The Daily Dispatch - Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by The Daily Dispatch

CMYK Health reform: Insurers discontent with Dems T-Mobile ‘almost certainly’ loses user data Webb soccer blanked by Cardinal Gibbons News, Page 3A

Nation, Page 8A

Sports, Page 1B TUESDAY, October 13, 2009

Volume XCV, No. 239

(252) 436-2700

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Israeli firm to open Granville plant Shalag Industries has a client list including Johnson & Johnson and Kimberly Clark By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

OXFORD — An Israeli supplier of nonwoven fabrics in the hygiene and sanitary wipes markets will open a multi-milliondollar plant near the Interstate 85 and U.S. Highway 158 interchange just east of Oxford and will be employing 42 persons. “It’s exciting news, it really is,” Granville County Economic

Development Board Chairman William Adcock told the Dispatch on Monday afternoon when asked his reaction to a commitment from Shalag Industries. The company, which is based in Upper Galilee and dates back to 1984, already has a plant and has a client list that includes Johnson & Johnson, Nicepak and Kimberly Clark. Shalag produces nonwoven

fabrics primarily from polypropylene, polyester and viscose fibers. The fabric is used in the production of dry and wet wipes, diapers and personal hygiene products. In Granville, the fibers will be thermo-bonded into nonwoven fabric. “Shalag is looking forward to becoming a successful corporate citizen in North Carolina and in Oxford,” company Chief Execu-

tive Officier IlanPickman said. “North Carolina is a recognized center for nonwoven manufacturing andR&D and we have identified here a strong infrastructure to support ourbusiness,” Pickman said. The Granville project’s 42 new jobs will pay an average annual wage of$39,966, not including benefits, which exceeds the county average annualwage of $33,020.

County Economic Development Director Jay Tilley said the facility willbe at 917 Oxford Loop Road S.E. That is at what was the warehousing portion of the former Lenox Chinaplant. The specific location is called the Hancock Building, whichTilley said is a reference to local real estate man Wills Hancock. Please see PLANT, page 4A

Gunman flees Hardee’s without money Not so fast … School board steps up to claim Clark Street when charter school asks for old building By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

Henderson Police cruisers sit in the parking lot at Hardee’s on the corner of Dabney Drive and Oxford Road after an attempted armed robbery Monday afternoon. Reports indicate a gunman demanded cash, then suddenly fled from the store without it.

Would-be robber asked for cash, then just left without it By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

Possibly getting cold feet, an armed, would-be robber fled a local restaurant empty-handed Monday. Police say a gunman entered Hardee’s at 120 Dabney Drive through the side entrance, demanded cash, and then fled without waiting for cooperation from a cashier in a crime that took place about midafternoon on Monday. Wearing a Halloween skeleton mask, the black male pulled out a black handgun, pointed it at a

ESC needs employers for job fair By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

The Henderson branch of the North Carolina Employment Security Commission is seeking employers and service-providers to participate in its job fair Nov. 12. The effort to pair up those who want to hire with those who want to be hired will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Civic Center at Vance-Granville Community College. To reserve a spot, contact: Patricia Yarborough, job coach, at 438-6129; Jacques Hawkins, employment consultant, 438-6129; or Johnnie Carpenter, veterans employment representative, 438-6129. Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

cashier, demanded money, and then turned away before the employee could even open the register, according to Detective Lt. C.O. Pulley of the Henderson Police Department. He said officers searched the nearby area along Rollins Road, Oak Street and Oxford Road. The suspect was described as 5-foot-8 and 150 to 160 pounds, wearing braided hair, with a red shirt and blue jeans. The investigation was continuing.

Daily Dispatch/ ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

An employee looks outside as Sgt. D.A. Hedgepeth of the Henderson Police Department’s forensics and evidence spreads finger printing powder on the door to Hardees after an armed robbery Monday afternoon.

Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

Vance School Board members — their feathers ruffled when county commissioners recently began mulling the future of the soon-to-be-vacant Clark Street Elementary building — claimed final say-so on that building’s fate Monday night. Through its attorney, Jerry Stainback, and the legal wording in some related North Carolina General Statutes, the Board of Education made it known that it owns the facility and will decide the building’s fate after the doors shut at the end of the current school year. Students will be moving over to the new elementary school now under construction when it opens for business in August of 2010. School Board Chairwoman Gloria White mentioned that officials of the new Henderson Collegiate Charter School and the Boys & Girls Club need to come see her and her fellow board members to ask for permission to use the structure once it is vacated. Please see CLARK STREET, page 4A

City gives Beacon Light owner 14 days to prove he has financing By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

The City Council majority on Monday evening agreed to give the owner of the rundown former Beacon Light apartment complex 14 days to produce a letter from a bank or comparable evidence showing he has financing for a renovation and, through that bank, include a letter of credit to cover the city’s interest in demolition should he default on the project. All council members

except Garry Daeke voted for the extension. Daeke had stepped out of the council chambers at the time of the vote, but he told the Dispatch afterward he would have voted no. Councilman Bernard Alston was not present for Monday’s council meeting. The owner, Sharif Abdelhalim, maintained he could not come up with a letter of credit and instead wanted a stay of the council majority’s previously approved demolition ordinance and wanted

the council to allow him to work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on a time extension to bring the 318 Boddie St. property into compliance. Abdelhalim maintained he wanted to do a renovation, bring the property up to code and meet a city requirement of the property being a place of homeownership. Griffin told the council, “The city needs to be able to maintain its independence for pulling the

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trigger outside of HUD’s independence for pulling the trigger in dealing with this in order to protect our interest that, ultimately, this property will be renovated and in compliance or it will be removed, the blight will be removed.” The HUD-sponsored low-income complex, which dates to 1973 and is located on the southeast side of the city, was closed in 2006 at the request of the previous council after the property had become notorious for crime and

unsanitary conditions. The previous council wanted Beacon Light redeveloped with singlefamily homes. Abdelhalim acquired the property for $54,000 in a 2007 foreclosure sale. A majority of the present council in August stood firm in moving ahead with an order to demolish the structures down to a green field, but made clear the city would be willing to work with Abdelhalim. Please see CITY, page 3A

Deaths

Today

Wednesday

Henderson Yvonne J. Quinn, 62

Xxxxxx

High: 77 Low: 47

Xxxxxx

Oxford

High: 50 Low: 44

Doris E. Glasco Ernest M. Hilton, 88

Details, 3A

Obituaries, 4A

The Daily Dispatch

Mark It Down Today Appearance Commission — The City of Henderson’s Appearance Commission will meet at 3 p.m. in the City Council chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. Business expo — EXPO 2009, the 19th business exposition for Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, and the public is invited to attend. More than 45 area businesses and agencies will be on hand to exhibit their products and services. Mental health meeting — The Five County Mental Health Authority’s Consumer and Family Advisory Committee (CFAC) will meet at 6 p.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College, Warren campus, Building 4, Room W432, 210 W. Ridgeway St., Warrenton. Consumers can sign-up to discuss issues with the CFAC from 6:15-6:30 p.m. The committee meets monthly to assist in developing and revising the mental health plan that drives mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse services for the five-county area. For more information, call 430-1330, ext. 3035 and ext. 3050. Community Watch — The West End Community Watch will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the West End Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson will be the guest speaker, and he will be presenting fire prevention ideas. The public is invited to attend. ECA meeting — The Vance County Extension and Community Association will meet at 4 p.m. at the Vance County Cooperative Extension Center, 305 Young St., Henderson. Susan Oakley and Latesha Royal of the State Employees’ Credit Union will speak on reverse mortgages. For more information or to pre-register, call (252) 438-8188. Election canvass — The Board of Elections will meet at 11 a.m. at the Henry A. Dennis Building in the conference room to canvass the votes from the recent municipal election.

Wednesday Volunteer book sale — Maria Parham Medical Center’s Volunteer Services Department will sponsor a “Books are Fun” sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the John T. Church classroom. Book sale — The Friends of the Library organization for the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library in Henderson is collecting used books for its annual book sale from 9 a.m. to noon. Do not bring Readers Digest Condensed Books, textbooks, magazines or encyclopedias. Used books can be delivered to the former Super 10 location across from Supply Line Country Market on Raleigh Road. Domestic violence — A domestic violence question-andanswer session will be hosted by Vance County Social Services and the Heart’s Haven Domestic Violence Shelter from 10 a.m. to noon in the lobby of the Vance County Social Services building at 350 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson. Boho the Clown will be present to entertain children. Please contact Cassandra Hart at (252) 4925001, ext. 283, for more information.

Thursday Weed and Seed — The Weed and Seed Steering Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Henderson City Council chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. Human relations commission — The City of Henderson’s Human Relations Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. Meet Me In The Street — The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its third and final “Meet Me in the Street” concert for the 2009 series from 5:30-8:30 p.m. along Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson. The concert is free and open to the public. The featured band will be The Embers. The event was rescheduled after rain caused cancellation of the event in September. Blood drive — The American Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive at M.R. Williams Co. from 1-5:30 pm. For more information about local blood drives or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Twanna Jones, Granville-Vance Branch Manager at (252) 438-4813 or (919) 693-6550 or email JonesTJ@usa.redcross.org. Heritage society — The Heritage Society of Franklin County will hold its regular monthly meeting at noon, October 15 at the Murphy House Restaurant in Louisburg. Everyone that has an interest in the heritage and genealogy of Franklin County is urged to attend. For further information regarding the meeting, contact Joe Pearce, (919) 496-3321; Maylon Cooke, (919) 556-4213; or Annette Goyette, (252) 492-3820. March/rally — A Stomp Out Drugs and Violence March is planned for 4 p.m. in Oxford, beginning at the rear of the National Guard Armory. Participants are asked to assemble by 3:45 p.m. The event is being sponsored by the Oxford Housing Authority, the Granville County Schools and various other local agencies. The march will end at the City of Oxford Gymnasium with speakers and presentations from youth groups. Afterwards, games and educational activities are planned on the football field and in the gymnasium. For more information, call (919) 693-6936. Chess Club — The Henderson/Vance Chess Club, affiliated with the U. S. Chess Federation, meets at the First United Methodist Church from 6 to 9:30 p.m. All are welcome, adults and youths, novice or experienced. For more information, call Rudy Abate at 438-4459 (days) or 738-0375 (evenings). Community watch — The West Hills/West Creek/158 By-Pass Community Watch will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Maria Parham Medical Center auditorium. Sheriff Peter White will be the guest speaker. All neighbors are encouraged to attend.

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Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers receive three statewide awards The Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers board has won three of the North Carolina Crime Stoppers Association’s five top awards throughout the state for 2008. President Frank Sossamon was presented the Thomas B. Hite Award, given to the “Board Member Of The Year.” The award is presented annually “in recognition of selfless devotion, persistent service and significant contributions to a member Crime Stoppers program.” A total of 92 boards belonging to the state association competed for the five plaques that were presented Sept. 28 during the awards banquet that was held in Boone at the Daniel Boone Inn. The local Crime Stoppers board’s honors also included: • “Board Program Of The Year” — Law enforcement and fire-fighting personnel were brought together to conduct Crime Stopper’s first Church Watch in the summer of 2008 in a large meeting room at South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church. The purpose was to give information to representatives of churches to help them prevent crime in the same ways that Community Watch programs work for neighborhoods. Church Watch sessions planned for 2009 were on risk management, fire prevention and terrorism. Plans for 2010 include a two-day program on terrorism by an expert from the North Carolina Crime Prevention Unit. Lt. Irvin Robinson, the Henderson Police Department’s crime prevention officer and coordinator for Crime Stoppers, used the Church Watch as a forum to remind churches that they could request inspections to help them reduce their chances of being victims of crimes. He shared tips that church officials and members could use to protect property and themselves. • “Best Promotional Idea” — In early 2008,

President Frank Sossamon (left) and Lt. Irvin Robinson, Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers coordinator, with three of the five plaques the state association presented to various boards in Boone on Sept. 28. nine community forums hosted by Crime Stoppers were held at volunteer fire departments in Vance County. Residents were given the chance to gather in a familiar place to discuss the concerns and difficulties of their neighborhoods in relation to safety, crime and other issues. The application for the award said the forums served several purposes, including sharing tips on crime prevention with a wide audience and giving the public the opportunity to meet with law enforcement officers. During the forums, each area was encouraged to organize a community watch, and to create a partnership with Crime Stoppers. The average attendance at each of the sessions was 25 people.

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Pearson and Tom Long founded the organization on Nov. 25, 1985. The remaining two top Crime Stoppers awards handed out by the state association for 2008 were “Coordinator Of The Year” and “Most Innovative Fund Raising.” They were won by other boards in North Carolina. In 2005, Robinson was named “Coordinator Of The Year” at the state level.

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The small gatherings also gave Crime Stoppers an opportunity to distribute community watch signs that contained contact information and warned criminals of the presence of the neighborhood organizations. The application concerning Sossamon’s award nomination said he was instrumental in the development of the forums, the community watch signs and the Church Watch program. It credited Sossamon with working “passionately in 2008 to take the message and mission of Crime Stoppers to the communities of Vance County.” Sossamon, who is pastor of South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, succeeded Sam Pearson as president of Crime Stoppers after Pearson died on Jan. 1, 2006.

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From Page One

The Daily Dispatch

Insurers’ warning shot has Democrats scrambling on health care reform

NATIONAL WEATHER

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. Seattle 54/45 Minneapolis 45/30

Billings 38/25

Detroit 54/34

Chicago 50/38 San Francisco 67/61

Washington 70/45

Los Angeles 69/60

Houston 84/76

Fairbanks 46/32

-10s

-0s

Miami 90/79

Honolulu 85/72

Hilo 82/69

Juneau 44/26

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press Writer

Atlanta 71/60

El Paso 83/61

Anchorage 51/41

New York 64/45

Kansas City 47/40

Denver 58/38

10s

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Showers Rain T-storms Snow Flurries

50s

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Ice

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Stationary front

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FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR HENDERSON TODAY

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

50°

47°

77°

44°

Turning sunny; warmer

Mainly cloudy

Colder with rain

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

55° 43° Cool with rain

53°

57°

42°

41°

Cloudy, rain possible; breezy

Partly sunny

ALMANAC

SUN AND MOON

Temperature

Sunrise today ........................... Sunset today ............................ Moonrise today ........................ Moonset today ......................... Sunrise tomorrow ..................... Sunset tomorrow ...................... Moonrise tomorrow .................. Moonset tomorrow ...................

Raleigh-Durham through 6 p.m. yest. High .................................................... 60° Low ..................................................... 53° Normal high ........................................ 73° Normal low ......................................... 49° Record high ............................ 85° in 1954 Record low .............................. 29° in 1964

New

First

Full

Last

Oct 18

Oct 25

Nov 2

Nov 9

REGIONAL WEATHER Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows

WinstonSalem

Asheville

Henderson

Greensboro

77/47

Rocky Mt.

77/50

75/46

77/48

73/49

Durham

Raleigh

75/49

Charlotte

77/49

Cape Hatteras

Fayetteville

77/49

7:19 a.m. 6:40 p.m. 2:08 a.m. 3:56 p.m. 7:20 a.m. 6:39 p.m. 3:18 a.m. 4:27 p.m.

Moon Phases

Precipitation 24 hours through 6 p.m. yest. ......... 0.12” Month to date .................................. 0.26” Normal month to date ..................... 1.36” Year to date ................................... 26.59” Normal year to date ...................... 35.22”

74/59

76/47

LAKE LEVELS

Wilmington

75/57

Elevation in feet above sea level. Data as of 7 a.m. yesterday. 24-Hr. Lake Capacity Yest. Change Gaston 203 199.85 +0.07 Kerr 320 293.45 none

24-Hr. Capacity Yest. Change 240 212.86 -0.05 264 248.00 -0.07

Lake Jordan Neuse Falls

REGIONAL CITIES Today

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Hi Lo W Hi Lo W

Asheville Boone Burlington Chapel Hill Chattanooga Danville Durham Elizabeth City Elizabethton Fayetteville Goldsboro Greensboro Greenville Havelock Hendersonville

73 68 77 76 76 78 75 80 73 76 75 75 79 78 74

High Point Jacksonville Kinston Lumberton Myrtle Beach Morehead City Nags Head New Bern Raleigh Richmond Roanoke Rapids Rocky Mount Sanford Wilmington Winston-Salem

75 79 77 78 75 75 72 77 77 76 77 77 76 75 77

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s pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc s pc pc pc pc s

49 60 58 50 58 60 62 58 50 57 50 53 49 60 49

42 54 50 49 57 60 61 55 46 41 44 48 47 56 40

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice

XII I

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Abdelhalim was given a 45-day deadline to work out a schedule to bring the property into compliance, with a nine-month compliance deadline. The 45-deadline expired at the start of this month. Griffin said Abdelhalim provided an incomplete response to questions last week, but subsequently provided more information. The terms back in August said if Abdelhalim did not meet the 45-day deadline, then the city would use a nearly $1.3 million letter of credit he has with HUD to pay for demolishing and cleaning the property and would seek a portion of the money posted with HUD to help do the same. One problem now, Griffin said Monday, is City Code Compliance Director Corey Williams talked with a HUD official in Atlanta, who is saying there is no protocol or procedure for the city’s ability to tap into the letter of credit to help proceed with a demolition. Griffin and Williams said the estimated cost of demolition is $250,000, meaning the bond would be approximately $375,000. During the council meeting, City Attorney John Zollicoffer expressed concern about the time Abdelhalim

has had the property and has not done any renovations. Zollicoffer pressed Abdelhalim about how much Abdelhalim has received in fire insurance proceeds Abdelhalim was supposed to spend on renovations that were not apparently done and that HUD was supposed to see were done. Abdelhalim said, “The insurance issue, that is my problem. The development of the property is my problem. And I will take full responsibility for that.” Zollicoffer reminded Abdelhalim the insurance proceeds were given to him under agreement with HUD to renovate the property. “And that’s part of the things that’s supposed to be covered by the bond,” Zollicoffer added. “If you had done that, we wouldn’t be here today.” Abdelhalim said he would not discuss insurance issues and throughout the meeting maintained he could not change what happened in the past. And Abdelhalim maintained, “If the city tells me, ‘Go ahead and start the development of this property tomorrow,’ we’ll go ahead and we’ll do it.” And Abdelhalim maintained HUD would inspect the property

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with coverage would wind up paying more. Ignagni was unequivocal in her support for the PricewaterhouseCoopers conclusions. The company is “a world-class firm” with “a stellar reputation,” she said. Late Monday, the accounting firm issued a statement acknowledging it did not look at the entirety of the legislation, only the effects of four provisions that the insurance group wanted analyzed. While not retreating from its findings, PricewaterhouseCoopers underscored an overlooked caveat in its original report: “If other provisions in health care reform are successful in lowering costs over the long term, those improvements would offset some of the impacts we have estimated.” The firm’s study projected that the legislation would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013, when most of the major provisions of the Baucus bill would be in effect. Premiums for a single person would go up by $600 more than would be the case without the legislation, it estimated. In 10 years’ time, premiums would be $4,000 higher for a family plan, and $1,500 more for individual coverage.

every 30 days to ensure continuous progress. Abdelhalim then claimed the council was the obstacle, prompting Councilmen Michael Rainey and Michael Inscoe to ask whether Adelhalim meant for the entire time Abdelhalim has had the property. “That’s correct,” Abdelhalim replied. When Abdelhalim maintained he was not going to blame anybody, Rainey pointed out Abdelhalim had just done so. And when Abdelhalim maintained he could not do anything about the past, Zollicoffer said, “Two years from now we’re scared we’re going to hear the same thing: What happened today we can’t do anything about two years from now.” Daeke afterward told the Dispatch he had stepped out of the council chambers prior to the vote because he

needed to take a break. Daeke told the Dispatch he would have voted against the 14-day deadline because he believes Abdelhalim has had plenty of time to comply. “He had two years to try to sell it (the property). He tried to sell it,” Daeke said, noting Abdelhalim also unsuccessfully tried for a move toward making Beacon Light the site of rental property. And Daeke noted Abdelhalim still has not come up with a plan, would not talk about the insurance proceeds and would not give an idea about a line of credit. “I don’t feel positive going forward that he’s going to be able to comply with what he says he’s going to do. I hope he can,” Daeke said.

CITY, from page one

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passed, to a conference committee that would reconcile differences in the bills. It’s at that final stage where many expect the real deal will be cut. “We’ve got ourselves a real health care shooting war now,” said Robert Laszewski, a former health insurance executive turned consultant. “The industry has come to the conclusion that the way things are going in Congress, we’ll have a ... formula that will be disastrous for their business, so they can’t stand on the sidelines any longer.” Questions about the technical soundness of the industry analysis by the PricewaterhouseCoopers firm was a big part of the discussion Monday. The release of the study late Sunday on the eve of the federal Columbus Day holiday had Democrats crying foul. “The misleading and harmful claims made by the profit-driven insurance companies are politicking for corporate gain at its worst,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. Democrats have reason to worry. Insurance industry opposition helped sink President Bill Clinton’s health care plan in the 1990s by fanning fears that people

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WASHINGTON — Insurance companies aren’t playing nice any more. Their dire message that health care legislation will drive up premiums for people who already have coverage comes as a warning shot at a crucial point in the debate and threatens President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority. Democrats and their allies scrambled on Monday to knock down a new industryfunded study forecasting that Senate legislation, over time, will add thousands of dollars to the cost of a typical policy. “Distorted and flawed,” said White House spokeswoman Linda Douglass. “Fundamentally dishonest,” said AARP’s senior policy strategist, John Rother. “A hatchet job,” said a spokesman for Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. But the health insurance industry’s top lobbyist in Washington stood her ground. In a call with reporters, Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, pointedly refused to rule out attack ads on TV featuring the study, though she said she believed the industry’s concerns could be

amicably addressed. At the heart of the industry’s complaint is a decision by lawmakers to weaken the requirement that millions more Americans get coverage. Since the legislation would ban insurance companies from denying coverage on account of poor health, many people will wait to sign up until they get sick, the industry says. And that will drive up costs for everybody else. Insurers are now raising possibilities such as higher premiums for people who postpone getting coverage, or waiting periods for those who ignore a proposed government requirement to get insurance and later have a change of heart. The drama threatened to overshadow Tuesday’s scheduled vote by the Senate Finance Committee on a 10-year, $829-billion plan that Baucus has touted as the sensible solution to America’s problems of high medical costs and too many uninsured. The Baucus bill is still expected to win Finance Committee approval. The insurance industry is trying to influence what happens beyond the vote, when legislation goes to the floor of the House and Senate, and, if

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The Daily Dispatch

CLARK STREET, from page one Representatives of the charter school made that very request of the Vance Commissioners during their Oct. 5 meeting. Appearing before commissioners were Nancy Jo Smith, chairwoman of the board of directors; Dr. Cornelius Cathcart, a board member; and Eric Sanchez, co-founder and school planner. Looking for a three-year site, they told the county commissioners that the Charter School would accept the Clark Street property “as is,” would maintain it in good condition at their own expense, and would be willing to share the building with the Boys & Girls Club, which is looking for space. In an Aug. 26 letter to County Manager Jerry Ayscue, Smith said the Charter School’s board of directors hope it will eventually become a tenant in

the proposed Zene Street REEF tobacco warehouse conversion project. Vance Commissioners agreed Monday night to have their Property Committee consider the Charter School’s proposal, and to report back with a recommendation at the full board’s regular meeting on Nov. 2. “I can’t think of a better use for it,” Commissioner Danny Wright said of the Clark Street building. “I also applaud your efforts and I’m willing to support your use of the site on a temporary basis,” Commissioner Deborah Brown told the Charter School officials. Commissioner Eddie Wright voiced approval of their plans to begin with a fourth-grade containing more than 100 students. Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

Local & State

Dalton leads high school curricula panel RALEIGH (AP) — North Carolina must be more earnest in creating specialty high schools and drawing up courses that match the needs of growing businesses in regions of the state, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton said Monday in kicking off a new state commission. The joint legislative Joining Our Businesses and Schools Commission led by Dalton began what’s designed as a nearly threeyear effort to expand “early college” high schools and align them more closely with high-in-demand careers. For example, according to Dalton, a coastal or mountain high school with cooking and hospitality classes may help students win jobs in the tourism industry. “The early college program has had success so far,

PLANT, from page one The building, which is 60,000 square feet, is located off the part of Oxford Loop paralleling I-85 and between Maluli Drive and where the loop intersects with U.S. Highway 158 and Business U.S. Highway158/Williamsboro St. Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. has been using the building to storetobacco, Tilley said. “The square footage was good, the location was great and the layout issuch that it’ll fit their process,” Tilley said of why Shalag chose Granville. “But, there will be an extensive renovation to make itmanufacturing.” “It’s been in a very sensitive stage for about two weeks,” Tilley said of efforts to secure Shalag.

“They were committed to doing the project when we first met them.” “They were looking up and down the interstate” from Petersburg, Va., to as far down as South Carolina and back toward Greensboro and Burlington, Tilley said. The state has pledged $110,000 in funding. Tilley said two other sources - a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant and a $300,000 grant from the county - are subject to county government approval. The total investment in the project is being pegged at $21 million, Tilley said. Tilley, when asked about whether Shalag representatives had told

him when they want to get started, replied, “Immediately.” Gov. Beverly Perdue, in making the announcement earlier in the day, said, “Our business-friendly policies, superb quality of life and skilled, productive workforce are helping companies build success in our state.” “North Carolina continues to be attractive to new companies because of our top-notch workforce and these new jobs are good news for Oxford,” said state Rep. Jim Crawford, D-Granville and who is a businessman in Henderson. State Sen. Doug Berger, D-Franklin, said, “During these tough economic times, I welcome this

but I think it needs to be a little more focused,” said Dalton, a former senator who with the commission is taking on his first highprofile issue since becoming lieutenant governor in January. “We are more likely to attract 21st century jobs.” North Carolina already has 70 early college schools — the most in any state nationwide. Dalton was the chief sponsor of the 2003 bill that helped create the early college schools with the backing of then-Gov. Mike Easley. They provide technical or academic programs designed to help students obtain both a high school diploma and college credit or an associate’s degree with only one extra year of high school, and without paying for college tuition.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Deaths Doris E. Glasco OXFORD — Doris Elizabeth Glasco, a resident of 5086 Antioch Road, died Monday, Oct. 12, 2009, at her home. Arrangements will be announced later by Betts and Son Funeral Home in Oxford.

Ernest M. Hilton

OXFORD — Ernest McCullough Hilton, 88, of 715 Willsboro St., died Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. He was the son of the late Roland A. and Sallie McCullough Hilton. A native of Davie County, he came to Oxford in 1940 where he opened and operated a sawmill business. In 1960, he became the owner and operator of the firm of Hilton and Morgan Lumber Co. in Oxford for 25 years. He was a landowner and raised cattle for 40 years. During these years, he cruised timber in Granville County. Hilton graduated effort to recruit new busifrom Shady Grove High nesses and to bring jobs to School in Advance. He was Granville County.” a former member of the Tilley, a Durham native, Presbyterian Church in was an economic developBixby, and then became an ment representative with active member of Hester the N.C. Department of Baptist Church in Oxford. Commerce’s business and He served on the deacon industry development team. board, trustee and propTilley succeeded longerty committee. He was time Granville Economic the oldest male member of Development Director Leon Hester Baptist Church. He Turner on Aug. 1, 2008. was a former president of In Granville, Tilley had the Granville Co. Rescue been dealing with minor Squad and a charter memexpansions or changing of ber. He was a member of operations within existOxford Masonic Lodge 122 ing industries and some AF&AM, the Cattlemen’s cutbacks, but without an Association and the Graninvestor saying yes to a ville Co. Wildlife Club. new facility until now. Funeral services will “We finally got one,” be conducted at 11 a.m. Tilley said. today at Hester Baptist Church by the Rev. Dr. Contact the writer at bwest@ Lavelle Waters and the hendersondispatch.com. Rev. James C. Shelley Jr.

Burial will follow in the church cemetery. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marvell Currin Hilton of the home; a daughter, Martha Hilton-Willett of Oxford; a granddaughter; and a sister, Madelin “Pat” Coppley of Lexington. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Claudette Hilton. Flowers are accepted or memorials may be made to Hester Baptist Church, Highway 96 North, Oxford, N.C. 27565. Visitation for the family will be one hour prior to the services in the Hester Baptist Church Parlor and at other times at the home. Arrangements are by Gentry-Newell and Vaughan Funeral Home of Oxford.

Yvonne J. Quinn HENDERSON — Funeral services for Yvonne J. Quinn, 62, who died Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, will be held Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009, in the Haywood Baptist Church at 2 p.m. The burial will follow in the Haywood Church cemetery. Arrangements are by Richardson Funeral Home of Louisburg.

Business & Farm

The Daily Dispatch

Area Stocks

10,000

October 12, 2009

Dow Jones industrials

Listed below are representative interdealer quotations at approximately 4 p.m. Monday from the National Association of Securities Dealers. Prices do not include retail mark-up, mark-down or commission. ACS ATT Ball Corp. BankAmerica BB&T Coca-Cola CVS Duke Energy Exxon Ford General Elec. Motors Liquidation Home Depot IBM Johnson & Johnson Kennametal Krispy Kreme Louisiana Pacific Lowes Lucent Tech. Pepsico Phillip Morris Procter & Gamble Progress Energy RF Micro Dev Royal Bk Can RJR Tobacco Revlon Sprint Sun Trust Universal Verizon Comm. Vulcan Wal-Mart Wells Fargo Wendy’s Establis Delhaize

A DAY ON WALL STREET 9,000 8,000 7,000

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BofA will cough up Merrill deal documents By VINNEE TONG STEPHEN BERNARD AP Business Writers

and

SAN FRANCISCO — After months of resistance, 2,400 October 12, 2009 Bank of America Corp. 2,200 Nasdaq plans to turn over docu2,000 composite 1,800 ments showing legal advice 1,600 -0.14 it received on its purchase 1,400 of Merrill Lynch & Co. to J J A S O 2,139.14 the office of the New York High 2,155.92 Low 2,128.39 Pct. change from previous: -0.01% attorney general, a person 1,200 October 12, 2009 familiar with the matter 1,100 Standard & said Monday. 1,000 900 BofA’s board decided on Poor’s 500 800 Friday that it would waive 700 +4.70 600 its attorney-client privilege J J A S O 1,076.19 and hand over the papers, High 1,079.46 Pct. change from previous: +0.44% Low 1,071.63 the person said, speaking SOURCE: SunGard AP on condition of anonymity MARKET ROUNDUP 101209: because the New York AG’s Market charts show Dow, S&P 500, investigation is ongoing. Currencies & M etals and Nasdaq; stand-alone; 2c x 4 1/2 A spokesman for Charinches; 96 mm x 114 mm; staff lotte, N.C.-based BofA could NEW YORK (AP) — Key currency ex Copper -$2.8416 Cathode full plate, U.S. Editors: All figures as of: 5:25:03 PM EST change Monday: destinations. not immediately be reached NOTE:rates Figures reflect market fluctuations after close; may not match other AP content Copper $2.8480 N.Y. Merc spot Mon. for comment late Monday. Dollar vs: ExchgRate PvsDay Lead - $2249.50 metric ton, London Metal New York Attorney Yen 89.84 89.84 Exch. General Andrew Cuomo’s Euro $1.4776 $1.4709 Zinc - $0.9271 per lb., delivered. Pound $1.5786 $1.5835 office is seeking to deter Gold - $1058.75 Handy & Harman (only Swiss franc 1.0271 1.0322 mine whether BofA misled daily quote). Canadian dollar 1.0357 1.0441 shareholders about $3.6 Gold $1056.70 troy oz., NY Merc spot Mexican peso 13.2210 13.2640 Pct. change from previous: +0.21%

52.30 25.60 52.07 18.03 27.77 54.79 36.40 15.64 70.13 7.62 16.33 0.70 27.04 127.04 62.53 24.24 3.56 6.91 21.01 4.76 60.92 18.12 57.50 37.65 4.75 53.72 48.16 5.38 3.58 22.51 43.92 29.00 51.75 49.61 30.28 4.80 72.44

Metal NY Merc Gold NY HSBC Bank US NY Merc Silver

Price $1056.70 $1056.00 $17.805

PvsDay $1047.80 $1047.00 $17.675

Nonferrous NEW YORK (AP) — Spot nonferrous metal prices Monday: Aluminum - $.8461 per lb., London Metal Exch.

High 9,931.82

Low 9,849.37

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

billion in bonuses paid to Merrill employees and the investment bank’s mortgage lending losses, as well as whether BofA failed to tell shareholders that it considered backing out of the deal before it closed on Jan. 1. The attorney general’s office — and a U.S. district judge who is overseeing a separate Securities and Exchange Commission case — have questioned whether the bank knowingly hid details about the acquisition from shareholders ahead of a vote to approve the deal. Bank of America agreed to acquire Merrill Lynch in a hastily arranged deal in September 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, just as Lehman Brothers was preparing to file for bankruptcy. When it asked shareholders to approve the takeover, Bank of America said Merrill would not pay year-end bonuses without

its consent. But in August, the SEC said in court papers that BofA had already authorized Merrill to pay up to $5.8 billion in bonuses and didn’t share that information with shareholders. Merrill paid employees $3.6 billion in bonuses for 2008, a year in which it lost $27.6 billion, a record for the firm. Those losses hurt Bank of America, one of the largest recipients of U.S. government bailout funds. The bank received $45 billion in federal aid, including $20 billion to help offset Merrill’s losses. The SEC has said it was impossible to establish whether Bank of America executives knowingly violated securities laws because the terms of the bank’s takeover of Merrill — including the bonus payments — were laid out in documents prepared by outside attorneys for the two companies.

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Opinion

The Daily Dispatch

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Real prizewinners: U.S. voters

Editorial Board: James Edwards, Publisher Glenn Craven, Editor

jedwards@hendersondispatch.com gcraven@hendersondispatch.com

Don Dulin, News Editor ddulin@hendersondispatch.com

304 S. Chestnut St./P.O. Box 908 Henderson, N.C. 27536 PHONE: 436-2700/FAX: 430-0125

Daily Meditation Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Psalm 4:4

Our Opinion

Atkinson rightfully back in charge of state’s schools Congratulations, June Atkinson. You’ve been restored to your rightful place atop North Carolina’s public education system. With the passing of two deadlines for filing of appeals, the administration of Gov. Beverly Perdue has elected not to contest a trial court’s ruling that the State Board of Education violated the North Carolina constitution by naming its chairman, Bill Harrison, to also be chief executive of the state’s schools. Perdue had wanted Harrison in charge of running the Department of Public Instruction’s day-to-day operations. Inconveniently for Perdue, we happen to elect a person be in charge of the Department of Public Instruction. And presently, that person’s name is June Atkinson. Atkinson filed suit to regain her authority, and in July, Judge Robert Hobgood sided with her. As we believe he should have. And the situation really became a moot point when Harrison retired as CEO of the schools at the end of August, before the deadlines for appeal came and went. He remains the chairman of the State Board of Education, but Perdue had no reason to appeal a court decision yanking that fleeting authority away from Hobgood, considering it had already been willingly surrendered. We never did understand the desire of Perdue — North Carolina’s first woman governor — to strip another of the state’s duly elected female politicians of her authority, especially considering Atkinson is also a Democrat and certainly had done no worse with our public schools during her first term in office than did most of the elected men who preceded her. Now, Ms. Atkinson can really breathe easier and get back down to the business of improving North Carolina’s public education and making a strong case that voters had chosen the right woman for the job all along.

Quotable “I will end ‘don’t ask-don’t tell.’ I appreciate that many of you don’t believe progress has come fast enough. Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach.” — President Barack Obama, speaking at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign as he restated his campaign pledge to allow homosexual men and women to serve openly in the military. “Black people of all people should not oppose equality, and that is what marriage is all about,” he said. “We have a lot of real and serious problems in this country, and same-sex marriage is not one of them. — Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP, speaking during a rally at the Capitol after tens of thousands of gay rights supporters marched from the White House to the Capitol demanding that President Barack Obama keep his promises to allow gays to serve openly in the military and work to end discrimination against them.

Did you get yours? I didn’t get mine. Not yet anyhow, my Nobel Peace Prize. I hope it’s in the mail. I know it’s coming. And I have just the place for it. Above the fireplace, next to the photo of my parents. They’ll be so proud. Of course, they get one, too. And so do you. So does every American. Oh sure, it was President Barack Obama who was “officially” announced the winner Friday. But come on. The nomination deadline was Feb. 1, less than two weeks after his inauguration. What had Obama done by Feb. 1? Nothing. Except get elected. And who did that? We did. So. Did you get yours yet?

Anybody but Bush? I’m serious. Did you hear what Thorbjoern Jagland, the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, told the media after Obama was announced? He said: “The question we have to ask is, ‘Who has done the most in the previous year to enhance peace in the world?’ And who has done more than Barack Obama?” Hmm. I’d say a lot of people. Or that was a helluva 12 days. After all, Obama, in his first two weeks, didn’t stop any wars. He didn’t dismantle any nuclear plants. He still hasn’t. Afghanistan is a mess.

Iran is saber rattling. Near as I can tell, Obama now has an award that Mahatma Gandhi never won mostly because he is not George W. Bush. In fact, the five Norwegian committee members must have viewed Bush as such a warmongering, divisive Mitch force, that Albom Obama got 100 points Tribune Media just for Services moving in when Bush moved out. And, not to pat our own backs, but who was responsible for that? We were. The American people. OK, so not everyone voted for him, but we’re all in this together. Majority rules, everyone shares. Anyhow, who’s going to admit they voted against Obama today, when it means a nice little Nobel Prize to put in the basement, next to the signed Barry Sanders jersey? Congratulations, fellow planet-savers.

Hoping for the future “We want to embrace the message that he stands for,” Jagland declared. Right. So

did we. Of course, until this past week, we didn’t know you could get a Nobel Prize for that, or we might have voted earlier. But I guess the qualifications have shifted. How else can you explain a prize that has gone to monks, martyrs, surgeons, long-suffering civil rights activists, scientists who labor for peace, Nazi hunters, Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa — Mother Teresa! — now going to a man who spent most of last year campaigning for president, and most of this year trying to get a health care plan off the ground. Hey, I like Obama. But if that gets you a Nobel Peace Prize, there’s a lot of people this morning yelling, “Gyp!” Even Obama seemed embarrassed. “I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize,” he said. At least he’s honest. And humble. Which is more than you can say about the communications director of the Democratic National Committee, Brad Woodhouse, who lashed out at Republicans who criticized the award as having “thrown in ... with the terrorists.” That’s a little harsh, don’t you think? I don’t believe

Brad should get his award. We can give two to someone else. All of this controversy only proves what we have long suspected, that nobody really knows what a Nobel Prize is. It takes a controversy to get it noticed — kind of like Kanye West stealing the mike from Taylor Swift. Jagland readily admitted the whole thing was a gamble on the future, kind of like giving an Oscar to Russell Crowe’s 5-year-old son, figuring he’ll probably earn it one day. Geir Lundestad, executive director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, told the New York Times: “We are very optimistic that this will turn out to be a success,” which is usually what you say when you give a loan, not a prize. But hey. The committee feels like Obama is a winner, and that makes us winners for electing him, and I am proud, and you should be proud, and we all should clear some space on the bookshelf, because suddenly, this long-time Scandinavian award has got red, white and blue all over it. After all, when Jagland was asked by a reporter if the committee feared being labeled naive, he shrugged and said, “Well, so?” If that’s not an American answer, I don’t know what is.

Letters to the Editor Thanks for support of wellness expo To the editor:

Congrats, Mr. President, now earn it Congratulations to President Barack Obama on his Nobel Peace Prize. I hope he now can do something to earn it. He could begin by bringing peace to American streets, such as those in his hometown. Less than nine months into his presidency, it obviously is early for Obama to be lauded for great achievements. Yet the Norwegian Nobel Committee seems to be saying, why wait? They’re giving him a big “E” for his efforts. According to their declaration, the committee decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 should be awarded to Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” The committee “attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.” Fine. I would like to attach as much importance to his vision and work for cities without kids killing each other for sport in senseless turf battles, if only I knew what his vision was. He still appears to be searching. A week before the Nobel was announced, Obama was compelled by the fatal videorecorded beating of Derrion Albert, 15, by a mob of teens on Chicago’s South Side to take action. He dispatched two cabinet officers to address a youth violence problem that already has been exhaustively studied. He sent Atty. Gen. Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to meet with local officials in Chicago. The problem is hardly new to Duncan. He was CEO of the city’s public schools before Obama brought him to Washington. He openly lamented in an April interview that, despite many achievements of which he was proud during his seven-year tenure as schools chief, he was

a “total failure” at curbing violence. At least he’s honest. Yet, everybody seems to think they have the answer to youth violence. Just ask them. If I had a dollar for every reader who has written to me, often in capital letters, “IT’S THE PARENTS, STUPID,” the windfall probably could pay my son’s college tuition. They’re Leonard right, of Pitts course. BroDistributed by ken families Cagle Cartoons lead to broken lives for kids. But what’s the prescription? For the black kids who disproportionately are victims and perpetrators of juvenile violence, for example, it is easy to blame black social problems on the absence of black fathers. It’s hard to argue with a black out-of-wedlock birth rate of almost 70 percent. But where are we going to find young marriageable men to marry those unwed mothers? How do we break the cycle of family dysfunction before yet another generation of kids is lost? More police are needed, but they’re not enough, says Phillip Jackson, founder of Chicago’s 13-year-old Black Star Project. “Derrion Albert and others are not getting jumped by organized street gangs,” Jackson told me. “These are just neighborhood kids who get together for what they call ‘mobbin,’ which usually means fighting. They’re not making money with their crime. They just don’t think they have anything better to do.” Jackson didn’t expect much from the surge in programs, services and promises by city

and federal officials that followed Derrion Albert’s death. “We need structural changes,” Jackson said, “not knee-jerk reactions.” Like what? He referred me to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which appropriately treats youth violence like the disease that it is. Their four sensible prescriptions: 1. Teach parents to talk with their kids and solve problems in nonviolent ways. 2. Teach children to resolve tough social situations without using violence. 3. Pair adults with youngsters to mentor and serve as role models for good behavior. 4. Reduce social and economic causes of violence in the young person’s environment. What doesn’t work is buckpassing. Each of these strategies require time, money and concern. Kids need more than cops. They need good mentors and role models. They need something better to do after school than the “mobbing” that leads to gang fights. They need people with whom they can provide early warnings of violence before it happens, without feeling stigmatized as “snitches.” We know these things from programs that have worked to measurably reduce violence in schools and neighborhoods around the country. So, congratulations on your prize, Mr. President. I hope you can earn it now, not just overseas but also here at home, too. We’ve diagnosed the youth violence virus for decades. It’s time to give more attention to prescriptions that work to stop it. E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@ tribune.com, or write to him c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207.

A huge thank you to the following sponsors who help sponsor our Friends, Family and Wellness Expo at Freedom Life Church of God. They included: Walmart SuperCenter; Henderson Daily Dispatch; Bailey Port-a-Potty; Girl Scouts of Henderson; Total Party & Gift Shop; JCPenny Henderson Store; The Peanut Factory; Pizza Inn, Pizza Hut; Wendy’s; Food Lion; Sara Coffey Bail Bonds; Golden Corral; Walmart Distribution Center; Walgreen’s; Skipper’s restaurant; NailsN-More; Changes a Head; For Your Occasion; Perry Glass Co.; Supply Line; Scott Perry and family; Cracker Barrel; Franklin Bros. Nursery; Vance Recreation and Parks Department; State Farm, George’s restaurant of Henderson; Granville-Vance Health Department ; Will Hawkins Tax Service. With the help of your generous donations, we were able to provide around 1,000 participants with free health screenings and health education. Bobby and Twanna Jones would like to say “kudos” to all the volunteers, vendors and sponsors who gave of their time and gifts to help with the Freedom Life wellness event. It was a great success all because of you. Thank you again for your generosity and support. Pastor Jeff and Joyce Prewer, Freedom Life Church Family

What’s your opinion? The Daily Dispatch welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed, include the author’s city of residence, and should be limited to 300 words. Please include a telephone number for verification. We reserve the right to edit comments for length, clarity, libelous material, personal attacks and poor taste. We do not publish anonymous letters, form letters or letters where we cannot verify the writer’s identity. Writers should limit themselves to one letter every 30 days.

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Today is Tuesday, October 13, the 286th day of 2009. There are 79 days left in the year.

Today’s highlights: 1775 — The U.S. Navy is founded as the Continental Congress orders the construction of a naval fleet. 1792 — The cornerstone of the Executive Mansion, later known as the White House, is laid during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. 1815 — British occupy South Atlantic island of Ascension to prevent Napoleon’s escape from St. Helena, the closest island. 1937 — Germany guarantees inviolability of Belgium. 1943 — Italy, during World War II, declares war on Germany — its former Axis partner. 1952 — Egypt reaches agreement with Sudan on Nile waters. 1957 — The East German government seals its borders and recalls all East-mark holdings for conversion into a new currency. 1960 — Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy participate in the third televised debate of their presidential campaign, with Nixon in Hollywood, California, and Kennedy in New York. 1968 — New military government in Panama names civilian cabinet. 1969 — Soviet Union sends third spacecraft into orbit in as many days, putting seven cosmonauts in space. 1970 — Canada and China announce they will establish diplomatic relations. Taiwan promptly breaks ties with Canada. 1981 — Voters in Egypt participate in a referendum to elect Vice President Hosni Mubarak as the new president, one week after the assassination of Anwar Sadat. 1987 — Costa Rica’s President Oscar Arias Sanchez wins Nobel Peace Prize for sponsoring plan to end civil wars in Central America. 1988 — Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz becomes first Arabic-language writer to win Nobel Prize for literature.

1992 — The pyramids, the Sphinx will filland other monuments survive Cairo earthquake that kills at least 400 and injures more than 4,000. 1993 — A fanatic fan of tennis star Steffi Graf is convicted in the stabbing of rival Monica Seles and receives a two-year suspended sentence. 1994 — In the largest deal between software firms, Intuit Inc. accepts a US$1.5 billion takeover offer from Microsoft Corp. 1996 — In response to strikes in its Canadian plants, General Motors Corp. lays off more than 1,300 workers at its Cadillac assembly plant outside Detroit. 1997 — Queen Elizabeth II begins visit to India to mark the 50th anniversary of the subcontinent’s independence from Britain. 1999 — French lawmakers adopt a law giving unwed gay and straight couples the same rights previously limited to the married. Similar legislation already exists in several European countries. 2006 — Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank he founded win the Nobel Peace Prize for their pioneering use of tiny loans — microcredit — to lift millions out of poverty. 2007 — Myanmar’s junta arrests three of the country’s most prominent political activists, believed to be among the last leaders remaining at large from a student group at the forefront of a 1988 democracy uprising and the protests that started in August. Today’s Birthdays: Yves Montand, Italian-born French singer-actor (19211991); Margaret Thatcher, British prime minister (1925-); Paul Simon, U.S. singer (1941--); Marie Osmond, U.S. actress/singer (1959--); Sacha Baron Cohen, British actor (1971--). Thought For Today: There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate leap in the opposite direction. One has to go abroad in order to find the home one has lost — Franz Kafka, Jewish-Bohemian author (1883-1924).

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