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 […]
All posts in category Community life
Playing the game: basketball and politics
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 3, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/04/03/playing-the-game-basketball-and-politics/
News on the Move
When the Chapel Hill News began publishing recipes on its front page — sometimes recipes from restaurants in Raleigh — we knew its marriage to The News & Observer was on the skids. Today the breakup becomes official. As you read this, the sole reporter and her editor are cleaning out their desks and moving […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 27, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/03/27/news-on-the-move/
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
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/03/20/funding-our-bubble/
Raising children or the flag?
Whether the Confederate flag symbolizes racial oppression or Southern pride may hinge on the difference between desegregation and integration. A group of parents has asked the Orange County Board of Education to ban images of the Confederate flag, calling it a racially inflammatory symbol that disrupts learning. So far, the board has remained as silent […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on February 27, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/02/27/raising-children-or-the-flag/
Welcome to the club
Some of us spend so much time thinking about stormwater runoff and traffic jams and other indications of overdevelopment that we forget quality of life goes beyond whether an apartment has granite countertops or who has to shovel the sidewalks. So I consider it a gift that I was invited to a tour of Club […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on February 13, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/02/13/welcome-to-the-club/
Dry county
Mayor Hemminger declared a state of emergency in Chapel Hill when OWASA warned all of its customers not to drink, cook or wash with its water this past weekend. After reading the news release that concluded: “They [the Emergency Operations team] anticipate that this situation is temporary …” a friend emailed: “Well, that’s reassuring … […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on February 6, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/02/06/dry-county/
I have a dream; do you?
Chapel Hill’s town manager Roger Stancil nailed it in his remarks at the close of the town employees’ celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event took place at Hargraves Center just before lunch last Friday. The program included a dramatic re-enactment of Rosa Park’s story, starring Myra Evans of Parking Services; a musical […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on January 16, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/01/16/i-have-a-dream-do-you/
To a Healthy New Year
My husband and I gave each other matching colds for Christmas this year, not the gifts we had intended, but a result of getting out and into the community more than I have in years past. When it comes to germs, especially in the holiday season, I’ve tried not to give back. And that means […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on January 2, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/01/02/to-a-healthy-new-year/
Lights in the Darkness
The gifts have been unwrapped; the holiday feast reduced to leftovers. But I hope the warmth and joy and generosity of the season have stayed with you. If you need a booster shot of Christmas spirit — especially if the past several months of the presidential campaign and the past several days of the N.C. […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on December 26, 2016
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2016/12/26/lights-in-the-darkness/
Giving back
When it comes to charitable giving, I wish “deep pockets” meant “bottomless resources.” But in reality, people and organizations have a finite amount of money they make available to donate to nonprofits. Competition for those dollars is fierce, as you may have guessed by the number of solicitations you have received in the past several […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on December 19, 2016
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2016/12/19/giving-back/