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But if ends were left untied nationally, locally the year 2001 was one of reckoning, settling old scores and writing new chapters. Voters said no to an new arena for the Charlotte Hornets, banks merged, the school desegregation lawsuit was settled, a founding father retired and a local racing legend was laid to rest.
The year 2001 was a turning point. The only question that remains is exactly where we're headed now and what lies around the corner we've turned.
"It's a tremendous struggle. A lot of times I've had to rely on my mom for groceries. I've had to go to Crisis Assistance a couple of times to keep my power on." Former City of Charlotte employee Leah Whiten.
"We have so much prosperity; we can afford to pay city workers a decent wage." Charlotte City Council member Susan Burgess.
"I just got back from East Germany where they're trying to get away from socialism. I've got some very liberal council members who are going the opposite direction." McCrory, pledging to veto a living wage ordinance that would have guaranteed city employees at least $9 per hour. At the time, McCrory and the council were working to placate wealthy Hornets owners by building them a new sports arena.
"Why do we have to have this rigid articulation of such a specific rule if it's something we come by naturally?" UNCC professor Dr. Judy Aulette on the custom of marriage.
"I want everyone to hear loud and clear that I'm going to be the president of everybody, whether they voted for me or not." President George Bush after his swearing-in ceremony following a bitter battle over who really won the presidency.
"Everything we're hearing from corporations is, business is falling off the cliffs in the fourth quarter, and it's not getting any better." Economist Robert Mellman after the Fed cuts interest rates by half a percentage-point to spur the faltering economy.
"We are aware of the impact that power plants have on air quality in this state, and we believe we are addressing that issue." Duke Energy spokesperson Joe Maher
"Obviously they need to do more." Elizabeth Ouzts of NCPIRG, a non-profit environmental group.
"After 38 years and five children, Jackie, you're still here." Reverend Jesse Jackson, founder of the Rainbow/Push Coalition, to his wife during his first public appearance since news broke about the out-of-wedlock child he had with lover Karin Stanford.
"We were going to grow old together." Former racecar driver Darrell Waltrip, on the death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.
"We're establishing a partnership. . .unfortunately, there are those who don't want things to change, they prefer to see things remain as they are. But we can't let those few stand in the way of progress." Charlotte Housing Authority President Harrison Shannon on the HOPE VI program.
"It sounds good the way it comes out of their mouths, but it don't work like it comes out of their mouth." Addie Pearce, long-time Piedmont Courts resident on the HOPE VI program.
"This whole thing is a subterfuge to get by the expressed desire of the people to have a referendum on an arena." Charlotte City Council member Don Lochman, on the city council's decision to "bundle" the arena referendum question with five other more popular projects.
"It's about two women having sex." Martin Davis to the Mecklenburg County Commission moments before he was thrown out of a commissioners' meeting for threatening to read from a book called Women on Top, which he had checked out of the public library.
"She was upbeat and full of life. . .She said she had some big news to share." Linda Zamsky, the aunt of missing intern Chandra Levy, about an April 29 message left by her niece the day before Levy was last seen alive.
"This team belongs to the fans of Charlotte." Hornets co-Owner George Shinn, explaining why the team withdrew its application with the NBA to relocate the team to Memphis, TN.
"It is something I had to do." Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords on his defection from the Republican Party, which gave the Democrats control of the US Senate and its committees.
"We've spent 30 years proving we put public safety as our first priority. We have the most at stake here. If there was something dangerous or risky about this, we certainly wouldn't be involved." Duke Energy spokesperson Steve Nesbit on the Duke Energy MOX fuel plan.
"We feel there are enough serious implications in this program that the people of Charlotte clearly have the right to know what's going on, and be given some kind of voice in the matter." Catherine Mitchell of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League on the MOX fuel plan.
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