ATTORNEY ADVISES COUNCIL ON POSSIBLE HORNETS' DEPARTURE

          Charlotte City Attorney Mac McCarley wrote a memo
     advising City Council members "how to protect the city's
     legal rights and image should" arena talks fail and the
     Hornets choose to leave Charlotte, according to Bonnell &
     Markoe of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER.  Such issues "would be
     important if the city decides to challenge the Hornets'
     departure or wants to pursue another major league sports
     team."  The Hornets and the city have not negotiated for
     three weeks, and co-Owner Ray Wooldridge said that "no date
     has been set for the next session."  A source said that the
     city "considered breaking off the talks during the last
     session in frustration" with Wooldridge.  But city officials
     "chose to continue the talks, in part because they didn't
     want to give the impression they were not bargaining in good
     faith and because they didn't want to dash their chances of
     keeping the team" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/17).