Chapel Hill got another bookstore this week.

Barnes & Noble opened its new University Place location on Wednesday, September 23, at 201 S. Estes Drive, with Cary-based fantasy author Scott Reintgen on hand as ribbon-cutter and special guest. Reintgen is a New York Times bestselling author whose books include A Door in the Dark and The Last Dragon on Mars. It's the chain's first traditional store inside Chapel Hill town limits.

And listen: I am never going to complain about another bookstore.

More shelves. More books. More people reading.

We can celebrate that.

But the arrival of a national bookseller is also a pretty good reminder that we live in an unusually rich literary community, and we already have some wonderful independent, specialty, and community-supported bookstores right here in our backyard.

So before your next book purchase automatically becomes an Amazon order, or even a Barnes & Noble run, remember that spending some of those dollars locally helps support the bookstores, booksellers, author events, and gathering spaces that make this community what it is.

Flyleaf Books
752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Independent bookstore with new and used books, children's titles and a busy author-event calendar.
flyleafbooks.com

Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews
109 E. Franklin St., Suite 100
Independent bookstore, café, and chocolatería in downtown Chapel Hill.
epiloguebookcafe.com

Prologue Rare & Used Books
109 E. Franklin St.
Epilogue's connected sister shop specializing in rare and used books.

Read Band Books
506 W. Franklin St., Upstairs
A specialty bookstore devoted to books about music, located upstairs from Local 506.
visitchapelhill.org

Friends Book Store at Chapel Hill Public Library
100 Library Drive
The Friends operate a shop of donated books, puzzles, and games supporting Chapel Hill Public Library programs and services.
chapelhillpubliclibrary.org

Golden Fig Books, Carrboro
200 N. Greensboro St., Suite A-17, Carr Mill Mall
A locally owned independent bookstore selling used and new books.
goldenfigbooks.com

Purple Crow Books
109 W. King St.
A downtown independent bookstore known for new and used books and a strong selection of local authors.
purplecrowbooks.com

Proven Curated Cookbooks & Culinary Essentials
110 W. Margaret Lane
A specialty shop devoted to curated cookbooks, cooking tools, and culinary finds.

So yes, go see the shiny new Barnes & Noble.

Welcome them to Chapel Hill.

And then maybe make your next book stop Flyleaf, Epilogue, Golden Fig, Purple Crow, or one of the smaller specialty shops you didn't even know was here.

Because having more bookstores is a good thing.

Having local bookstores that survive and thrive alongside them is even better.

After five years, the Monet Richardson Community Foundation is closing its doors.

Pat Richardson founded MRCF in 2021 in honor of her daughter, Kristian "Krissy" Monet Richardson, who passed away in May of that year.

Krissy had a passion for children, social justice, and helping students in her community. In 2018, she partnered with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA's Y Learning program to start a backpack program, filling more than 100 backpacks with school supplies for students in Orange County schools. She studied social work at East Carolina University and North Carolina Central University.

Pat took that work and built a foundation around it.

Over five years, MRCF gave out more than 1,800 backpacks filled with school supplies and awarded $16,000 in academic scholarships, plus a $1,000 Humanitarian Scholarship. Along the way, it brought the community together through its annual Running with the Angels 5K and, this year, the Rosé & Roses Soirée.

In a letter dated September 16, the foundation's board announced that after months of evaluation and conversations with community partners and advisors, it has decided to formally dissolve the organization.

But the work isn't ending with it.

The foundation's remaining assets will go to two organizations. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, where Krissy's backpack program began, is taking over the backpacks. East Carolina University, where Krissy studied social work, will keep the scholarship going.

So yes, it is the end of an era. But the backpacks will keep going out, and the scholarships will keep going to students, in Krissy's name.

Thank you, Pat, and thank you to everyone who packed a backpack, ran a 5K, volunteered or gave over these five years.

Read the foundation's announcement.

Hear Pat Richardson talk about what's next on 97.9 The Hill.

Apparently there is no shortage of people willing to serve on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education.

Fifty-three residents applied for the seat Rani Dasi left in August to join the Orange County Board of Commissioners.

After reviewing applications Wednesday night, the board meets again tonight, Thursday, September 24, at 7 p.m. at 750 S. Merritt Mill Road in Chapel Hill. According to the district's timeline, tonight's meeting is for possible interviews and to appoint someone to finish Dasi's term, which runs through the end of 2027. A swearing-in date has not been set.

All 53 applications are public, and the district has posted them online.

See the board vacancy page and applicant materials.

Background on the vacancy and selection process.

That is a rather impressive applicant pool for one seat.

If you are raising a child with autism, developmental differences or additional support needs, sometimes the hardest part isn't recognizing that you need support.

It's figuring out where to find it.

Tonight, Thursday, September 24, from 5 to 7 p.m., Behavioral Innovations is hosting a Resource Night at We Rock the Spectrum Durham, bringing families together with local resources, services, and community organizations.

According to the event flyer, families can learn about local resources and services, family support programs, educational and therapy options, community organizations, and information and guidance.

There's also free open play for families, and children are welcome to use the gym equipment. A signed waiver is required before children can play.

We Rock the Spectrum Durham is an inclusive, sensory-focused indoor gym at 3409 Hillsborough Road, Suite J3, Durham.

Yes, Durham is technically outside our Chapel Hill/Carrboro bubble.

But when something can connect a family with resources they may not have known existed, I think that qualifies as worth the drive.

Tonight, Sept. 24 | 5–7 p.m. | Free open play for families

We Rock the Spectrum Durham

This weekend, Carrboro Music Festival returns for its 29th year, with more than 100 acts expected around town.

The weekend starts Saturday, September 26.

From 2 to 4 p.m., there's an Open Mic at Carrboro Town Commons. Want to play? Registration is on-site.

From 4 to 7 p.m., The ArtsCenter hosts the Music Market, with festival merchandise, band signings, and more.

Saturday evening, Cat's Cradle hosts the official Carrboro Music Festival Kickoff Show, free, in its Back Room at 8 p.m.: Viv & Riley featuring Jacob Sharp and Friends. Expect the music of Viv & Riley, collaborations with Jacob Sharp of Mipso, and special guest Wes Coatney.

Then on Sunday, September 27 at 1 p.m., the main festival begins at venues throughout Carrboro, including a free Hip-Hop & Grooves showcase at Cat's Cradle starting at 2 p.m.

And one of the best parts?

It's free.

Full festival schedule, parking and shuttle information.

Fall officially arrived this week, and it feels fitting, because a lot around here is changing along with the season. A new door opened at University Place, and our local bookstores are still open. Maybe we go through their doors a little more often to support them. The Monet Richardson Community Foundation is closing its doors, but its work continues through the YMCA and East Carolina University. Like the leaves, some things let go so something else can come in.

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Hit reply and tell me.

A new business, community event, neighborhood story, good news, something changing around town, or something you think deserves a closer look: I want to hear about it.