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December 2009 /

January 2010
vol 8, no 10

Covering events up
to January 21

“Durham’s community paper”

Santa Claus tests a recliner in front of the


TROSA Furniture & Frame Shop in downtown Durham

(photo by patricia A murray)


2  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

Look for

every month at neighborhood and


downtown stores, businesses,
recreation centers, and libraries

(5,000 copies per month; 300+ dropoff


points throughout Durham)

… and don’t forget to listen to


Radio Skywriter
every Saturday from 8:30 to 9am
on WNCU / 90.7fm and wncu.org.

For more info and to be a guest on the show,


call us at 809-YOU2 (9682)
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  3

A pronouncement by peers
patricia A murray

A ll rise!” Everyone in the audience


dutifully stands up as the judge
enters the courtroom. Then, before
by force or fooling someone into giving
it up).
Sometimes young adults sit next to
the students acting as attorneys. They
whisper to them and are obviously
being seated, the audience takes a vow What gets the process started is a giving them advice. Those young adults
of secrecy and promises never to discuss referral to Teen Court by a police officer, are often law students from local schools,
what happens in court to anyone not in school resource officer, probation intake most notably North Carolina Central
attendence. officer, or juvenile or district court judge. University. They’re in class all day and
Young offenders have already admitted look forward to seeing court cases
This is Teen Court, and every to their wrongdoing—that’s part of unfold right in front of them.
Thursday two courtrooms on the fourth the agreement to appear in Teen Court
floor of the Durham County Court rather than deal with “the system.” During the court proceedings, the
Building are turned over to high school defendants (the accused) are referred
and middle school “attorneys” and their The young offenders understand to by first name only. As in real life,
clients. that by volunteering to be charged in the attorney representing the accused
Teen Court they can avoid hiring an speaks to the jury and tries to convince
The Durham County Teen Court attorney and the risk of going to prison. the them that his or her client is
and Restitution Program was set up in They are informed that Teen Court sorry and asks that they be lenient in
1994 by then-assistant district attorney is a good alternative to the criminal their sentencing. Then, of course the
Marcia Morey and Jane Volland (Teen justice system and this should serve as a prosecuting attorney tries to get the jury
Court’s first director) as a way to wakeup call to straighten up, or at least to deal a serious punishment.
handle the cases of first-time offenders’ to consider their actions more carefully
misdemeanor crimes. The whole idea is in the future. The accused takes the stand and is
to let young people be judged by their questioned by both attorneys. Some-
own peers as opposed to the criminal The judges are the only adults in times the young attorneys are quite
justice system. But this is no pretend direct participation—otherwise, the perceptive and show surprising maturity
court—the decisions made by the jury students are in charge. Some of the and skill as they try to get the jury to see
are binding, and the punishment meted students acting as attorneys, bailiffs, their point of view.
out by them must be followed by the clerks, and members of the jury (chosen
accused. In exchange, the student makes from the audience) serve because they The judge is often an actual judge
amends and avoids getting a criminal have an interest in the judicial system. serving Durham County, but sometimes
record. Others are former offenders who have a real-life attorney serves that role. As
been assigned to serve in Teen Court in a criminal court case, the charges are
Two courts run simultaneously— as part of their retribution; still others read and the accused gets to tell his or
the middle school court is on one end of participate because the proceedings are her side of the story. If there is a plaintiff,
the hall and high school court is on the so interesting. as there would be in the case of a fight,
other, for the most part. The courts are he or she gets an equal opportunity to
conducted with the same decorum as Teen Court executive director recount what happened.
real court cases and are run by student Sabrina Cates explains that former
volunteers. offenders are encouraged to participate Observers can tell that participating
in Teen Court because she doesn’t want in Teen Court is a valuable experience
Each case involves a middle school them to feel isolated as a result of what for all of the young people who are
or high school student who has been they had done in the past. They get involved; quite often they’re fighting
charged with a misdemeanor crime, such to work their way back into the fold, nervousness as they perform their
as communicating threats, disorderly and they benefit from watching others duties.
conduct, possession of a weapon (other having to deal with the consequences of
than a gun) on campus, shoplifting, or their bad behavior.
misdemeanor larceny (taking something
(continued on page 4)
4  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

A pronouncement by peers
(continued from page 3)

After all questioning is done, the The defendant slouched and mumbled ish the offenders to make better
judge gives instructions to the jury and his answers, mostly “um-hmms” and decisions, ignore the bad actions of
offers suggestions on how to weigh the “uh-umms.” He had a devil-may-care their peers, and to remember that they
evidence and make fair decisions. Then attitude and went out of his way to make won’t have their parents looking over
the jury members leave as a group so the audience laugh. His attorney didn’t their shoulders all their lives.
they can deliberate in private. After have much to work with but did try to
10 minutes or so, they return to the convince the jury that his client was
courtroom with a verdict. “sorry and wouldn’t do this again.” The Teen Court and Restitution Program
prosecuting attorney was surprisingly executive director Sabrina Cates invites
The jury foreman reads the verdict,
sharp, asking just the right questions to middle school and high school students
and the punishment/restitution must
show that the offender was way behind to get involved as volunteers. It’s fascin-
be taken seriously. The idea is to get the
in school and that he habitually wasted ating work—the students can serve as
young offenders to take responsibility
his time although he claimed to have attorneys, bailiffs, clerks, and members
for their actions and to repay the
plans for the future. of the jury. Call 682-1960 for more
community for their misdeeds. More
often then not, the jury instructs the information or explore the website at
The second case involved a high
defendant to serve a certain number of durhamteencourtandrestitution.com.
school girl who had switched price
hours of community service (sometimes tags in a store in order to save a few
serving in Teen Court sessions or in the dollars. This defendant was dressed
offices of local nonprofit organizations nicely, spoke up clearly and politely,
such as the Boys & Girls Club or the and explained her case very well. She
Food Bank). Sometimes, defendants are even told the audience what she should
told to attend educational workshops, have done and that her actions were
anger-management classes, and in some the result of a lapse in judgment. After
cases, they’re even sentenced to taking a court adjourned, I asked her what the
tour of the local jail. experience was like. She explained that
the $50 fee that each defendant pays The Durham Skywriter is published
Teen Court is fascinating to watch.
is far better than hiring a lawyer and monthly (midmonth to midmonth) and
Some of the young defendants slouch, is distributed throughout Durham, North
trying to navigate the criminal justice
mutter under their breaths, and by their Carolina. We bring information to our
system. She felt that the number of neighbors while looking at our city’s
attitude make people wonder whether positive side. If you have any ideas,
hours of community service she was
this court appearance is a peek into the comments, suggestions, or want to ad-
sentenced to perform was fair and that vertise with us, please write to us at:
future. It doesn’t looks good when the
she felt a real sense of relief. In fact, she
offender is unaccompanied by a parent The Durham Skywriter
was looking forward to attending future
or guardian. Other defendants dress for PO Box 25138
Teen Court sessions as a volunteer. Durham, NC 27702
the occasion, speak up respectfully, seem
to take Teen Court seriously, and appear The judges say a few words to each Call us at 919-809-YOU2 (9682)
to be learning from the experience. (I defendant after the verdict is read. They or 919-270-8431
even saw a defendant get a little smack point out how lucky they are to be Or send us email:
upside the head from a parent who was going through Teen Court and that if it durhamskywriter@yahoo.com
obviously not planning to allow the teen hadn’t been for Teen Court many of the patricia A murray, publisher
to go astray ever again.) young defendants could lose out on all freedom clay, columnist
Victor Gordon, contributor
types of opportunities—scholarships, Skywriter logo by John Pinkney
I observed two cases. The first
internships, and any jobs requiring
involved a high school student who Subscribe for $15 per year.
honesty and trust. The judges admon- ©2010 NCskywriter
was caught with an ounce of marijuana. All rights reserved.
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  5

Publisher’s pitch
Wow, it’s been a most interesting year! them for years—they also print the Skywriter. I’d also like to thank the
artists whose samples of their beautiful work grace the interior pages
Two-thousand-nine started with my sharing an office with a nice of the resource guide—Aasim Inshirah and Wendell Hull provided
social worker by the name of Mary Banner while working for Durham photographs and Bettie Richardson-Dixon and Ernest Olliphant pro-
County Social Services while I put together Durham County’s first- vided hand-drawn art (which was scanned in).
ever comprehensive Senior Resource Guide. I had a ball—doing the
research, talking to folks, and learning about resources and services Right now, the Durham Senior Resource Guide is being delivered by
I was previously unaware of. It was fun working at DSS and I was myself and members of the Durham Partnership for Seniors. If you
impressed by the general mood of compassion and kindness as I did need a copy, call me at 809-YOU2 or send an email request to me at
my work. That’s not what I had gotten used to in the working world, durhamskywriter@yahoo.com. They’re free!
as most of my experience has been in law firms. My dad was a social
worker and it was a pleasure being surrounded by people who had the This was a good year for the Durham Skywriter, too. I’m thrilled with
same kind and thoughtful demeanor as he did. the color pages—color adds a beautiful dimension. Thanks, Eric, Al, Jeff,
Katie, and everyone at Triangle Web Printing! If you’re regular readers
I’d like to thank all of the representatives of the agencies, busi- of the Skywriter, then you have probably enjoyed the fine writing of
nesses, and nonprofit organizations that provided me with the useful freedom clay, who writes the “Inspirational and Provocative Moments”
information that eventually made it into the pages of the resource column, and Victor J Gordon, who writes the “Garden Shed” column.
guide. I’m very appreciative of the members of the Durham Partnership They are not getting paid for their wonderful work, but I want to let
for Seniors, which is led by Lois Deloatch (yes, she’s a jazz vocalist, but them know how much I appreciate their generous contributions!
she also works for Duke University’s Corporate and Foundation Rela-
tions). Please indulge me while I list One of the benefits of publish-
the members’ names; I want to thank ing a community paper is meeting
them all, because I have never worked lots and lots of nice folks. I typeset
on so large a project and appreci- the Skywriter in the solitude of my
ate the guidance they gave: Cathy kitchen, and I deliver them to 300+
Ahrendsen, Denise Best, Gay Bonds, dropoff points in the dead of night. It’s
James Brooks, Linda Crawford, Lois great when Skywriter readers let me
Deloatch, Helen Featherson, Johnny know I’m providing information and
Ford Jr, Dorothy Gagnier, Willie Gibson, entertainment they can relate to. The
Barbara Gregory, Gayle Harris, Chris big photo on this page was sent to me
Headen, Becky Heron, Allison Hubbard, by a lady named Dorothy Parker, who
Clay Holloway, Fred Johnson, Margaret lives in St Joseph’s Place. She wanted
Keller, Carolyn Kroll, Peg Lewis, Beth me to showcase her good friend and
Livingstone, Deborah McGiffin, Anne “blessed angel” Josephine Pretty, who
Moore, David Moser, Linda Ornt, Ann is 99 years old and who serves as an
Oshel, Joan Pellettier, Gail Souare, inspiration to everyone who knows
Tammie Tate, Gina Upchurch, Cynthia her. Let’s try to follow her example!
Vail, Bob Wallace, Yvette West, David Z
Woodell, and Steve Wray. Whew!
Happy New Year, all!
The printer, Triangle Web Printing,
was, as always, an impressive and ca- Ninety-nine-year-old Josephine Pretty with patricia A murray
pable partner. I’ve been working with good friend Dorothy Faucette
6  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

719 N Mangum St
688-4700 Durham
Signed Photographs • Posters
Custom Framing • Photo Printing “Durham’s premier
skate shop”
THROUGH THIS LENS
PHOTO GALLERY | FRAMING | LARGE-FORMAT PRINTING Skateboards

designer
303 E Chapel Hill Street • 687-0250 custom
between the Marriott & the Post Office
Tu–Fri 10:30–5:30 • Sat 10:30–4:00 parts
www.ThroughThisLens.com trucks • grip tape • decks

Blue Coffee Café University BP


202 Corcoran St Durham 1101 University Dr Durham
688-CAFE (688-2233) 490-1265 or 489-7692 shop
Monday–Friday 7am–7pm • Saturdays 9am–3pm 489-0732 home
Dine in/Take out • Full expresso bar
Brake jobs • Used tires
Breakfast & Lunch (vegans welcome!)
Engine work • Transmission work
Start the day with a biscuit or Krispy Kreme!
NCI inspections • Tune-ups • Towing
Tasty baked goods • Phone in your order
Wireless Internet • WiFi Gwen Mathews, proprietor
Visit us at our 2nd location at Northgate Mall!
Tony & Evelyn Henderson
Mon–Sat 8am–9pm • Sun noon–6pm

Durham Upholstery
809 Midland Terrace Durham
682-8301 www.durhamupholstery.com
Monday–Friday 7:30am–5pm
Saturdays 9am–1pm

Reupholstery • Repairs • Refinishing • Restoring


.
also… Car Upholstery • Upholstery cleaning
Car tops & covers • Expert antiques repair

See our website for impressive Before & After photos

We pick up and deliver

Call today for your free estimate

discover @ For individual homes • businesses • and government


Durham County Library
Roger R Brown, sales
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  7

New Visions of Africa Retail Store and Art Gallery


r e s t a u r a n t creative reuse center – new items daily 50–75% off
1306 Fayetteville St (next to WD Hill) Durham Monday–Friday 11am–5pm • Thursdays 11am–6pm
687-7070 Saturdays 10am–5pm • Sundays noon–5pm
Monday–Saturday 11am–7pm • Sundays noon–6pm

$5.50 daily specials (rotating menu). You get:


1 meat, rice and a roll, 2 side dishes, and a beverage
Same great food: Chicken • Beef • Turkey • Fish
plus tasty desserts. Call in your order!
548 Foster St Durham
Home of the Bean Pie, Halal Food, and 688-6960
Party Kakes
www.scrapexchange.org
Bring in your laptop computer • We have wireless Internet

Collins Robinson’s Florist


2524 Apex Hwy (Hwy 55) • Durham
Call for pickup & delivery 957-3460
100 S Alston Ave Durham 683-2598
www.collinsexxon.com
Tune-ups • Oil changes • Brake service Flowers for special occasions
4-step fuel system cleaning • Transmission service Roses special • $14.99/dozen + tax
Timing belts • Coolant flush • Brake service cash & carry

NC State inspection station • 24-hour towing


Lee E Collins, Operator “Say how much you love them with flowers”

Davenport Customs High Strung


we moved! 2824 Hillsborough Rd Durham violins & guitars
682-5627 • dulcimers • harps
also banjos
& ukuleles
$99 special: Window tint 1116 Broad St • Durham
$99 especial: Polarisado de autos (pregunte por Oscar) 286-3801
www.highstrungdurham.com
Car alarms • Car audio • Car detailing
Car TV • DVD & navigation Sales • Rentals • Repairs
Wheels & accessories • Window tinting Music lessons • Classes • Workshops
grand opening special: CD player & install
LAYAWAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS–Pay 1/3 down,
only $99 (most vehicles) and the rest anytime before Dec 21, and we will hold
Special price good through January 30, 2010 anything in the store until Dec 24

Monday–Thursday
6am–8pm
Fridays 6am–until …
Saturdays 7:30am–4pm
Speight’s
Sundays 8am–6pm Auto Service Center
Down-home sausage biscuits 4723 Fayetteville Rd Durham
Friday & Saturday mornings 544-3735 or 544-3736
Monday–Friday 8am–6pm
5607 Hwy 55, Suite 105, in Bentley Ridge Durham
405-4140 www.ideascoffeehouse.com
All major repairs
Specializing in tune-ups • Brakes • A/C
Great Coffee … Great People … Great Ideas!
Wireless Internet • WiFi
Electrical systems • Cooling systems
8  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

WORD … WORD … WORD …


month’s menu, or view it online by checking the website
R from the American Red Cross–Central North
listed above.
Carolina Chapter, 4737 University Dr, 489-6541,
centralnorthcarolina.redcross.org: Make your $30 payment (or $28 for the Senior/Conve-
nience Box) (cash, check, EBT foodstamp card) by the first
Now you can take American Red Cross classes online
week of the month (call the church for the specific day
and learn at your convenience. Each online class has a
and time). When you pick up your order, you should take a
one-day classroom component (listed below), where you
large box, cooler, or laundry basket to get your groceries
have to demonstrate that you can put your knowledge
home. There are no income restrictions; anyone can take
to use. Pay for the classes at the office or online:
part in this program. Here are the local churches; call for
• Adult CPR/AED—Tuesday, Dec 29, 5:30–9:30pm;
more info:
$40
• Church of God of Prophecy, 1727 Ed Cook Rd,
• Adult and Child CPR/AED and Infant CPR—
contact: Sharon Estrada, 812-7177
Tuesday and Thursday, Jan 12 and 14, 5:30–
• Monroe Christian Church, 1701 Sherman Ave (off
9:30pm; $60
S Alston), 688-0864
• Babysitters Training Class (ages 11–15)—
• Mt Level Missionary Baptist Church, 316 Hebron
Monday, Jan 18, 9am–3pm; $50
Rd, 477-3893
• Child CPR/AED and Infant CPR—Thursday,
• River of Joy Worship Center, 3324 Wake Forest Hwy
Jan 7, 5–9:30pm; $50
(Holloway St), 598-3305
• CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer and
• Victorious Praise Fellowship, 2116 Page Rd, 957-
Healthcare Provider—Saturday, Jan 9, 8am–6pm;
7500
$75
• First Aid with Child CPR/AED and Infant
CPR—Friday, Jan 15, 8:30am–4:30pm; $60
• Standard First Aid—Wednesday, Jan 6, 1–5pm or R from the City of Durham, http://ci.durham.nc.us:
Sunday, Jan 10, 10am–2pm; $30
Do you have to purchase medications that aren’t covered
• Standard First Aid with Adult CPR/AED—
by insurance? The National League of Cities, in collabora-
Tuesday, Jan 5, 9am–4pm; $60
tion with the City of Durham, offers a new prescription
• Standard First Aid with Adult and Child CPR/
drug discount card to help you make those purchases. The
AED and Infant CPR—Saturday, Jan 16, 8am–
card is free, and there’s no enrollment or membership fee
6pm; $70.
or age/income requirements. You’ll be able to save 20%
when you fill prescriptions at most drugstore chains and
independent pharmacies. You can choose to print your
R from Angelfood Ministries, card out from www.durhamnc.gov/departments/hr/nlc_
angelfoodministries.com/states.asp?st=nc: prescription_card.cfm, or you can pick one up at City Hall
(the Department of Human Resources), your local library
Several area churches are taking part in the Angel Food
or pharmacy, the Durham Center for Senior Life (406
Ministries program, which helps families stretch their
Rigsbee Ave), and many local churches.
grocery budgets by providing a variety of fresh and fro-
zen foods for $30. The Regular Box can feed a family of Organizations and community groups that want to pick
four for a week; you can get a variety of meats (hotdogs, up several cards for members should contact Katrena Neal
pork roast, chicken, burritos, etc), soup, macaroni & at Katrena.Neal@durhamnc.gov. Visit caremark.com/nlc to
cheese, vegetables, a dozen eggs, desserts, etc. There’s also read more about the program, print out a card, check
a Senior/Convenience Box, where you pay $28 for 10 the prices of medications, and locate participating phar-
precooked, heat-and-serve meals, plus desserts. Call the macies. If you don’t have a computer, make a tollfree
participating church closest to you and ask about next call to 1-800-620-1749.
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  9

WORD … WORD … WORD …


SOUTHBank)
R from Durham County Animal Control, 3005 Glenn
Rd, 560-0630, durhamcountync.gov/departments/
anml/:
R from the Piedmont Wildlife Center, 364 Leigh
The new tethering ban goes into effect in January: Dogs Farm Rd, 489-0900, piedmontwildlifecenter.org:
can no longer be tied up outside. It has been determined
that being restrained by ropes and/or chains is cruel and Here’s info on upcoming all-day camps for young people
can lead to aggressive behavior. Dog owners will have to ages 5 to 14. You can download application forms from
provide a pen or will have to fence in their yards. The only the website (piedmontwildlifecenter.org/images/Intersession
time dogs will be allowed to be tied up is when the CampRegistration.pdf ).
owner (or other household member) is out in the yard with
the dog. When carrying your dog in the back of a pickup • Survival in the Natural World Camp—December
truck, your dog now has to be housed in an animal 21–24; $160; they’ll learn how local animals adapt and
carrier or secured by a harness. This is to keep the dog from survive in the winter, and how we humans can learn
falling or being thrown from the truck during sharp turns to adapt some of their tactics for ourselves. They’ll
or quick stops. The entire ordinance can be read at the web- also explore Leigh Farm Park and help care for and
site listed above. (Please note that the Coalition to Un- handle the “educational” animals.
chain Dogs builds chain-link fences free of charge for dog • Web of Life Camp—December 28–31; $160; they’ll
owners; check unchaindogs.net for more info.) learn about the relationships among wildlife and
people, and will work on special projects where they’ll
help take care of the forest and explore the area look-
ing at various nearby animals and plants.
R from Durham Technical Community College/The
• Animal Adventures Camp—January 4–8; (ask for
Small Business Center, North Carolina Mutual
cost); they’ll meet and learn about the responsibil-
Bldg, 400 W Main St, in the SOUTHBank Bldg,
ities of caring for Miracle the frizzled dove, Kel-
686-3300, durhamtech.edu/html/current/noncredit/
logg the corn snake, Houdini the screech owl, and
sbccseminars.htm
other animals from PWC. They’ll also build homes
Durham Tech’s Small Business Center offers classes and and habitats for wildlife, learn how to care for our
seminars in their new location to entrepreneurs who are wild neighbors, and discover how to attract wildlife
planning or starting their own businesses. Here are a closer to their backyards.
few—sign up now. Now that the classes are being
offered free of charge, the seats might be filled faster
than before. Additional classes and seminars are listed on R from Welcome Baby, 721 Foster St, 560-7150,
the website: welcomebaby.org:
• Personal Financial Management—Tuesday, January A new program, Incredible Years for Parents with Babies,
19, 6–9pm; free; learn how to improve your credit- is for parents of infants up to one year old. They’ll learn
worthiness, assess your credit, and leverage your assets. better ways to interact positively with their children, how
(at SOUTHBank) to read their babies’ cues and signals, the importance of
• Thinking of Starting a Business?—Monday, January touch and visual stimulation, the way their babies’ brains
25, 3–5pm; free; an overview for business startups, with are developing, and how to sidestep frustration and tend
information on resources for entrepreneurs; call to to their babies’ needs. The Incredible Years is free of charge
register for this free seminar. (at SOUTHBank) and will be a series of morning meetings from 9:30 to
• 10 Steps to Starting Your Own Business—Tues- 11:30am starting January 6. Call Kimberly at 560-7319
day, January 26, 6–9pm; free; line up your ducks in to register; ask about childcare (it’s available at $2/child,
a row before launching your new business. (at $5 maximum).
10  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

NeighborGoodies
… neighborhood quips & tips …

Durham Community Land Trustees tiago, visit the Doulos Discovery School, mation Office at 560-0008 for more infor-
(DCLT) announces the completion of a hike through trails and waterfalls, mation.
very special project—the making of a observe the work of Mission Emanuel,
documentary called The West End: Then learn about the Hope International com-
and Now … A Rich History and a Promis- munity bank’s microfinance program,
ing Future. DCLT’s Community Leadership and tour the Medical Ministries Interna- Attention, artists: The Full Frame Docu-
Institute team, led by Tradell Adkins, tional Hospital. The cost, $1390, covers mentary Film Festival is holding its first-
worked with neighborhood residents, air fare, ground transportation, lodging, ever poster contest. The winning design
who wanted to make sure that the his- and food. Check durhamcares.org/index. will be printed in a limited-edition run
tory of the community was recorded and php/trips or call 960-2788 for more infor- and sold at the festival this coming April.
preserved. Team members were sent to mation. The winner will receive a special “Artist”
San José, California to attend workshops, Priority Pass ($500 value) for the 2010
where they learned about setting action festival, plus hotel accommodations
plans, gathering knowledge, and coor- for the duration of the festival. Send an
dinating the project. Isabel Anderson, email message to fullframeposter@gmail.
Durham residents age 15 and up who
Mikel Barton, Sandy Demeree, Mary com and request a poster-specifications
want to learn more about the workings
Elliott, Wyneta McNeil, Edward Reid, package (which will include logos, rules,
of City and County government are in-
Leon Roberts, Jabaree Tate, and Kris- and tips). Entry deadline is Monday,
vited to attend this spring’s Durham
tin Tate provided priceless assistance February 15, and the winner will be an-
Neighborhood College. Various local
with the documentary, and now you can nounced by the end of the month.
government officials lead this series of
go to dclt.org to see the results of their
classes, and residents are encouraged to
labor of love.
take what they learn and to get more in-
volved in their communities.
The Thrifty Boutique & Beauty Café
Classes will be held at various City and has an interesting outlook in doing busi-
Baba Chuck Davis’s Blue Grass/Brown County facilities on nine Thursday nights ness. Part of the shop is a beauty salon,
Earth was performed by the University starting February 18, 6–8:30pm, and another part is a spa, and yet another is a
Dancers of the University of Massachu- on one Saturday morning. A light meal high-end thriftshop. The clothing inven-
setts Amherst. Blue Grass/Brown Earth is served before each class, and par- tory is sorted through and rearranged ev-
premiered in Durham a couple of years ticipants are expected to attend at least ery month, and some items are set aside
ago by Davis’s African American Dance eight of the 10 sessions to successfully for people who are in need. Anyone who
Ensemble; the program explores the re- complete the program. knows of a struggling family in need of
lationship of African dance and rhythms children’s clothing this winter is encour-
with bluegrass music. While in town, The cost to attend is $30 (five scholar- aged to call the shop at 246-4038. Ten
Chuck Davis was bestowed an honorary ships are available); register by Monday, percent of proceeds are donated to char-
doctorate of fine arts degree from the January 11. All applicants must be up to ity. Check the Thrifty Boutique & Beauty
University of Massachusetts Amherst by date on their vehicle and property taxes Café’s website at tbbeautycafe.com.
Chancellor Robert C Holub. at the time of application. You can pick
up an application at the County Clerk to
the Board of Commissioners (200 E Main
St, 2nd floor), or you can download one
from the City’s website at durhamnc. Correction: In the November/December
The registration deadline for going on issue, I made the mistake of printing a
DurhamCares’ next Vision Trip to the gov/departments/public/dnc.cfm or the
County’s website at durhamcountync. poem with the wrong author’s name.
Dominican Republic is Friday, January I’m rerunning the poem in this issue, this
15. This parent–child trip will take place gov/departments/bocc/Durham_Neigh-
borhood_College/index.html. You can time with the correct author’s name—
on the President’s Day weekend (Febru- Alfonzer Jones. Sorry for that error!
ary 12–15). Participants will arrive at the also call the City’s Office of Public Affairs
Young Life camp Pico Escondido in San- at 560-4123 or the County’s Public Infor-
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  11

proud dad takes his little daughter to see her


first Holiday Parade in downtown Durham

members of the Prometheus Bound Poets—Sean, Kourvioisier, Dexter, and


mentors Mark and Emily Greenstreet—
on campus at North Carolina Central University

Kevin Van Sant plays jazz at


the Streets of Southpoint
young parishioners from the Immaculate Conception Catholic
Church take part in the Virgen de Guadalupe procession

photos by patricia A murray — see more pix at flickr.com/photos/durhamskywriter


12  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

DJ Piddipat
your multicultural deejay

N E W Y E A R ’ S E V E P A R T I E S !!!
The Swingin’ Seniors Club (age 55+)
New Year’s Eve Party, 2–4pm
Durham Center for Senior Life
(406 Rigsbee Ave)

&

DJ Piddipat’s Worldwide Dance Party


New Year’s Eve, 10pm–2am
The Palace International Restaurant
(1104-A Broad St)
Free admission
Selected menu items and drinks available for purchase

Call
809-YOU2
today!
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  13

P
e
a
c
e
14  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

Zooom! The kids’ page


SEND US JOKES!
SEND US RIDDLES!
SEND US SCIENCE FAIR
IDEAS!
SEND US MONEY!
(just kidding!)

MaGiC Wednesday, December 21–23


from 9am to 3pm at the Ameri-
nUmBeR can Red Cross office, 4737 Uni- Funny
FoUr versity Dr. Have your parent jokes
Here’s a magic trick that will amaze
or guardian call 489-6541 for of the
more information. month
your friends and family! Here’s what
you do:
Rudy: What do you sing at a
1. Tell your friend to choose a one-
snowman’s birthday party?
digit number (the “mystery num- Doni: Freeze a jooly good fellow!
ber”).
2. Now tell him to add 5 to that
number. Then add 2 and sub- Carly: What do we have in
December that we have
tract 3.
in any other month?
3. Next, tell him to subtract the
mystery number. He’ll always
Betcha didn’t Sam: The letter “D”!

come up with number 4! know that …


Lucy: How does a snowman
… there’s a lot more water on the
go on a diet?
surface of our planet than you Patti: He just waits for the
might realize. Almost two-thirds
cAmP fOr of the Earth’s surface is covered
weather to get warmer!

BaBy- with water, so if the earth were flat,


water would cover the entire planet Try to say these three times fast:
sItTeRs in a layer two miles deep!
… there’s even more water beneath Santa’s sleigh slides
the Earth’s surface than there is on on slick snow.
The American Red Cross will hold
a three-day camp for young people top. Tons and tons of rocks and dirt
Eleven elves licked eleven
keep the super-hot water from turn-
ages 11 to 15 who want to learn all little licorice lollipops.
ing into steam and escaping.
they can about babysitting. You can … the greatest snowfall recorded in
earn a certificate in Child/Infant/ We love funny jokes and
one 24-hour period was 75.8 inches
CPR and First Aid. The camp, which riddles! Send us one—if we
at Silver Lake, Colorado on April
costs $115, will be held Monday– use it, you’ll win a prize!
14–15, 1921!
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  15

The National Coalition for the Homeless announces that in the Bryan Center parking deck off Science Dr. Call 681-
Durham Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day will be observed on 9488 for more information.
Monday, December 21, 5:30pm in CCB Plaza (Corcoran and
Parrish Sts). This observance occurs on the longest night of the The popular annual Martin Luther King Service and Cele-
year in order to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness bration will be held in Duke Chapel on Sunday, January 17,
and to remind us that we must work toward ending it. The 3–4:00pm. Tickets are not required. Parking is available in the
National Health Care for the Homeless Council is cospon- Bryan Center parking deck off Science Dr. Call 668-0485 for
soring this event, which will consist of an interfaith service more information.
of song and spoken word to remem-
ber those who have died homeless in
Durham in the past year, to pray for
them, and to recommit ourselves to Congregations are encouraged to
the effort to make sure that everyone sign up for the Triangle Martin Lu-
in Durham has a place to call home. ther King Day of Service (Monday,
For more information, contact Lloyd January 18). Visit http://volunteer.
Schmeidler, community education united-e-way.org/triangle/volunteer/
specialist with The 10 Year Plan to search-2.aspx?keyword=triangle+mlk
End Homelessness in Durham, at +day+of+service&zip=&radius=0&
683-1185 x27. Visit the website at
durhamtenyearplan.com. the term_id=&x=0&y=0 (or search for
“Triangle MLK Day of Service”)
for a list of volunteer opportunities,
praise where you can participate in a one-
day project to help your community.
The Resource Center for Women
and Ministry in the South will be
sponsoring the 15th annual Inter-
page
faith Celebration for Community, The Dispute Settlement Center in-
Spirit, and Change on Sunday, vites pastors, staff, and lay leaders to
December 20, 7pm, at Beth El Syna- a free workshop, Proactive Conflict
gogue, (Watts St and Markham Ave). Resolution: Assessment, Strategies,
All are welcome. Bring a candle. A and Solutions, on Tuesday, January
suggested donation of $5 would be 12, 1–3:30pm, at St Luke’s Episcopal
welcomed. Church (1737 Hillandale Rd, just off
I-85). Participants will learn essential
conflict-resolution techniques, plus
ways to partner with the Dispute Set-
A special Children’s Christmas Eve tlement Center to host trainings for
Service will be held in Duke Chapel (on Science Dr, on Duke their members—for both adults and youth. A special breakout
University’s West Campus) on Christmas Eve, 3–4pm. Chil- session will be offered for pastors and church leaders who work
dren of all ages are invited to participate in the telling of the with young people. Additional breakout sessions will include
Christmas story. working with families that need to learn how to deal with
conflict, and in identifying and equipping leadership teams.
The Christmas Eve Service of Carols and Holy Communion Contact Rev David Keck at david.keck@yahoo.com or visit the
will follow the Children’s Christmas Eve service from 5:30 Dispute Settlement Center’s website at www.disputesettlement.
to 6:30pm. All are invited; the Dean of Duke Chapel Sam org for more information. Space is limited; contact Rev Keck
Wells will lead the service. by Tuesday, January 5 to let him know you’re coming.

The Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols will be held Send us announcements from your church, mosque, or synagogue,
from 11pm to midnight in Duke Chapel. Parking is available and let us know if we can subscribe to your weekly bulletins. These
are free listings.
16  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

SCHOOL TOOLS
Kitchen Table DPS Schools of Choice
Conversation
“Schools of Choice” refers to special program-
At the next Durham Public Schools’ Kitchen ming offered by the Durham Public Schools via
Conversation, you can share your concerns on magnet schools, year-round schools, and small,
the topic Secondary Grading Practices: Proposed non-traditional high school and career options.
Changes.
Nine magnet schools (elementary and middle
The Kitchen Table Conversation will be held schools) offer specialized educational program-
on Tuesday, January 14, 7–8:45pm at Rogers- ming, and after matching your child’s interests
Herr Middle School (911 W Cornwallis Rd). This to what the school offers, you should enter your
meeting is open to parents, guardians, and mem- child’s name in the computerized lottery system.
bers of the community.
The small high school options are for ambi-
Refreshments will be provided, and Spanish- tious students who desire the challenge of rigor-
speaking interpreters will be available for translat- ous studies. The Josephine D Clement Early Col-
ing and interpreting. lege High School is a 4-year program; students
graduate with a high school diploma, plus up to
Space is limited to 150. Register online by two years of college credit toward a bachelor’s de-
going to dpsnc.net (click on “Kitchen Table Con- gree. Classes are held at North Carolina Central
versation” on the left-hand side) or by calling University. Learn more at www.echs.dpsnc.net.
Carrie Johnson at 560-3652 by January 11. The Middle College High School is a 2-year pro-
gram; students graduate with a high school diplo-
ma, plus credit toward a postsecondary certificate

Mini Geek-A-Thon
or associate’s degree. Classes are held at Durham
Technical Community College. Learn more at

and Computer Award www.mchs.dpsnc.net. Other specialty high school


programs include the City of Medicine Academy

Day and the Southern School of Engineering.

Applications for the 2010–11 school year will


be accepted January 4–29. You can pick up an
If you’d like to volunteer for a half-day (9am–1pm application at your child’s school and then hand-
or 1–5pm) of refurbishing donated computers deliver, mail, or fax it in to the Office of Student
and participating in the awarding of computers to Assignment; you can also apply online by going
hardworking, low-wealth k-12 students, contact to www.dpsnc.net. Be sure to apply by the Janu-
the Kramden Institute at volunteers@kramden.org. ary 29, 5pm deadline. For more information, call
Deserving students are nominated by their teach- 560-2059 or visit http://choice.dpsnc.net.
ers, principals, or school counselors. The next Mini
Geek-A-Thon and Computer Award Day is Janu-
ary 16 at 4915 Prospectus Dr, Suite J.
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  17

To your health

Health notes
people ages 2–49 years; pregnant women cannot get the intra-
The latest on flu vaccinations nasal form.

In a recent news conference, representatives of the Durham You can get the latest information about upcoming H1N1
County Health Department and the Duke University Health vaccination clinics by calling the H1N1 vaccine information
System announced that instances of H1Ni flu are lessening line at 560-7882. You can also visit the Durham County
around the state; however, cases with flu-like symptoms are on Health Department website, durhamcountync.gov/departments/
the rise locally. They reinforced the importance of getting vac- phth, for information; click on “Information about Flu” on
cinated for both the “regular” and H1N1flu. (The regular flu the left-hand side.
season doesn’t actually arrive until January/February.)
Get up-to-the-minute updates via twitter by going to
Now that more vaccinations are available, health profes- twitter.com/flugov.
sionals are now saying that more and more people—not just
infants under six months and pregnant women—can now
get vaccinated. The Durham County Health Department
schedules appointments for influenza vaccinations and hold
periodic walk-in clinics at the National Guard Armory (801
The Durham Teen Clinic
Stadium Dr). A free bus shuttle will run from the Durham Duke Community Health and the Lincoln Community
County Health Department (414 E Main St) to the National Health Center have teamed up to create the Durham Teen
Guard Armory and back during clinic hours. To schedule an Clinic, which serves young people ages 13 to 19 at the Wall-
appointment for H1N1 vaccination, call 560-7882. town Neighborhood Clinic (815 Broad St). Services at this
drop-in center are offered on Thursdays, 4–6:30pm; services
In the works in the very near future is a clinic around include urgent care/sick visits, work and sports physicals, con-
year’s end at the Holton Career and Resource Center (401 N traception counseling, pap smears, chronic disease manage-
Driver St). A community vaccination day is planned for a Sat- ment (asthma, diabetes, etc), sex education, well-child exams,
urday in early January, and health department staff will visit and immunizations (tetanus (Tdap) and HPV vaccines).*
local middle and high schools to vaccinate both students and
faculty. The Durham Teen Clinic follows Lincoln’s sliding-scale
fee system, and insurance (including Medicaid and Health
“Regular” or seasonal flu vaccination are available at the Choice) are accepted. Services will not be denied to anyone
Durham County Health Department on Fridays and Mon- based on their inability to pay. Call 416-1254 for more infor-
days, 8:30–11am and from 1–4pm. At press time, there is no mation.
injectable form available for babies ages 6 months through 35
months. The intranasal form (FluMist) is available for healthy * Confidential visits remain just that—confidential.
Radio Skywriter ChoiceCutts
is now available via podcast!
Barber/Styling
208 Foster St (across from the Marriott)
680-3228 Durham
Mon 10am–5:30pm, Wed 8:30am–5:30pm,
Thurs 8:30am–6:30pm, Fri 8:30am–5:30pm,
If you can’t listen on Sat 7:30am–2pm, 1st & 3rd Sun 1–5pm

Saturdays at 11am on
WNCU/90.7fm or wncu.org,
Follow our tweets at

twitter.com/

listen any time you want


choice_cutts

by listening to the podcast and save!

on wncu.org!
Adult Cutts $12 • Teens (ages 13–17) $9
Children $7 • Shampoo $8
Call 809-YOU2 to be Walk-ins welcome!
a guest on Radio Skywriter!
Looking for barber/stylist • Booths available

Check out our new website …


Listen to our podcasts
www.wncu.org
Morning Jazz • Afternoon Jazz • Evening Jazz
8-Track Flashback • Bonjour Africa
Democracy Now! • Hallelujah Praise
Jazz Focus • Radio Skywriter • Piano Jazz
Tell Me More • Precious Memories & More
Mastering Your Money • R&B Chronicles
Reggae Scene • The Funk Show
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  19

Chicken Jareh Healthcare, Inc


Hut3019 Fayetteville St Durham
Personal Care Services / IHA / Sitter
Companion • CAP services: adult, child, HIV
682-5697 Providing compassionate and
Monday–Saturday 10am–6pm dependable in-home care like family 24/7
Eat In • Take Out • Catering Free initial home conference
Fried Chicken • Fish • Home-cooked vegetables
Homemade desserts • Dinners cooked to your liking:
CNA-1 Training
Baked Chicken, Beef Liver, Chitlins, Oxtails Medicaid • Insurance • Private Pay
Ribs (beef and pork) Certified by the State of NC / Bonded

Lemonade & Sweet Tea by the gallon/half-gallon Call 800-361-3354 for more information

Scott Custom Tailors Allen’s Wrench


606 United Dr (off MLK Pkwy)
104 Morris St Durham 361-0403 Durham
688-1917 www.allenswrenchnc.com
Monday–Friday 7am–5:30pm Monday–Thursday 7am–6pm
Saturdays 8am–3pm
tip of the month:
Put the “freeze” on winter breakdowns.
A coolant flush removes sediment and scaling
Custom-made slacks and suits
Specializing in alterations for men and women from your antifreeze and restores pH balance
(old antifreeze can eat away at your engine)
Charlie Scott Jr Daran Scott Clarence Allen, Jr, owner

computers & cell phones


WHITE CAP SOLUTIONS New Bethel and
119 Market St Durham 317-7600
(located between the Marriott and SunTrust Bank on CCB Plaza)
weekdays 11am–6pm • Saturdays 1–5pm
LW Reid Apartments
for Seniors age 62 and older
pageplus® cellular (on Verizon network)
No application fee • 1 BR • Laundry room
Unlimited Talk & Text Interior hallways • Rent based on income
$39.95/month Handicap-modified units
• phones starting at $26
• no credit check Callbox entry system
• no contract — month-to-month Central heat / air
On busline
The Palace International
restaurant and catering 2614 Crest St Durham
1104-A Broad St Durham 286-7896
416-4922
Tuesday–Saturday 11am–2pm : Lunch
5–10pm : Dinner Equal Housing Opportunity
Friday & Saturday Bar Open until 2am
new! Sunday Brunch Buffet 11am–4pm $8
Vegetarians welcome

New Year’s Eve Dance Party 10pm–2am


Free admission
(food/drinks available for purchase)
20  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

SENIORSCOPE
Q News from the Council for Senior Citizens, erage next year? You’re not alone. But if you live in
Durham Center for Senior Life, 406 Rigsbee Durham County, there’s free, one-on-one help from a
Ave, 688-8247, councilseniorcitizens.org; trusted nonprofit. Senior PharmAssist has trained
activities are for men and women age 55+: pharmacists who can help you sort through your
options to select the most beneficial Medicare drug
plan, potentially saving you hundreds or thousands
Develop strength and flexibility with a peaceful vibe of dollars. All Medicare beneficiaries should compare
in the Yoga class held in the Exercise Room on Tues- their options for coverage each year because policies
days and Thursdays, 9–10am and also on Thursdays, and prices change. Medicare Part D annual enroll-
6–7pm. ment ends December 31, so don’t delay.” Call to
make an appointment or obtain more information.
A new class, Mat Pilates and Dance, will be held on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30am–12:30pm. This is a For residents of northern Durham County, a
full workout using dance moves, and is perfect for representative of Senior PharmAssist will be avail-
someone working downtown. The cost is $3/class; able at the Little River Senior Center (8305 N Rox-
call for more information. boro Rd in Bahama) on Monday mornings. As
always, Senior PharmAssist helps older adults man-
Enjoy the next Swingin’ Seniors Club’s social and age their medications and also helps them purchase
dance party on a special day and time—Thursday, medications they couldn’t otherwise afford to buy.
New Year’s Eve, 2–4pm! (The Center is closed on Call 688-4772 to schedule an appointment.
Christmas, the day that the SSC would ordinarily be
held). Count down the seconds and then dance to
good music that you probably haven’t heard for a
while—Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, James Brown,
plus line dances like the Electric Slide, Mississippi Q News from the Durham County Cooperative
Slide, and the Cupid Shuffle—spun by Skywriter Extension, 721 Foster St, 560-0525,
publisher Pat Murray (aka DJ Piddipat). This par- http://durham.ces.ncsu.edu:
ticular Swingin’ Seniors Club New Year’s Eve Party
has an admission fee of $5. Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren
are invited to attend the next Grandparents Support
Group meeting on Thursday, January 14, 6–
7:30pm, at the DPS Staff Development Center (2107
Hillandale Rd). This month’s topic will be your legal
Q News from Senior PharmAssist, Durham Center concerns. Call coordinator Peggy Kernodle at 560-
for Senior Life, 406 Rigsbee Ave, 688-4772: 0523 to register.

From Joe Daly at Senior PharmAssist: “Confused


about Medicare Part D and your 47 choices for cov-
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  21

Since money doesn’t grow on trees durable plant stakes).

Almost a year ago, I posted a call for “Cheap Tips” on the • Ask at local stores and warehouses if they have any old or
popular Carolina Gardening Forum. It is an online resource discarded shipping pallets. These can be bolted together to
full of rants, stories, advice, and pictures where folks can go make sturdy compost bins.
to ask questions and see what others are talking about. And if • Fill up the bottom of your largest containers with any styro-
“Carolina Gardening” isn’t specific enough of a chatroom, you foam shipping peanuts that you may have laying around.
can seek out other gardeners in the dozens of other garden fo- This will save you from having to pour in all of that extra
rums which are only a clicked link away. Most are entirely de- soil for a plant whose roots may only need the top five
voted to a specific topic like inches. The same trick can be
roses or vermicomposting. done with empty plastic bot-

the
It’s like an Internet within the tles.
Internet….
• Attract more birds to your

garden
Thanks to this forum, I garden with homemade
will now have some help with suet cakes that you can hang
my New Year’s resolution— in mesh produce bags from

shed
to do more gardening while the grocery store.
spending less money in 2010.
Enjoy! http://forums.garden
web.com/forums/.
with Improving your soil

Propagation Victor J Gordon • Ask a coffee or donut shop


for their used coffee grounds.
Use them in your compost
• Seed starting mix can be pile.
made from running regular potting soil through a sieve.
• Ask a florist for any spent stems, flowers, cuttings, or
• Use an empty two-liter bottle, milk jug, or gallon-size plas- other green matter for the compost pile.
tic bag to make a mini greenhouse for cuttings or seeds start-
ed on the windowsill. • Sow winter cover crops: (buckwheat, rye, and clover) in your
perennial and vegetable beds; turn in the spring and let their
• Organize a neighborhood plant swap in the spring or fall. broken-down nutrients enrich the soil.
• Plant reseeding annuals and ask neighbors for the seedpods • Borrow a pickup truck to get cheap mulch from the county
from their flowering plants; wintersow and then transplant landfill.
into your garden the following May.
• Ask the tree removal experts if you can have any mulch from
the chipper shredders that might be roving your neighbor-
hood after a storm or ice event.
Reusable stuff
• Use newspaper and cardboard to mulch paths and smother
• The plastic bags that your daily newspaper arrives in can weeds.
be cut into strips for tying plants. Old pantyhose and latex
gloves work, too.

• Check out Craigslist (http://raleigh.craigslist.org) and Free- I would love your story ideas, comments or questions about
cycle (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleDurhamNC) what you read here. You can write to me at:
daily or every few days to find people who are looking to
get rid of rocks, containers, dirt, or even perfectly good Durham Skywriter, PO Box 25138, Durham, NC 27702
garden supplies; you can get garden ideas from other peo- Send email to vic.j.gordon@gmail.com
ple’s trash (for example: vinyl blinds can be cut up to make Read my blog at www.piedmontplots.blogspot.com
22  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

AJ’s Barber Shop the point setters


Now you can read the Durham Skywriter
online!
3031-A Fayetteville St (across from Food Lion)
Durham 682-2418
Tuesday–Friday 8am–5pm Saturdays 7am–4pm

Offering a clean, professional


respectable shop
Also women’s cuts, neck trims, & eyebrow arches

durhamskywriter.blogspot.com
André Johnson barber/manager Brandon The Barber barber/stylist

Catering by George Diner


2504 Fayetteville St Durham
956-7090
Monday–Saturday 8am–8pm

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner


Catering and Take-Out

Smoked Ribs + Chicken Dinner Specials


Fridays and Saturdays only

Enjoy your meal in our new dining room!

Special Event Photography


Have us take photos of your grand openings,
dinners, banquets, Third Friday activities,
and other special events.

We can provide up to 125 photos on CDs


or a flash drive for $125.

Call patricia A murray today at 809-YOU2!

(We don’t do weddings;, but we can recommend an excellent photographer who specializes in weddings.)
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  23

Durham Green
Flea Market
1600 E Pettigrew St • Durham
599-6166
Open every Saturday and Sunday, 7am – 4pm
“If you have it, we can help you sell it”

CDs & DVDs • Electronics • Clothes • Toys

Fruits & Vegetables • Household items • Jewelry, etc

Vendor booths available at a low price!

BJ’s Business Services Henderson’s


• body • detail • towing
810 Fayetteville St, Suite 105C paint
Durham (Phoenix Crossing) 701 N Mangum St Durham
688-4114 688-1976
www.bjsbusinesssvc.com • www.bjs.cceasy.com Monday–Saturday 9am–6:30pm

Income Tax Preparation • Electronic Filing


Refund Anticipation Loans (RAL)

Faxing • Obituaries • Copies • Notary • Resumés


Brochures • Tickets • Business Cards • Flyers Anthony Henderson, owner cell: 201-9712
Color Copies • Wedding & Graduation Invitations

Hair Innovations Sara’s Boutique


3035 Fayetteville St, Suite B
Northgate Mall (next to Macy’s) Durham
Durham 697-6815 or 682-2418
286-2303 or 544-4420
ckl234@aol.com
Brand-new shop!

Looking for a Shop Manager • Looking for Stylists Dinner Suits • Prom Dresses • Hats • Suits
4 workstations Mom’s Wedding Attire • Dyeable Shoes/Bags
Great location for walk-ins • Clientele preferred Ushers’ Suits • Pastors’ Robes by Murphy
Located in NCCU area • Low start-up rent Quinceañera Dresses
Call today! Ask for AJ “Relaxed shopping … Personalized service”
24  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

ON THE JOB:
tailor
This month we spoke with 82-year-old
Charles Scott Jr, the owner of Scott
We worked long hours, us two, plus two
employees. Q With your graduating in the 1940s,
Custom Tailors in downtown Durham. was it a big deal being African-American
and owning a business downtown?

A Yes, it was a big deal! But it wasn’t


Q What kind of things do you do as a problem—we had black and white
a tailor? customers. There were around 50 or

A I make clothes and do altera- 60 tailors all around Durham and


about 10 downtown.
tions—taking in clothes for people
who lost weight, letting out clothes
for people who gained weight. And
I hem up clothes so they’re the right Q I read that the Washington Duke
length. Hotel was demolished in 1975. Where
did you go then?

A Well, the Washington Duke be-


Q How did you get your start? came the Jack Tar, but we moved out

A I started at Hillside High


of there sometime before they tore
it down. Louis Williams moved to
School; they taught tailoring there [Washington] DC so I went out on
back then. The teacher was Mr Gil- my own. I moved to the same street
bert Hardin. He was good. He made the Marriott is on now.
sure we were diversified—we drew de-
signs, cut out the patterns, and used
sewing machines to put the clothes
together. We made clothes for both Q So now you’re on Morris St, down
men and women—pants, skirts, and the street from the Durham Arts Coun-
so forth. Back then, Hillside was on cil. How many employees do you have
Umstead and Roxboro, where Opera- now?
tion Breakthrough used to be. A Still two—now I have Saunder
Johnson and Pam Grandberry work-
ing for me. We’re all tailors.
Q So what happened after high
school? Did you go into business right
after you graduated? Q I wonder if people realize that you’re
A Yes, I went into business right running the oldest business in downtown
Durham! What do you like best about
after high school. I went in with a
friend of mine, Louis Williams. Our being a tailor after all these years?
tailor shop was in the old Washing-
ton Duke Hotel [on E Chapel Hill St,
A Oh, I like it all!
Corcoran, Market, and Parrish Sts]. Charles Scott Jr and Pam Grandberry,
one of his employees
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  25

Here in “Durham Dynamos”


we introduce you to interest-
ing young people in our
fair city.
Attention, parents/guardians
and teachers: Do you know an
Durham
Dynamos
outstanding kid (age 16 and
under)? Contact us here at the
Durham Skywriter!

Zaria Whitaker is age seven and is a with her cousin. At home, Zaria’s mom
2nd-grader at the Union Independent helps her with her math skills. Her
School. She has one brother named mom has math questions on cards and
Anthony. then Zaria come up with the answer.
If she doesn’t get the right answer, her
Zaria’s favorite class is Math. She en- mom mixes up the cards and Zaria tries
joys going over problems until she gets again.
the right answer. Zaria’s advice to stu-
dents who want better grades is to ask Zaria loves to sing at her church, Vic-
for help from the teacher. Maybe the torious Praise. She’s also in the praise-
teacher can offer more help after school. dance group and performs mime as
Zaria’s second-favorite class is PE. She well. Zaria says that she gets better every
likes to do stunts like the t-stand and week.
the tuck.
Zaria plans to become a hair designer.
Zaria likes to visit her friends and she She has lots of dolls and enjoys practic-
Zaria Whitaker also enjoys going to the movies. She’s ing on their hair.
planning to see The Princess and the Frog

Javian Mack is eight years old and is in on the PlayStation system is Dreadlock,
the 2nd grade at Union Independent and on Xbox 360 he likes to play Rock
School. He has one sister named Donyé Band. Javian likes to play basketball,
and three brothers: Jamal, Kicieyo, and too. He won a red-white-and-blue rib-
Isaiah. bon, which he wears whenever he plays
basketball or football. Javian is hoping
Javian’s favorite class is Art. He loves to see the new Alvin & the Chipmunks
to draw large pictures, and he also likes movie with a girl, “sort of like a date.”
to trace and color pictures. His favorite
colors are red and blue. Javian attends two churches, Great-
er Love Worship Center and Greater
Javian’s second-favorite class is PE Joy Baptist, and he sings in the choir at
because the class gets to play basketball both.
and football.
Javian plans to become a barber.
Javian like to go over to his friends’ He has lots of brushes and pretends to
houses to play, especially when they’re design and cut relatives’ hair by using
Javian Mack playing videogames. His favorite game spoons.
26  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LEGAL EASE
File your own visitation or custody NC Free Legal Help is a public service of the North Car-
olina Advocates for Justice, a nonprofit organization that is
lawsuit dedicated to protecting people’s rights through advocacy and
professional and civic legal education.

North Carolina Central University’s Family Law Clinic will
hold its next File It Yourself Clinic at the Legal Aid of
North Carolina office (201 W Main St, Suite 400) on Friday,
December 18, 3–4pm. Attendees will learn some basic family
Project Childsafe™
law and how to file their own visitation or custody lawsuits. The Durham Police Department is well aware that gun “inci-
A mediator can offer free help in getting you what you want dents” are as possible in homes with guns as out in the streets.
without having to go to court. Call 530-7169 to reserve your Gun owners are encouraged to participate in keeping their
spot; the cost to attend is $15 families safe by picking up free
(cash or money order). Visit nccu. gun locks at any police substa-
edu/law/clinic/index.html to learn tion (Police substations: Dis-
about NCCU’s various legal clin- trict 1—921 Holloway St, 560-
ics. The date of the January File 4281; District 2—5285 N Rox-
It Yourself will be decided after boro Rd, 560-4582; District 3—
NCCU students return from #8 Consultant Pl (Martin Luther
their holiday break; call 530- King Pkwy and Shannon Rd),
7169 for more info. 560-4583; District 4—3022-B
Fayetteville St, 560-4415; Dis-
trict 5/Central—516 Rigsbee
Ave, 560-4935); or the Durham
NC Free Legal Help County Sheriff’s office (201 E
Main St, 560-0897).
North Carolina Advocates for
Justice offers the NC Free Legal
Help service, which is a good way
to start looking into a legal prob- JobLink Offender
lem/situation you might have. To begin, go to ncfreelegalhelp.
com and click on an area of interest on the right (for example,
Program
bankruptcy, criminal defense, employment law, juvenile, per- The JobLink Career Center, based at 1105 S Briggs Ave, of-
sonal injury, nursing-home abuse, real estate, traffic/DWI, fers the JobLink Offender Program to help ex-offenders find
wills & estates, and workers compensation). Another way to gainful employment. The free services that are provided include
get started is to scroll to the bottom of the page and click on case management/evaluation, help with learning job-seeking
“Click here to begin your search for free legal help.” From there and interviewing skills, putting together a resumé, and “soft
you’ll be able to choose an area of interest and enter your zip- skill” development to take off the rough edges for those who
code; you’ll then be provided with a list of local attorneys and are job-ready. To be eligible for this program, you must be age
their contact information. 18+, a Durham County resident, unemployed, with a felony or
misdemeanor conviction within the last two years or recently
The lawyers taking part in the program are not supposed
released within the past year. Call 560-6880 x200 for more
to provide legal advice, but rather to provide enough informa-
info.
tion about the law to give you the opportunity to see what
you’re working with. Your free consultation will last no more Attention, attorneys: Contact us so we can interview you
than 10 minutes, so you’ll only be able to discuss your situa- about the latest legal issues (we won’t ask you to dispense
tion in generalities—not in detail.
legal advice).
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  27

SPORTIN’ LIFE

BC Powder Classic Bouncing Bulldogs


Basketball Tournament Holiday Camp SPORTS SHORTS
The North Carolina Central University The world-champion Bouncing Bull-
Eagles will compete in an exciting bas- dogs Rope Skipping Demonstration
ketbll tournament on Friday and Satur- Team will hold a Holiday Camp for
day, January 15 and 16, 5:30 and 8pm, boys and girls age 5 and older Monday, • Get some exercise by signing
in NCCU’s McLendon-McDougald December 28–Friday, January 1, 8am– up for the Heels in Motion mall-
Gymnasium (Lawson St, just east of noon, at the Bouncing Bulldogs Gym walking program at the Streets
Fayetteville St). Tickets are $12, $8 for (1728 Fordham Blvd, Chapel Hill). Call at Southpoint (6910 Fayetteville
Rd). The doors open at 8am
students, and $4 for children ages 2–12 493-7992 or visit bouncingbulldogs.org
Monday–Saturday and 11am on
years. Call 530-5315 for more info. for more info. Sundays. At 8am on Wednes-
day, December 23, you can
Discovery Club—Bird Durham Striders High enjoy a free breakfast at Chick-
Counting Basics School Invitational fil-A and listen to a health talk
Young people ages 5 to 9 are invited The 2010 Durham Striders High led by a representative from the
to participate in The Great Backyard School Invitational Indoor Track & Wellness Center at Meadow-
Bird Count, which occurs February Field Meet will be held on Friday, Jan- mont.
12–15. Two introductory workshops uary 15 and Saturday, January 16 at
will be held at the Little River Regional UNC–Chapel Hill’s Dick Taylor Track • Critical Mass bike rides are
Park & Natural Area (301 Little River and Eddie Smith Field House. The entry monthly outings for both casual
Park Way), on Monday, January 18 and fee is $10/event and $20/relay (maxi- and serious bicyclists interested
Saturday, January 23, 2–4pm. Kids will mum of three entries per event per in exercising with alternative and
sustainable transport. These
learn where to look, what birds to look school). Register online by going to
rides are held all around the USA.
for, and how to record data. The cost is coachoregistration.com/; the registration
Durham’s Critical Mass starts at
$5; call 732-5505 to register. deadline is Wednesday, January 6, and 5:35pm on the first Thursday—
payment must be received by Friday, January 7—at Major the Bull
Audubon’s Christmas January 8. Check durhamstriders.com in CCB Plaza, at Corcoran and
Bird Count for more info. Parrish Sts.

It’s really too bad, but Carolina Godiva Triangle Flying Disc • Attention, runners: Carolina
Track Club’s Coach Bubba 20k/4-Mile Association Godiva’s New Year’s Day Run
Race has been cancelled for this year. New Year, New Decade Hat Tourney will step off on Friday, January
It was scheduled for Saturday, Febru- will be an all-day affair on Friday, Janu- 1 at the Duke School for Chil-
ary 20. They couldn’t get approval from ary 1, 9am–4pm at either Davis Dr or dren (3716 Erwin Rd) at 1 pm.
the City, which didn’t want a repeat of Cedar Forks. If you’re good at “frisbee,” The New Year’s Day Run will be
last year—certain streets (Fayetteville, try organized play by emailing TFDA a 5-mile cross-country run. Con-
Riddle Rd, and Cornwallis) had been tact race director Patrick Bruer
president Christian Schwoerke at xian@
closed and that proved to be an incon- at 929-8582 or pjbruer@gmail.
tfda.org; register by Wednesday, Decem- com for more info
venience. Hopefully, things will work ber 30.
out better for 2011.
28  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

The upcoming Triangle Martin Luther King Day of Service is Antioch Builds Community
Monday, January 18. Individuals, families, community groups,
and congregations are welcome to participate in one-day Volunteers are needed to help with repair work, landscaping,
projects that can help their communities. See a list of projects painting, carpeting at 214 Hyde Park Ave. Volunteers are
by going to http://volunteer.united-e-way.org/triangle/volunteer/ asked to bring canned food with them on the Day of Service to
search-2.aspx?keyword=triangle+mlk+day+of+service&zip=& support the food drive hosted by First United Antioch Baptist
radius=0&term_id=&x=0&y=0 (or (1415 Holloway St).
you can search for “Triangle MLK
Day of Service”).

From the Triangle MLK Day of Leigh Farm Garden Help


Service website:
Volunteers are needed to help create
The MLK Day Community Service a labyrinth shaped garden at a new
Program will join hundreds of other SEEDS garden site on a historic
cities across the nation who honor the family farm being transformed into
King Holiday by mobilizing thousands
of everyday citizens in service projects participate in a city park. Volunteers will spread
compost and lay burlap to create the
that connect people to King’s philosophy
of service and brotherly love. The
the Triangle garden beds on Leigh Farm Rd.

MLK Day Community Service


Program will expand involvement in
MLK Day of
Community Shelter Clean
the King Holiday by youth, parents,
grandparents, and organizations across
Service Up
the region who care about valuing
diversity and keeping Dr King’s dream Volunteers are needed to help refur-
alive. The goal is to ignite the spirit bish, paint, and clean up shower
of community by providing a quality rooms and bathrooms in both
experience for volunteers of all ages and community shelters and the mission
the opportunity to create lasting results building at 410 Liberty St.
across the Triangle region.

Here are some opportunities for


Durham residents. Sign up online or
DERC Lot Clean Up
call Dalia Santos at 463-5006: Volunteers will help clean a lot that
is empty and needs cleaning of limbs,
leaves and foliage at 904 N Roxboro
Threshold Painting Rd.

Volunteers will paint three interior


“work units” and all Sunday school
rooms in clubhouse at 609 Gary St.
Kramden’s Mini Geek-A-
Thon and Award Day
This particular event will be held on Saturday, January 16.
Durham Signature Project Volunteers will refurbish PCs for hardworking students in
North Carolina who don’t have a home computer. The morning
Volunteers are needed to help with stuffing grocery bags and shift is 9am–1pm, and the afternoon shift is 1–5pm.
delivering them from 1720 Guess Rd.
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  29

Mayor Bill Bell — Jobs for everyone who wants a job, ride to the library every week of the year, so they could pick
and happiness to all. out as many books as they could hold and take home to read
and read and read and become the smartest people in North
Carolina!!!
Durham Fire Chief Bruce T Pagan Jr — If I
could give Durham a holiday present, it would be a sincere
wish for everyone to be healthy, prosperous, safe and content. Bill Ingram, president, Durham Technical
Community College — If I could give Durham a holi-
day present, it would be a Superintendent of Schools who
Cool John Ferguson, jazz and blues musician can build on the excellent progress forged by my colleague
A school for gifted children who have great passion for music and good friend Dr Carl Harris.
but lack the resources and mentor-
ing to cultivate their talent(s). Why?
Because it is very much needed and If you could give Rhonda Parker, director,
Durham Parks &
can positively change their lives and
give them hope.
Durham a present, Recreation — I would (and
DPR currently strives to) give
Durham … Improved customer
Gerri Robinson, Director what would it be? service by continuing to commu-
of Durham County Social nicate and interact with our com-
Services — If I could give munity…. Clean and functional
Durham a holiday present, it would facilities through the various bond
be full employment and affordable renovation projects taking place
health care for all. Both are salient at our recreation centers. Quality
features of healthy communities and programs at the lowest possible cost
families. through continued collaboration
with community organizations. Love
for parks and trails, which includes
Otis Lyons, founder of stopping vandalism, illegal dumping
and littering …. Recreation and park
Campaign 4 Change facilities full of citizens who are par-
My gift would be the end of gangs... ticipating in active, beneficial, and
valuable activities that enhance their quality of life.

Dorothea Pierce, executive director of


Keep Durham Beautiful — If I could give Durham Chancellor Charlie Nelms, North Carolina
a present I would give everyone clean streets, pure water, and Central University — If I could give Durham a holiday
blue skies. I would give flowers in every vacant lot, vegetables present, it would be the establishment of a $50 million schol-
growing on everyone’s lawn, and trees along every street. I arship endowment to permit graduates from DPS to attend
would give a huge big bearhug to everyone of the over 7,000 Durham Tech or NCCU without having to pay tuition. I
people who have volunteered for Keep Durham Beautiful over would like to call on all those in the City of Durham with
the past five years. more than you need to join me in doing all that you can to
make Christmas Day one free of hunger, cold, and loneliness
for the least fortunate among us.
Skip Auld, director, Durham County Library
I would love to give every child in Durham a steady supply
of books, at least one every month, to own and love and read Durham Police Chief José López — If I could give
over and over again with his or her mother, father, grand- Durham a holiday present it would be CONFIDENCE so
parents, uncles, aunts, godmothers, godfathers, brothers and that it can see itself as a great city, because it truly is a good
sisters, and friends. And … I’d love to give every child a free and great city.
30  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
DECEMBER 21–27 wards) pays for the uniform, citizenship training,
and transportation. Please note: This is not a recruit-
Í You can drop off Household Hazardous Waste

ment effort for the Armed Forces. Call command-
ing officer Rocky Visconti at 544-7538 or check
on Tuesdays and Wednesdays noon to 6pm,
angelfire.com/nc3/ymrdu for more info.
Thursdays and Fridays 7:30am to 3pm, Saturdays
7:30am to 3pm, at 1900 E Club Blvd. They’ll take
paint, used motor oil, pesticides, fertilizers, pool Í English Country Dance sessions are held every
cleaners, strong cleansers, stains, varnishes, and Thursday, 7:30–9:30pm, at the Freedman Center
fluorescent bulbs. If necessary, wrap the contain- of Beth El Synagogue (1004 Watts St). Be sure
ers with newspapers to absorb spills and place to take soft, non-street shoes or dance in socks. $5
them in cardboard boxes for safe transport. suggested donation; beginners are welcome.
For individuals only—commercial users not (Live music on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays.) Call
allowed; call the City of Durham—Environmental 683-9672 for more info.
Resources Dept at 560-4381 or visit durhamnc.


gov/departments/solid/hazardous_waste.cfm
for more info.
Í The MarVell Event Center (119 W Main St) pre-
sents TGIF!! every Friday from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
Unwind at the end of the workweek with
Í Overeaters Anonymous meetings are held on

appetizers, music, and friends. Free admission;
call 688-0975 for more info.
Tuesdays and Fridays, 12:30–1:30pm, at First Pres-
byterian Church (305 E Main St). Call Robin at 683-


3013 for more info. Meetings are also held on
Saturdays, 10–11:30am, at Westminster Presby-
Í The Durham Farmers’ Market’s winter hours are
Saturdays, 10am–noon at the Pavilion at Durham
terian Church (3639 Old Chapel Hill Rd). Call Central Park (502 Foster St). You can buy fresh
Harriette at 596-9543 for more info. Sunday produce, free-range eggs, cheese, homemade
meetings are held at 10:30am at the Structure yummies, and you can even order antibiotic
House (3017 Pickett Rd). Call Judith at 929-9891 and hormone-free meats. Check durhamfarmers
for more info. market.com or call 484-3084 to find out what’s in
season.
Í Welcome Baby’s Giving Closet operates out of


their office in the NC Cooperative Extension build-
ing (721 Foster St) on Mondays from 9:30 to
Í The next District 5 PAC (Partners Against Crime)
meeting will be held at the Mad Hatter’s Bake
11:10am. Parents can choose and take home Shop (1802 W Main St) on Thursday, December
clothing for their infants and toddlers up to age 19, 5:30–7:30pm. Find out what’s going on in
five. Call 560-7150 or check welcomebaby.org for your neighborhood and learn about City/
more info. County services.

Í The Young Marines of Raleigh/Durham meet Í Flit from venue to venue downtown during Third
on Tuesdays, 6:30–8:30pm, at Durham Police Friday on December 18, 6–11pm (depending on
Headquarters (505 W Chapel Hill St). Positive the venue). Enjoy art displays, live and recorded
young men and women ages eight to 17 are music, and snacks; participating spaces include
invited to sit in on the educational meetings the Durham Arts Council/Durham Art Guild, Bull
that focus on the Dept of Defense drug-awareness City Arts Collaborative, Through This Lens, The
program. The membership fee ($60 first month, Scrap Exchange, and others. You can pick up a
which includes insurance, and $20/month after-
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  31

LET’S GO!
map and schedule at any venue; check thirdfriday Sunday, December 20. It’s free; call 286-3801 to
durham.com for more info. (This is a Third Friday find out the time.
event.)

Í An Interfaith Winter Celebration for Commu-


Í The Scrap Exchange’s Holiday Party will feature nity, Spirit, and Change will be held at Beth El
an Iron Crafter Competition on December 18, Synagogue (1004 Watts St) on Sunday, December
6–9pm. Each contestant will get a bag of materials 20, 7pm. Suggested donation is $5; please take a
and will be challenged to make whatever they candle. Call 683-1236 for more info.
can think of. (If you want to compete, submit your


name via email (ann@scrapexchange.org) or drop
off a slip of paper at the store (548 Foster St).)
Í The Durham JobLink Mobile Unit will be in the
Sears parking lot at Northgate Mall (1058 W Club
Enjoy snacks, drinks, and more fun including the Blvd) Monday and Tuesday, December 21 and
Cake Walk. It’s free! (This is a Third Friday event.) 22, 8:30am-4pm. You can search for job leads, con-
duct job searches, and apply for jobs online. This
Í Welcome Baby’s next Car Seat Safety Workshop, is a free service; call 560-6880 for more info.
will be held at the office in the NC Cooperative


Extension building (721 Foster St) on December
19, 9–11:30am (noon–2:30pm in Spanish). This
Í Durham Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day will
be observed on Monday, December 21, 5:30pm in
free workshop is for parents who have young CCB Plaza (Corcoran and Parrish Sts). The National
children and who need to learn how to properly Coalition for the Homeless and the National
install and use a car seat (they’re definitely not all Health Care for the Homeless Council are event
the same). Depending on your income, you can cosponsors. During the interfaith service of song
buy a car seat for $10, $25, or $45. Call Patience and spoken word, those who have died homeless
at 560-7150 to reserve your spot; visit welcome in Durham in the past year will be remembered.
baby.org for more info. Contact Lloyd Schmeidler, community education
specialist with The 10 Year Plan to End Homeless-
Í The next District 1 PAC (Partners Against ness in Durham, at 683-1185 x27 for more info;
Crime) meeting will be held at the Holton Career you can also visit the website at durhamtenyear
& Resource Center (410 N Driver St) on Decem- plan.com.
ber 19, 9:30–11:30am. Find out what’s going on


in your neighborhood and learn about City/
County services.
Í Join the Ukulele Jam at High Strung Musical
Instruments (1116 Broad St) on Monday, Decem-
ber 21, 7–9pm. All levels, including beginners and
Í Learn about the role Durham played in the NPBs (never-played-befores) are welcome. It’s free;
Civil Rights Movement while taking the Civil call 286-3801 or check highstrungdurham.com for
Rights Legacy Walking Tour given by Preser- more info.
vation Durham on December 19. The 45-minute


tour will start at the Durham Farmers Market in
Durham Central Park (Foster St) at 11am. It’s free;
Í See landmark buildings and learn local history
while taking the Architecture and the Urban
call 682-3036 or visit preservationdurham.org for Landscape Walking Tour given by Preservation
more info. Durham on Saturday, December 26. The 45-
minute tour will start at the Durham Farmers’
Í Join the Christmas Jam Rehearsal at High Market in Durham Central Park (502 Foster St)
Strung Musical Instruments (1116 Broad St) on at 10am. It’s free; call 682-3036 or visit
32  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
preservationdurham.org for more info. welcome to enjoy the African marketplace.
Kwanzaa programming starts at 2 and will
Í The annual KwanzaaFest Celebration starts the

continue until 5pm; they’ll have live a proces-
sion of elders, music, dancing, and other fun
day after Christmas. A candle-lighting celebration
is held at 7pm at the Hayti Heritage Center (804 activities. Performers include the African
Old Fayetteville St, Fayetteville and Lakewood) American Dance Ensemble, Poetic Mike, poet
every evening from December 26 to 30, followed Langston Fuze, the New Hope MBC Young
by musical entertainment and/or live performan- Adult Choir, the Bouncing Bulldogs Rope
ces representing each night’s theme. It’s free, and Skipping Demonstration Team, artist Pline
all are invited; call 683-1709 for more info. Mounzeo, and poet Mama Sadiqa. It’s free, but
take $$$ for the vendors (please take toilet-
ries to donate to the battered women’s
Here’s the schedule: shelter).
• Friday, December 26 theme Umoja/Unity:
Baba Chuck Davis from the African American
Dance Ensemble, Brother Charles Wsir Í The Durham JobLink Mobile Unit will be in the
Johnson and Friends Sears parking lot at Northgate Mall (1058 W Club
• Saturday, December 27 theme Kujichagulia/ Blvd) Monday and Tuesday, December 28 and
Self-determination: Baba Chuck Davis, the 29, 8:30am-4pm. You can search for job leads,
Magic of African Rhythm and Friends. conduct job searches, and apply for jobs online.
This is a free service; call 560-6880 for more info.

DECEMBER 28–JANUARY 3
Í The next meeting of the Durham InterNeighbor-

Í KwanzaaFest continues:

hood Council will be held on December 29,
7pm, in the Herald-Sun’s community room (2828
Pickett Rd). Visit durhaminc.org for more info.
• Sunday, December 28 theme Ujima/Collec-


tive work and responsibility: Baba Chuck
Davis, 100 Men in Black Chorus
Í Welcome Baby’s next Car Seat Safety Workshop,
will be held at the office in the NC Cooperative
• Monday, December 29 theme Ujamaa/Coop- Extension building (721 Foster St) on January 2,
erative economics: Baba Chuck Davis, Bradley 9–11:30am (noon–2:30pm in Spanish). This free
Simmons and Elements of Percussion workshop is for parents of young children who
• Tuesday, December 30 theme Nia/Purpose: want to learn how to properly install and use a
Baba Chuck Davis, WG Pearson Honors Harp car seat (they’re definitely not all the same).
Ensemble and The Dream Team Harp Ensem- Depending on your income, you can buy a car
ble, and Queen Esther seat for $10, $25, or $45. Call Patience at 560-7150
• Wednesday, December 31 theme Kuumba/ to reserve your spot; visit welcomebaby.org for
Creativity: Poet Mick, Praise Dancers: Scarbo- more info.
rough Dance Images, Untouchables–Mt. Zion
Christian Fellowship
• Thursday, January 1 theme Imani/Faith: Baba JANUARY 4–10
Chuck Davis and Ezibu Munyu Dance Com-
pany. The last day of Kwanzaa will be cele- Í Join the Ukulele Jam at High Strung Musical
brated at the Durham Armory (Foster St). The Instruments (1116 Broad St) on Monday, January
doors will open at noon, and everyone is 4, 7–9pm. All levels, including beginners and
NPBs (never-played-befores) are welcome. It’s free;
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  33

LET’S GO!
call 286-3801 or check highstrungdurham.com for
more info. Í Learn some Durham history while taking the
Tobacco Heritage Walking Tour given by
Í The Durham-Orange Genealogy Society will


Preservation Durham on January 9. The 45-
minute tour will start at the Durham Farmers
hold its next meeting on Wednesday, January
Market in Durham Central Park (502 Foster St)
6, 7pm, in the Duke Homestead Tobacco
at 11am. It’s free; call 682-3036 or visit
Museum’s visitors center (2828 Duke Homestead
preservationdurham.org for more info.
Rd, 477-5498). Visit rootsweb.com/~ncdogs for
more info.
Í Bud Godreau will lead a Just for Beginners
Í Campaign4Change’s hard-hitting drama Riding


Clawhammer Banjo Workshop at High Strung
Musical Instruments (1116 Broad St) on Sunday,
wit Joe Crack is aimed directly at inner-city
January 10, 1–2pm. Then, Michael Fishback will
youth, and will be performed at the Hayti Heri-
lead a similar workshop from 2 to 3pm. (This
tage Center (804 Old Fayetteville Rd, Fayetteville
gives you the opportunity to “audition” two
and Lakewood) on Thursday, January 7, 6pm, and
different teachers if you’re on the lookout for
Friday, January 8, 8pm. Riding wit Joe Crack is a
one.) Each workshop is $5; call 286-3801 or
stark look at the life of a drug dealer and dem-
check highstrungdurham.com for more info.
onstrates the dangers of young men who choose
to live the “thug life.” Tickets are $15, $10 for
youth age 12 and under. Call 450-2557 or Í Winifred Garrett will lead a Just for Beginners
683-1709 x21 for tickets; call 519-8156 for Harp Workshop at High Strung Musical Instru-
antidrug/antigang workshops. ments (1116 Broad St) on Sunday, January 10,
3–4pm. The cost is $5; call 286-3801 or check
Í The next District 3 PAC (Partners Against
highstrungdurham.com for more info.
Crime) meeting will be held at Lyon Park (1313
Halley St) on January 9, 10am. Find out JANUARY 11–20
what’s going on in your neighborhood and
learn about City/County services. Í The Bethesda Ruritan Club (1714 S Miami Blvd)
presents Monday Night Music, an open blue-
Í The next District 4 PAC (Partners Against

grass/oldtime/country jam session with tradi-
tional acoustic instruments on January 11, start-
Crime) meeting will be held at IR Holmes Sr
Recreation Center at Campus Hills (2000 S Alston ing at 7pm. Free admission; call 271-7594 or visit
Ave) on January 9, 10am. Find out what’s bethesdaruritanclub.com for more info.
going on in your neighborhood and learn about
City/County services. Í If you like science, check out Periodic Tables,
which are monthly talks about science in an infor-
Í The Music Explorium (5314 Hwy 55) will hold its

mal setting (sponsored by the Museum of Life
and Science), at the Broad St Café (1116 Broad
Family Rhythm Jam on January 9, 10–11am.
All abilities are welcome; bring your own instru- St, 416-9707, thebroadstreetcafe.com). On January
ment (percussion, wind, or stringed) or borrow 12, 7pm, Sarah Zehr, research manager at the
one from the store. The Adult Rhythm Jam Duke Lemur Center, will head up a talk about
starts at 8pm. The cost is $10/family; call Primate Research and some of the creative ways
484-9090 or visit musicexplorium.com for more data is collected on these endangered animals.
info.
34  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
durham.com for more info. (This Third Friday
Í John Benedetto will lead a new series of story- event.)
is a

telling for adults called Regulator Storytellers




on January 11, 7pm, at The Regulator Bookshop
(720 Ninth St). Listen to tall tales, fairy tales,
Í The next District 1 PAC (Partners Against
Crime) meeting will be held at the Holton Career
and all sorts of stories as told by colorful story-
& Resource Center (410 N Driver St) on Satur-
tellers. It’s free; call 286-2700 or check regulator
day, January 16, 9:30–11:30am. Find out what’s
bookshop.com for more info.
going on in your neighborhood and learn about
City/County services.
Í Rae-Lynn Ziegler will read from and sign copies


of her new book Let’s Look Together: An Inter-
active Picture Book for People with Alzheimer’s
Í Learn about the role Durham played in the
Civil Rights Movement while taking the Civil
and Other Forms of Memory Loss at The Regula-
Rights Legacy Walking Tour given by Preser-
tor Bookshop (720 Ninth St) on January 12,
vation Durham on January 16. The 45-minute
7pm. Call 286-2700 or check regulatorbookshop.
tour will start at the Durham Farmers Market in
com for more info.
Durham Central Park (Foster St) at 11am. It’s free;
call 682-3036 or visit preservationdurham.org for
Í Elizabeth Kostova will read from and sign cop- more info.
ies of her new novel The Swan Thieves at The


Regulator Bookshop (720 Ninth St) on Wednes-
day, January 13, 7pm. Call 286-2700 or check
Í This year’s Martin Luther King Jr Day Parade
will start on Fayetteville St at Lakewood at noon
regulatorbookshop.com for more info.
on January 16, and will end at Elmira Ave. See
floats, marching bands, steppers, horses, motor-
Í The next District 5 PAC (Partners Against cycles, school groups, and more. It’s free; call 680-
Crime) meeting will be held at the Mad Hatter 0465 for more info.
(1802 W Main St) on Thursday, January 14, 5:30–


7:30pm. Find out what’s going on in your neigh-
borhood and learn about City/County services.
Í The Martin Luther King Jr Raise-a-Reader Fair
& Youth Talent Showcase will be held at the
Hayti Heritage Center (804 Old Fayetteville St)
Í Take in some good, old-fashioned storytelling as on January 16, noon–3pm. Kids will enjoy educa-
The Monti takes over Alivia’s Durham Bistro (900 tional and entertaining activities that emphasize
W Main, at Gregson) on January 14, 7:30pm. This Dr King’s legacy. At 1pm, Mama and Baba Shabu
month’s theme is Inspiration. Admission is $10; will conduct The Kpawo Workshop for people
tickets go on sale January 6. Visit themonti.org for thinking about traveling to Africa. At 2pm, actor
more info. and playwright Mike Wiley will perform his one-
man show Brown v Board of Education. Free
Í Flit from venue to venue downtown during Third admission; call 683-1709 for more info.
Friday on January 16, 6–11pm (depending on


the venue). Enjoy art displays, live and recorded
music, and snacks; participating spaces include
Í Civil-rights leader and former advisor to President
Bill Clinton, Vernon E Jordan Jr, will deliver a ser-
the Durham Arts Council/Durham Art Guild, Bull mon at Watts Street Baptist Church (800 Watts
City Arts Collaborative, Through This Lens, The St) on Sunday, January 17, 11am. He’ll discuss the
Scrap Exchange, and others. You can pick up a legacy of Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Free admis-
map and schedule at any venue; check thirdfriday sion; call 688-1366 for more info.
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  35

LET’S GO!
• Lapsit Storytime (0–23 months)—Mondays
Í Ben Palmer will lead a Just for Beginners Steel- 10:30am; stories, fingerplays, and music.
String Guitar Workshop at High Strung Musi- • Toddler Storytime (age 2)—Wednesdays
cal Instruments (1116 Broad St) on Sunday, 10:30am; stories, music, and crafts; parent and
January 17, 3–4pm. The cost is $5; call 286-3801 child only.
or check highstrungdurham.com for more info. • Group Time Storyhour (preschoolers–1st
graders)—Thursdays 10:30am; stories, movies,
Í Join the Ukulele Jam at High Strung Musical and music; daycares and homeschools also wel-
come; call to register.
Instruments (1116 Broad St) on Monday, January
18, 7–9pm. All levels, including beginners and • Cartooning with Tom Czaplinski (ages 6–12)—
NPBs (never-played-befores) are welcome. It’s free; Thursdays 3:30pm; drawing class.
call 286-3801 or check highstrungdurham.com for • Saturday Matinee (all ages)—Saturdays 2pm;
more info. Jan 2: Chicken Run, Jan 9: Disney’s Fantasia, Jan
16: Disney’s Bambi; call to register.
Í Thinking about making the move from renting an
Special dates
• Wii! It’s Thursday (teens)—Dec 29, Jan 5, 12, and
apartment or house to becoming a homeowner? 19, 3:30pm.
Attend the next series of Home Buyer Work- • Teen Advisory Group (teens)—Jan 7, 4pm.
shops sponsored by the City of Durham—Dept • Bayard Wootten, NC’s Pioneering Woman
of Housing & Community Development (and Photographer—Jan 10, 3pm.
coordinated by the Durham Affordable Housing • Learn and Enjoy Salsa Dancing—Jan 14,
Coalition). You can learn about first-time home- 6:30pm; call 560-0157 to register.
buyer assistance programs, how to work with • Write On!—Jan 19, 6:30pm; writing workshop.
a lender, the prequalification process, home • Anime Club (teens)—Jan 21, 4pm; watch
inspections, the closing/settlement, and respon- Japanese animation on a giant screen.
sibilities involved with being a homeowner. Day- • Guitar Hero Tournament (teens)—Jan 23, 2pm.
time workshops will be offered in the SOUTH


Bank building (400 W Main St, Suite 408)
Monday–Wednesday, January 25–27, 10am– Í Bragtown Branch, 3200 Dearborn Dr,
12:30pm, and the evening workshops will be 560-0210
held on the same days from 6 to 8:30pm. Hours: Monday–Friday 2–6pm
They’re free; call 683-1185 x41 or 800/735-2962
tdd/tty to register, and check dahc.org for more • Homework Help (kindergarten–high school)—
info. Monday–Thursday 3:30pm.
• Boogie Woogie Storytime (infants–preschool-
DURHAM COUNTY LIBRARY ers) —Wednesdays 10:30am; stories, crafts, and
There’s more to the library than books! Join in some of the activities music.
listed below—they’re all free! Visit the library’s informative website • Family Fun Friday—Fridays 3:30pm; play board
at durhamcountylibrary.org for even more events and info. games, watch a movie and have some popcorn.
special dates
Í Main Library, 300 N Roxboro St, 560-0130 • What’s in Your Garden? (age 2–preschoolers)—
Jan 4, 10:30am.
(children’s unit 560-0130) • Neighbor to Neighbor—Jan 8, noon—talk with
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays your neighbors about books.
2-6pm, Saturdays 9:30am–6pm, Sundays 2–6pm • Wall of Fame (elementary school–high school)
—Jan 12, 3:30pm; create a Wall of Fame in honor
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December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  37
38  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. • Teen Book Club—Jan 12, 4pm.
• Odds ‘n Ends Art with Ms Denise (elementary • Dance and Aerobics—Jan 21, 3:30pm.
school–high school)—Jan 14, 3:30pm. • Learn and Discuss MLK—Jan 27, 3pm; talk
• Gaming @ Bragtown—Jan 20, 3:30pm. about Dr King.

Í East Regional, 211 Lick Creek Ln (off Í North Regional, 221 Milton Rd, 560-0231
Holloway/Hwy 98), 560-0203 (children’s unit (children’s unit 560-0232)
560-0214) Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays 2-6pm, Saturdays 9:30am–6pm, Sundays 2–6pm
2-6pm, Saturdays 9:30am–6pm, Sundays 2–6pm
• Drop-In Storytime (preschool and kindergarten)
• Tumbling Toddlers Storytime (age 2)—Tues- —Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30am; books,
days 10:30am; call to register. songs, and fun.
• Oh So Cute Lapsit Storytime (0–23 months)— • Baby and Me Lapsit Storytime (0–23 months)
Tuesdays 11:30am; call to register. —Mondays 3pm and Wednesdays 10:30am.
• On the Move Preschoolers Storytime— • Chess Club (all ages)—Saturdays 2pm; all skill
Wednesdays 10:30am; call to register. levels welcome.
• Over Fifty Crowd (age 50+)—Tuesdays 10am; • Teen Time—Monday–Friday 2:30pm.
lively discussions about a wide range of issues, • Wii Wednesday (teens)—3pm.
plus refreshments. special dates
• Ballroom Dancing (age 30+)—Tuesdays 7pm; • Fantasy Film Festival (elementary–middle
Michael Harris teaches popular ballroom dance school)—Jan 4–8, 4pm; enjoy popcorn and
steps. watch fantasy movies.
special dates • Read or Die Teen Advisory Board—Jan 5, 3pm.
• COOL (Creating Outstanding Opportunities for • Mystery Book Club—Jan 11, 7pm; read Knots
Life) (boys ages 8–12)—Dec 28, 6pm; discuss and Crosses by Ian Rankin.
school, socialization, literacy, and etiquette. • Teen Eats—Jan 12, 3pm; make and eat tasty
• New Year’s Eve Movie @ East (teens)—Dec 31, snacks.
3pm. • Cartooning with Casey (elementary and middle
• East Geekster Teen Book Club—Jan 7 and 21, school)—Jan 13, 6pm.
6:30pm. • DIY Recycling Crafts (teens)—Jan 19, 3pm.
• CUTE (Cherishing and Understanding the • Teen Improv—Jan 21, 2:45pm; acting and
Tweenage Experience) (girls ages 8–12)—Jan comedy workshop.
11, 6pm; discuss school, socialization, literacy, • Beginning Ukulele (elementary–middle school)
and etiquette. —Jan 22 and 29, 3:15pm.
• Guitar Hero (teens)—Jan 13, 3:30pm.
• East Regional Book Club—Jan 13, 7pm. Í Parkwood Branch, 5122 Revere Rd,
• Dance, Dance Revolution—Jan 20, 6pm. 560-0260
• East Kids’ Book Club (ages 6–12)—Jan 21, 4pm. Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays
2-6pm, Saturdays 9:30am–6pm, Sundays 2–6pm
Í McDougald Terrace Branch,
• Rhymetime (up to age 3)—Mondays 10:30am;
1101 Lawson St, 560-0240
Hours: Monday–Friday 2–6pm stories, songs, and bubbles.
special dates • Miss Margaret’s Lapsitters (0–23 months)—
Wednesdays 10:30 and 11:15am.
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  39

LET’S GO!
• Yoga—Mondays 7:30pm; learn basic yoga tech- DURHAM PARKS & RECREATION
niques. These are just a few programs (and not all of the parks are listed).
• Knitting—Thursdays 7pm; learn how to knit; you Pick up a “Play More” newspaper at most parks or call the DPR
can take a project you’re working on. office at 560-4355 for more info. Check into buying a PlayMore
• Teen Crafts/Chess (teens)—Saturdays 10am. card—you can save money on classes and afterschool programs!
special dates PlayMore card prices: $20/individual, $35/two people, $10/teen.
• Storytime (ages 3–5)—Jan 5 and 12, 10:30am.
• Animé Club (teens)—Jan 13, 7pm; watch an
animé movie and talk about mangas.
Í East Durham Neighborhood
Center, 2615 Harvard Ave, 560-4278
• Salsa Kids (age 5+)—Jan 19, 10:30am; Latin
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays 9am–
dance lessons.
11pm, Saturdays noon–6pm
• Family Game Night—Jan 21, 7pm; fun, games,
and food.
• In da Basement (ages 13–17)—Fridays 7–11pm,
• 1337 Frifsters (teens)—Jan 27, 7pm; play video-
Jan 8–May 28; leadership and computer training;
games.
free (course #766).
• Paper Chase (ages 13–17)—Saturdays noon–
Í Southwest Branch, 3605 Shannon Rd, 2pm, Jan 9–May 29; entrepreneurial class
560-0290 includes manicuring, hair braiding, and makeup
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays artistry; free (course #785).
2–6pm, Saturdays 9:30am–6pm, Sundays 2–6pm • Resource Center (ages 13–17)—Monday–
Thursday 6–9pm, Jan 4–May 27; free (course
• The Southwest Branch is closed while it’s being #759).
renovated and expanded and will reopen as • Take 1 (ages 13–17)—Tuesdays and Thursdays
Southwest Regional. For now, you can get books 6–8pm, Jan 12–May 27; free (course #762).
from the Bookmobile, which will be parked in


the Parkway Plaza on University Dr, near Kmart
on Tuesdays, 4:30–6pm, and the 2nd and 4th
Í Edison Johnson Recreation
Center, 600 W Murray Ave, 560-4270 (Aquatic
Fridays, 11am–12:30pm. You can order books Center 560-4265)
online (go to durhamcountylibrary.org) and have Hours: Monday–Friday 8am–9pm, Saturdays 8am–
them delivered to any branch library (but not the 6pm, Sundays 1–6pm
Bookmobile).
• The Edison Johnson Recreation Center & Aqua-
Í Stanford L Warren Branch, tics Center is closed for much-needed renova-
1201 Fayetteville St, 560-0270 tions, which will be funded by the November
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays 2005 bond referendum; the facility will be made
2–6pm, Saturdays 9:30am–6pm ADA compliant for people with disabilities.
Edison Johnson is scheduled to reopen in June
• Toddler Storytime (up to kindergarten)— 2010.
Wednesdays 10:30am.
Í holton career & resource center,
401 N Driver St, 354-2750
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30am–9pm, Fridays
8:30am–11pm, Saturdays 8:30am–6pm, Sundays
1–6pm
40  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
• Claymation! (ages 6–12)—Saturdays 1–4pm,
Jan 9–Feb 27; $33, $30 with PlayMore card Í IR Holmes Sr Recreation Center at
(course #965). Campus Hills, 2000 S Alston Ave, 560-4444
• Safe Sitter (ages 11–13)—Mondays and (Aquatic Center 560-4781)
Wednesdays 9am–5pm, Apr 5–7; $25, $20 with Hours: Monday–Thursday 6am–9pm, Fridays 6am–
PlayMore card (course #949). 8pm, Saturdays 8am–6pm, Sundays 1–6pm
• Basic Photography (age 13+)—Saturdays
noon–1pm, Jan 9–Feb 27; $20 with PlayMore • Total Tot Time (ages 1–5)—Mondays and
card (course #955). Wednesdays, 10:15–11:30am; $3, $2 with Play
• Intermediate Photography (age 13+)—Mon- More card.
days 6–7pm, Jan 11–Mar 1; $25, $20 with Play • Art-a-la-Carte (ages 3–5)—Wednesdays 9:30–
More card (course #954). 10:15am, Jan 13–Feb 17; $33, $30 with PlayMore
• African Movement and Relaxation (age 13+)— card (course #917).
Tuesdays 6–7pm, Jan 12–May 18; free (course • KidFitness (ages 3–5)—Tuesdays 2:15–3pm;
#952). $30, $25 with PlayMore card (course #903).
• African Movement and Relaxation (age 13+)— • Hip Hop Dance (ages 7–16)—Fridays 6–7:30pm,
Thursdays 6–7pm, Jan 14–May 20; free (course Jan 8–Feb 12; $44, $40 with PlayMore card
#1042). (course #961).
• HYPE (Hayti Youth for Progress and Enrich- • Hip Hop Dance (ages 7–16)—Saturdays
ment) (ages 13–17)—Fridays 6–8pm, Jan 8– 11:30am– 12:30pm, Jan 16–Feb 20; $44, $40 with
Apr 30; free (course #787). PlayMore card (course #961).
• Boot Camp Fitness (age 13+)—Mondays 7–8pm, • Teen Open Gym Basketball (ages 10–18)—
Jan 11–May 17; $6, $5 with PlayMore card. Mondays and Wednesdays 4–6pm, Sundays
• Media Intro (teens+)—Thursdays 6–8pm, Jan 14– 2–4pm, Jan 3–May 30; free.
Mar 18; learn how to make a movie with sound- • Youth Alliances (ages 11–18)—Wednesdays,
track; $26, $24 with PlayMore card (course 7–8:30pm, Jan 12 and 26; create positive pro-
#1044). grams for teens; free (course #978).
• Adult Open Gym Basketball (age 18+)—Tues- • Adult Open Gym Basketball (age 18+)—Mon-
days 6–8pm, Jan 12–May 18; $3, $2 with Play days, Wednesdays, Fridays 8–10am, Sundays
More card. 4–6pm, Jan 11–May 28; $3, $2 with PlayMore
• Senior Chair Aerobics (age 55+)—Tuesdays and card.
Thursdays 10–10:40am, Jan 5–Feb 11; $25, free • Computer Literacy–Beginning (age 55+)—
with PlayMore card (course #737). Mondays and Wednesdays 9–10:30am, Jan 11–
special dates Feb 22; $18, $16 with PlayMore card (course
• Sunshine Garden Club (age 13+)—Saturdays #995).
10:30am–12:30pm, Jan 23; free (course #1016). • Computer Class–Intermediate (age 55+)—
• Sustain! (age 13+)—Saturday 10:30am–12:30pm, Mondays and Wednesdays, 11am–12:30pm,
Jan 9; learn how to reduce wasteful habits and Jan 11–Feb 22; $18, $16 with PlayMore card
save money; $1, free with PlayMore card (course (course #1027).
#1045). • Table Tennis (age 55+)—Tuesdays 6–9:30pm, Jan
• Martin Luther King Jr Holiday—Jan 16, 2–5pm; 5–May 25; $3, $2 with PlayMore card.
fun, food, information, watch a film, community aquatic center
discussion; free. • Recreational Swim—various days and times
through May; $4, $3 with PlayMore card.
• Swim Lessons (parent & tot ages 6 months–
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  41

LET’S GO!
3 years)—Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:25–5:55pm, 8:30am–11pm, Saturdays 8:30am–6pm, Sundays
Mar 2–25; $46, $42 with PlayMore card (course 1–6pm
#715).
• Swim Lessons (parent & tot ages 6 months– • Bars and Hooks (ages 13–17)—Thursdays
3 years)—Saturdays 11–11:30am, Mar 6–May 1; 5–6pm, Jan 7–May 27; compose your own music;
$46, $42 with PlayMore card (course #720). free (course #1015).
• Swim Lessons (preschoolers ages 3–5)— • Project TEAM (ages13–17)—Monday–Thursday
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:25–5:55pm, Mar 2–25; 4:30–7pm, Jan 4–May 27; academic enrichment,
$46, $42 with PlayMore card (course #738). life skills, and community service; free (course
• Swim Lessons (preschoolers ages 3–5)— #1026).
Saturdays 11:45am–12:15pm, Mar 6–May 1; $46, • Adult Open Gym Basketball (age 18+)—
$42 with PlayMore card (course #742). Wednesdays 6–9pm, Jan 6–May 26; $3, $2 with
• Swim Lessons Youth Level 1–3 (ages 6–12)— PlayMore card.
Saturdays 12:30–1:15pm, Mar 6–May 1; $52, $47 • Computer Literacy–Beginning (age 55+)—
with PlayMore card (course #938). Wednesdays 10am–noon, Jan 27–June 16; $18,
• Swim Lessons Youth Level 1 (ages 6–12)— $16 with PlayMore card (course #995).
Tuesdays and Thursdays 6–6:45pm, Mar 2–25; • Senior Chair Aerobics (age 55+)—Mondays and
$52, $47 with PlayMore card (course #829). Wednesdays 11–11:40am, Jan 6–Feb 15; $25, free
• Lifeguard Training Course (age 15+)—Mar 19 with PlayMore card (course #1002).
and 26, 5:30–8:30pm and Mar 20/21 and 27/28, • Senior Striders Club (age 55+)—Mondays and
9am–6pm; ; $205, $185 with PlayMore card Wednesdays 10–11am, Jan 4–27; $6, free with
(course #750). PlayMore card (course #1050).
• Water Aerobics–Shallow Water (age 15+)— special dates
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 10–10:45am, • Teen Council (ages 13–17)—Friday, Jan 8,
Jan 4–May 28; $5, $4 with PlayMore card. 5–6pm; meeting for developing fun and
special dates educational programming for teens; free (course
• Night Flight (ages 12–17)—December 18, #1022).
7–10pm; basketball, computer lab, arts & crafts;
free, but bring valid ID.
• Durham Aquatics School (ages 15–18)— Í TA Grady Neighborhood Center,
Monday –Thursday 3–7pm, December 21–31 or 531 Lakeland St, 560-4280
Sunday–Thursday 9:30am–6pm, December 27– Hours: Monday–Friday 9am–6pm
31; get certified as a American Red Cross Life-
guard; training includes CPR/AED for the Profes- • Busy Bodies Preschool (ages 2–5)—Wednes-
sional Rescuer and First Aid; free. days 10am–noon, Jan 6–May 26; free with
• Intersession Camp (ages 5–12)—Monday– PlayMore card (course #817).
Friday 7:30am–6pm, December 21–January 8; • Resource Center for Adults (age 18+)—Mon-
sports, games, swimming, dance, arts & crafts, day–Friday 1–3pm, Jan 4–May 28; computer lab;
and more; $132/week, $120/week for PlayMore free (course #828).
cardholders.
Í Walltown Neighborhood Center,
Í (Community Family Life & 1300 E Club Blvd, 560-4296
Recreation Center at) Lyon Park,
1309 Halley St, 560-4288
• The Walltown Neighborhood Center is closed
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30am–9pm, Fridays
for extensive renovations, which will be funded
42  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
by the November 2005 bond referendum; the and Thursdays 10–11:30am, Jan 5–May 27; com-
facility will be made ADA compliant for people puter lab; free (course #803).
with disabilities. Walltown is scheduled to reopen
in June 2010. While the new center is being built,
activities are being held at Northside Baptist
Church, 1239 Berkeley St, 560-4296: THE GREAT OUTDOORS


Skip, Hop, Jump Toddler Program (ages 4–5)—
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30–11:30am, Jan 5–
Í Sarah P Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St, 684-
3698, hr.duke.edu/dukegardens; gardening work-
May 27; free (course #1105). shops are held in the Doris Duke Center; call
668-1707 or 1708 to reserve your spot:
Í WD Hill Recreation Center,
1308 Fayetteville St, 560-4292 • Walk on the Wild Side—Jan 7, 11am–noon; tour
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8am–8pm, Fridays 8am– the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants; $5, free
10pm, Saturdays 8am–6pm, Sundays 1–6pm for Friends.
• Successful Gardener Series: Bring Your Own
• The WD Hill Recreation Center is closed for Vegetable Garden to Life!—Jan 10, 2–4pm; get
much-needed renovations, which will be funded tips on planning your garden; free, but call to
by the November 2005 bond referendum; the register.
facility will be made ADA compliant for people • Italian Gardens: Contrasting Classical and
with disabilities. WD Hill is scheduled to reopen Contemporary Garden Style—Jan 17, 2–4pm;
in June 2010. take an armchair tour of Italian gardens and
apply techniques to your garden; $15, $10 for
Í Weaver Street Recreation Center, Friends.
3000 Weaver St, 560-4294
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Fridays 9am– Í Witherspoon Rose Culture, 3312 Watkins Rd (off
11pm, Saturdays noon–6pm, Sundays 1–6pm Hwy 15-501), 489-4446 and 490-0623, witherspoon
rose.com; free gardening workshops with an
• The Weaver Street Recreation Center is closed for emphasis on their specialty, roses—call to sign
much-needed renovations, which will be funded up:
by the November 2005 bond referendum; the
facility will be made ADA compliant for people • The Advantages of Bareroot Roses; Plant Now
with disabilities. Weaver Street is scheduled to for Success—Jan 30, 10am.
reopen in June 2010.
Í Look at the Starry Starry Night sky over Lake
Í WI Patterson Neighborhood Michie on Saturday, January 8, 8–10pm. It’s
Center, 2641 Crest St, 560-4560 free; contact Chris Shepherd at Durham Parks
Hours: Monday–Friday 9am–6pm and Recreation at 471-1623 or chris.shepherd@
durhamnc.gov to reserve your spot (course
• Resource Center for Adults (age 18+)—Mon- #1069).



day, Wednesdays, Fridays 1–2pm, Jan 4–May 28;
computer lab; free (course #1106). Í Explore West Point on the Eno Park (5101 N Rox-
• Mature Adults Open Lab (age 55+)—Tuesdays boro Rd) and look for Beaver Life on Saturday,
January 16, 10am–noon. It’s free; contact Chris
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  43

LET’S GO!
Shepherd at Durham Parks and Recreation at Park in Parking Deck I on Trent Dr; call Edna
471-1623 or chris.shepherd@durhamnc.gov to Ballard at 660-7510 for more info. (Another meet-
reserve your spot (course #1110). ing will be held on January 17.)

Í Enjoy a Moonlight Paddle on Lake Michie on Í The next Alzheimer’s Caregiver/Loved One
Friday, January 22, 7–9pm. The cost is $4, $3 Support Group meeting will meet on Tuesday,
with PlayMore card; contact Chris Shepherd at December 22, 10:30am–noon, Grey Stone Baptist
Durham Parks and Recreation at 471-1623 or Church (2601 Hillsborough Rd); call the Joseph
chris.shepherd@durhamnc.gov to reserve your and Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer’s Disease Research
spot and get directions (course #1068). Center at 668-2836 for more info. (Another meet-
ing will be held on January 26.)
Í The next Morehead Planetarium–sponsored
Skywatcher Session will be held on Satur- Í The next Chemotherapy Orientation Class will
day, January 16, 6–8pm and Saturday, Decem- be held on Tuesday, December 22, 11am–noon,
ber 19, 5-7pm, in Eno River State Park’s Ebenezer in the Rauch Conference Room by Clinic 1A at
Recreation Area. If the weather’s just right, you the Duke Clinic on Trent Dr, off Erwin Rd. It’s
can expect to see Jupiter, the Moon, and Mars. free; call 613-6275 to register. (Additional classes
However, if weather conditions cause you to will be held on Tuesdays, December 29, January
think that the session might be cancelled, call 5, 12, and 19.) Thursday classes are held 10–11am
549-6863 to check. Call that same number for in Room 2993 across from Clinic 2C on Decem-
directions, or check the website at morehead ber 24, 31, January 7, 14, and 21 in the Rauch Con-
planetarium.org. ference Room by Clinic 1A.

Í The next Alzheimer’s Disease Support Group


will be held on Thursday, December 31, 6:30pm,
HEALTH in Duke Clinic/Duke Hospital South (in the 1st-
floor Medical Center Boardroom in the 1107B

Í Li-Lan Hsiang Weiss provides acupuncture ser-



Yellow Zone). You can park in Parking Deck I on
Trent Dr; call Edna Ballard or Cornelia Poer at
vices at a discounted rate at special Community 660-7510 for more info.
Acupuncture Clinics at Health Touch (3500 West-


gate Dr #504) on Wednesdays from 1 to 5pm. The
sliding-scale fee ranges from $20 to $40. Acu- Í Men can learn how they can help with the new
puncture is often used to alleviate musculo- baby at the New Tools for New Dads workshop
skeletal pain and stress. Call 308-8999 or send on Wednesday, January 6, 6:30–8pm, at the Teer
email to lilan_acupuncture@yahoo.com for more House (4019 N Roxboro Rd). It’s free; call 416-
info and to set an appointment. DUKE to register.

Í The Daughters Concerned for Aging Relatives, Í The next Low-Carb/Low-Glycemic Diet Support
Group meeting will be held on January 6, 6:30–
for caretakers of parents with Alzheimer’s and
similar conditions, will meet on Wednesday, 8pm, at the Teer House (4019 N Roxboro Rd).
December 20, noon–1pm, in the Duke Clinic Bldg/ This type of diet can be followed to stabilize blood
Duke South (in Room 3512 in the Blue Zone) sugar, improve cardiovascular health, and lose
weight. It’s free; call 416-DUKE to register.
44  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
MUSEUMS • GALLERIES •
Í Learn how to communicate with your infant at EXHIBITS
the Little Talking Hands: Sign Language and


Your Baby workshop, which will be held on
Thursday, January 7, 6:30–7:30pm, at the Teer Í Bull City Art and Frame Company, 905 W Main
House (4019 N Roxboro Rd). It’s free; call 416- St in Brightleaf Square, 680-4ART,
DUKE to register. bullcityartandframecompany.com
Hours: Monday–Friday 10am–6pm, Saturdays

Í The next Stroke Support Group Meeting will be 11am–5pm:

held on Monday, January 11, 1–2:30pm, in Charles Lallier's exhibit, Landscapes and other
Durham Regional Hospital’s Private Dining Room random acts of art, is a collection of large, deeply
C (3643 N Roxboro Rd). Call 470-7207 to register. colorful landscapes that were inspired by his
recent vacation in Spain. Landscapes will be on
Í Learn how to help your dog adjust to your new display through New Year's Eve.
baby at the Baby Meets Bowser workshop on
January 11, 6:30–8pm, at the Teer House (4019 N Í Bull City Arts Collaborative, 401 B1 Foster St,
Roxboro Rd). It’s free; call 416-DUKE to 949-4847, bullcityarts.org
register. Gallery hours: Wednesdays 3–5 and Third Fridays
6–9pm; free admission::
Í Learn about common knee injuries including tips See wax in a whole new way by looking over the
on prevention, exercise, treatments, surgery, and
rehab at the Knee Pain: Injury Prevention and “encaustic paintings” in Celia Gray’s new exhibit,
Treatment workshop on January 11, 7–8:30pm, Empty and Full, which will be on display through
at the Teer House (4019 N Roxboro Rd). It’s free; December 31.
call 416-DUKE to register.
Upcoming exhibits include handmade books by
Í Learn about the “5-3-2-1 Almost None” plan for

John Davis (from Durham), paintings by Jim Tignor
(from Chapel Hill), printmaking by Bill Fick (from
healthy eating and increased physical activity for
Durham), birding photography by Ricky Davis
children at the Keeping Kids Healthy in a Fast
(from Rocky Mount), and daguerreotypes by
Food Pace workshop on January 14, 7–8:30pm,
Robin Dreye (from Penland, NC).
at the Teer House (4019 N Roxboro Rd). It’s free;
call 416-DUKE to register.
Í Center for Documentary Studies, 1317 W
Í The next Crohn’s and Colitis Support Group Pettigrew St, 660-3663, cds.aas.duke.edu
Gallery hours: Monday–Thursday 9am–7pm,
meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 19, Fridays 9am–5pm, Saturdays 11am–4pm, and
6pm, in Café 1 of the Steadman Building on the Sundays 1–5pm; free admission:
Center for Living Campus (3475 Erwin Rd). It’s
free; call 489-1950 to register. Pac McLaurin’s exhibit, Walls That Speak, pre-
serves the artistry of two developmentally dis-
Í The next Diabetes Support Group Meeting will abled brothers who grew up drawing and creat-
be held on Tuesday, January 19, 6–7pm, at the ing collages together over a span of nearly 60
Teer House (4019 N Roxboro Rd). It’s free; call years. You can almost track their lives by scrutiniz-
416-DUKE to register. ing their artistic creations. Walls That Speak is on
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  45

LET’S GO!
display in the University Gallery through February Eric Kelly III’s exhibit, OBAMA the 44th President:
27. The Face of Change, featuring bold, colorful
paintings will be on display through January 31.
Í Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St, Meet the artist at a reception on January 23.
durhamarts.org
Gallery hours: Monday–Saturday 9am–9pm and Renowned dancer Gaspard Louis will teach a series
Sundays 1–6pm; free admission: of Creative Movement Classes for students age
12–18 with at least one year of dance experience
Artists are invited to submit their exhibit propos- on Wednesdays, January 20–February 24, 6–7pm.
als for solo or group shows for the 2010-2011 Work with the concepts of balance and counter-
exhibition season in the Allenton and Semans balance to spark creativity. The classes are free;
Galleries. Pick up an application and then return it sign up by calling 684-6402 or by sending email
and support materials by the Sunday, January 31 to adf@americandancefestival.org.
deadline. Contact Barclay McConnell at 560-2719
or bmcconnell@durhamarts.org for more info. Í Museum of Life and Science, 433 Murray Ave,
220-5429, ncmls.org
Í Golden Belt, 807 E Main St, 967-7700

Hours: Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm and
Sundays noon–5pm; Admission: $10.85 for adults;
Hours: Monday–Friday 10am–7pm; free
admission: $8.85 for seniors (age 65+) and active and retired
military (with proper ID); $7.85 for kids ages 3 to
12; and free for kids age 2 and under. Group rate
Sarah Spencer White’s exhibit, Spill, is a collec-
is $7 each for 10 or more. Wednesday is free day
tion of her latest new ceramic pieces. Her work
after 1pm:
challenges the barrier between industrial and
hand-crafted. Spill will be on display through
February 14 in Building 3, Room 100. Gallery Steve Gerberich‘s Holiday Springs and Sprock-
hours are Monday–Saturday 10am–7pm and Sun- ets—Art That Moves is back (through January 3)!
days noon–6pm. See science at work and play when interacting
with the mechanical marvels and artful wizardry.
You can watch a video of Gerberich’s work by
Carole Baker’s exhibit, The Confessional, is inter- going to gerbomatic.com/motionclips.html.
active—viewers are prompted to reflect outward-
ly and introspectively on issues of brokenness
and forgiveness. The Confessional opens February Two Build a FLAPPET Workshops will be held on
19 and will run through March 14 in Building 3, Sunday, January 10, one at 12:30 and another at
Room 100. Gallery hours are Monday–Saturday 3pm. Partner with your child and build a whim-
10am–7pm and Sundays noon–6pm. Meet the sical animal by using skills including drilling, jig
artist at her opening reception on Friday, Febru- sawing, hot gluing, knot tying, screwing, rigging,
ary 19, 2010 from 6-9pm. and painting. The cost for this special workshop is
$20.

Í Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St, Í Nasher Museum of Art, 2001 Campus Dr,
683-1709, hayti.org 684-5135, nasher.duke.edu
Lyda Merrick Moore Gallery hours: Tuesday–Friday Museum hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and
10am–5pm and Saturdays 10am–3pm (call for Saturday 10am–5pm; Thursdays 10am–9pm;
Sunday hours or to schedule a tour); free admis- Sundays noon–5pm; $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3
sion to gallery:
46  The Durham Skywriter — December / January 2010

LET’S GO!
non-Duke students with ID, free for young from the play “Phillis Wheatley and Friends,”
people age 15 and under; Thursdays 5–9pm is listen to a discussion of the upcoming exhibit on
free for everyone (except for special ticketed furniture- and cabinet-maker Thomas Day, hear
exhibits); parking is $2/hour: the gospel sounds of Gerald Hinton, play tradi-
tional African games, make a cowrie shell neck-
The Picasso and the Allure of Language exhibit lace, and join a quilting bee. Call or check the
consists of 60 works that examine Pablo Picasso’s website to view the entire schedule.
relationship with writers and how language affec-
ted his art. The special prices for this exhibit are Í North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences,
$10 adults, $5 kids age 7–17, and $15 for a guided 11 W Jones St, Raleigh, 733-7450, 715-6464 (tty)
tour. naturalsciences.org
Museum hours: Monday–Saturday 9am–5pm,
Big Shots: Andy Warhol Polaroids is a collection Sundays noon–5pm, open until 9pm on first
of 250 Polaroids and 75 silver gelatin black-and- Fridays; free admission, $$$ for special exhibits:
white prints taken by the artist from 1969 to 1986.
Big Shots is on display through February 21. A photo exhibit, Journey Through the Arctic
Refuge, follows an expedition through a 19.2-
Í North Carolina Museum of History, 5 E Eden-

million-acre wildlife refuge in Alaska. The exhibi-
tion tells the story from the perspective of a
ton St, Raleigh, 807-7900, ncmuseumofhistory.org photo expedition sponsored by the National Geo-
Museum hours: Monday–Saturday 9am–5pm, Sun- graphic magazine in 2006. The trip was taken in
days noon–5pm; free admission: part to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a biologi-
cal survey led by naturalists Olaus and Mardy
Singer Teresa Fernández, along with Ed Stephen- Murie, who were dedicated to the protection of
son & the Paco Band, will present Songs of the the Alaskan wilderness.
Soul, an exploration of the cultures of Latin


America and Spain through music, in the muse-
um’s Daniels Auditorium on Sunday, January 10,
Í Somerhill Gallery, 305 S. Roxboro St,
688-8868, somerhill.com
3pm. This program is sponsored by the Piedmont Gallery hours: Monday–Saturday 10am–5:30pm;
Council of Traditional Music (visit their website at free admission:
pinecone.org).
Somerhill Gallery’s 32nd annual Holiday Art
The NC Museum of History will jumpstart Black Exhibition features paintings, photography,
History Month with an all-day African-American art-glass, sculpture, crafts, ornaments, and
Cultural Celebration on Saturday, January 30, fabulous studio jewelry made just for the holiday
11am–4pm. This huge, fun, and educational event season.
with more than 50 performers, will include blues-


man Big Ron Hunter; composer Grenaldo Frazier,
who wrote the musical “Mama I Want to Sing”;
Í The Scrap Exchange, 548 Foster St, 688-6960,
scrapexchange.org
modern-dance company Cyrus Art Productions;
Hours: Monday–Wednesday and Friday 11am–
members of the NC Association of Black Storytell-
5pm, Thursdays 11am–6pm, Saturdays 10am–
ers; staff from the Freelon Group, who will discuss
5pm, and Sundays noon–5pm; free admission:
recent projects, such as the Harvey Gantt Center
in Charlotte and the International Civil Rights
Museum in Greensboro. You can watch scenes The 6th annual Craftland feature creations made
December / January 2010 — The Durham Skywriter  47

LET’S GO!
from recycled materials. Now you can buy one-of-
a-kind, handcrafted holiday presents for loved
ones and yourself. READ ALL
ABOUT IT!
Í Through This Lens, 303 E Chapel Hill St, Durham/Triangle/Triad–area authors: Send us your latest book
and information if you want to be featured in the Skywriter.
687-0250, throughthislens.com
Hours: Tuesday–Friday 10:30am–5:30pm, Howard Morgen / “Through
Saturdays 10:30am–4pm (Third Fridays until Chord Melody and Beyond”
9pm); free admission: (published by Alfred Music Publishing; available at bookstores
and howardmorgen.com)

A new exhibit by Jesse Andrews, Heroes and Howard Morgen, well-known guitarist and instructor (from
Hoodlums: Learning to Remember, shows ordi- New York, now based in Chapel Hill), uses 11 jazz standards
nary folks in the South and looks at the final year (including Stardust, Speak Low, and Li’l Darlin’) and dem-
in the life of a tobacco farm. onstrates how to conceive and creative masterful solo guitar
arrangements. Also included is an enhanced CD featuring 19
solo guitar arrangements featuring the author and his good
Peter Armenia’s new exhibit, Sacred Light–Asia: friend Howard Alden, six video performances by Morgen,
Recent Work in the Sacred Light Series, exam- plus printable PDFs of the 19 song arrangements all written
ines belief and what inspires it. Both exhibits are out and accessible from your computer’s CD-ROM drive.
on display through December 31. The arrangements are challenging, but the video perfor-
mances are downright inspirational and should act as an
encouragement for intermediate-level guitarists (of all types of
music) to raise the level of their playing.
THEATER • FILM • DANCE •
RADIO • TELEVISION
NOW HEAR
Í WNCU/90.7fm, North Carolina Central THIS!
University; listen online at wncu.org:
Durham/Triangle/Triad–area artists: Send us your latest CD and
Be sure to listen to Radio Skywriter every Saturday information if you want to be featured in the Skywriter.
from 8:30–9am on WNCU. Durham Skywriter Baron Tymas /
publisher Pat Murray and her guests talk about “Insight at Midnight”
community issues and let you know what's hap- (available at cdbaby.com/cd/tymas2, iTunes, and amazon.com)
pening in the Bull City (and beyond). Don't forget
Although guitarist Baron Tymas’s new CD can be enjoyed at
your pen and paper—we might have just the
any time, I suspect that this is the type of music a real jazz
information you need! If you miss the broadcast, musician composes at night. The colors are dark but rich,
you can go to wncu.org from the following Tuesday and it’s a real pleasure to hear the area’s best jazz musicians
for at least a week and listen to the podcast. playing challenging but pleasurable music. All of the tunes

Í
except Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye (Cole Porter), Warrior
Send us information on your special events— (Tony Williams), and The Cellar Dweller (Teddy Edwards)
were written by Tymas. The musicians include Brian Miller,
these are free listings!
Brian Horton, and Ira Wiggins on sax; Jon Metzger on vibes;
Ed Paolantonio on piano; Kofi Burbridge on flute; Robert
Trowers on trombone; John Brown on bass, Damon Brown
on bass guitar; and Thomas Taylor on drums.
The Durham Skywriter PO Box 25138 Durham, North Carolina 27702
durhamskywriter@yahoo.com

Guest spotlight
All day long
From dusk to dawn
It took that turtle to walk a mile
Though tired and hungry at the end
Still on a journey to just begin
On his face was a joyous smile
Having taken all day long
Enigma

From dusk to dawn


Just to walk a mile
The rabbit could do it in just ten minutes
The leopard in five minutes at best
A bullet in seconds, both ways no less
So why do you smile, I asked that turtle
In a bewildered daze
Then he said with that joyous smile
To walk a mile it takes a snail two days

— Alfonzer Jones
Send us your poems, cartoons, commentary, photos, artwork, etc if you’d like to be in our “Guest spotlight.”
Keep it positive, and keep in mind that we can’t return what you send us (so don’t send your only copy).

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