We’re immersing ourselves in 1977 Chapel Hill town politics today because it came up as a discussion point in the 2022 town council work session on November 30.

1977 was the year Saturday Night Fever was released. In Chapel Hill, folks were battling I-40, talking greenways, and discussing OWASA.

It was also the year in which a very unique town council meeting occurred, on March 28, 1977. Mayor Pro Tem Shirley Marshall called the meeting to order. She was the only member present — everyone else on Council was watching the Final Four. (h/t Geoff Green, who discovered this gem.)

Based on the score of the game (UNC lost to Marquette 67-59), maybe they should have attended the meeting 🙂

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Melody Kramer is a Peabody-award winning journalist whose work has appeared on NPR and member stations around the country, as well as in publications ranging from National Geographic to Esquire Magazine....