Before GoFundMe there was “Send Leon a Buck”

A Navy sailor named Leon Louise got fined $400 (~$2,600 equivalent today) and disciplined for throwing a chocolate cream pie at his by-the-book officer. The Chapel Hill News editorial page launched a "Send Leon A Buck" campaign, playfully stating that anyone who ever wanted to pie an officer (or see one get pied) could mail a dollar to help cover his fine. It was basically a 1970s version of crowdfunding, using humor and shared anti-authority sentiment to rally community support for a young practical joker. The campaign eventually spread to other local papers.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board Accused of Secret Meetings

In 1974, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board was holding closed-door "executive sessions" about selling Lincoln School - a clear public matter. The newspaper called out these "locked-door" as illegal and counter to public interest, especially pointed during the Watergate era when government secrecy was under scrutiny. One board member refused to participate. The clash between administrative convenience and public accountability persists today, even with fewer local paper editors to call them out.

Dear Margaret: Creating Space for Mature Women

In an era when 'mature women' rarely had public voices (an era many feel we’re still in), Margaret Brookfield's column created a community of shared experience. The term "Second Forty" itself represents a fascinating attempt to reframe middle age as a distinct life phase worthy of attention and discussion. The problems discussed - marital issues, aging, changing social dynamics - remain remarkably relevant.