Chapel Hill Museum director Traci Davenport learned the timing perils of giving a presentation while a slide show flashes photos in the background. Davenport was making a serious pitch to Town Council about renegotiating the terms of the museum’s lease to cover $34,000 annually in utilities and maintenance costs, as well as an additional $15,000 […]
All posts for the month April, 2010
A small request
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 16, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/16/a-small-request/
Lesson for learning
A participant at the downtown talk last week noted the irony of his neighbor who worked for an environmental concern commuting to Raleigh every day. The man wondered why his neighbor didn’t just move to Raleigh. From my viewpoint as a parent, the answer is simple: the schools. Wake County’s are in turmoil; Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 15, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/15/lesson-for-learning/
Public forum without the public
The Budget Status Report and Public Forum was the first item on the agenda for Monday night’s Town Council meeting. Town Manager Roger Stancil was there at the microphone to update the council and residents on his staff’s work to fashion the fiscal 2011 town budget. Only the town had neglected to get the status […]
Posted by Don Evans on April 14, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/14/public-forum-without-the-public/
Burning a hole in her pocket
Some Town Council members are ready to spend tax dollars at the drop of a hat. Other council members want to examine expenditures carefully to gauge the need. Which one do you want making fiscal decisions in tight economic times? During the Town Council business meeting Monday, council member Sally Greene was ready to OK […]
Posted by Don Evans on April 13, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/13/burning-a-hole-in-her-pocket/
Let’s talk downtown
The list of what downtown needs to thrive ran off the page by the time Chapel Hill residents and downtown business owners had had their say. About 150 participants between the morning and afternoon discussions last Thursday threw in their ideas at public planning sessions sponsored by the Town of Chapel Hill and the Downtown […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 12, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/12/lets-talk-downtown/
Taking care of business, not one another
It’s bad enough that we remain stuck in the worst economy in a generation. Now Republicans in the General Assembly want to throw away even more of my tax money on a frivolous lawsuit. Republicans led by state Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger apparently think it’s a good thing to spend taxpayer dollars on a […]
Posted by Don Evans on April 9, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/09/taking-care-of-business-not-one-another/
Need lots of parking
After a sojourn downtown yesterday at lunch, I’m convinced that the longer 140 West Franklin remains Parking Lot #5, the better off we’ll be. I’d talked with Dwight Bassett, Chapel Hill’s economic development officer, about the two-hour tour of downtown he was leading beginning at 12:30 that afternoon to prepare the downtown planning team for […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 8, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/08/need-lots-of-parking/
Gone with the pig
The Barbecue Joint is locked down, and a great big “Closed” sign is taped to the glass door at the entrance. The yellow notice from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office pasted beside the “Closed” sign forbids anyone from entering the building. The Joint’s Facebook page hasn’t been updated since mid March. And the huge catering […]
Posted by Don Evans on April 7, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/07/gone-with-the-pig/
Buy local?
If “location, location, location” drives demand in the real estate market, why are businesses leaving Meadowmont at the same time commercial space at East 54, just across the highway, is filling up? Both are conveniently located on the N.C. 54 corridor, each about the same distance from Chapel Hill and the I-40 exit. Both have […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 6, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/06/buy-local/
The survey has spoken
The Community Survey that recently was presented to the Town Council had a lot of information in it about satisfaction with town services. One area where the council should study real hard is what residents want in bike safety. As many respondents were dissatisfied with the ease of biking and walking in town (35 percent) […]
Posted by Don Evans on April 5, 2010
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2010/04/05/the-survey-has-spoken/