Chapel Hillians tend to go big or go home, and that proved true in feedback we got after Town Council authorized buying the American Legion property. When we asked residents how to use the 36-acre parcel (only about 23 acres of which are developable, due to topography, stream buffers and resource conservation regulations), we received […]
All posts in category Lifestyle
Fitting in our dreams
Posted by Nancy Oates on June 19, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/06/19/fitting-in-our-dreams/
Paying our bills, and extras
You can craft a budget by starting with the money you expect to have in the coming year and determining how to spend it. Or you can envision the lifestyle you want and figure out how to afford it. Chapel Hill’s budget for Fiscal Year 2018, which starts July 1 of this year, does a […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on June 12, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/06/12/paying-our-bills-and-extras/
Classic decision-making
The world would be better off if we had more classics majors. This past weekend, with so many universities in the Triangle showcasing their accomplished faculty and alumni as part of commencement celebrations, I couldn’t help but notice that innovation and entrepreneurship took the spotlight. Applied sciences got the glory, along with the plethora of […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 15, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/05/15/classic-decision-making/
Trumped in Orange County
The Trump Era has pierced Chapel Hill’s bubble. Last week five of the seven Orange County Commissioners voted for taxpayers to take responsibility for 18% of the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit costs not covered by federal and state governments, plus 18.5% of the debt service, on top of 20% of the regular maintenance costs of […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 1, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/05/01/trumped-in-orange-county/
If we build it, they will park
We walked to our downtown E. Franklin Street church Easter morning to avoid a lengthy search for parking. The Morehead lot fills up quickly, as does Lot 2 on the corner of E. Rosemary and Columbia streets on a typical Sunday morning. Sometimes the Wallace Deck has no room, either. Bub O’Malley’s gravel lot used […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 17, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/04/17/if-we-build-it-they-will-park/
Chapel Hill’s Central Park?
Dream first; set your sights; then figure out what you have to do to get there. That philosophy has worked for me over the years, and town staff used it, too, last Saturday by hosting a charrette to find out what value taxpayers believe the 36-acre parcel we bought from the American Legion could add […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 10, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/04/10/chapel-hills-central-park/
Playing the game: basketball and politics
Town Council members caught some flack last year when we approved the 2016-17 meeting schedule and moved our first regular Monday night meeting in April to the first Wednesday. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Final would be held that Monday, and if UNC were to play in it, many of us would want to watch. “You […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 3, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/04/03/playing-the-game-basketball-and-politics/
Funding Our Bubble
Chapel Hill’s bubble has been both boasted about and blasted, depending on the politics of the critic. We have a reputation of being a haven for bleeding-heart liberals, a sanctuary city in sentiment and practice, albeit not codified. But a sneak peek at the proposed Trump administration budget indicates that our bubble is about to […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 20, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/03/20/funding-our-bubble/
Bargaining Power
People love to feel special. Sales agents make a living by understanding the power of “just for you”: “I don’t usually do this, but just for you, I’ll …” It closes the deal and mitigates buyer’s remorse. But “just for you” would lose its value if there were no standards or rules to push back […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 13, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/03/13/bargaining-power/
DOLRT’s Cost-Plus
If anything could sway me toward taking on the crushing debt of the Durham-Orange County Light Rail it would be the promise of getting some affordable housing in return. And sure enough, in its presentation about planning DOLRT stations, GoTriangle reps dangled that yarn ball before Town Council — including affordable housing in the mix […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on February 20, 2017
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/02/20/dolrts-cost-plus/