Long ago in the Dark Ages, the only olive oil found in upscale markets were ½ pint bottles, marked “virgin.” In the 1970s, this was daring stuff. Gradually the “virgin” gave way to “extra virgin,” causing giggles at the time: How can there be anything more virginal than “virgin?”

In our neighborhood this week, the Halloween skeletons are back in the closet (sorry, I couldn’t resist), the elections signs are down, mostly — and families are wrestling with how to handle the most bizarre Thanksgiving on record.

“Halloween is pretty stellar in Colony Woods,” says resident Jenn Mallen. “We draw folks from other neighborhoods.”

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there may not have been a gym full of students and teachers for the fanfare that goes with a standard signing…

Orange County, NC’s development pipeline was packed full of projects before anyone had ever heard of the coronavirus. But would that enthusiasm endure through a nationwide economic slowdown? Over the last six months or so, the answer to that question has proven to be a tentative “yes.”

Despite the last few mornings of freezing temperatures, we’ve been having some rather warm autumn weather overall. And judging from photos I see posted online, people are still seeing snakes and turtles moving about.

Well, it’s definitely going to be a Thanksgiving like no other. Thanks to COVID-19, many families across Chapel Hill and Carrboro won’t be gathering…

For many of us, it’s been a very hard year. Now it’s December, we all are ready to move on, and we still are facing a tough few months. In this community especially, we have many who serve on the front line at UNC Hospitals and other clinics.