At Wednesday night's town-gown soiree, all were on their best behavior. The only moment of tension arose when Will Raymond pressed the town planning director on a point. Two hours went by before Elaine Barney politely asked if the university still had a protest petition in place for the proposed OI-4 zoning changes.

But there was one particular bit of hogwash that should not go uncorrected. This was Jonathan Howes sanctimonious prattle about the need for the university to safeguard our tax dollars. That was the primary rationalization offered for UNC's push for a hasty town review of university development projects.

What Howes did not tell us, but surely knows, is that state funding accounts for only 20-some percent of the university budget (see, for example, UNC says state funds are just 25% of budget).

In misrepresenting this fact, Howes is playing on public misconceptions. In its Feb. 26, 2004 issue, the Triangle Business Journal reported on a UNC survey which found that

Internationalist Books is very proud to present the first annual Carrboro Book Fair, to be held from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, May 7 at the Artscenter, located at 300 East Main St. in Carrboro, North Carolina. Participating book and zine publishers, writers and friends from across the country will converge on Carrboro for a day of reading, information exchange, community strengthening and of course, the buying, selling and trading of books.

Thirty-odd local and national organizations will be tabling with books and magazines for sale, including Daylight Magazine, Small Beer Press (MA), Garrett County Press (NOLA), Ivory Bell Books, John F. Blair Books, Ms. Film Festival, Crimethinc, Parcell Press (VA), Ugly Duckling Presse (NYC), The Drama (VA), Two Cranes Press, Winged Willow Press, Longleaf Books, Carolina Wren Press, AK Press (CA) and others.

Events during the day will include a screening of "Wizard People, Dear Readers" and other films, presentations from Daylight Magazine and Crimethinc, a hands-on zine workshop, readings by local authors and poets and more! All events are free and open to the public.