February 24, 2002

Felicia Lee Coping column on 651 Arts executive director Maurine Knighton who, faced with sharp budget cuts, is seeking new ways to raise funds to keep African diaspora arts group vital part of Brooklyn's Fort Greene community; drawing (M)

Wal-Mart Stores, which became nation's biggest company by using low prices to attract mostly working-class shoppers, is targeting more affluent bargain shoppers; has opened stores in last year in well-off suburbs and added pricier products; risks alienating core customers if it replaces too many of its basic goods with upscale products; graphs and maps compare chain with rivals; photo (M)

America's long history of demonizing its enemies and defining itself in part through its nemeses discussed in light of its current response to Sept 11 terrorism; use of nation's enemies as highly emotional political symbols makes it easy to lose touch with reality of their acts and motives and harder to understand how to defeat or influence them; photo (M)

Winter Olympics are marked by riveting sport, satisfaction over smooth logistical success amid unprecedented security and anti-American backlash abroad against perceived North American bias; Americans relish their mastery of new-age sports that attract large, younger television audience; decision that gave Canadian figure skaters David Pelletier and Jamie Sale duplicate gold medal in pairs competion apparently opened door for aggrieved national federations to protest any ruling they deemed unjust, leading to boycott threats by Russians and South Koreans; table compares 1992 and 2002 Games; photos (L)

Design of Saratoga Community Center in Brooklyn by George Ranalli, architect and dean of architecture school at City College, recalls work of Frank Lloyd Wright; photo (S)