Durham is indeed a unique city. A few windows were broken and merchandise was stolen from the Main Street Pharmacy (after the official protests were over), but for the most part, Durham’s protests were peaceful. Business owners in downtown Durham commissioned artists to create personal-statement works on the plywood they had covered their windows with. THIS is why I love Durham so much.
Bragtown developmentIf you’re interested in community, housing, and urban planning, take a look at a petition that’s circulating on social media that calls for equitable development of the Braggtown (aka Bragtown) community. Braggtown is located in the N Roxboro St/Old Oxford Hwy area. Some of the requests of developers include at least half of new housing built be considered affordable (rent/mortgage payments of $850 and less); (financial) support for bus shelters, community-led public art and gardening projects, and the neighborhood (Bragtown) library; and more. Click here to read the petition and sign it if you agree with it.
DeWarren Langley in ULEAD programDeWarren K Langley announces that he has been one of 25 applicants selected in the participate in UNC–Chapel Hill’s ULEAD (University Leadership Education & Development) program. ULEAD is a comprehensive program that develops emerging leaders who are expected to gain the practical insight, core knowledge, skills, and confidence while working on a team project that addresses a University issue. This intensive program will start in mid-August and the graduation ceremony will be held during the first week of December.
Create your own walking tourHere’s a fun page from the OLLI at Duke’s online Learning for Life calendar (OLLI is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute). It comes in handy for people who are tired of being cooped up and want to go out and get some exercise and see things of interest.
Near the top of the page (on the left-hand side) is a link for touring famous museums from around the world, such as the Guggenheim, the Louvre, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Continue down the page and see three presentations that “street historian” John Schelp put together centered on the vintage local postcards from his collection. The presentations can serve as the basis for your own walking or biking tours where you can learn so much about Durham’s rich history. Part 1 covers West Durham, Duke University, and Erwin Mills; Part 2 covers Watts Hospital, Christian’s Mill, and part of downtown; and Part 3 covers parts of downtown, Hayti, North Carolina Central University, and the beginnings of Research Triangle Park. Enjoy your time outdoors! ‘Art in Quarantine’Cool US Post Office appThe United States Postal Service has an app called Informed Delivery. It’s not the coolest name, but it’s definitely a cool app that works with iOs and Android phones. Every morning, you can check Informed Delivery and know what’s coming in the mail before it arrives. As your mail goes through scanners at the post office, images of the envelopes are sent to the app so you can see the names of the senders and be on the lookout for letters or cards you’re looking forward to receiving. (This is really wonderful for people who receive checks in the mail.) Every now and then, though, you’ll see a notice that the scanner missed/couldn’t quite catch the image, but you’ll at least know that you’re getting something. There’s also a box for every letter that you can check off if “I didn’t receive this mailpiece.” The folks at the post office can look for it (or you can ask family members if they “happened to see it”).
You’ll also be alerted to packages that are coming in the mail. If you check Informed Delivery early enough, you’ll be able to leave specific delivery instructions, which should put a real damper on package theft. This is a free app; download it from wherever you get your smartphone apps. Let’s help our neighborsMany of our neighbors are suffering quietly, and for the most part, we don’t even know about it. Fortunately, crowdfunding has become a great way to ask for help and to help others conveniently and without fanfare.
Here are some neighbors who are definitely deserving of whatever assistance we can give: The first GoFundMe campaign is for helping musician Tony Melendez get a specially outfitted vehicle (the gifted singer-guitarist was born without arms). Click here to go to his crowdfunding page. The second GoFundMe campaign is to help Gregg Grose, who has ALS, to continue receiving loving care at home. Click here to go to the family’s crowdfunding page.  Loading Videos... |
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