By Carl Kenney
February 24, 2014
A long, red scrap of cloth and an old mirror wrapped in lights comprised the red-carpet centerpiece for an event Saturday, Feb. 15, that exemplified the Durham Scrap Exchange’s mission of creative reuse — the Swap-O-Rama-Rama. In return for a suggested donation of $10 and their own bag of old clothes, participants could peruse rows […]
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North Carolina crafters will have a new location to showcase their work, thanks to a new brick-and-mortar opportunity in downtown Durham. The Makery, which features handmade and vintage products from North Carolina crafters, opened its doors on Feb. 8. Located at 401 W. Geer St, The Makery was originally an online shop, but co-owner Krista […]
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While going to the dentist might usually be associated with the sound of the mechanical whine of a drill, the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry is attempting to replace that noise with laughter. The school opened its doors for National Children’s Dental Health Month, with the goal of putting smiles on the faces of nearly […]
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When resident William Spencer left his friend’s house at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12 to catch the bus, he expected to be back at the Durham Rescue Mission’s Center for Hope in 30 minutes. He had no idea what the light snowfall would soon become. An hour later, when the bus still had not […]
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The Incredible Hulk, Superman, Wonder Woman — they were never the real superheroes, not to Tristine Johnson. When she was little, she found power in running shoes, hurdles and javelins. She marveled at the men and women who harnessed those items to lead them to victory. Her father was one of them. Johnson jokes that […]
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When it comes to education, one East Durham nonprofit organization knows it’s important to start as early as possible. The East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) assembled a team in January to make sure at-risk children in the neighborhood get a head start on learning. Ebonyse Mead, one of EDCI’s early childhood parent advocates, said a lot […]
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February 23, 2014
More than 75 homes in Durham received free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, thanks to the Durham Fire Department’s statewide “Alarm for Life” program. On Feb. 6, firefighters visited Dupree, Concord, Moline Street, and Dunstan Street to install 16 smoke alarms. They also changed and checked alarms, if needed. They helped identify potential fire hazards within a home, as well. “We aren’t typically called before […]
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February 21, 2014
Dozens of children in eastern Durham head to Shepherd’s House Church, 107 N. Driver St., twice a week to learn about science, nutrition, and more. The church’s program meets for two hours every Tuesday and Thursday. “We have changed our focus,” said the Reverend Amanda Wilson, the program’s director. “We not only focus on homework, […]
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The motto of Hillside High School in Durham is “Raising the Bar,” and the school raised the bar higher Jan. 27 by launching a financial literacy training center. Woodforest Hornet Training Center offers bank accounts to Hillside staff and students (and their parents). The Center is sponsored by the school’s Business and Finance Academy, in partnership with National […]
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February 14, 2014
Being able to share a bond with others who enjoy speaking Spanish is a privilege. It is also nice to have the honor completing senior year with cords at graduation. The requirements for National Spanish Honor Society are a 3.0 GPA or higher in Spanish I and II and being able to attend all the […]
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February 10, 2014
Here is part of my typical, highly scientific February checklist. Watch the Super Bowl, or at least some ACC basketball, with sticky, saucy hands. Check. Pick up some fancy chocolates and a fluffy bear for my Valentine’s Day. Check. Brushing up on local African-American history? That’s a lot easier than one might think. Every town […]
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February 8, 2014
Former UNC student and professional basketball player Jerry Stackhouse visited Hillside to film a commercial for the Carolina College Advising Corps last month. The Carolina College Advising Corps is a program designed to help schools with a high population of low-income minority students who usually don’t go to college. There are at least 31 college […]
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Hundreds of children are learning how to navigate Microsoft and research homework online, thanks to the “Club Tech” after-school program at the John Avery Boys and Girls Club in Durham. “This is tremendous in that many kids that we see still don’t have computers at home, or computers that are connected to the internet,” […]
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When driving down Angier Avenue and Driver Street in Durham you will see construction signs and “road closed” — signs that indicate a $3.5 million street renovation project is underway. The city’s project will repave streets, as well as add benches, sidewalks and crosswalks. The project will also include handicapped accessible ramps. Construction started […]
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More than 100 students at Eastway Elementary School in Durham are participants in the “Backpack Buddies” program, which sends students home for the weekend with a backpack full of food. “As long as something like that is available, we will take advantage of it,” said Raymond Batts, a fifth-grade teacher at Eastway. “There is no […]
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February 5, 2014
A year after the Faith Summit on Child Poverty, leaders reflect on what happened in 2013 and what is planned for 2014. The summit in January 2013 drew more than double the people it was expected to, with almost 500 people registering for the program. Last year, two organizations – End Poverty Durham and Durham’s […]
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What began as a small community garden, has grown to provide food for hundreds of students at Durham Technical Community College. The Campus Harvest Food pantry, modeled after similar programs at other universities, was long in the works before it opened in January 2013. The main goal of the pantry aimed to get students out […]
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After a three-month delay, staff and volunteers of Durham’s 20-year-old community garden, SEEDS, moved into its newly renovated building at the end of January. SEEDS, a non-profit educational community garden, is still located on the corner of Gilbert and Elizabeth Streets, but in a new, user-friendly building. Plans for renovations have been in motion for […]
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An investment in a larger space for the Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA) thrift store may mean double the revenue toward the organization’s bottom line, said Jeff Stern, TROSA’s director of special projects. That means more opportunities for folks like Sissy Hosay to learn a new trade and start a new life at […]
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When Evit Blackmon, 39, moved to Durham with his wife Yolanda in 2008, he did not expect to take the reins of the neighborhood watch in his community. But two years ago, after a breaking and entering incident occurred a little too close to home, he did just that. “We’re simply homeowners that care about […]
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The Angier-Driver Streetscaping Project is well under way and not even the cold, wet weather can interfere. On a rainy Monday morning, construction workers Carlton Day and Steve Clayton worked on installing telephone lines at the intersection of Angier Avenue and Driver Street in downtown Durham. Their work is part of a nearly $4 million […]
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Jolene Nagel stood by the net, dressed in a royal blue Duke jacket and holding a whistle in her hand. As Friday’s late afternoon light filtered through the gym windows, Nagel, Duke’s volleyball coach, peered at the attentive faces surrounding her. This was a different crowd, yet a familiar one. “What we’re going to try […]
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The home of the one pound hot dog is the heart of the Northeast Durham community. The doors are always open at Joe’s Diner. The restaurant’s famous “Bull Burger” sizzles on the grill. Voices praise the chef. As customers enjoy their meals, the diner’s owner, Joseph Bushfan, walks around giving thumbs up. “I started […]
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Almost three years after a devastating fire destroyed his business, Samuel Jenkins is back on his feet. His barbershop, Samuel and Sons, 2110 Angier Ave., was consumed in flames on Jan. 2, 2011, leaving almost $200,000 worth of damage. Jenkins said rising from the ashes was a challenge. “Everywhere I would look, it looked like […]
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On Saturday, December 21, 2013 The John Avery Boys & Girls Club held their first annual Toy and Coat Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event was presented by NINETY SIX and held at the LeRoy T. Walker Physical Education and Recreation Complex at North Carolina Central University. Walking into the building that […]
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“The neighborhood is one of the most important and useful communities in a person’s life.” That statement is the mission of the neighborhood social media company, Nextdoor. I found out about Nextdoor from a post card sent to my grandmother asking her to join. The thing that separates this new social media network from others […]
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