Having been a public servant, I know firsthand how some members of the public (oftentimes lawyers) view the “servant” part literally and treat us accordingly. So I should have been better prepared for town attorney Ralph Karpinos’ disingenuous response to my e-mail. Months ago, I sought an answer to a simple question: What would it […]

By the end of June, Chapel Hill pedestrians can expect to make a trip to the islands — seven of them dotting main thoroughfares around town — and the federal government is footing most of the bill. Years ago, the Town Council approved the construction of crosswalks or pedestrian islands to aid people crossing busy […]

In the next week or two, every household in the U.S. should receive in the mail a 2010 census form — that’s the plan, at least. The standard census form has nine questions that pertain to how many people live in the household and who they are — name, age, gender, race and ethnicity — […]

A couple of days ago, we received a water bill in the amount of $186.01 covering the 13,000 gallons of water OWASA claimed we had run through in the past 32 days, far more than the 3,000 to 4,000 gallons we normally use. Immediately, we suspected Bill Strom. But first we called OWASA. We explained […]

Chapel Hill’s reputation as a community of tree-huggers took a beating last night as citizens speaking against proposed changes to the tree protection ordinance far outnumbered those supporting a new law. A few Town Council members took credit for leading the charge for change after Jim Heavner took advantage of a loophole in the town […]

Last week, The News & Observer sold its office space at 505 W. Franklin St. to Franklin Junto, a group of investors led by Top of the Hill’s Scott Maitland who will turn the space into a distillery. The N&O will pay rent to Maitland for a corner in the building where the dozen or […]