Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 1

P3 FRIDAY March 29, 2002 50 cents Toy Hall-of-Famer Raggedy Ann creator's grandson talks about doll's Toy Hall induction Mountains, Bl QTIZEN-TIMES Mostly sunny; warmer High 69, low 51 WEATHER, AlO VOICE OF THE MOUNTAINS Rocket shutdown He's history, WNC native voted Movie Mania Openings include 'Panic 'Iris' and 'The Rookie' Section off on latest Survivor' episode Living, El ASHEVILLE dm Congregation relives Last Supper story with foot-washing ceremony SPORTS Dl Watauga defense too much for Reynolds soccer to handle. INSIDEGUIDE NATION nzzz has Coopsir GOP scrutiny challenges' loyalty to the Democrats: yx. saBBVLjfeAaBBBBBBBa By Dale Neal STAFF WRITER ASHEVILLE Don Richter sat barefooted next to the altar, his shoes tucked under his chair, waiting for his wife, the Rev. Kimberly Richter, to wash his feet. "It's very humbling," said Don Richter.

"It brings back early memories of being bathed by one's parents." On Maundy Thursday, members of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church not only heard the familiar story about Jesus washing the feet of his 12 disciples, they saw the gospel re-lived in their sanctuary. Kim Richter removed her clerical robes, while Elder Chuck Reiley shed his coat and tie and rolled up his sleeves. After dipping water from the baptismal font into a basin, they knelt before a dozen members, young and old, male and female, and bathed their bare feet. "It's humbling and intimate to have your feet washed, but it's a reminder of the humbleness of being a disciple of Jesus and it reminds us of the intimacy of the God who loves and holds us," said Kim Richter. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, when Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples on the night before he would be executed.

Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples as a sign of his Steve DiXOIISTAFF photoqrapher Becky Stradley, left, is the first to have her feet washed by the Rev. Kimberly C. Richter and Chuck Reiley during the Maundy Thursday service at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church. love, according to Gospel accounts. While the Eucharist is familiar to most Christian denominations, Presbyterians, like most Protestants, do not regularly practice the ritual of foot-washing.

"It's a powerful story and it speaks for itself, but we wanted to make it visual for our people," said the Rev. Steve Runholt, the new Arab leaders approve first pan-Arab call to include 'normal relations' with Israel A3 Oscar-winning director Billy Wilder dies at age 95. WORLD A2 Polish archbishop resigns after allegations of sexual misconduct. MOUNTAINS Bl Harlem Globetrotters show off shenanigans for Civic Center crowd. BUSINESS CI TheAsheville Chamber of Commerce appoints a panel to study local health-care costs in the wake of a company backing out of coming to Buncombe County.

LIVING El An adventure race, paddling races and mountain biking competitions will be part of this year's Mountain Sports Festival, organizers have announced. j.ivi El WNC cultural heritage, celebrated by two guidebooks by the Blue Ridge Heritage Initiative, finds itself in the spotlight with a national award to the organization. E3 Lace up those ice skates and head out to the Asheville Civic Center this weekend. Details in Adventure of the Week. SPORTS Dl Serena Williams defeats big sister Venus Williams News poll We asked our readers if they fear the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will evolve into a world war.

They said: Yes J79 No 157 What do you think? Have you ever owned a Raggedy Ann doll? Log on to and take part In our poll. have to put yourself in a place of vulnerability, exposing a part of yourself," said Runholt. "The real message of this command to love one another is that it applies to everyone, and it applies as much today as it did 2,000 years ago," Runholt said. Contact Neal at 232-5970 or the country's 1967 borders, though he has not specified what he would offer for peace. U.S.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the peace plan, first drawn up by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, "can help shape a more positive environment for peacemaking." The United States is trying to forge a cease-fire in 18 months of Israel-Palestinian violence. Early today, Israeli tanks surrounded Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's West Bank office in Ramallah early Friday, as Israel's Cabinet decided to isolate Arafat in response to Palestinian terror attacks, a Cabinet minister said. Israel is also calling up some of its army reserves to deal with increased Palestinian attacks, said Cabinet minister Raanan Cohen. He said the main decision was to impose total isolation on Arafat. Israel Radio said the decision declares Arafat an "enemy." The decision was Please see ARABS on A6 unit 1.

Urn' associate pastor of mission at Grace Covenant, who devised the service as part of the church's Holy Week observance. Maundy comes from the Latin for "new command," referring to Jesus' command to love one another. "To demonstrate love, you have to both give and receive it. You have to put yourself in a position of service or you gotiations with Israel" and underlined Israel's rejection of the return of Palestinian refugees. Sharon has long ruled out a withdrawal to ordinance ers amended a 1995 adult entertainment ordinance to prohibit adult establishments from being located within 1,000 feet of a school, church or library or within 500 feet of a residence.

That put two existing bookstores BedTyme Stories in Arden and Fantasy World in Candler in violation. The stores were allowed a three-year grace pe Copyright 2002 By Qulntin Ellison and Sandy Wall STAFF WRITERS N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper, a rising star in the state Democratic Party, is faced with investigating members of his party or enduring accusations of covering up for his friends. The former Nash County legislator heads the agency investigating corruption allegations within the heavily Democratic state Division of Motor Vehicles. "It's the kind of thing Cooper doesn't want," said JfVt Ted Arrington, I head of the political science department at UNC Charlotte.

"This is the kind of thing that puts him in a tough po- sitioa I'm sure Cooper hopes the thing goes away." That's not likely. Republicans are certain to try to turn the discomfort of Democrats to an advantage. They say the DMV is an example of Democratic political patronage run amok, and" are openly questioning whether Cooper's office will seriously scrutinize the agency. "People know where their bread is buttered. People are not likely to look into these things, and it's a shame," said Rep.

Carolyn Russell, R-Wayne. Democrats counter that Cooper can be trusted. "He's a tough, honest son-of-a-gun. I can guarantee that if there are improprieties, Roy Cooper will kick their butts," said Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston.

Some predict the investigation won't harm local Democratic candidates unless its scope grows larger. "Usually these kinds of things don't have wheels," Arrington said. "That doesn't mean it couldn't, if it's dirty enough and sticks around." Investigations galore The SBI is looking into allegations here and in central North Carolina that DMV officers fixed tickets and played favorites when enforcing 1 truck-safety Please see COOPER on A7 date has been set. The bookstores had argued the ordinance infringed on their First Amendment rights of free expression. But in his ruling, Baker found the ordinance does not ban or substantially limit public access to materials.

The bookstores also argued the county offered no proof their existence in fci iMi'fi 1 1 Roy Cooper INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS Allegations of misdeeds probed twice in past decade By Sandy Wall and Qulntin Ellison STAFF WRITERS The State Bureau of Investigation began looking into allegations of corruption within the Division of Motor Vehicles' western district enforcement section in 2000. The state probe was triggered by Haywood County District Attorney Charles Hipps, who questioned the DMV's han dling of a 1999 speeding citation issued to unsuccessful U.S. House candidate James Ferguson. Both men are Democrats. Allegations raised in Western North Carolina range from ticket-fixing and playing favorites when enforcing truck-safety regulations to bribe-taking and on-the-job politicking and fund-raising for Democratic candidates.

This is not the first time corruption charges, have been investigated in WNC. In 1986, an internal DMV probe looked into similar allegations against officers working at weigh stations in Buncombe and Henderson counties. The SBI's initial findings in the current probe were turned over to three area district attorneys and the U.S. Attorney's Office. About nine months ago, the three WNC district attorneys agreed to forward the report to the state attorney general's office of special prosecutions.

Henderson County District Attorney Jeff Hunt, a Republican, was Please see PROBES on A7 creases crime or lowers property values in surrounding areas. The court determined that does not invalidate the ordinance. The owner of BedTyme Stories and an employee who answered the phone at Fantasy World declined to comment on the judge's ruling. Their attorneys could not be reached. Contact MaxweK at 232-5957 or TMaxweMCmZEN-TIMESxom THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, right, deputy chairman of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council and deputy of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah, left, kiss in this image taken from television Thursday at the Arab summit being held in Beirut The embrace is a remarkable gesture of reconciliation 11 years after the Gulf War.

Ibrahim al-Douri heads the Iraqi delegation to the Arab summit "a very interesting develop- Gissin insisted Arab na-ment, something that tions must open "direct ne- By Susan Sevareld THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIRUT, Lebanon For the first time in the Middle East conflict, the Arab world has come together and agreed on a peace plan that offers Israel normal relations in exchange for a full withdrawal from war-won lands and a Palestinian state The overture adopted Thursday by the Arab League set demands long resisted by Israel including making east Jerusalem the Palestinian capital and finding a "just solution" for refugees. But it represented a major change in the Arabs' approach to Israel, breaking with the mindset of 23 years ago, when Egypt was shunned for signing a peace treaty with Israel. The United States welcomed the Arab leaders' unanimous endorsement of the Saudi proposal. "We hope other leaders in the region accept the plan as well," White House spokesman Gordon John-droe said. Israel called the proposal Judge OKs By Tonya Maxwell STAFF WRITER ASHEVILLE An ordinance passed three years ago, which regulates the locations of sexually oriented adult bookstores in Buncombe County, can stand, a Superior Court judge ruled Thursday.

The county is pleased with the decision and feels the ordinance is reasonable, said Buncombe County at-" torney Joe Connolly. vi tmnwm AM iwiiw aidunmit tiit should be pursued." But Israel has reservations, said Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Buncombe regulating sexually oriented stores Adult bookstores' case expected to proceed through court system BUSWESS Cl-5 MOTS TOHE5 OASSIRED C6-18 NAlKINfflM) CHOSSwoffl) E7 obhwhes UWNO El-8 OPMN MOUNTAINS 814 SIWIS D14 "The judge has denied a preliminary injunction at this stage," Connolly said. "The case will proceed on through the court system and there will be further hearings in this matter, but for the time being, the judge has not said to the county that it cannot enforce its ordinance." Three years ago, Bun-' combe County commission riod to move out But with the deadline approaching, the stores brought suit against the county. After hearing arguments from the adult bookstores and the county on Monday, Superior Court Judge James Baker ruled Thursday the ordinance could stand.

But the matter will likely continue in court and a May trial 3 C20O2 A GANNETT NEWSPAPER VOL 133 NO. 88 SOpagn ivi 1 iiinij imiiiin lf.vl.viWM,""t"''ll"t'MP'T'yV'''t'"" iii rtWmmWiiiiiift'ii'iW --mmmmmmmmm PI.