DESERT BIRDS SINGING A HAPPY SONG WITH PASSING OF PROP. 302

          The "oft-rejected" NFL Cardinals officially won the
     public vote on Prop. 302 yesterday, the measure to raise
     funds for a new stadium, according to Shaun McKinnon of the
     ARIZONA REPUBLIC.  The Maricopa County Elections Department
     reported that with fewer than 24,000 ballots left to verify
     and tabulate, the measure had built a lead of nearly 29,000
     votes and a winning margin of nearly 4%.  The Tourism and
     Sports Authority is scheduled to meet this morning to "move
     forward with the site selection process."  The Authority
     "wants to choose a site by early next year, part of a tight
     construction schedule aimed" at a summer 2004 opening.  So
     far, four sites are being considered -- the West Valley,
     near the team's current home at AZ State Univ. in Tempe, the
     Tempe-Mesa border and on the Fort McDowell Yavapal Nation
     Indian reservation (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 11/14).