THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 19, 1995 TAG: 9512190247
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Most federal employees in North Carolina who were furloughed the last time got it again Monday because of the budget impasse between Congress and President Clinton.
The sign on the door at a visitors center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park said it all: ``This facility is closed due to the lack of appropriated funds.''
The 520,000-acre park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, the most-visited park in the land, closed visitor centers, furloughed 170 workers and shuttered all but main roads. Furloughs of all but 54 emergency workers began Monday.
Only back-country trails and a few restrooms remained open in the face of the second shutdown in a month because of the budget impasse in Washington.
``Because we've been through this before as sort of a rehearsal, visitors know what to expect,'' spokeswoman Nancy Gray said Monday. ``I think anger was the immediate reaction before (among visitors), but it is frustration this time.''
To the east, nonemergency federal operations shut down, too.
``It's very discouraging,'' said Debbie James, spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency air quality lab in Research Triangle Park.
About 1,400 employees and 1,400 more contract workers at the EPA lab were notified of the furlough. A handful of employees will remain behind to watch over essential lab experiments and secure the buildings.
``We don't think Congress should be allowed to go home for Christmas if they don't do their work,'' one EPA employee said.
``The sense of uncertainty bothers a lot of people,'' said John O'Neil, a senior researcher at EPA.
Another 600 employees at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences at RTP were furloughed. Spokesman Tom Hawkins said the approach of Christmas made it harder.
``This isn't being done or caused by the season but people are sensitive to that,'' Hawkins said. ``It causes some anxiety.''
The institute conducts biomedical research, and a small cadre will remain behind to continue experiments that can't be stopped, watch over animals and make sure equipment such as freezers don't shut down, Hawkins said.
A much smaller group of federal employees - two - waited for their formal furlough notices at Raleigh Federal Cemetery.
``It makes me feel like I'm not wanted,'' said caretaker Anthony Williams. ``I feel like I'll be thrown out the door any time.''
Williams said he felt he had a secure job when he began working for the government in 1989.
``I've been trying to take care of bills,'' he said, ``making it from week to week.''
Blue Ridge Parkway headquarters in Asheville ran this message on its automated telephone answering system: ``The Blue Ridge Parkway headquarters office is closed indefinitely due to a federal government shutdown. We are sorry for the inconvenience.''
But civilian workers at military installations around the state stayed at work this time. They were furloughed last time, but were spared because the defense budget was approved. Military personnel were unaffected by either shutdown.
``We're still open,'' said Joan Malloy, a civilian employee in the 18th Airborne Corps' public information office at Fort Bragg.
Also unaffected were most medical employees at the state's Veterans Administration hospitals in Fayetteville, Durham, Salisbury and Asheville.
``It wasn't a lot last time,'' said spokesman Hal Hummel at the 1,700-employee Durham VA hospital. ``As in the past, we expect the impact on our facility and other facilities to be minimal. We plan to be open for business.'' by CNB