to learn what goes on behind the glass cases replacements offers a guided tour starting in the warehouse which alone is the size of four football fields. This area here in front of us is our China inventory department where we're unpacking all of the items that we've received in from our suppliers across the half a clear ringing

sound means the cup is free of hairline cracks all incoming tableware must pass inspection before it's accepted in catalogs inventory. If a piece does have a minor chip or surface scratch or if the trim is worn it's sent to restoration to be refurbished. This department is continually testing new ways to better restore pieces to their original condition. Here China pieces the replays and required in a special key. It almost 2000 degrees Fahrenheit Braman a chipped lip on a crystal glass is ground down and smoothed out with a glass plate and with this heavy hand in painstaking care the gold trim in a porcelain plate is re-applied damage where you seize equal attention. These items up here got caught down in the garbage disposal and if this ever

happens to you as long as they're not broken into two pieces we can restore them like you see here in the bottom pictures. Not only were they were Perrier mangled flatware they were also polish your tarnish on a normal day we send out twenty five hundred pieces that they polished to customers and then this is done customer service is reflected in replacing the motto which reads customers are not an interruption but the very reason for our work. Page credits his company's success to the fact it's a monopoly with an impeccable reputation. People believe in our honesty. Our suppliers. They know that they can trust us and rely on us and we do all for a level of customer service that we feel like would not be paralleled. And the success of replacements is impressive. During 1997 the company topped 57 million dollars in sales up more than 18 percent over the year before. And the divers roster of customers continues to grow.

Whether it be the rich and famous. This one is President Mrs. Clinton's patter. It's called Columbia black by which for a more casual grounds my sister was in town for opening in New York and I was interested in showing her what I consider to be a fascinating part of the your own collectors searching for Paradise replacement seems to offer something for just about everyone. After all where else did they allow dogs in a china shop. If you'd like to get in touch with replacements Ltd You can call them at 1 800 7 3 7 5 2 2 3. That's 1 800 workplace. Well that's it for tonight's show. Please stay with you and see TV tonight for special coverage of President Clinton's state aling Union address. You can see TV what they are. The News Hour With Jim Lehrer special edition President Clinton State of the Union address tonight starting at 11:00 p.m. then please join us back here tomorrow night when our guests will be noted presidential historian and North Carolina resident Bill Locke Timberg. He'll be here to

give us his analysis on the president's State of the Union address and a historical perspective on Clinton's current political problems. Have a great evening Everyone I'll see you back here tomorrow night.