People

By Jamie Murphy

He may be an aging veteran, but former President Jimmy Carter, 60, still knows how to keep his eye on the ball. Trouble is, he doesn't always connect. Take last week. During a Labor Day bash in Plains, Ga., thrown for 300 of his onetime staffers, including ex-Aides Jody Powell and Ham Jordan, the erstwhile leader exhorted his team to victory. But the same week, the old pro may have struck out. The Georgia department of transportation was set to build a four-lane road providing access to the Carter Library, between downtown Atlanta and Emory University. Preservationists took the department to court and won, and the parkway construction has just ground to a halt. No comment yet from Carter, but win a few, lose a few may come to mind.