The end of an era.
Durhamites are still reeling from the death of Kenneth Edmonds, publisher/editor of The Carolina Times newspaper. Mr Edmonds became involved in the operations of the venerable African-American newspaper in the 1980s after the health of his mother, Vivian Austin Edmonds, began to falter. Ms Edmonds had taken the helm in 1971, after the death of her father, Louis Austin, the original publisher. Through the years, The Carolina Times lived up to its slogan, “The Truth Unbridled.”

Click here to read a beautiful tribute by Christian Edwards, members of the Austin and Edmonds families, and North Carolina Central University historians Andre D Vann and Professor Jerry Gershenhorn.

I’m the proud aintee

My niece, Jihan Murray-Smith, was on WVON radio in Chicago, promoting her new cookbook, “Simply Jihan.” For more info about the cookbook and her YouTube series, “Simply Jihan,” which is produced and filmed by her husband, Jason Henderson, visit SimplyJihan.com,

‘Art in Quarantine’

Salsa basics

Now’s a good time to learn basic salsa rhythms and steps, courtesy of Ricardo Diquez and UNC-TV. A gozar!

Help get free face masks to people in need

Local health professionals and medical students are seeking donations so they can donate face masks to people in need. Click here to donate to the GoFundMe campaign.

Food takeout and delivery

Tired of spaghetti, leftovers, or do you simply miss your favorite takeout? The Durham Visitors and Convention Bureau has compiled a list of local eateries that offer takeout and delivery. Keep in mind that your favorite spot is probably opening somewhat earlier and closing a bit later than normal.

Click here for more info. 

Cool US Post Office app

The 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 neighbors

Many 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.
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patricia A murray
editor/publisher
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