The Commentators

This is David Schwartz. The Chapel Hill Town Council recently asked Town Manager Roger Stancil to explain several instances of apparent mismanagement of the town’s finances. The alleged instances included substantial cost...

With apologies to Willie Nelson, “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be football players.” Given the growing evidence of the long-term harm of concussions, all the adults involved in the game of football—coaches, parents, boards of education, trainers, and doctors—should halt this experiment in brain damage. Motivated by the National Football League’s concern about maintaining its workforce and its fan base, it has pumped millions upon millions of dollars into research on head trauma and football, not to mention the nearly $1 billion fund to care for former

It’s just a bottle of Crème de Violette. It’s an old liqueur with a sweet and flowery fragrance that gives the century-old Aviation Cocktail the drink’s signature twilight blue hue.  Across the country, there’s a craft cocktail...

This is Raleigh Mann. Well, there goes the neighborhood. That has been the concern of the people who are uncomfortable with the thought of homeless men living near them. Yes, I’m talking about the Inter-Faith Council’s new...

This is Lew Margolis. The challenges posed by big-time sports for UNC continue apace, as if on a schedule like weekly football games or daily practices. Four players have just been suspended for one game after an altercation—an...

This is Lew Margolis. It is the quiet calm of summer on a college campus, but the quiet this year seems heightened by anticipation of the report by Investigator Kenneth Wainstein on the unresolved athletic scandals at UNC....

This week, Chapel Hill hosts a conference of mayors from around the country. Our elected officials are no doubt eager to tell visitors, constituents and the media about the many wonderful things that Chapel Hill Town government is doing. And some good things have indeed been happening lately, such as the completion of the Morgan Creek trail and the downtown sidewalk improvements. in other respects, however, the town’s development efforts, including our first foray into form-based code, leave much room for improvement.

This is Walt Mack. Hash, weed, pot, grass, joint. You name it – just a few of the hundreds of slang words for marijuana that have come into the American lexicon. And there’s a good reason why. It’s estimated that one in...

This is Brian Thornburg. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE going out to eat.  Discovering a wonderful new restaurant is one of life’s great pleasures, and it can be hard to decide on which one to go to. But if you care about...

This is Matt Bailey. Whenever a rezoning proposal is on the agenda, you can bet on hearing from passionate residents at the Chapel Hill town council meeting. However, have you ever noticed who doesn’t comment at those public...