TO THE EDITOR:
I read with much nostalgia about Odum Village closing. My son and I lived there in the early ’70s when I was a graduate student at UNC. It was a great place for him to grow up, and at age 50, he still agrees.
This was where he learned to ride a bike, thanks to the father of one of his playmates. The kids played basketball on the courts at the laundromat, skateboarded around there, and the Branson Street hill was absolutely the best for sledding when there was a big snow.
My son remembers having many playmates and being able to play outside after dark in a safe environment where all the parents were looking out for all the kids. We rarely had to pay a babysitter because neighbors had a quid pro quo babysitting system. I cherish those years and am sad to think about Odum Village being closed but understand why it must.
Mary Garren
Class of ’73
