By Carl Kenney
February 20, 2013
One wrong move and Boyd Jones, Jr. might not have made it. He’s still here, but the effects of digging up land mines at Fort Bragg remain with him. “They were constantly telling me, ‘Jones, don’t hit your shovel with any metal,’” he said. “I never did and I guess that’s why I’m here.” Jones […]
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As Tammy Kobani peeled apart the folded, soggy piece of white paper, she saw that some of the words had become illegible. However, one number remained intact: $213, the fine she must pay. Coincidentally, the piece of paper got wet as she engaged in the same behavior that earned her the ticket. Despite the rain […]
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Twelve instructors. Three hours. One Zumbathon. Latin-influenced notes of salsa, bachata, merengue and cumbia will fill the Downtown Durham YMCA on Saturday, as participants of El Centro Hispano’s Zumbathon dance and shimmy into the night. Since 2011, the Zumbathon has brought hundreds of community members together for several hours of high-energy Latin dancing. Zumba Fitness […]
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Clean Energy Durham, a nonprofit organization focused on cutting energy usage and costs in neighborhoods throughout North Carolina, is working to promote energy efficiency through interactive workshops. Last year, employees produced a teaching program called Pete Street, which the organization sells to different communities in the state. So far, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wilson and Siler […]
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Phone operators at the Durham Crisis Response Center estimate it takes an average of seven calls for a battered woman to leave her abuser. That’s seven calls for help to the center’s crisis hotline, seven different times, generally triggered by seven acts of violence. To the staff of the DCRC, which provides services to victims […]
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According to a magazine contest taking place right now, Durham is considered one of the best places to dine in the South. Southern Living magazine is hosting “The Tastiest Town Awards” sweepstakes to name the town with most delicious restaurants. Durham is currently in second place, nipping the heels of Memphis, Tenn. Anyone can vote […]
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For many years, the teachers at Northern High School have survived off of little appreciation. While an occasional free box of tissues is nice, it is not enough. The teacher of the month award has given life back to Northern’s faculty. “[The award] is fantastic because teachers have such an important job, but the best […]
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February 19, 2013
It can be hard to find jobs, especially summer jobs, for teens. Many store policies state they only look for workers ages 16 and up. At Urban Hope, located in the Walltown area at 1902 Perry St, there is a camp that local kids say they cannot forget. The camp focuses on a job […]
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For one night only, nearly 600 Durham public school children will occupy the stage of the Durham Performing Arts Center. At 7 p.m. on Feb. 21, elementary, middle and high school students from across the district be featured in “An Evening of Entertainment,” a fundraiser for the Durham Public Schools Scholarship Foundation. The event, which […]
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February 18, 2013
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February 15, 2013
Eight members of Hillside’s Class of 2013 signed their names to the college of their choice at the school’s Signing Day Ceremony on Feb. 6. These seniors (pictured from left to right above) were Austin Weeks-University at Albany-SUNY, Que Cherry-Elizabeth City State University, Dontavious Jackson- Shaw University, Jordyn Smith-Howard University, Korrin Wiggins-Clemson University, Jaiven Knight- […]
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Muralist Brenda Miller-Holmes is working with 30 others to paint a mural of Durham’s Civil Rights history. She is seeking 30 Durham residents to help paint the mural, and students can apply for 15 of those spots. At the interest meeting on Jan. 30, students filtered in and out asking questions and trying to figure […]
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February 11, 2013
By Deshauna Cook the Hillside Chronicle Hillside High School Hillside English teacher Sarah Bausell, who has been teaching for nine years, has formed a partnership this semester with Luis Castro, a student teacher who is entering the classroom after decades of work in other fields. Bausell taught at High Point Central High School, Mary Knoll […]
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February 10, 2013
Early College High School programs have been gaining a bit of buzz lately. States from California to Texas to North Carolina have been paying attention to the concept of early college high schools, and their ability to make lasting impressions on the local communities they represent. In North Carolina, the number of early college high […]
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In memory of the Civil Rights movement, YO:Durham and a couple of students recently traced the footsteps of civil rights leaders who struggled during the 1961 Freedom Rides. Just before this past holiday season, YO: Durham Internship and Mentoring coordinator Eric Olson-Getty and YO: Durham Alumna Brittany Dunn participated in the 21st Century Freedom […]
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February 6, 2013
Part Saturday Night Live, part Grand Ole Opry, this February’s Murphey School Radio Show aims to entertain while promoting local charity work. All proceeds of the fifth show will go to Book Harvest, which distributes books to needy children in Orange and Durham counties, and SEEDS, a community garden that teaches Durham youth to care […]
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Although not in a gang herself, one teenage girl has seen several of her peers choose to join a gang in search of acceptance. Money, drugs and relationships with members of the opposite sex serve merely as bonuses. The ultimate prize is the attention and the recognition given to teens by gang membership, said Eleycia […]
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Sofía Castro, originally from Colombia, has enjoyed spending the last 18 years in the United States and she plans to stay — but as a full citizen. “This country has very good people, of God, more than any other part,” Castro said. On Thursday nights, Castro, along with a handful of other students, attends the […]
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As national attention focuses on whether or not mental illness contributes to violence, Durham mental health care officials have found that violence—among other kinds of trauma—may contribute to mental health challenges. Although the Northeast Central Durham area suffers from many of the same mental health issues as the rest of the country, trauma plays a […]
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J’Quan, 13, said he used to be uncomfortable performing in front of an audience before he joined the Patricia Taborn Modeling & Talent Agency, Inc. two years ago. “We have to model at different places, and you have to be brave,” he said. “I used to not be very brave in front of people. I […]
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Last year on January 24, after reaching their goal of $4.5 million, the Durham Rescue Mission broke ground on its new Center for Hope. The Mission has been ministering to the homeless, poor, and addicted since 1974, when CEO and founder Ernie Mills and his wife and CFO Gail Mills opened their doors to 12 needy […]
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In a classroom in Jordan High School, a drawing of a large, purple eggplant is plastered across the door. The sign advises readers: “You can hate eggplant, but you can’t hate people. Hate-Free Zone.” Members of the Jordan Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA, created the sign in line with the club’s dedication to providing lesbian, gay, […]
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“Music. Dance. Marriage.” These are the words fourth graders at Eastway Elementary School are chanting in their hour-long Arts in Action dance class each week. For the next 16 weeks, fourth-graders at Eastway will meet every Thursday in their school’s gymnasium. They will learn intricate, high-energy choreography set to music from trained instructors and a […]
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