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N.C.
State faculty gets a pep talk
Chancellor-elect James Oblinger
NCSU
professor wins $4M grant
Kenneth Adler, cell biology
NCSU
Researcher Receives NIH Grant Worth Up to $4M
Kenneth Adler
Falls
might get more waste
JoAnn Burkholder
Ballantine
seen as poised for next race
Andrew Taylor, election returns
Radio
Clips: Commentary
Andrew Taylor
Good
morning, Mr. President! Now...
Barrett D. Slenning, opinion
An election
guide
election returns
McKenzie,
Lea Win for Commission
alumnus, election returns
Race
is neck and neck
election returns
How
does State lean?
editorial
Bunting
needs more than Miami
elections/voting, athlethics
Raleigh
delays deck decision
Centennial Campus
Head
for main item goes here
graduate program
Nov. 2, 2004
Triangle Business Journal
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Kenneth Adler, a professor of cell biology at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health worth as much as $4 million over the next 10 years.
The grant is from the Method to Extend Research in Time award program, which was created in 1987 to extend funding to researchers who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to successful research. Less than 5 percent of NIH-funded investigators are selected to receive MERIT awards.
Adler's research involves studying the pathogenic mechanisms associated with inflammation in the respiratory airways as seen in asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic bronchitis.
Nov. 3, 2004
News and Observer
By TIM SIMMONS
© Copyright 2004
Regardless of the skills that others think he has, James Oblinger told members of the N.C. State University faculty Tuesday that he can only succeed with their help.
Oblinger, who will become the school's 13th chancellor Jan.1, made his pitch during his first formal remarks to the university's Faculty Senate. In a speech that was essentially the one he delivered the day he was selected as chancellor, Oblinger stressed his role in the larger NCSU community.
"One of the things I hope you know about me is that I believe that relationships are very important," Oblinger told faculty members. "I bring my relationships with me -- so do you. I'll be listening to you for how we can make those relationships even stronger."
Oblinger's emphasis on relationships is consistent with his style of leadership during his 18 years at NCSU, which includes time as a dean and his current job as provost. It also contrasts with the sometimes difficult relations that former Chancellor Marye Anne Fox had with faculty.
The faculty on Tuesday made no mention of Fox. Instead, members used the occasion to applaud Oblinger's vision for the future. "I'm really looking forward to it," Oblinger said. "I hope you are, too."
Oblinger took care to single out areas where people might question his interests.
He repeated his support for a strong athletic program, the importance of the ongoing billion-dollar fund-raising campaign that has collected about $600,000, and the school's historical emphasis on community outreach.
But the faculty's interest was primarily found in the four main themes that Oblinger said will define his tenure: scholarship, innovation, diversity and organizational capabilities.
"If we are to meet the needs of the 21st century, we must be attuned to what is happening around us," he said. "We can't just assume we know what those needs are. This is true across a spectrum of issues: social, environmental, civic and cultural."
The university's ability to be innovative must cut across that same spectrum, he said.
In closing, he posed his first request to the Faculty Senate. He asked that the members repeat, "We are N.C. State." The refrain was heard in the halls.
"It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Oblinger asked.
Staff writer Tim Simmons can be reached at 829-4535 or tsimmons@newsobserver.com.
Nov. 3, 2004
The Robesonian
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
As you watch the election returns tonight, expect the map of the United States to begin looking like a football game between the University of North Carolina and N.C. State in the Wolfpack's Carter-Finley Stadium - red everywhere, with a little bit of blue in the cheap seats, the upper deck and the far-left end zone.
There is no question that this country is pretty evenly divided, but the states, while far from united, are less split. Expect Bush to win as many as 31 or 32 states, although doing so is no guarantee that he will be re-elected. Kerry has an 81-vote head start courtesy of New York and California, but needs a good showing in several key battleground states to win the Electoral College.
Bush appears to be a slight favorite - mainly because he has more margin for error in the battleground states - but nothing is for sure. It really depends on which party is better at getting its supporters to the polls.
The closeness of the popular vote suggests an all-nighter for those who won't rest until they know who wins this election, but there is at least one scenario that could drop the curtain early: If either Bush or Kerry wins both Pennsylvania and Florida, then that candidate is almost guaranteed the election.
Our guess is Kerry wins Pennsylvania and Bush wins Florida, which means the next key state will be Ohio. Complicating Kerry's task is that it's almost impossible for him to win the presidency without Ohio, but Bush could be re-elected without that state - if you believe the polls.
But the polls are less trustworthy this year than in the past. Millions of new voters have registered since 2000, and no one knows how many will actually cast votes. More people will cast ballots today that ever before in a presidential election, but turnout remains the wild card.
There is a high possibility, perhaps even a probability, that Americans will awake on Wednesday without knowing who won this election. This election campaign has been too long and too negative, so we hope it isn't extended. This nation doesn't need a repeat of 2000 - particularly while we are at war.
The lawyers, however, are ready to go on the clock.
McKenzie, Lea Win for Commission
Nov. 3, 2004
The Pilot News
By FLORENCE GILKESON
© Copyright 2004
Tim Lea will become the newest member of the Moore County Board of Commissioners in December.
Lea and incumbent Commissioner Colin McKenzie, both Republicans, won easy victories over their Democratic opponents in the Tuesday general election.
According to unofficial returns, Lea had 20,892 votes. Sue McKen-zie Black, his Dem-ocratic opponent, claimed 13,070 votes.
McKenzie led Dunn by 20,179 to 13,269.
Lea will succeed retiring Commissioner Robert S. Ewing, who has served the county for more than 20 years. Ewing decided not to run for re-election this year.
“My thanks go to Sue for running such a positive campaign,” Lea said Tuesday night. “I look forward to working with everyone in Moore County, Democrats as well as Republicans and other registrants.”
Black was on her way home from a Democratic rally at the Robbins headquarters and could not be reached for comment.
McKenzie had little time for comment. He said he was headed outdoors, after dark, to remove his campaign signs from “Moore County’s beautiful countryside.”
“I do appreciate the interest shown by the voters and will do my best to represent them in my new term,” McKenzie said from his home in Pinehurst.
Dunn, who also lives in Pinehurst, said he was pleased that the Democratic Party had asked him to be a candidate in this race.
“It was an honor to run,” Dunn said. “Had I won, I would have tried to emulate the public service provided to Moore County by outgoing Commissioner Bob Ewing, a Republican, and a great public servant.”
Dunn added his regret that he would not be attending the December commissioners’ meeting, when he wanted to elect someone other than Michael Holden as chairman of the board. He said he would have placed Lea’s name in nomination.
“I invite the new commissioners to realize the negative influence he (Holden) has been on county policy and suggest that they elect Tim Lea in his place,” Dunn said.
Dunn also suggested that the commissioners should move to create a Pinehurst water district and help fund a 150,000-gallon reservoir in Southern Pines.
“And with a 23 percent illiteracy rate in the county, I trust they’ll wake up and be especially supportive of our new school superintendent as she tries to improve our educational system in Moore County,” Dunn said.
Lea is founder and chief executive officer of Healthcare Systems Consulting Inc. He served as chairman of the county Planning Board during the period in which the county developed a land-use plan leading to countywide zoning. More recently, he headed the school superintendent search committee.
Lea, a 53-year-old Moore County native, is a member of the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marines, a Presbyterian and a Pinecrest High School graduate.
Lea is married to the former Marian Elaine Brown of Carthage, and they have two children: Robert Blake Lea, a senior at N.C. State University; and Brittany Michele Lea, a junior at State.
McKenzie is a 76-year-old retired U.S. Army colonel who is also a Moore County native. A graduate of the U.S. Army College, he served two tours in Vietnam, where he commanded combat units. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at N.C. State and is a former member of the Pinehurst Village Council and the Pinehurst Planning and Zoning Board.
His wife is the former Anne Seawell of Carthage. They have a son, Dr. Colin S. McKenzie, who lives in Columbus, Ga. There are three grandsons. A Presbyterian, he maintains family property interests and operates a tree farm in Moore County. This will be his third term on the board.
Also a Moore County native, Sue Black served three terms as chairman during her 15 years on the Board of Education. She graduated from Pinehurst High School and Sandhills Community College and now works as a therapist with the N.C. Department of Correction.
She and her husband, Larry, have six children and 12 grandchildren, all in addition to more than 40 foster children.
Dunn is a retired business executive whose career includes service as marketing director of Good Housekeeping Magazine, where he introduced a Spanish language version into Central and South America.
Dunn is co-author with his wife, B.J., of “Great Donald Ross Golf Courses You Can Play.”
Dunn served as a petty officer with the U.S. Navy and attended St. John’s University and School of Law under the G.I. Bill. He and his wife have 12 children and 34 grandchildren between them.
NCSU Researcher Receives NIH Grant Worth Up to $4M 5
Nov. 3, 2004
Local Tech Wire
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH – Kenneth Adler, a professor of cell biology at North Carolina State University who is researching a means of fighting the effects of asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic bronchitis, has received a grant worth up to $4 million.
Adler is a professor in NCSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Adler was recognized as a MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) award winner from the National Institutes of Health. The grant is worth $400,000 a year for up to a decade. MERIT winners are given to researchers who have “demonstrated a long-term commitment to and success in research.”
Fewer than 5 percent of NIH-supported investigators receive MERIT awards.
Alder and others at NCSU have developed a molecule that prevents mucus buildup in asthmatic mice. Alder said the research could lead to therapeutic treatments to fight so-called mucus hypersecretion occurs, including chronic bronchitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis.
“I plan on using this award to develop procedures in my lab and increase my collaborative efforts with other researchers here and abroad to look at molecular and cell biology questions with what might be considered ‘high-risk, high-payoff’ types of experiments,” Adler said in a statement. “We’re specifically trying to understand the pathogenetic mechanisms of respiratory diseases so that novel types of therapeutic interventions might be developed.”
NCSU: www.ncsu.edu
Nov. 3, 2004
The Charlotte Observer
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Former students and colleagues of Lenoir-Rhyne accounting professor Raymond Strunk and economics professor Russell "Bud" Brown are honoring the educators with contributions to the Mauney Schaeffer Conference Hall.Strunk is remembered as a tough but fair professor who taught his students the fundamentals and helped many find jobs. A faculty office in the conference hall will be named in his honor.
Lenoir-Rhyne alumni contributing to the gift in his memory are Eric West and Tammy West, both of the Class of 1991; Susan McLean, Class of 1978; Hugh Campbell, Class of 1989; and James H. Sloop, Class of 1968. In addition, Henry Holland of the Hickory accounting firm Davidson, Holland, Whitesell & Co., contributed to the gift. Holland hired several Lenoir-Rhyne graduates recommended by Strunk.
Strunk taught at Lenoir-Rhyne from 1957 to 1997. The college yearbook was dedicated to him in 1960.
"We found him in the business world, we found him in community life, we found him in campus activities," the dedication reads. "His genuine handclasp eased by a merry twinkle, his sincere appraisals, his constant interest endear him always to each of us."
Brown taught economics at Lenoir-Rhyne from 1947 to 1986. During most of that time, he also coached the school's Debate Team.
The student gift will name the Bud Brown Faculty Office in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the newly renovated Mauney Schaeffer Hall.
"He was very giving of his time, in practices and trips to debate tournaments," said Richard "Dick" Huffman, a debate team member in the Class of 1972 and a current member of the Lenoir-Rhyne Alumni Board. "There's no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be where I am without his influence."
Other former debate team members who contributed to the naming gift include Doug Beam, Class of 1973; Revonda Ball, Class of 1959; the Rev. Mark Cooper, Class of 1966; Daniel Green, Class of 1976; the Rev. Stephen Moose, Class of 1965; Lynn Rigsbee, Class of 1977; and Dr. Louis "Lou" Rossiter, Class of 1971.
The Mauney Schaeffer Conference Hall project involves the renovation of two former residence halls. The newly dedicated facility includes the Charles M. Snipes School of Business, the School of Computing Sciences and Mathematics and the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. In addition, it will house the Alex Lee Career and Personal Development Center and meeting space for the Lenoir-Rhyne Business Council.
CVCC
College's faculty appointments
Catawba Valley Community College recently announced several faculty appointments.Ann DeBoever was named the new mathematics division chair.
DeBoever holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in mathematics education from Campbell University. She taught in public schools in North Carolina and Virginia, at Columbia State Community College in Tennessee and at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington before joining the CVCC faculty in 1990. She lives in Bethlehem with her husband, Butch, and two sons.
Keith Mackie was named associate dean of business, graphic arts and public services.
Mackie holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Western Carolina University and a master's degree in industrial education from Appalachian State University. He is pursuing a doctorate in adult and community college education at N.C. State University. Mackie worked as an art director for commercial printers for more than 10 years before joining the CVCC faculty in 1989. He and his wife, Pam, live in Hickory.
William "Reggie" Mullis was named business administration and health care management division chair.
Mullis joined the faculty this fall, following a 17-year management career in banking, health care and small business. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at Campbell University and a master's degree in business administration at Elon University. He and his wife, Susan, live in Hickory.
Kevin Rouse was named the humanities division chair.
Rouse earned a bachelor's degree in English at Atlantic Christian College and a master's degree in English at East Carolina University. He is pursuing an educational specialist graduate degree in higher education development studies at Appalachian State University.
Rouse taught English at East Carolina University and Lenoir Community College, where he also served as coordinator of the Learning Assistance Program. He joined the CVCC faculty in 2002 and recently served as chair of CVCC's Leadership Team for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirmation process.
He and his wife, Fiona Chrystall, live in Lenoir.
Registration for spring classes
Registration for spring 2005 curriculum classes at Catawba Valley Community College will begin this month. Students who are enrolled for a curriculum class during the current fall semester at CVCC may register starting Tuesday. Registration for new or previous students not registered this fall begins Nov. 12. The registration period continues through Nov. 19, excluding weekends.
High school students planning to dual enroll may not register during the November registration period but will be able to register during a late registration period Jan. 5.
All students must meet with their academic adviser before registering. No appointment is necessary. Operating hours for CVCC Student Services are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.
Tuition and fees for November registration are due when the course planning form is keyed into the system, but no later than 5 p.m. Nov. 19. The CVCC Business Office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a payment drop box is located outside for payments by check or credit card.
CVCC Spring 2004 classes begin Jan. 8.
For more information, call or come by CVCC Student Services at the main campus on U.S. 70 in Hickory or call (828) 327-7000, ext. 4216.
Nov. 3, 2004
News and Observer
By WADE RAWLINS
© Copyright 2004
Water samples collected last summer from the murky region of upper Falls Lake made one thing clear to N.C. State University scientist JoAnn Burkholder: The lake is polluted.
Falls Lake, a popular manmade reservoir, supplies drinking water to 380,000 people in Wake County and offers boating, fishing and other recreation to Triangle residents.
At the lake's upper reaches, tributaries carry treated sewage loaded with nitrogen and phosphorous from Butner, Durham and Hillsborough.
Burkholder's samples exceeded the state standards for chlorophyll-a -- an indicator of too much algae, which can cause taste and odor problems and fish kills. Burkholder's sampling -- while a one-day snapshot -- was similar to the latest sampling by the Division of Water Quality in 2001.
WHAT'S NEXT
A public hearing on Butner's request to increase its discharge of nitrogen into Falls Lake will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
After the hearing, Jimmie Overton, chief of the N.C. Division of Water Quality's environmental sciences unit, will review comments and recommend whether the division's director should approve, reject or modify Butner's request. Alan Klimek, the director, will then make the decision.
Susan Massengale, spokeswoman for the division, said the director's options include allowing Butner to increase its discharge, but allowing a smaller increase in nitrogen than requested.
"It indicates that you have overloaded the system," Burkholder said. "Even if they were beneficial algae, too much of the wrong kind of a plant becomes a weed. This is clearly not a wise thing to me to add nutrients to Falls Lake."
But that's what the town of Butner is proposing to do in a plan that would expand its sewage treatment plant and double the amount of nitrogen it discharges into the lake.
Last month, a public hearing on the proposal drew an overflow crowd. The room was so packed that some people had to stand outdoors and listen through open windows. The turnout prompted state water regulators to schedule a second hearing for Thursday.
The added nitrogen can spur growth of toxic algae and make people sick, but it's the state's health agency that is proposing to increase the discharge. Butner is a state-managed town that provides support for state and federal institutions there. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services oversees the town and owns the sewage treatment plant. It is asking another state agency to increase Butner's allowed sewage discharge.
Terry Hatcher, director of the property office for the Division of Health and Human Services, said Raleigh's water intake is about 25 miles down river and Butner's discharge, even under maximum conditions, would not harm the water supply.
"I'm confident that when this plant comes on line with the new technology, the discharge from that plant will be cleaner than what we are discharging and will be cleaner for many years in the future," Hatcher said.
Concerns for Raleigh
Raleigh leaders say the state should first finish a five-year update of the lake's water quality and determine the cause of existing water problems in Knap of Reeds Creek, a lake tributary into which Butner dumps sewage. The next five-year update of Falls Lake is scheduled in 2005-06.
Dan McLawhorn, associate city attorney for Raleigh, said state water regulators will exceed their legal authority if they approve increases in nitrogen that cause violations in fundamental water quality protections. State environmental rules bar discharges into a water body if they will cause a downstream body to violate water quality standards, or make a violation worse.
The elevated chlorophyll-a levels suggest that state water regulators may add part of Falls Lake to EPA's troubled waters list in 2006. A study for the Upper Neuse River Basin Association by Tetra Tech Inc., an engineering consultant, estimated that upper Falls Lake has violated state water quality standards since at least 2000 and is projected to get worse.
"With our current assessment method, we would impair some portion of the lake in 2006," Cam McNutt, a river basin planner with the Division of Water Quality said in an e-mail message in June to colleagues. The message was among documents submitted to the Division of Water Quality as comments.
McNutt has seen it happen before. Similar elevated chlorophyll-a violations prompted the state in 2002 to add the New Hope arm of Jordan Lake in the western Triangle to the EPA list. That listing requires the city of Durham, Durham County and Orange Water and Sewer Authority to upgrade their sewage plants to sharply cut discharges of nitrogen and phosphorous.
Burkholder, who gathers samples in water supply reservoirs for the Department of Health and Human Services, said she had detected small amounts of blue-green algae in upper and lower Falls Lake.
Nitrogen and phosphorous in treated sewage act as fertilizer to stimulate growth of aquatic plants including some toxic species of algae that are harmful to human health, causing effects from nausea to nervous system problems.
"We definitely see some toxic bacteria that fortunately are fairly low in abundance," Burkholder said. "The idea is not to encourage them."
Bill Pate, a state health official, declined to predict whether added nitrogen would promote toxic algae in the water supply.
"We are concerned about this issue," Pate said.
Butner's proposal is possible only through a $1.68 million purchase of pollution credits from a Pamlico County utility that removed discharge pipes from the Neuse River. Butner proposes to shift the discharge allowance more than 200 miles upriver. The state purchased the pollution credits in August and made the first of 15 annual $112,000 payments.
"If we don't get the permit, we have the ability to get the money back," Hatcher said.
Effect on recreation
Amy Poole, an owner of Rolling View Marina, said she is concerned about the effect additional sewage would have on Falls Lake where her family has run a 220-slip marina since 1984.
Poole said the algae blooms during the summer look like big green jelly fish in the lake. She said in recent years it grows at a faster rate on boat bottoms.
"We used to have a scum line on boats," Poole said. "Now it's like a carpet. It's very thick."
Poole said she is quite concerned about Butner's proposal.
"I want my grand kids to enjoy Falls Lake," Poole said.
Staff writer Wade Rawlins can be reached at 829-4528 or wrawlins@newsobserver.com.
Nov. 3, 2004
News and Observer
By SARAH LINDENFELD HALL
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH -- The City Council wants more information about the details of a proposed $25 million, 980-space underground parking deck downtown before it decides whether to build it.
Despite a looming deadline, the council balked Tuesday at making a decision on the four-level garage, which would serve a new 400-room hotel and convention center along with other downtown businesses. The council will consider it again Nov. 16.
City and Wake County leaders are moving forward on plans to build a $192 million convention center downtown and open it in February 2008. Money from countywide taxes on meals and hotel rooms would pay for the project, along with $20 million of a $58 million Marriott hotel, which would be built next door and on top of part of the proposed garage. The city's parking fund would finance the parking garage.
"Although it's expensive, I think it's a good investment for the future," Mayor Charles Meeker said.
IN OTHER ACTION
The City Council:
* Asked its public works committee to study a proposal that would increase the amount of land required to be dedicated for greenways. The Planning Commission voted 10-1 last week to recommend that the council reject the proposed ordinance, saying it required too much land and there were other issues, including how much property owners are paid for the land, that needed to be resolved.
* Agreed to wait until its Nov. 16 meeting to debate a proposed ordinance regulating towing companies and to consider a proposal by council member Neal Hunt to require property owners to chain their parking lots if they don't want unauthorized motorists parking there.
* Denied plans by N.C. State University to expand its Centennial Campus but encouraged university officials to ask the city to waive the usual two-year period required to file a new rezoning case so they can file a new case. Neighbors have raised concerns about the rezoning.
* Approved preliminary plans for the site excavation and foundation for the new convention center.
Other council members had questions.
Councilman Neal Hunt asked whether the hotel's developers and other nearby businesses, which might use the parking, could chip in for the project.
As part of the city's deal with the hotel developers, the city will provide 400 parking spaces, half of them at a discount rate, to the hotel, though they don't have to be in the underground garage.
Councilwoman Jessie Taliaferro said she was concerned that so much money was spent on downtown when there were road and park projects unfunded in her northeast Raleigh district. Plans call for continuing to transfer $580,000 from the city's general fund into the parking fund. City officials had been working to make the fund support itself.
"We're just putting more and more funds from our general fund into downtown, and I object," she said.
Taliaferro also asked the council to think about using $1 million a year the city gets from the countywide taxes on the project.
The city is under a stiff timeline. Design work on the garage must start this month so construction can begin by September and be nearly complete by May 2006, in time for the city to turn over a foundation to the hotel developer.
Staff writer Sarah Lindenfeld Hall can be reached at 829-8983 or slindenf@newsobserver.com.
Nov. 3, 2004
News and Observer
By TODD SILBERMAN
© Copyright 2004
With more than three quarters of the state's precincts reporting, Wake school board member Bill Fletcher was neck and neck with June Atkinson in the race for North Carolina's superintendent of public instruction.
Fletcher had a 50 percent share of the ballots cast in unofficial returns. Democrat Atkinson also had 50 percent with 89 percent of the state's 2,769 precincts reporting.
Atkinson, a longtime state educator, is trying for a different first in the state-- to be the first female superintendent.
"I was just hoping that we would have a short night rather than a long one," Atkinson said. "I'd rather go down to the wire and win. We'll just hang in there."
Fletcher said he was confident that he'd keep the advantage.
"I feel very good. We've worked hard for 21 months and tried to share a message about how we can improve our schools," Fletcher said. "We're looking forward to victory."
Fletcher ran as a supporter of the public schools, a departure from past GOP bids for the post, and promised to bring a fresh perspective to the job.
Atkinson said her experience in education would be invaluable in leading reform efforts in the state's public schools.
The race was largely free of the sharp divisions that have shaped past contests for the office.
Atkinson and Fletcher agreed on many issues, from the need for continued efforts to hold schools accountable for student progress to better pay for teachers.
The candidates sought to differentiate themselves on the basis of their contrasting credentials.
Atkinson, 56, underscored her long experience as an educator, first as a business-education teacher in Virginia and later in Charlotte. She was a state curriculum specialist in vocational education and, most recently, director of instructional services for the Department of Public Instruction. Atkinson retired this spring after a 33-year career.
Fletcher, 55, a marketing consultant, touted his business experience and also emphasized his contributions as a member of the Wake school board. The Cary resident has held a seat on the board since being elected in 1993.
Atkinson was the last of five candidates to enter the race. Fletcher was the first, announcing his candidacy in early 2003, just days after former Superintendent Mike Ward said he wouldn't seek a third term.
Fletcher easily won the Republican nomination in the June 20 primary by defeating one contender, Jeanne Smoot, a retired English professor from N.C. State University.
Atkinson emerged as the Democratic nominee from a field of three contenders, all running for public office for the first time.
In the July 20 primary, Atkinson finished just behind Marshall Stewart, a state coordinator of agricultural education for high schools across the state. Atkinson handily won the nomination in a little-noticed second primary Aug. 17, with 55 percent of the vote.
With little money to spend, Atkinson and Fletcher struggled for visibility in a crowded election season. They relied heavily on grass-roots campaigning. For Fletcher, it was party connections he forged in nearly two years of campaigning. Atkinson drew on her education contacts.
Staff writer Todd Silberman can be reached at 829-4531 or todds@newsobserver.com.
Ballantine seen as poised for next race
Nov. 3, 2004
The Charlotte Observer
By SHARIF DURHAMS
© Copyright 2004
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH - In North Carolina, a state that has never tossed a governor seeking reelection, political observers have said for months that Republican Patrick Ballantine would have a tough time beating incumbent Gov. Mike Easley.
Ballantine acknowledged that challenge Tuesday as he conceded to Easley and said the governor's television ads about his record in the N.C. Senate made it too hard to catch up.
"He framed me as someone who I didn't even know," Ballantine said.
Nonetheless, Ballantine may be in a better position for another run at high office than many Republicans. That includes ex-Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot, whom Ballantine outpolled in the July 20 primary.
Voters across the state now know Ballantine's name, thanks to $4 million he's spent traveling the state and running ads, and another $500,000 in advertising from a national GOP group.
Easley said he wouldn't be surprised if Republicans nominated Ballantine again in 2008.
"Certainly, he showed he could put together a statewide campaign. The first one's tough," said Easley, who lost his first statewide campaign for U.S. Senate in the 1990 Democratic primary.
But with a late primary and fund-raising troubles, Ballantine had counts against him.
"Ballantine began at a disadvantage and never really figured out a way to overcome it," N.C. State political scientist Andrew Taylor said.
If he runs, the guy who pitches himself as leading a "new generation" of conservatives can keep using that slogan.
In 2008, he'll be 43 years old.
Nov. 3, 2004
The Charlotte Observer
By TOM SORENSEN
© Copyright 2004
Things to consider while waiting from 9:30 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. at Marvin Elementary to vote:
• North Carolina football coach John Bunting did not save his job by beating Miami. As big as the victory was, it will not placate the influential alumni frustrated by the inconsistency that has characterized his reign.
The Tar Heels close at home against Virginia Tech and at Wake Forest and Duke. I like Bunting, but despite the euphoria engendered by Saturday's victory, he has more games to win and more top N.C. players to move into position to recruit.
• The defensive lapses by the Carolina Panthers are a mystery. On Sunday, I heard the announcer say, "Tackle by Rucker," and until then had forgotten Mike Rucker was on the field. Last season, he was the team's best defensive end and deserved his Pro Bowl spot. He's a player whose work I have always admired.
The lapses are bigger than one player, of course. There are several players whose names I don't hear. Something is terribly wrong with the defense and I have yet to hear anybody in the locker room or outside it identify what it is.
• There's a guy at Marvin Elementary, in Union County, complaining loudly about the wait. I infer by the way he's dressed and the things he says that we will not be voting for the same candidates. So I focus my powers on the back of his head and suggest via telepathy that there is a golf course, a riding mower and a buffet line nearby and he would be happier there.
Doesn't work.
• Some of you love to denounce the NBA. You criticize it so loudly and so frequently that you think it somehow distinguishes you. What, the blonde at the end of the bar is going to say, "Wow, that guy denounced the NBA in his loudest voice, therefore I must meet him."
I don't care if you don't like the NBA. I don't like golf, but do you hear me denouncing it? OK, maybe you do, but there's a difference. Give me some time and I'll figure out what it is.
• Hour 2: I can't remember the last time I waited this long for anything. I have a system for getting to and from Lowe's Motor Speedway that circumvents long delays. The N.C. State-Miami game was a mess because of the N.C. State Fair traffic and the lack of planning, but the wait wasn't this bad. I don't think I waited this long to house train my dog.
• I thought Terrell Owens' imitation of Ray Lewis' celebratory dance was funny. I don't like most celebrations because they're borrowed if not stolen, and nobody ought to celebrate when his team is trailing. But as long as you're not losing and you're original, why not have some fun? Mocking Lewis, when the man is on the same field, is original.
• Yes! I have attained the voting booth! If I had a celebratory dance, I'd do it.
Many of us will be frustrated when the votes are counted and recounted. But if you want some consolation, there's this. If you liked your life before the election, you will continue to like it after Nov. 3.
Tom Sorensen: (704) 358-5119; tsorensen@charlotteobserver.com.
Nov. 3, 2004
News and Observer
By Lilly Loughner
© Copyright 2004
Reaching for yet another story on "liberal" professors at UNC-Chapel Hill, I wonder if The N&O could be any more biased. The Oct. 25 Associated Press article "Donations demonstrate liberal leanings" demonstrated the paper's complete lack of acknowledgement of N.C. State University. While the story made references to both Chapel Hill and Duke as predominately "liberal," N.C. Statewas left out of the discussion.
As a State student and Raleigh resident, when a news subhead reads "University staffs favor Democrats," I would like to hear the whole university story, for once.
Lilly Loughner
Raleigh
Good morning, Mr. President! Now...
Nov. 3, 2004
News and Observer
By Barrett D. Slenning
© Copyright 2004
Congratulations on winning the election! Now the work really begins.
We've experienced an unprecedented stream of traumas recently: Impeachment. Market collapse. Contested elections. Sept. 11, 2001. Terrorism. Recession. Two wars. Corporate scandals. Global pandemics. The list could go on, but the point is we've been through the wringer, and we need this administration to salve wounds, not cause new injury. Here are some ideas on accomplishing this goal:
If the election is still under contention, take a deep breath and advocate calm. In face of 2000's butterfly-ballots and hanging chads, and with legislatures and courts getting into uncertain election territory, both the Bush and Gore campaign leadership acted like adults. Certainly, some of their minions got flaky, but the leadership dealt with it well. George W. Bush moved forward to build his government; Al Gore quickly acknowledged he'd accept the legal decision. The steady measure of both avoided a battle that threatened the core of our republic.
You have little or no mandate. Don't act like you do. Understand that about half the people voted against you and your ideas. Claiming a mandate now looks arrogant and/or delusional. You haven't lost those people, though. You must offer them reasons to be part of your presidency, not to fight against it. You already know which of your ideas are alienating non-supporters. Find the "red meat" issues from your stump speech and throw them out; they'll only poison the next four years.
Also, look at your opponent's debates. Toss his "red meat" issues as well, but look at the others. Get away from your spin doctors for a moment and you'll see many of his ideas are pretty good and deserve your consideration.
Hard-liners on the other side will claim you are pandering, and your own base will cry foul. Too bad for them, but neither will ever be happy, so why coddle them? Most Americans recognize the extremists are continually battling the last election and are best ignored.
Revamp the election process. We've had several campaign seasons with an embarrassing election system. Third parties are systematically shut out. Voters feel disenfranchised. States' myriad voting methods and rules generate inequalities and abuse. Money and special interests foul the process. The Electoral College in 2000 produced an administration many deemed illegitimate, and whose credibility was therefore undermined. While we can argue that it protects smaller states, a system that can go against a popular vote carries more negatives than positives. It is an anachronism deserving abandonment.
Quickly name a commission of officials and candidates from several states that includes minority party representatives. Have them outline a new national process that is simpler, less prone to abuse, and accounts for our diversities. Importantly, they must propose how to pay for improvements.
It'll take years to get a quality product, but the longer we wait, the longer we'll suffer as in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
Congress and administrative transitions. Assuming we have another closely split Congress, you must get their attention. Before January, hold meetings with the leadership from both sides, and tell them the same thing: for too long they've looked like schoolyard bullies interested solely in grandstanding. Remind them as well that partial blame for 9/11 rests on the overly complicated transition between administrations. Much of that complication is due to the size of the executive staff that turns over, and to the tortuous partisan confirmation process. We cannot ever again leave our country vulnerable as we were in 2001.
You won't get far in the first meetings, but over time, if you avoid the internecine congressional battles, you can nudge them to become the deliberative body we deserve.
Getting it together. In short, you barely won. Congress also barely won. Accept it. The election had systemic problems that must be fixed. The country faces severe trials and needs its government to work well the day it arrives in Washington. Most important, we need to bring the country together.
It is time to prove you are a statesman, not another money-grubbing in-fighting politician. Act partisan now and you can count on a polarized nation keeping you from accomplishing much of anything. But step outside the partisan circus,and you just might go into the books as one of the great presidents.
Be wise. Be brave. Be original. Our futures are up to you.
(Barrett D. Slenning is an unaffiliated voter. He is a veterinary faculty member at N.C. State University, working in the areas of disaster prevention and preparedness, epidemiology, food security and bioterrorism.)
Nov. 3, 2004
WPTF (680 AM), National Public Radio (NPR)
By Andrew Taylor
© Copyright 2004
NC State political scientist Andrew Taylor provided election commentary on WPTF (680 AM) and National Public Radio (NPR).