Former president greets large crowd

DURHAM -- Former President Carter took a seat Thursday under the Tire & Battery Sales sign in the Sam's Club in Durham and swiftly signed hundreds of copies of his most recent book, "A Remarkable Mother."

The line began along a wall of Honey Nut Cheerios and stretched deep into the store near the stacked Serta box springs. Luckily for those who staked out a spot as early as noon for the president's 5 p.m. arrival, the line moved fast.

The appearance was one of two book signings in the Triangle area as part of Carter's national book tour.

Sam's Club may seem an odd location for a presidential book signing. But organizers said Carter, a prolific author of more than 20 books, usually tries to fit in at least one Wal-Mart or Sam's Club into his book tours. The former peanut farmer was buddies with the late Sam Walton, Wal-Mart's founder.

Solemn-faced Secret Service and police officers were the only signs of pomp. Wendy Kimbel, 51, of Efland didn't realize Carter was around until she was loading up her shopping cart with a 44-pound bag of dog chow, 36 rolls of toilet paper and a 10-box pack of facial tissues.

"I'm impressed we can live in a place where one of our elder statesmen feels he can safely appear and sign books with such little security," she said.

Mansukh Wani, 83, a Research Triangle Institute scientist, said it was a great honor to see Carter face-to-face. From reading "A Remarkable Mother," Wani said he was impressed by Lillian Carter.

"His mother did a lot for other countries, including India," he said.

Heejun Park, 41, a Korean newspaper journalist and visiting Duke scholar, also waited in line. Carter is a popular president among Koreans, Park explained.

"In his presidency, he decided that the U.S. Army pull back from the Korean peninsula," Park said.

For Aman Sandhu, Carter's appearance was a reunion. She was at Parkwood Elementary School in Durham in 1976, when Carter was elected president. She sent him some tips, such as to include women and Southerners in his Cabinet.

Carter got the note and invited her to his inauguration. Sandhu, then 9 years old, boarded a plane by herself and, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, attended all the inaugural events. Now a physician, Sandhu said she wanted her daughter Noor, 9, to meet the same man.

"He's a hero to us," she said.

Another line will form today when Carter signs books at noon in the Clayton Wal-Mart Supercenter.