Catalogue Daydreaming in January
Beginning Dec. 26, the garden catalogues start to pour in. The planting season is short – and growers know that they have to get the word out on their new products as soon as possible.
Guest Columns
Get Current
CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio, an immersive arts venue and studio space, opened to the public in February 2018. Since then its 7,000 square-foot state-of-the-art black box-style theater has hosted music, dance and theater.
Why can’t we solve our homeless problem?
Our community has a severe shortage of affordable rental housing as well as a large homeless population — one of the largest in the state in proportion to our population. There were 153 homeless people in Orange County in 2018, a 13-percent increase from 2017!
Orange County to Celebrate the Many Lives of Pauli Murray
“The wager was ten dollars. It was 1944, and the law students of Howard University were discussing how best to bring an end to Jim Crow.
A Book of All Seasons
Book Review: Gardening in the South by Mark Weathington. Recently, I had occasion to meet Mark Weathington, director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University — and immediately bought his book.
Tis the Season to Take a Hike
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli Ah, Orange County’s beauty. A hush falls over the woods in winter. But the quiet unlocks a secret world that you miss out on during…
Duke University Researcher Calls for a ‘His & Hers’ Approach to Tackling Hypertension this Holiday Season
Team uses math – “the new microscope” – to demonstrate that men and women react differently to blood pressure medication
Our Dog Makes Me a Better Gardener
We have a new puppy — although he’s been part of our family for nearly a year. As our last dog was with us for 15 years, this little guy will hold the “new puppy” title for a bit longer. Maybe it’s how he came into our lives or maybe because I think this will be our last dog, that he seems so precious. I’m weirdly picky about everything related to this critter. I shudder at the thought of any chemicals near “new puppy…”
The Brown File: Mack Brown
Mack Brown, whose charismatic style and disciplined approach led the University of North Carolina into the Top Five, and the University of Texas to the 2005 BCS National Championship, began his second stint as head coach in Chapel Hill on Nov. 27, 2018.
The Garden of Wrath
Two things incur my wrath when it comes to gardening: certain wildlife and nurseries that sell the wrong plants. There are few serious gardeners who haven’t felt fury at wildlife. You see, wildlife has to eat — and many creatures savor the meals we unwittingly prepare for them in our garden. We call graceful does “giant rats.” We reread Peter Rabbit, only this time we sympathize with Mr. McGregor. Deer and I share one attribute in common: We happen to enjoy the same plants.
Two Towns, One Community
Recently I was talking with colleague, friend, and former Herald Sun columnist Neil Offen about Carrboro and Chapel Hill. The two are contiguous, one runs into the other, and often visitors don’t differentiate. But locals do. Here’s Neil’s perspective…
In the Spirit of Thanksgiving: A New Model for Serving the Homeless
Affordable housing, sufficient food, and the opportunity to work for a living wage should be fundamental rights in a civilized society. But we need not look far to see that homelessness is an ever-deepening problem in our communities.
The Dangers of Deer Hunting in Town
When you go for a walk around Chapel Hill, do you wear blaze orange for safety? You may wish to consider it. Hunting — both legal and illegal — is occurring in unexpected places in town.
There’s More to Coreopsis Than Meets the Eye
I have never thought much about coreopsis until recently, when I had some spaces to fill in the perennial border — and then I was faced with the fact that there are an awful lot of coreopses to choose from. Even the name doesn’t inspire: The Greek “koris” means bedbug while “opsis” means to shear. Its common name, tickseed, also does not engender great enthusiasm.
The State Needs a Progressive Force
The November meeting of the Progressive Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party (PCNCDP) was held at the headquarters of the Guilford County Democratic Party in Greensboro on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Seeds need to nap. How do you wake them up?
I dream of native plants thriving in my suburban garden — I’m here to confess, reality doesn’t resemble my dreams.
Many Questions, Few Answers
Did you know there is a City lead development planning effort that will potentially impact the Park and Ride lot and adjacent City owned undeveloped land?
Patience is a Virtue
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins For a long time, I was into instant gratification in the garden. The acre allotted for the garden had large bare…
Journalists Travel to Chapel Hill to Discuss Climate Change
Professional seminars attract a wide range of visitors to Chapel Hill, including professionals who need continuing education, retirees who enroll in workshops at UNC Friday Center…
Let’s Return to Our Values
OPINION Guest Column by Del Snow Some people tend to believe that they are immune from manipulation and the effects of rhetoric. Nationally, we hear the same drumbeat of accusations,…
Morehead Planetarium to Expand STEM Initiatives, Unveil New Exhibits in October 2020
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli When Morehead Planetarium and Science Center completes its renovation and reopens to the public in October 2020 the emphasis will focus less on space travel…
Recruiting Wegmans a Boon for Chapel Hill
BUSINESS By Pam Hemminger While I respect everyone’s right to voice an opinion about the decisions Town Council makes, I also want to make sure that facts are considered on…
What’s This Chapel Hill Election Really About?
ELECTION 2019 Guest Column by Scott Madry The coming election here in Chapel Hill is important, but listening to all the verbiage and ‘talking points’, it is really difficult to…
Preserving Our Rural Character
GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT Guest Column by Livy Ludington and Margaret Brown Whether you drive from Chatham County to Chapel Hill on 15-501 or Smith Level Road, you pass green fields…
Herbs or a Bottle of Pills?
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins It started with some herbs in pots in our kitchen window. I happily snip while I cook, feeling righteous about growing…
Tiny Home Village
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli Tourists are drawn to Orange County with certain expectations, just as they are everywhere else they may visit. It’s a feature-driven decision: culture, architecture, dining,…
Phlox, Glorious Phlox
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins The genus phlox is comprised of approximately 60 species that are native to the U.S. Recently, the Mount Cuba Center in…
The Person Giving You Orange County, NC Travel Advice May Be an Inmate
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli The warm voice answering your 800-VISITNC call will gladly mail you the 174-page Official 2019 NC Travel Guide and a North Carolina road map. She has…
Chapel Hill Will Pay Dearly for Wegmans at Any Cost
By John Goddin. John Goddin is a Chapel Hill resident concerned about the town’s current direction and its future path.
Yes, There are Plants We Cannot Grow
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins “What is it about echinacea? Why can’t I grow it?” my neighbor asked me. I assured her that for some inexplicable reason…
A Chapel Hill Election Primer for Newcomers
ELECTION 2019 By Michelle Cassell Elections for mayor and four Chapel Hill Town Council seats will be held Nov. 5, with early voting beginning Oct. 16. Two candidates are running…
What Goes Around Comes Around
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins A year ago, I developed what I thought was an original idea: Why not plant a clematis with a rose? To me…
Walking Tours in Orange County
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli Walking tours offer a wonderful way to see an area, get your bearings, and learn about a locale from an expert. After all, half the…
College Towns Are Next Big Thing for Entrepreneurship
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli With students and recent graduates all over the country experiencing startup fever, college towns are the next big thing for entrepreneurship. Even though nearly 47% of venture…
Paying Attention Pays Off
OPINION Guest Column by Eric Johnson One of the deep oddities of our age is that human attention has come unmoored from human geography. For many of us, the places…
The NC 54 Corridor
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli New American Legion Club Joins a Growing Corridor in Chapel Hill The new American Legion Club, 3700 NC 54 West, Chapel Hill, is scheduled for…
Why Do Some Autumn Leaves Turn Red?
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins Many of us look forward to the arrival of autumn with its cooler temperatures and brilliant colors. We know that there is…
Dark Times Require Leadership, Action
[Charles van der Horst, internationally known HIV researcher, esteemed medical professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, committed activist and community leader, died earlier this summer. Shortly before his death, during a marathon swimming race down New York’s
The Beleaguered Red Wolf
NATURE Guest Column by Mary Parker Sonis Our native southern wolf was declared endangered in 1967. By 1980, it was declared extinct in the wild, and the last survivors were…