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"I guess you have to celebrate anything you get in this town if you're an environmentalist." Lower Lake Wylie Association member John Byrd on some environmentalists' reaction to The Palisades deal.
"Why not? Why should we not have a great city?" Hugh McColl, the outgoing chief of Bank of America, to the Charlotte Observer the week he retired. McColl built the former North Carolina National Bank (NCNB) into a national banking giant, turning little-known Charlotte, NC, into the second largest financial center in the nation.
"I just think we need to find this guy. He has a lot of questions to answer."
Rebecca Felmet on the mysterious disappearance of former Mecklenburg County Democratic Party Chairman Andrew Reyes, who disappeared in May. Felmut is the daughter of Reyes' now-deceased client Doug King, who authorities believe Reyes stole at least $1.5 million from.
"This is the greatest upset in Charlotte political history." Don Reid, a co-chair of Citizens Opposed to Sports Taxes (CO$T) after the $342 million arts and arena referendum package was pummeled 57-43 percent by Charlotte voters.
"Look around us. All those people gathered to watch someone die." Nathan Chambers, attorney for Timothy McVeigh, who was executed for his role in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in April 1995.
"They're all in state waters right now, so they're protected." Bob Spaeth, owner of Madeira Beach Seafood, in the Tampa Tribune after a rash of shark attacks up and down the East coast, including two in Hilton Head, made national news.
"We see airplanes passing overhead all the time from Newark Airport. No, these weren't airplanes." Carteret, New Jersey, police Lt. Dan Tarrant in the Bergen County, NJ, newspaper, The Record. Along with Tarrant, about 75 motorists and several state troopers parked their cars on the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike at about 12:20am on July 17 to watch what onlookers described as dozens of UFOs flying in a 'V' formation.
"Any way you cut it, it's the biggest thing either company has ever done. The stakes are high." First Union Corp. businessman David Carroll about the merger between that bank and Wachovia Corp., which, combined, make the new Wachovia the nation's fourth largest bank.
"You needed that job, and you were the best qualified. But they had to give it to a minority because of a racial quota." The voiceover from US Sen. Jesse Helms' famous 1990 campaign commercial. The controversial paleo-conservative US Senator announced he wouldn't seek a sixth term, ending an era in North Carolina politics.
"Now's an opportunity to do generations a favor by coming together and whipping terrorism, hunting it down, binding it and holding them accountable." President George Bush, in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
"School choice is yours." A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools billboard, after the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the school system to concoct a race-neutral student assignment plan, ending 30 years of court-ordered desegregation.
"This is an isolated incident." A US Health official, referring to the death of Florida newspaper photo editor Robert Stevens, the first victim of inhaled anthrax.
"Yes, be cautious, but resume your normal lives." Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory at an October news conference. The mayor said he would attend that Sunday's Panthers game at Ericsson Stadium to show Charlotteans that life shouldn't stop just because terrorists blow things up.
"We and local law enforcement are doing everything we can without knowing exactly what we're guarding against." Duke Power spokeswoman Becky McSwain, on efforts to fortify the two power plants within miles of Charlotte's uptown against terrorism.
"Our dream is that someday we could take a patient's cell, skin cell, and give them back anything that they needed to cure disease." Dr. Michael West, president of Advanced Cell Technology. The Massachusetts company announced it had cloned a human embryo.
"All things must pass." Time article headline about the death of former Beatle George Harrison.
"In some ways, you'd just assume keep on going and just work your way through the remainder of the season." Carolina Panthers Coach George Seifert on the team's (as of deadline) 12-game losing streak. *