TATTLE TALES.

• Position: Miscellaneous brief articles - News Briefs - Brief Article

* Bear necessity: Responding to Gov. Mike Easley's call for ways to ease a $790 million budget deficit, Department of Transportation worker David Earley suggests eliminating bear-crossing signs on new U.S. 64 near Plymouth: "Most wild animals cross the road anywhere they want and when they get ready."

* Leaving a legacy: The Economist says retiring Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl's career consisted of "paying too much for too little, then ruining what he got by cutting costs aggressively to justify the ridiculous purchase price." As penance, Business Week suggests, he should return last year's $47 million pay package for the "raft of problems that started on his watch."

* Bon appetit: Summing up a survey that found only 29% of diners satisfied with the restaurant at Asheville Regional Airport, a spokeswoman says, "The biggest complaint is the quality of service, and that's followed by the quality of the food and selection." The water, apparently, is fine.

* Not a nice place to visit: "We might want to put some language in as to what hours jailbreaks would be allowed," suggests Asheville City Council member Carl Koon, poking fun at a tourism-sensitive ordinance that makes jails hide razor wire and chain-link fences from view.

* Revolting development: A study commissioned by ElectriCities, whose members own power distribution systems, puts their value at $1 billion, in contrast to the $500 million commonly used by the Legislative Study Commission on Deregulation. Problem is, the cities owe $5.4 billion for those systems.

* Kick the habit -- and bucket: One way the genetically altered, virtually...