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Old West Durham in the News
Walking tour: neighborhoods, parks & watersheds
(Herald-Sun, 1 April 2007)
The 4-mile hike took walkers by West Ellerbee Creek, to the N.C. School of Science and Math (formerly Watts Hospital), through Walltown, Trinity Heights and East Campus. The group also hiked down Watts Street past Trinity Park, by E.K. Powe Elementary and through an old mill village.
"We love Durham, and we are committed to inner Durham," said Trinity Park resident John Bloedorn, explaining why he joined the hike. "I wanted to find out more about history."
Hike unveils Duke, Durham lore
(Duke Chronicle, 2 April 2007)
Rumor has it, Coach K gets his hair cut at an old Wesleyan church just off East Campus... Other historical places discussed on the tour included a cemetery where poor black and white Durham residents were buried side by side, the stone wall that surrounds East Campus and a corner close to campus where drug deals were being made daily seven years ago.
Even though some of the hikers have spent their whole lives in Durham, many said they have still not gotten to learn about all of the area's history... "I learned more today than I have in the last sixty-four years," said Freddie Cable, who grew up in West Durham and currently lives in the city.
After Duke, alums opt to call Bull City home
(Duke Chronicle, 2 April 2007)
Tom Campbell, Trinity '70 and co-owner of the Regulator Bookshop, said Durham has expanded from the quiet sleepy town he remembers and the relationship between the city and students has worsened.
"Duke students have somehow absorbed the message that Durham is dangerous and they interact with the community far less than students did when I went to school," he said.
Soda fountain from McDonald's Drug Store may see action once again
(N&O Durham News, 24 March 2007)
A two-ton slab of history - haunted by the sticky-sweet specters of a million banana splits, root beer floats and orangeades... The burgundy art deco soda fountain from McDonald's Drug Store lies awaiting resurrection and a new life as a monument to bygone Durham...
Cam McDonald can recall the good old days when drugstores were the focal point of a town -- a doctor's office, restaurant and gossip post in one... He remembers millworkers, the predominant customers for most of the store's 80-plus years, coming to his father and grandfather for all kinds of medical advice.
Durham's Ninth Street: A zoning plan under consideration might allow towers in the low-rise district
(News & Observer, 22 March 2007)
Carol Anderson, owner of Vaguely Reminiscent clothing boutique, is wary... "Because I think use is so critical," she said. "Before we make any wholesale changes, we need to look at that very carefully."
"What we want to slow down is the vision of Ninth Street as a gold mine," Valentine said. "It's not about the money. It's about the experience."
'American Idol' sailor could be on thin ice
(Navy Times, 21 March 2007)
Phil Stacey performed a soulful "Tobacco Road" Tuesday night on "American Idol." Simon Cowell told Stacey that he didn’t believe the performance, citing a lack of "grit." First recorded by [OWD native] John D. Loudermilk in 1960, "Tobacco Road" was a hit for British Invasion band The Nashville Teens in 1964.
Property owners, planners debate Ninth Street's future
(News & Observer, 23 March 2007)
It didn't take long Thursday night to get to the heart of property owners' worries about a proposed plan to preserve the eclectic Ninth Street district... "I don't know if I can trust what you're saying," Carol Anderson, owner of Vaguely Reminiscent boutique, told Durham city planners presenting the plan... "But I want to."
Epicurean
(News & Observer, 21 March 2007)
Dain's Place, which has opened in the old Peek-a-Boo's Bar & Grill spot, is a solid candidate for Funkiest Decor in the Triangle award. Indeed, the bamboo paddle fans that Dain's inherited from its predecessor seem almost mundane in the midst of all the offbeat bric-a-brac (a Mattel Hot Wheels car collection framed in a vintage Amish carriage wheel -- you have to see it -- and dozens of ceramic college beer mugs hanging overhead.
Off-East bus to continue service
(Duke Chronicle, 20 March 2007)
With the creation of a new C-5 bus route, the convenience enjoyed by freshmen traveling to nearby Ninth Street and Brightleaf Square is now a reality for upperclassmen as well.
"We hope the administration will continue to support student projects that will enhance students' social lives and involvement with the community," the student body president said.
New sidewalk to provide easier access for walkers
(Durham News N&O, 17 March 2007)
For some Durham citizens, getting to Duke Hospital is about to get easier. For some others, it's about to get easier to get to the grocery store... The new sidewalk makes a relatively safe pedestrian route from the Watts Hospital-Hillandale and Old West Durham neighborhoods to Duke Hospital, and from the Crest Street neighborhood to Duke and to Hillsborough Road and its handy Food Lion market.
Willie Patterson, Crest Street resident: "It's kind of difficult for the people over here in Crest Street to get to Food Lion... They've developed a path right there by the Durham Freeway to make it easier ... and the sidewalk from Club Boulevard back to Fulton Street will really make it safer."
Nominations open for preservation award
(News & Observer, 17 March 2007)
Attention, owners who have rehabilitated older properties with appropriate architectural sensitivity: Preservation Durham wants to know about you... Past winners include the Blooming Garden Inn on Holloway Street, Elmo's Diner on Ninth Street, City Place on Washington Street, Monkeytop and Sunnyside on Pettigrew Street and the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association Web site.
Informal gathering with EK Powe parents at Broad Street Cafe
(N&O Blog, 8 March 2007)
Choosing a school for a rising kindergartener can be a challenge. Most of us have relied on word of mouth. Those of us with kids at our neighborhood school, E.K. Powe, would like to provide an opportunity to share our experiences at the school. So, if you're interested in hearing more about the school from current parents, please join us for your beverage of choice at Broad Street Cafe.
Durham, Love Yourself: With shirts, store sets out to foster Durham pride
(Duke Chronicle, 6 March 2007)
"I see other communities that sweep everything under the rug and pretend they're just a shining city on a hill," visiting professor Tim Tyson said. "But Durham deals with it. That's why Durham is a great city."
Carol Anderson, a 30-year Durham resident and the owner of Vaguely Reminiscent, a vintage store on Ninth Street, attributed many misconceptions about the city to the media attention surrounding the Duke lacrosse case.
"The dirty laundry is all out for everybody to see," she said. "People around the country and around the world have a questioning and curious view of Durham... We know that we've got something real special here, but there lingers, because of the manufacturing history in Durham, the image of blue collar."
Our local Internet connection
(Durham Skywriter, February 2007)
Old West Durham Neighborhood Association (www.owdna.org) is an example of the ideal community website. It's fun to explore and you really get a sense of both the history and what it's like to live there now. The website's homepage opens with an intriguing photo of Erwin Mills, and also lists neighborhood businesses; links are provided for information on the neighborhood association (in English and Spanish). On the lefthand side are mentions of the OWDNA and PAC2 meeting schedules, links to a self-guided tour of Duke's East Campus, the Friends of South Ellerbe Creek organization, and stories about Old West Durham in the news.
Back to their roots
(Daily Tar Heel, 28 Feb 2007)
Returning to the town that gave them their start, music legends George Hamilton IV and John Loudermilk strummed their guitars while they sang, reminisced and poked fun at each other in front of a packed auditorium.
Hamilton, 69, and Loudermilk, 72, gained fame after collaborating on the hit 1956 pop single "A Rose and a Baby Ruth"... "I'm glad I was from Durham because they understand music out there," Loudermilk said.
Urban Hike in West Durham
(The Source, Sierra Club newsletter, Feb/March 2007)
Where did Madonna take early dance lessons? Was Duke Chapel really going to be built in Walltown? Why is Ninth Street called Ninth Street? Come along and find out. 4-mile loop starts in historic Oval Park.
Country singers set to perform
(Herald-Sun, 15 February 2007)
John D. Loudermilk and George Hamilton IV -- country music stars with North Carolina roots -- will perform on campus to celebrate the donation of their personal papers to the Southern Folklife Collection in UNC's Wilson Library.
The Outspokin' Cyclist: Ice puts focus on need for different kind of cities
(Herald-Sun, 8 February 2007)
What we can do to prepare for the next ice storm is break away from our dependence on the automobile... A safe community is one in which getting to the store, running errands, caring for an elderly friend or parent, or getting to work isn't made impossible by the weather... A walkable community is one in which during Triangle-wide ice storms, we can get to the food, firewood, or friendship we need to endure it.
Restaurant review: Xiloa
(Chronicle, 1 February 2007)
Xiloa and Ninth Street were made for one another. Had this quirky Nicaraguan restaurant opened in Brightleaf Square or the American Tobacco Complex, it would seem woefully out of place. Yet on Ninth Street, among the motorcycles perched in front of Charlie's and the hookah smokers and Turkish coffee sippers at International Delights, Xiloa fits right in.
If you want a free house, then move it
(News & Observer, 31 January 2007)
As part of an extensive negotiation with neighborhood and local business advocates, Duke agreed to offer the former mill homes to anyone willing to move them. The university also will put $5,000 toward the move, according to John Schelp, a neighborhood advocate and preservationist heralding the proposal.
The Garden Street house is a former grocery store that harkens back to a time when the Erwin Cotton Mills were a major player in the city's economy. The grocery, built around 1924, was managed for many years by a Mr. Tilley, who was a justice of the peace.
Duke to give away historic Central houses
(Duke Chronicle, 5 February 2007)
Now is the chance to own a part of Durham history.
Preservation Durham, a local non-profit organization, is working with the University to relocate several of the historic Erwin mill houses on Central Campus.
Twelve of the remaining houses from the mill village that once included 450 homes for local factory workers are now available to the public for free.
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association was pleased by how the University interacted with its Durham neighbors... Community interest has been positive, and potential customers have come from all over the map.
Durham residents hold optimistic views on new campus
(Duke Chronicle, 1 February 2007)
After dozens of meetings within the community and behind closed doors in the Allen Building, administrators and neighborhood representatives settled on a 12-point binding agreement in January that, among other things, includes a 50,000-sq. ft. cap on retail space for the new Central, said John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association and a leader of the stakeholders group, which is involved in negotiations with University officials.
With the agreement, John Valentine, Trinity '71 and owner of the Regulator Bookshop, said the University will be expected to follow "good faith" policies in making decisions for the new Central and avoid infringing on local businesses' bread and butter with its "no tax-paying behemoth lead foot."
"Erwin Road is going to become the most public face of Duke," Schelp said, adding that the location of the road will make retail space there very accessible to the public. "We were trying to limit the amount of shopping Duke could cram into that space. Duke's mission is academics not shopping."
City Council member Mike Woodard said the University's willingness to work alongside the neighborhood associations was a "tipping point" in the Council's vote, but added that the community supported the Central plans from the onset.
Durham has soul. Chapel Hill has soul. Raleigh? Bless its heart.
(News & Observer, 30 Jan 2007)
Raleigh may have more people than any other city in the Triangle, but it also has less soul. A quick take on its local counterparts in the soul business:
Durham: A gritty, yet up-and-coming city, Durham has a bit of an image problem when it comes to crime-related issues. But from the Durham Bulls to its arts scene to Duke University, it has an identity, and the people who live there have an emotional attachment to the city.
Sunday Buzz: Dain's Place Opening on Ninth
(Herald-Sun, 28 January 2007)
Be the first to raise a mug of brew or eat a hot dog at Dain's Place when the Ninth Street establishment opens Monday at 11 a.m. for lunch. Durham resident Dain Phelan has been remodeling the 1,300-square-foot space at 754 Ninth St. since late last year... The nonsmoking bar also will have five beers on tap and some 44 American microbrews available behind the counter.
Editorial: A welcome compromise
(Herald-Sun, 28 January 2007)
Congratulations to Duke University officials and members of a community "stakeholders" group who worked long and hard to hammer out agreement on 12 conditions to clear the way for the university to move forward with plans to develop its massive 128-acre Central Campus project... Thhe community struggled long and hard with this one. In the long run, we think such thorough and thoughtful discussions about major projects such as Central Campus are healthy for the community.
Editorial: Elbow room for Duke
(News & Observer, 28 January 2007)
It took months for the Durham City Council finally to approve development of Duke University's massive Central Campus project, but that's good. The assemblage of new student housing, classrooms, arts and office buildings, student eateries and other shops between the current East and West campuses was opposed by residents in surrounding neighborhoods and by merchants who worried, understandably, about competition... In short, the entire Durham community has a stake in a project that will allow the university to grow and flourish.
Pilot bus route sees early success, seeks longevity
(Duke Chronicle, 29 January 2007)
The pilot program for a new off-campus bus route made its debut Thursday night and was a definite success with students... "I think the real test will be whether Campus Services and Student Affairs are willing to put their money in, because obviously students want it," the Duke Student Government's vice president said.
Column: With all deliberate speed
(Duke Chronicle, 23 January 2007)
Following last week's announcement of a settlement between the University and neighborhood groups -- not to mention City Council's approval of our request to rezone Central Campus -- students are getting their first opportunity to process Durhamites' demands... Although the regulatory path has now been cleared for the 70-year, mega-million dollar reconstruction plan that will transform the campus, I fear that administrators have compromised students' needs. In particular, we will live to regret our capitulation to strict caps on retail development.
In order to win regulatory approval, the University had to agree to limit public retail space to 50,000 square feet, 20,000 of which will be transferred from existing stores on West Campus. That means that Duke's new 128-acre, 1,200-bed community must make do with an effective increase of just 30,000 square feet-approximately the size of an Eckerd's drug store... It's hard to conclude that administrators have done an adequate job of weighing our needs...
Sunday Buzz: Locopops to expand to 2 more locations
(Herald-Sun, 21 January 2007) Coo-coo for locopops: After winning a devout following at its Hillsborough Road location, Locopops is gearing up for an expansion that includes new locations in Chapel Hill and downtown Durham.
Bidder business: If you keep thinking about using eBay but just can't motivate, a business called Auction Now is here for you. The business, located at 1900 W. Markham Ave. just off Ninth Street, is a consignment-based online auction service that sells goods online to the highest bidder.
Durham gives nod to new Central: Vote praised as victory for Duke, city
(Duke Chronicle, 17 January 2007)
To placate fears, University officials agreed that total retail space open to both University and local customers would not exceed 50,000 square feet, and that no single retail or restaurant space would exceed 20,000 square feet.
Restrictions on the height of new buildings, buffer space adjacent to non-University-owned properties and protection for historic buildings were also guaranteed by University officials.
"Today we celebrate a victory for Durham," Schelp said. "We have been able to help Duke help itself become a better neighbor."
Council permits Duke rezoning
(Herald-Sun, 17 January 2007)
The vote came after Duke officials and the leaders of a "stakeholders group" of neighboring merchants and homeowners told the council that they had reached agreement on a set of 12 conditions that will govern the university's development.
The leaders of the stakeholders group, John Schelp of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association and Tom Miller of the Watts Hospital-Hillandale Neighborhood Association, joined Duke University Provost Peter Lange Tuesday in asking the council to approve the rezoning.
Schelp called the agreement a victory for [neighbors and merchants near campus,] Duke "and all of Durham," and said neighbors would keep an eye on the implementation of the retail condition, which is meant to protect merchants on Ninth Street from competition from campus-based retailers who benefit from Duke's exemption from property taxes.
Duke's path to approval did hit some bumps along the way, most notably last summer when leaders of the private school coupled their rezoning application to a largely-blank set of drawings that omitted details about the Central Campus development.
Council OKs Central Campus
(News & Observer, 17 January 2007)
The 7-0 vote came after the university made several key concessions to appease critics from nearby neighborhoods.
University officials agreed to a dozen legally binding conditions that will limit the height of future buildings, curtail the amount of retail space, require the planting of bigger trees and other concessions.
"A Congolese proverb says: 'No matter how long the night, the day is sure to come,' " said Old West Durham Neighborhood Association President John Schelp, who until about two weeks ago had opposed Duke's rezoning. "Well, the day has finally come. After a long, oftentimes difficult journey, we have reached agreement on all 12 committed elements, and we support Duke's rezoning case."
Peace (mostly) rules on Central Campus
(News & Observer, 10 January 2007)
"We've finally broken through the Gothic ceiling," said John Schelp, a neighborhood advocate... In a rezoning proposal set to go before the City Council on Tuesday, Duke officials have agreed to build no more than 50,000 square feet of new restaurants and shops on the expanse between East and West campuses that would be open to Duke customers and others...
"They've already told us here at the Regulator that they're not going to put another bookstore in as long as we're in business," Campbell said. "I have that in writing. The larger issue that saddens me is they are depriving the students of experiencing Durham and Durham from experiencing the students. Clearly, they're trying to provide everything the students need on campus, and I think that's too bad."
In addition to winning retail restrictions, the neighborhood advocates persuaded Duke to offer 12 of the mill houses in the way of the proposed development free to anyone willing to move them. Schelp said Duke also had agreed to put $5,000 toward the move, the same amount it would have cost to demolish the houses.
Progress made on Central Campus
(Herald-Sun, 10 January 2007)
Negotiators for the "stakeholders group" of neighborhood and business interests "are pleased with the retail" restrictions and believe they will forestall the development of stores that would compete with off-campus retailers for the public's business, said John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association.
City Councilman Mike Woodard -- who says he has support for his stance from four other council members, more than enough to block the rezoning -- responded with a lengthy explanation why the height limit in the ordinance isn't right for the Erwin/Anderson intersection. [Duke later agreed to a lower height limit.]
Collection creates a visual timeline
(Herald-Sun, 7 January 2007)
John Schelp's interest in the history of Durham began with the history of his Old West Durham neighborhood home near Ninth Street. Built in 1928, the house originally served as the parsonage for West Durham Church of God, then located where Duke Central Campus is today... Vintage postcards picture Duke University, North Carolina Central University, the tobacco factories, textile mills and street scenes. At one time, there were almost 10 cotton mills in Durham including Erwin Mills in the Ninth Street area.
The online postcard collection has already been forwarded to Duke students and professors as well as community list serves. He is president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association and played a major role in developing the content for the neighborhood's award-winning online history Web site www.owdna.org
Letter: Bravo, Bob Burtman
(Independent Weekly, 20 December 2006)
If Duke discussed the details of its Central Campus rezoning with the community back in the spring, we wouldn't be in the middle of this rezoning drama now. Instead, Duke submitted a mostly blank development plan—ignoring three years of input from the community... We all have a vested interest in the successful redevelopment of Central Campus—and in healthy businesses and neighborhoods in Durham. Hopefully, we can walk into City Council chambers with an agreement in January. But we certainly didn't need to wade through this three-year mess to get here.
French bliss: Vin Rouge is more like the 9th arrondissement than Ninth Street
(Independent Weekly, 20 December 2006)
It could have been Paris for all I knew. The bistro aura is thick at Vin Rouge — dim lighting, Euro tunes, wide-plank oiled-wood bar, blood-red paint with black-framed art, wine list stocked with Bordeaux and Burgundy.
The story of Vin Rouge is a minor legend among area restaurant folk. The concept was bold and inviting: a true Parisian bistro at the neighborhood intersection of Hillsborough and Ninth. (Chéri, let's stroll to dinner, shall we?)
City Council delays vote on Central Campus
(Duke Chronicle, 11 December 2006)
In response to requests from a group of community members, the Durham City Council has agreed to postpone the vote on plans for the new Central Campus to Jan. 16, Duke officials recently confirmed.
In recent months, University officials have tried to address some community members' concerns about the proposed construction project, including criticisms that new stores and restaurants would hurt local businesses.
Burness added that only a "narrow bunch of issues" remain in contention with critical community members... Using feedback from discussions with community members, Duke officials agreed to place a cap on the amount of retail space allowed, among other changes, Burness said.
Barry Saunders: Area needs stop-Gap measure
(N&O Durham News, 9 December 2006)
As a Durham resident for more than a decade, I consider the Ninth Street business district the Crown Jewel of the Bull City, if not the state. With its mix of bars, bookstores, bagel shops and restaurants, among other things, it is the closest-to-avant-garde section in the state.
Duke officials need to realize that their retail and restaurant plans along Anderson Street threaten not only the Ninth Street merchants who welcome and depend on Duke students for survival, but also the link to a section of Durham that gives the school whatever funkiness it possesses.
Fair trade marketable at this Ninth Street shop
(Durham News, 9 December 2006)
One World Market on Ninth Street is an important shopping venue for many Durham folks, especially those who know that the "fair trade" products sold here help artisans around the world become self-supporting... One World Market began 14 years ago out of a suitcase and a box in the pastor's office at Watts Street Baptist Church. Since that time, the market has brought in about $3 million for artisans around the world.
Police charge three in connection with 1999 murder
(Herald-Sun, 6 December 2006)
Two men were arrested and a third charged Tuesday in connection with the 1999 murder of 63-year-old Charles Johnson of Virgie Street in Durham, police say... Chief Chamlers said he hoped Tuesday's arrests would send a message to the families of victims in other unsolved homicides that they are not forgotten.
Point of View: Makeover madness
(News & Observer, 6 December 2006)
ABC's made-for-TV teardown in Raleigh may create an hour of great television, but it's certainly not good for the neighborhood. Nor is an extreme makeover necessarily the best long-term financial value for the house's owners.
The adage "they don't build 'em like they used to" is so true. New houses, unless they are custom built, are constructed of far inferior materials than those found in older homes. Plaster and wood are significantly better products than sheetrock, vinyl and glued-up wood products. The old material has better energy and sound insulation qualities than the new. [The author grew up in West Durham, attended EK Powe and is now president of Preservation North Carolina.]
Burtman: The Blue Devil is in the details
(Independent Weekly, 6 December 2006)
[Duke PR chief John] Burness has explanations for these and other seemingly suspect actions. The problematic clause in the $2 million agreement was "lawyer language" he says... But Burness and other administrators must know that any new disclosure that looks or smells funny can reinforce old attitudes and undo much more significant acts of goodwill. That's especially true of Duke, which carries significant historical baggage rooted in its segregated past and early isolationism from the city—in some quarters, as Burness notes, Duke is still known as "The Plantation."
Burness agrees that Duke could always do things better, and that the benefit of hindsight has revealed some of how that can be accomplished... "When you're as large an entity as Duke is, people are going to take potshots at you."
On the other hand, maybe those potshots would be fewer and farther between if Duke took greater pains not to provide the ammunition.
Diversity continues to push Durham forward
(Riverside Pirate's Hook, December 2006)
"Building relationships and fighting for issues of common interest is a way to build community," Schelp said. As Durham continues to grow, it is important that our diversity is reflected in our decisions and we focus on all of our positive achievements. "I think that we need to celebrate more and embrace more the fact that the citizens of Durham have more input in local government than other North Carolina cities," Schelp said.
Editorial: The Regulator celebrates No. 30
(Herald-Sun, 4 December 2006)
The Regulator, its owners say, is "where you are likely to be surprised by a book, a conversation, an author, or a chance meeting with a friend." For 30 years, The Regulator has been providing those surprises by the score to Durhamites and to visitors who come to visit or just stumble happily upon the shop on Ninth Street.
Started by self-described ex- "'60s hippies" in the front of a building that housed a printshop in 1976, the store has expanded twice. Along with the nearby Magnolia Grill, which celebrated its own 25th anniversary this year, The Regulator was one of the first anchors of what has become the Ninth Street shopping-restaurant district treasured by so many.
The Regulator turns a page in independent book sales
(Herald-Sun, 1 December 2006)
The day dawned cold with a promise of snow flurries --Dec. 4, 1976, when The Regulator Bookshop opened on Durham's Ninth Street. The retail climate there seemed cold, too, maybe too cold for a bookstore. Two grills and other shops catered to workers at nearby Erwin Mills.
"Tom and John have created a wonderful community of book lovers through their readings, their book clubs and their well-stocked shelves. Durham is most fortunate. We are a better city for their efforts," Keith Brodie said.
Over the years, the store has hosted some 2,000 writer events and now averages three to four readings a week, Valentine said.
"Ninth Street has become the best pedestrian-friendly, non-mall shopping street in town -- a perfect place for a bookstore," Campbell said.
Buy into the gifts that keep on giving ... to Durham
(Durham News, 2 December 2006)
If all of your shopping takes place at national chains, it might dampen your Christmas spirit to learn that of every $100 you spend, all but 14 bucks has left Durham, much of it swelling the pockets of corporate board members and shareholders. These folks aren't shouldering our local tax burden; instead they treat Durham as a colony to fleece... On the other hand, nearly a dozen studies show that for every $100 you spend at locally owned businesses, as many as 45 to 68 of your dollars stay in Durham, depending on the type of business. That's 31 to 54 percent more of your $100 building a better Durham.
We're not dogmatic about shopping locally, but we do get tires at Ingold's or Durham Tire, lumber at Talbert's Building Supply, hardware at Public Hardware, bird feeders and birdhouses at The Outdoor Bird Co., toys at The Playhouse, books, cards and magazines at the Regulator Bookshop, gifts at Zola Craft Gallery...
Column: Uncle Moneybags (theater/Central Campus deal)
(Duke Chronicle, 1 December 2006)
Despite tepid legal assurances, councilman Thomas Stith-the lone dissenter in the 5-1 vote-called the deal "quid pro quo." Angry Durham residents also chimed in, denouncing the deal as "bribery," "criminal" and a "boondoggle."
At this juncture, it's hard to disagree with them. This "gift" was a blatant attempt to evade the zoning wars that have plagued other phases of the Central Campus reconstruction plan...
So, Duke administrators, it's time to face the facts. The millions of dollars you've frittered away in the form of payoffs, "donations," "contributions" and other financial transactions all add up to one thing: Duke behaves more like a sugar daddy than a partner these days...
Once upon a time on Ninth Street (News & Observer, 28 November 2006) Tom Campbell begins the story like this: A small and perhaps improbable bookstore opens its doors for the first time on a cold Saturday morning. It's early in December 1976. There's a vague memory of snow flurries in the air... This Saturday, Campbell and co-owner John Valentine will host a celebration of the store's 30th anniversary. The eclectic bookshop, on busy Ninth Street, has been a gathering place for the community, a place to browse and shop for books in private and espouse ideas in public.
"It almost defines Ninth Street... You can find any good food to eat from hot dogs to pizza to Mexican food. Ninth Street was... a ruralized funky city. It had a little bit of country feel with its sculptured frogs and Indian clothing shop. The bookstore was the intellectual center of all of that. You could be a Duke professor or a farmer and run into one another on Ninth Street." --Clyde Edgerton
At 30, shop still has stories to sell
(N&O Durham News, 25 November 2006)
Howard Johnson's was advertising a "Deep Sea Dinner" for $1.99. And the Starlite Drive-In was showing "Inside Marilyn Chambers" and "Sodom and Gomorrah." ...Where the Magnolia Grill is now on Ninth Street, there was Troutman's College of Hairstyling. Where Bruegger's is now, there was a Wachovia Bank. In the 700 block there were Morgan's Restaurant and the Shoe Inn, Aileen's Coiffures -- and one little bookstore.
Skip ahead to now: Troutman's, Morgan's, Aileen's and the Shoe Inn are gone, and the Regulator is about to observe its 30th anniversary.
Editorial: Preserve character, welcome growth
(Herald-Sun, 16 November 2006)
There's no question that Ninth Street has a unique character that needs protecting. You won't find anything like it in a modern shopping center or along one of those ubiquitous strips where the highway is lined with fast-food restaurants and gas stations... The small area plan is in an early stage -- it may not reach the City Council until spring or later. But it's already brought recommendations from the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, which reminds planners that historic structures need protection.
That's a good suggestion.
Letter: Allow local merchants to thrive on Ninth Street
(Herald-Sun, 19 November 2006)
Had you asked me freshman year at Duke my thoughts on building development in Durham, I probably would have been all for it. I have returned to Duke and Durham with a fresh perspective and a newfound appreciation for Durham's small-town charm... If current merchants get pushed out by rent increases due to further development, what will be left of our beloved street?
For Magnolia, a toast at 20: Acclaimed 9th Street restaurant quietly reaches milestone (Herald-Sun, 17 November 2006)
Twenty years ago this week, the now nationally recognized Barkers started a joint venture in a building where they once had shopped -- the original Wellspring Grocery on Ninth Street at Knox Street in Durham.
Over the years, each Barker has been recognized individually, as well as Magnolia Grill itself. Ben Barker is chef and Karen Barker is pastry chef. Each has won a James Beard Foundation award. They have made several magazines' lists of best chefs and restaurants. The most recent, in the October issue of "Gourmet," is a repeat accolade as the nation's 11th best restaurant... Twenty-nine Magnolia Grill alumni run their own kitchens now. Of those, 16 own their own restaurants.
Clause is hitch in Duke deal: Rezoning tied to Durham donation
(News & Observer, 13 November 2006)
"Even if the city reserved the right to turn down the rezoning or the site plan approval, the fact that there's $1.5 million that's out there contingent upon approval, I think would pose a significant legal problem," said UNC professor David Owens, who holds degrees in law and planning and who has written books on North Carolina's land-use and zoning laws.
A flurry of e-mail messages posted by those living in neighborhoods near the campus hammered the City Council for the arrangement this week, expressing doubt that the elected officials would forget about Duke's gift when casting their votes on the rezoning plan... "What kind of partnership is based on bribery?" asked one from the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association.
Plan may pave way for 9th Street's future (N&O Durham News, 11 November 2006) If Durham Area Designers can help it, the city's Ninth Street district will be able to maintain its uniqueness while fostering more development in the area.
Ninth Street, the locally owned shopping district with whiffs of the upscale and Durham funk, got a peek at what possibly could be its future last week.
What they are saying...
"The planning staff is going to have to establish some sort of protection for three things: the existing shops on the east side of Ninth Street; the Erwin Mills Building number one; and the churches. The staff going to have to come up with some sort of way to protect those elements so we don't lose landmark buildings." --John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association
"You've got to have a certain critical mass of retail to make a destination. I want to make sure whatever we decide is in scale with what we have now. When the planners started out talking, he talked about how successful Ninth Street has been. That's what I'd like to see us emulate." --Carol Anderson, owner of Vaguely Reminiscent on Ninth Street
Central Campus moving forward
(Herald-Sun, 11 November 2006)
The two sides have all but agreed on the square footage of on-campus retail the rezoning should allow, using a formula that draws a distinction between space open to all shoppers and space only people affiliated with Duke can use.
Neighbors and merchants are encouraged but want to see how Duke reduces the proposal to writing, said John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association.
Editorial: Sure sounds like a 'quid pro quo'
(Herald-Sun, 8 November 2006)
Just because we really want a new theater doesn't mean we should make a foolish deal in order to get it, which is what City Council did Monday.
Council unanimously voted for a "quid pro quo," which is Latin, loosely, for "something for something." The something City Council gets is a $1.5 million donation from Duke University, the last piece of funding needed for the theater. What Duke wants in exchange is a favorable vote on its plans for Anderson Street, which will become the main road through the renovated Central Campus...
The problem is that governments can't do quid pro quos, for obvious reasons. The deliberative process must be free from influence, especially the kind that can be purchased with a large check.
Theater plan OK'd, strings attached
(Herald-Sun, 7 November 2006)
Brushing aside complaints about the appearance of a quid pro quo, the City Council voted Monday to green-light construction of a long-planned downtown performing arts center and apply to the project an extra $2 million donated by Duke University.
"If Durham accepts the terms of Duke's offer, undue pressure will be placed on seeing through Duke's desires with less attention paid on having a fair and comprehensive review of the proposal that takes into account other potential impacts on nearby business districts," Broad Street resident and Duke alumnus Joel Sholtes said in an e-mail to the council Monday afternoon. "How can Durham fairly assess Duke's proposal with a contingent $1.5 million hanging in the air?"
Stage is set for center: The Durham City Council approves the performing arts plan
(News & Observer, 7 November 2006)
Under the agreement approved Monday, Duke will immediately write the city a $500,000 check. The remaining $1.5 million will be granted only upon the city's approval of Duke's Anderson Street plan and "any other necessary approvals required by the city for Duke to undertake the improvements." Some who have criticized the arrangement see that phrase as a direct reference to the Central Campus rezoning... It is illegal under state law for a local government to accept money in exchange for granting regulatory approval.
John Schelp, the president of the Old West Neighborhood Association, said Monday's vote had effectively signaled to future developers the price for which the Durham City Council can be bought.
"This will be a dark cloud over the Central Campus rezoning from here on out," Schelp said. "This is clearly something for something. Duke was brazen enough to put it in writing."
Duke sticks to Central Campus retail figure
(Herald-Sun, 6 November 2006)
The university's new proposal drew a cautious response from Tom Miller, a Watts Hospital-Hillandale neighborhood activist who's been one of the two point men for the merchant/neighbor "stakeholders coalition" that's pressed Duke for limits... Miller said neighbors and merchants are worried more about retail on Central than they've been about it on either West Campus or East Campus because Central will be more accessible to passers-by than are spaces like those at the Bryan Center.
"One has to wonder if Duke is just paying lip service for public consumption and doesn't really want to reach an agreement with neighbors and merchants," Schelp said in an email.
"Whether the theater deal is put into writing or just left hanging in the air, Duke has told us what it wants," the Old West Durham board said in a letter to the council. "We certainly don't want to set bad precedents regarding the transparency of local governance here in Durham. Will Durham be running to Duke every time we have a budget shortage?"
Duke's $2M deal raises eyebrows on City Council
(Duke Chroncile, 1 Novemebr 2006)
A number of City Council members have raised objections over the "quid pro quo" nature of the gift and the timing of the donation, which also comes before the council's vote on the University's Central Campus rezoning proposal-slated for November or December.
The Anderson Street issue has nothing to do with the arts center plans, said John Burness, senior vice president for public affairs and government relations.
Woodard and Brown, along with City Council members Thomas Stith and Diane Catotti, have also expressed concerns over the link between the Anderson Street proposal and the pending council vote that would allow Central Campus to be rezoned from residential to university-college classification.
Editorial: Theater donation deal is a bad idea
(Herald-Sun, 31 October 2006)
Now, after time has passed and the idea has been further discussed, we believe it's even more clear that this is a bad idea. As a matter of fact, it's hard to understand why anyone ever thought it was a good idea.
Now that these concepts have been linked, it will be hard to disconnect them. But Duke and City Council need to try. Duke should untie all the strings from the deal, and the City Council should assure the public that its review of Central Campus will be rigorous and unrelated to the theater.
Councilman voices concern over $2M from Duke
(Herald-Sun, 30 October 2006)
Woodard's comments made him the fourth council member, joining colleagues Thomas Stith, Diane Catotti and Eugene Brown, to voice qualms about whether the juxtaposition of the $2 million donation with the rezoning passes what Stith has termed "the common-sense smell test."
"In talking with local lawyers, they've called this 'Milk-Bone money' -- where Durham has to sit up and beg for Duke's money," John Schelp, an Old West Durham Neighborhood Association activist who's been involved in talks with the university about the rezoning, said in an e-mail to the council. "This deal is darn close to quid pro quo -- and can have a chilling effect on the regulatory function of the city and the legislative function of the council."
Editorial: Integrity, center stage
(News & Observer, 30 October 2006)
We'll excuse Durham residents who think that sounds less like altruism than an attempt to buy favorable votes. State law bans cities from giving regulatory approval in return for money.
What the two parties [Duke and Durham] shouldn't do is proceed to cut this dubious deal -- self-serving to both sides -- on the basis of a bunch of winks. So much winking is hard on the eyes and worse, would corrode residents' trust in government.
Letter: DDI shouldn't recruit library from East Durham
(Herald-Sun, 28 October 2006)
Downtown Durham Inc. is pitching the old Woolworth's as a site for the new library, and what a boon the library would be for the "central district." Is lobbying for the shifting of desirable government services to serve developer interests really an appropriate use of taxpayer funds?
Advocates for the 9th Street area have fought this 'in-town recruiting' battle before. Residents of the Cleveland-Holloway neighborhood don't have the organization or clout that western neighborhoods have. But residents and businesses on the east side of Durham's downtown, such as those at 305 South, will suffer from the loss of the library.
Duke's decision also keeps more money on campus -- and out of Durham...
Letter: Set the record straight
(Duke Chronicle, 27 October 2006)
Duke's decision [to prevent Duke students from using their DukeCard for deliveries]... harms consumers by depriving them of a valued service, and it harms local restaurants by depriving them of customers who cannot drive to their establishments.
Peace Corps vet leads pro-Durham charge
(Duke Chronicle, 25 October 2006)
John Schelp, a former Peace Corps volunteer and local community leader, has become one of Durham's most vocal advocates. At times, his commitment to the neighborhood has even put him at odds with the Duke administration... "We can affect change in this town," he explained. "Part of that is because Duke balances out the business community, which gives the neighborhoods a voice [in community affairs]."
In his tenure as OWDNA president, Schelp has already collaborated with Duke several times, including on the defeat of the proposed asphalt plant in East Durham that would have significantly lowered residents' standard of living... Schelp and the University have not always seen eye to eye, particularly over Duke's plans to redevelop Central Campus.
City Council wary of $2M Duke deal
(Herald-Sun, 20 October 2006)
"I find it quite interesting that the council would vote to restrain its total objectivity on any issue," [Old West Durham resident] Chris Sevick said. "Even if the council members maintain that they will be objective in the future, this sure looks like a bribe. It would be best for the council not to create an appearance of impropriety, and reject this deal."
Durham asks for money, but Duke has terms
(News & Observer, 20 October 2006)
As a gesture of its good will, Duke is proposing to give the city a $500,000 "donation" upon the signing of a binding agreement that pledges "timely" consideration of the university's plan for Anderson.
The remaining $1.5 million "donation," however, will only be granted upon the city's approval of Duke's plan for improvements and "any other necessary approvals required by the city for Duke to undertake the improvements."
It is illegal under state law for a local government to accept money in exchange for granting regulatory approval. Such a quid pro quo -- a Latin phrase defined as "something for something" -- would be considered tantamount to bribery.
Newcomers on a culinary Embassy Row
(News & Observer, 18 October 2006)
Boasting nearly a score of restaurants within a three-block stretch -- a widely diverse assortment covering the spectrum from French bistro to Mongolian barbecue -- Ninth Street in Durham has a well-earned reputation as something of an Embassy Row of ethnic dining.
That reputation just got stronger with the addition of two newcomers, both featuring dual-cuisine menus unlike any other in the Triangle. As it happens, the two restaurants are next door neighbors... At 746 Ninth Street, Metro 8 Steakhouse is an American steakhouse with an Argentinean flair... Just next door at number 748 -- but worlds apart in terms of style and cuisine -- is Xiloa, which promises "a taste of the tropics and a twist of the Southwest."
Duke, Durham work to improve crosswalks
(Duke Chronicle, 13 October 2006)
Recent pedestrian accidents and neighborhood complaints have spurred Duke and Durham officials to stress the importance of pedestrian safety and convenience... The Duke University Pedestrian Plan, aimed at improving sidewalk infrastructure on campus, was brought in front of the Review Board earlier this month, but it was deferred.
Community members have reacted strongly to Duke's Pedestrian Plan, saying Duke is not currently doing enough to correct the inferior pedestrian facilities.
The worn jogging paths around East Campus are not as functional as conventional sidewalks, and the stone wall surrounding the paths makes them inaccessible from Markham Avenue, according to a statement issued by Durham's Department of Transportation.
"Most of the community feedback consists of individuals with agendas," the head of Duke's community affairs said.
Planners' advice: No Duke rezoning
(Herald-Sun, 11 October 2006)
Voicing dissatisfaction with Duke University's promises about retail development on campus, the Durham Planning Commission recommended Tuesday night that the City Council reject a proposed rezoning of the school's Central Campus.
The 7-4 vote came after neighborhood leaders and the managing partner of Northgate Mall said Duke hadn't gone far enough to guard against the possibility that the 128-acre Central Campus redevelopment would undercut private-sector businesses.
Advisory body opposes Central Campus plan
(News & Observer, 11 October 2006)
The city's planning commission, a panel that advises the City Council on land-use and development issues, voted 7 to 4 to recommend rejection of the rezoning proposal.
"I don't believe a university ought to be in the business of running a shopping center," said Caleb Southern, a planning commission member.
"The mission of the university is education. Retail shouldn't be the mission," Schelp said.
Zoning for new Central hits hiccup
(Duke Chronicle, 11 October 2006)
"This is a victory for common sense," said John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association.
Ginny Bowman, who is affiliated with Northgate Mall, said because the University is a non-profit organization with different tax laws, on-campus retailers would have an unfair advantage.
Letter: Ask Duke questions
(Herald-Sun, 10 October 2006)
If Duke envisages a significant increase of total retail space on the remodeled Central Campus, this will have to involve targeting a larger market, meaning Durham residents. Or else Duke will need a massive increase in the size of its student body.
If Duke is going to have to target this larger Durham market as a matter of simple economic sense, the merchants on nearby Ninth Street need to start asking some hard questions.
Letter: Duke gives runaround on new central campus
(Herald-Sun, 10 October 2006)
As a taxpayer and local merchant I am just outraged at the runaround Durham and its citizens are receiving from Duke University regarding the rezoning of Central Campus. After nearly four years of stonewalling, Duke's rezoning request at tonight's Planning Commission will allow the university to build any number of 20,000 square-foot stores on campus.
As presented today, Duke's request has the potential of undermining local business for miles (this is not just about Ninth Street) while lining their own tax exempt pockets... I hope the days of Duke calling the shots in Durham are over and the Planning Commission will send Duke back to the table to negotiate honorably with the community stakeholders who've been working on these issues.
Letter: Duke's sidewalk plan inadequate
(Duke Chronicle, 2 October 2006)
The Pedestrian Plan that Duke recently submitted to Durham's Development Review Board for approval is woefully inadequate. Duke's plan leaves off a significant number of future sidewalks-which gives the University a pass on sidewalk requirements outlined in Durham's ordinance.
In public hearings, Duke has repeatedly affirmed the importance of sidewalks and pedestrian connectivity. A review of its pedestrian plan suggests that talk is cheap... According to local officials, Duke seems to be working behind the scenes to avoid building sidewalks near its projects.
Instead of trying to save money, Duke should create a safer environment for students, visitors, fans and neighbors. Instead of scaling back their commitments to sidewalks, Duke should be working even harder to build better, pedestrian-friendly bridges with Durham.
Duke, Durham host Gay Pride Parade
(Duke Chronicle, 2 October 2006)
With the roar of motorcycle engines, the wail of fire truck sirens and the display of a rainbow-colored flag, the North Carolina Gay Pride Parade was off to a rambunctious and colorful start Saturday afternoon.
Approximately 6,000 people gathered around Main, Broad and Ninth streets to support the parade in its 22nd year and cheer as the floats drove by... "It's a wonderful day in the neighborhood," said John Schelp, president of the Old West Neighborhood Association. "It's an opportunity to embrace tolerance and diversity."
Pride parade attracts thousands Ninth Street to East Campus: 'Environment of Acceptance'
(Herald-Sun, 1 October 2006)
Spilling from Ninth Street to the Duke East Campus and attracting an estimated several thousand people from around the state and beyond, Saturday's Gay Pride Parade meant different things to different people, depending on the particular perspectives and life experiences they brought to it.
One goal of Saturday's event was to build bridges to the non-gay community, Hayes said. He was encouraged by the fact that more than 20 Ninth Street businesses displayed "gay-friendly" logos in their windows.
Pride parade surges past protesters: Durham event draws thousands
(News & Observer, 1 October 2006)
Once the parade started, the preachers were drowned out by loud cheers, honking horns and buzzing kazoos.
A marching band, political dignitaries and numerous gay advocates, including church groups and college alliances, made their way down Main Street toward the Ninth Street business district.
The Buzz: Gallery, steakhouse open on Ninth
(Herald-Sun, 24 September 2006)
Doors opening: Two more doors have opened on Ninth Street as an art gallery/gift shop and steakhouse join the venerable yet anarchistic retail strip.
Metro 8, which the owner describes as an American steakhouse with an Argentinean flair, has opened at 746 Ninth St. in the space where a late-night club operated for a while.
Meanwhile, in food for the soul category, Studio has opened at 624 Ninth St., next to Bruegger's Bagels. Studio paints itself as a visual arts business that also carries furniture, gifts, plants and an array of natural seashells... Launched by Pete Wyman, a 1980 Duke grad in visual arts, the new store features the work of area and regional painters, printmakers and photographers. There are also gift cards, furniture such as bookcases and lamps from Arteriors, and plants for sale, Wyman said.
Campaign to improve local sidewalks
(Duke Chronicle, 22 September 2006)
In a September 15 letter to Durham Mayor Bill Bell, Duke Student Government President Elliott Wolf stressed the potential for future injuries and urged officials to consider implementing new features at the affected area of Broad Street.
Wolf mentioned in the letter several short-term additions initially proposed by the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association that would provide relief to Duke students and the larger Durham community.
The suggestions-including visible signs alerting drivers to pedestrians, extended curbs, a raised crosswalk and a decreased speed limit-need only a "minimal investment by the city," Wolf wrote.
Freshmen cash in on Duke Dining dollars
(Chronicle, 20 September 2006)
"I really like the ability it gives students to try out new places. I wouldn't have necessarily gone to certain restaurants if I was using my own money," freshman Katrina Henderson said. "You can't eat at The Marketplace every day."
Jim Wulforst, director of dining services, acknowledged that the cards have only achieved their goals to a certain extent... "I know merchants appreciate it and it was good to introduce the class to the vendors," Wulforst said. He said he is surprised, however, that the card had not been generating more of a buzz among the freshman class.
Buried in the Blue Zone (Duke Chronicle, 20 September 2006)
T.J. Rigsbee Family Graveyard, a privately owned cemetery composed of 14 headstones and surrounded by a three-foot-high stone wall, is nestled smack dab in the middle of the Blue Zone parking lot and overlooks the second lot closest to Wallace Wade Stadium.
The Rigsbee estate, graveyard included, stretched across 600 acres of forest and fertile farm land [including present-day Ninth Street] at the height of the family's prominence. The primary Rigsbee home stood on the left side of the current Blue Zone and Jesse Rigsbee later built a log cabin on the present-day site of Duke Hospital. According to family lore, the family's hogs once slopped on the spot where Duke football now competes.
Letter: Shop with locals
(Herald-Sun, 19 September 2006) Do you shop with locally owned businesses when you need to make a purchase? If not, consider these facts:
--Local business people make enormous contributions to the quality of life in this community.
--They create jobs, boost the tax base and have always invested in our community.
Column: Start making eye contact
(Duke Chronicle, 19 September 2006)
Lenin may be dead, but he still casts a long shadow on this University.
When it comes to attempts to foster student life and a sense of community on campus, the administration seems to be addicted to a particular flavor of large-scale, top-down planning that would make the old Soviet smile.
I would be more inclined to view administration efforts as benign experiments if not for the breathtaking price tags ($3.7 million for the houses off East, $10 million for the Plaza and a projected $240 million for the first phase of Central's transformation into an "academic village")... Not to mention the lack of apparent results.
Editorial: Planning for a better Ninth Street
(Herald-Sun, 19 September 2006)
Nearly a century after the area's first boom created a vibrant shopping district for workers at nearby Erwin Mills, the Ninth Street business district is enjoying a renewed boom that dates to the late 1970s.
In the end, we're confident it will help to retain the character and attractiveness of what the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association web site accurately describes as "one of the Triangle's most popular designations where visitors, students and neighbors enjoy a diverse offering of excellent restaurants and eclectic shops in the heart of an old mill village."
Locals mull over 9th Street renovations
(Duke Chronicle, 18 Sept 2006)
"Change is good, but not all change is good," said John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association. Schelp added that he feared too much development would diminish Ninth Street's local flavor... "Ninth Street is quintessentially Durham," Schelp said. "If we change Ninth Street to look like Bethesda, then we will lose that Durham connection."
Locals want a Ninth Street facelift
(Herald-Sun, 17 September 2006)
Elizabeth Utley fondly recalls when she could get her shoes fixed at Johnny Field's shoe repair store on Ninth Street. Around the same time, she said, the street was well populated with useful shops and markets geared to residents' needs.
An 84-year Durham resident who has lived in the same house on Fifteenth Street for over half a century, Utley says she's seen many changes to the businesses and the area surrounding Ninth Street, and she's looking forward to seeing more.
Changes to Durham's Ninth Street?
(ABC-TV, 16 September 2006)
Frank Duke, city and county planning director, explains. "Ninth Street is a very important part of the Durham environment because of its proximity to Duke because of its proximity to neighborhoods like Old West Durham and Trinity Park so the whole issue becomes - How do we make this a more inviting place?"
Right now officials are just getting feedback from residents and community leaders - and for the most part everyone is saying development is important, but also long as the charm of the city is preserved.
Buzz: Xiloa brings tropical blends
(Herald-Sun, 17 September 2006)
New flavor hits Ninth: Xiloa (say He'elowah) is ready to introduce its fusion of flavors to Durham diners via a menu of juices, salads, tacos, tamales and more.
eBay simplified
(N&O Durham News, 16 September 2006)
Auction Now is a consignment store, in the Music Loft building at 1900 West Markham Avenue, that sells over the Internet and retains a commission for each item sold. Miller researches the market for items, produces ads, fields questions, handles shipping and collects.
No easy fix for dangerous Durham crosswalk
(Herald-Sun, 15 September 2006)
Duke Student Government President Elliott Wolf has written Mayor Bill Bell to ask for further low-cost improvements recommended by the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association. They include a raised crosswalk, an in-road crossing sign, a lower speed limit and curbs extended into the street.
The neighborhood association president said the crosswalk is symbolic of other pedestrian access points around the Duke campus that will continue to be of concern...
Durham residents discuss future of Ninth Street
(News 14 Carolina TV, 15 September 2006)
Ninth Street is known for quirky, independently-owned stores like the Playhouse, which has been selling toys there for 20 years... "A lot of people walk around from the area, from the neighborhoods," explained store manager Joyce Avery. "There's a lot of resident neighborhoods around."
Most folks we talked to agree that they like Ninth Street the way it is. They do not believe the street should get a major make over, rather they say it just needs to be cleaned up a bit... Avery suggested safer crosswalks, better sidewalks, and improved lighting.
Durham's Trendy Ninth Street Could Get Facelift
(WRAL-TV, 13 September 2006)
Durham city planners are taking the first step this week to move forward with a project to rejuvenate one of Durham's trendiest areas... The city is asking for the public's input on changes to Ninth Street, an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants that serves as a gathering spot for Duke University students and longtime Durham residents and draws out-of-towners.
Local residents already have an idea of some improvements they would like to see, including more sidewalks, more decorative streetlights and buffer zones between commercial development and neighborhoods.
"What we want to make sure what does not happen is that it goes corporate upscale," said the resident who lives on the fringe of Ninth Street.
Duke sophomore starts info website Duiki.com
(Duke Chronicle, 11 September 2006)
This summer, sophomore Andrew Tutt created Duiki.com -- an organized forum for members of the University to post a variety of Duke-related information.
On the website, pages include everything from "Why I love/hate Duke" to "Best work study jobs." With the help of partnerships with organizations like the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, Duiki has been able to offer information such as a tour of East Campus, beginning at the opening in the East Campus wall and ending on Ninth Street.
Developer praised
(Kennebec Journal, Maine, 10 September 2006)
Before restoration began 10 years ago, the abandoned Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. warehouses were a barrier between John Schelp's neighborhood and the downtown area of Durham, N.C.
Now, Schelp said, the revitalized brick buildings -- with their combination of hip, urban residences and lively retail shops and restaurants -- are a "bridge" that connects the Old West neighborhood with the heart of Durham.
"I have nothing but good to say," said Schelp, the longtime president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association... Schelp said the same cannot be said of all the developers his association comes in contact with, or with nearby Duke University.
Column: The blues won't get us down
(N&O Durham News, 9 September 2006)
There's a state historic marker on Fayetteville Street honoring the Bull City Blues, and the Stanford Warren Library got a Blind Boy Fuller Blues Hall of Fame plaque for its re-opening gala Thursday morning. There's a city marker for Fuller down the American Tobacco Trail near his grave, and Durham has had an annual blues festival for almost 20 years.
How fitting that our town's signature musical form is singin' the blues... Anyone interested in the Bull Burg's image ought to be blue over the off-again... Ninth Street interests are seeing blue over Duke Inc.'s on-campus commerce, and blue is the hue for Duke's football team, too, not to mention that of Durham's collar, according to conventional wisdom.
Off-East shops feel economic ups, downs
(Duke Chronicle, 7 September 2006)
John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, said the "lack of clarity" surrounding the University's retail plans for Central Campus has recently contributed to the market's uncertainty for local businesses... The University's economic strength compromises its relationship with the community and threatens town-gown relations, Schelp said.
"These business districts are the living rooms of our neighborhoods," he said. "If our business districts are undermined, then our neighborhoods are undermined."
Work is play for independent toy store: Play House planning big celebration for its 20th birthday (N&O Durham News, 9 September 2006)
On first impression, the Play House does seem to be a throwback to the neighborhood toy stores of 20, 30, 40 years ago. It's small -- "800 square feet of selling space," according to manager Donna Frederick, with a "potty" (restroom) in the back -- packed with merchandise to the point of coziness.
Ninth Street, a strip of independent businesses, is a better fit, said Avery -- who grew up just a few blocks away and remembers the Play House space when it was a beauty parlor and barber shop.
Chaz's Bull City Records
(Bull City Bully Pulpit, September 2006)
My personal new best thing about living in NC is the new record shop that has been so badly needed in the Ninth Street business district of Durham... Chaz's Bull City Records is a community experience - pet the dog, look through the used bins and local music, and catch up on what the kids are listening to... The unrelenting positive energy of these young entrepreneurs gives me great faith in the future of our Bull City.
In these days of corporate-driven, mind-numbing, lemming-leading radio and musical outlets, it is a pleasure to support Chaz's: music by the people and for the people.
Duke will deal on Central Campus project
(Herald-Sun, 7 September 2006)
"The rest of the Durham community lives in a zoned world where we live within limits of scale, and when those limits become intolerable to us, we apply to the municipality for changes and submit those to public scrutiny," said Tom Miller, an activist in the Watts Hospital-Hillandale Neighborhood Association. "We're asking Duke to submit to limitations on scale based on what we can see today, and if necessary go through the land-use regulatory process and ask the community to scrutinize [its request]."
Duke tries to assuage Central Campus plan concerns
(News & Observer, 7 September 2006)
To quell concerns about the Duke University Central Campus development robbing the homegrown businesses on Ninth Street of customers, Provost Peter Lange told merchants and neighborhood advocates Wednesday that officials might be willing to limit the retail space in the project... But neighborhood advocates have persuaded city officials to stall consideration of the proposal until the university submits more details of how the property will be used for the next three decades.
Locals discuss zoning Duke's new Central
(Duke Chronicle, 7 September 2006)
Some community members said they are concerned new developments will be economic competitors with off-campus businesses... "If you've got restaurants in every building on campus, they're never going to leave," said developer Glenn Dickson, who helped build the Ninth Street North complex...
"Slides on the wall of ideas and committed elements of a development plan are two different animals," Schelp said. "One is binding, and one is not."
Column: Beyond Buchanan Boulevard
(Independent Weekly, 6 September 2006)
My alma mater, as it stirs for a new semester, how confused it has become... If you had any doubt about the transcendency of PR in all this, witness the hiring of industry giant Edelman, confirmed with no price tag revealed, bringing Duke a superbly paid team of consultants. Sample Edelman answers: the 800 number to call on Thanksgiving for help in basting your Butterball, the dolphin-safe tuna campaign aimed at kids for StarKist, and soothing introduction of M&M's and KFC to China soon after Tiananmen Square.
Column: Pizza Power
(Duke Chronicle, 5 September 2006)
What makes the situation even more difficult for the locals is their lack of access to undergraduates through the Merchants on Points system... It's very costly for vendors to become a Merchant on Points, and while franchises can typically muster up the capital to be added to the system, many smaller local ventures simply can't afford it. Durham mom-and-pops are going up against one hell of a convenient system, and from the amount of turnaround in local restaurants, it appears that they're losing.
It would be nice if the administration would change this, lowering the cost for joining or subsidizing non-franchise Durham eateries, but the school makes a lot of money off the merchants program, and has little economic incentive to alter it.
Wimpy's: Simplicity sells for Durham eatery
(News & Observer, 2 September 2006) When Larry Mishoe opened his restaurant nearly 20 years ago, he decided to name it after his wife of 38 years... "My wife's nickname was 'Wimpy' growing up because she loved burgers so good," Mishoe said, referring to Popeye's cartoon sidekick.
Many Durhamites are wimpy, as well; they have a weakness for the burgers and biscuit sandwiches Mishoe makes fresh every day at his restaurant on the corner of Hicks Street and Hillsborough Road in West Durham.
Islamic Studies Center expands with new hire
(Duke Chronicle, 29 August 2006)
The Duke Islamic Studies Center is celebrating the hiring of its first full-time employee this week, one of several major steps the center has taken since it was endowed last November.
Kelly Jarrett, a scholar of religion and most recently senior editorial assistant of the Journal of American Literature at Duke University Press, started work Friday as DISC's new administrative director. She earned a Ph.D. in religion from the University in 2000... and a Masters of Divinity from Yale. [Kelly is also OWDNA's vice-president.]
"I certainly think that working to promote cross-cultural understanding is very important work in these times," Jarrett said.
Neighborhood activists present new Central Campus concerns
(Duke Chronicle, 28 August 2006)
Provost Peter Lange and Durham community leaders were upbeat but noncommittal Wednesday night after leaving a closed-door meeting held to discuss the new Central Campus.
"It was a very productive meeting, we're moving forward and the devil's in the details," Lange and Old West Durham Neighborhood Association President John Schelp said jointly outside the Allen Building conference room where the meeting was held.
The group [including 15 stakeholders from nearby neighborhoods and local business districts] convened to discuss a list of twelve concerns about the new Central Campus that neighbors have distributed on community listserves. The issues range from the percentage of Central Campus that remains open space to the preservation of wetlands and historic houses.
Refuge from the storm
(Independent Weekly, 30 Aug 2006)
After Hurricane Katrina roared through New Orleans the morning of Aug. 29... the city simultaneously drowned and burned as we drove north later that week. Open gas stations were rare and hotels completely full through Mississippi and Alabama.
Now my two New Orleans street strays and I live in [Old West] Durham. Though previously urban dogs, they tromp through the woods as if they've always been here. I think the fresh air and green are healing all three of us. Occasionally I have moments when I just want to go home, no longer sure exactly where that is. Then I remember: Home is where my boys are.
Duke freshmen explore Durham
(News & Observer, 27 August 2006)
Plenty of people see friction between the school with annual tuition of more than $32,000 and the city with a blue-collar heritage. The Princeton Review said this year that Duke and Durham have one of the most strained town-gown relationships in the nation.
Most freshmen arrive at Duke from outside the state with little first-hand knowledge of Durham or how the city has helped shape the university. City residents helped Duke's predecessor, Trinity College, get off the ground. Riches from Durham's tobacco mills financed the gothic grandness of the university's main campus.
"The more folks learn about the connections between Duke and Durham, and get a sense of place, the more they'll appreciate Duke and the more they'll appreciate Durham," said John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, before giving a walking tour of neighborhoods around East Campus... He told freshmen that part of campus used to be a horse track, pointed out where Richard Nixon lived while attending Duke Law School and informed them that Madonna once took dance lessons at Duke.
New teacher conquers nerves with smiles
(Herald-Sun, 26 August 2006)
Brand new teacher Chris Dodyk's room was in pristine order, obviously untouched by any young children. Individual desks were neatly placed in groups of fours. Stuffed Clifford dogs decorated his bright classroom on the second floor. Calendars, letters and number lines garnished the walls.
When he first arrived in Durham, Dodyk decided to drive by E.K. Powe. At first, he mistook it for a high school because of its large size. He was just as surprised when he walked into his large classroom for the first time... Dodyk was so excited after creating a Clifford-themed bulletin board outside his classroom, that he took a picture on his cell phone and sent it to his family.
White doe, Elvis sightings among Durham's oddities
(Herald-Sun, 20 August 2006)
Other oddities about Durham's past were shared, including the fact that Elvis Presley had lived incognito in a caboose behind Erwin Mills on Ninth Street while on the Duke Rice Diet.
In fact, it had been the fairgrounds' owner Julian Shakespeare Carr's offer of the land to Trinity College (now Duke University) that had helped persuade the college to locate in Durham instead of Raleigh... On Saturday, Schelp and Duke professor Robert Healy will be leading a walking tour of East Campus and surrounding neighborhoods for Duke freshmen. Schelp said he had put the tour together four years ago after a Duke senior had told him her only regret was that she had not gotten to know Durham better.
Business Buzz: Locopops, new Northgate movie theater
(Herald-Sun, 16 August 2006)
Dog days: If you want to do something extra for your pooch, go on down to Locopops on Hillsborough Road and get a pupsicle.
The frozen dog treats are nothing more than either frozen beef or chicken broth on a rawhide stick, but your dog won't be concerned with those details. Every bit of the $2 that it costs goes to the Animal Protection Society of Durham... The popular Popsicle shop is located at 2600 Hillsborough Road, across from Grey Stone Baptist Church.
Dispute may hold up Duke rezoning
(Herald-Sun, 16 August 2006)
The Durham Planning Commission's chairman is prodding Duke University to address 12 issues that a coalition of merchants and neighbors want dealt with before the City Council rezones Central Campus... Schelp and the other stakeholders say they want to nail down some details Duke has shown community members in earlier meetings but omitted from the largely blank development plan it filed with its rezoning application.
Durham Residents Fight Crime Through E-Mail
(WRAL, 14 August 2006)
Durham residents have found a way to fight crime and help their community -- by communicating across the Internet. Residents in [northwest] Durham recently helped police solve five crimes in five days.
More than 600 people in northwest Durham are on the listserve. If a resident sees something suspicious, everyone may soon learn about it. Residents still meet with each other once a month to share concerns. Durham police and the community watch group are using the same e-mail system, and both are helping each other. [PAC2, Durham's first PAC listserve, was started by OWDNA's Pam Spaulding.]
Duke focuses on neighbor relations
(Herald-Sun, 13 August 2006)
There's a guarded optimism among Duke University administrators, student leaders and even beleaguered neighbors who have endured hard-partying students that efforts to curb loutish behavior may start to bear fruit this year.
Kelly Jarrett, vice president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, is taking a positive attitude to the return of students... "I really hope the positive stuff is what shines the next couple of weeks," she said. "There certainly was no place to go but up after last spring."
Vehicle strikes, injures woman: Safety of Durham street under review
(News & Observer, 12 August 2006)
A Duke University student was hit and run over by a large sport utility vehicle around lunchtime Friday outside a busy shopping center on Broad Street... The woman is expected to survive, but the incident is a symptom of unsafe sidewalks and walkways on Broad Street that some residents have repeatedly appealed to the city to improve.
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association which includes the Bull Market shopping center and businesses along Ninth Street, says several merchants have long lobbied for safer walkways in the area... They say the speed limit should be lowered from 35 mph to 25 mph, and sidewalks need to be added at the intersection of Markham and Broad, where a Durham Academy teacher was hit and killed by a bus in 2004.
It's official: Hunt headed to Hall
(Herald-Sun, 10 August 2006)
"And the people who came to see the game were just local people, from close by, but that game was important to them. They got their popcorn and a drink and had a good time," [West Durham native] Tommy Hunt said. "It's nothing fancy, but that's where it all starts.
"Everybody starts out on a little field with some wire around it, maybe 50 seats in the bleachers and one water bucket. That's the beginning, the grassroots, and to me, that's the level that's the most important."
For that reason, Hunt said he feels especially honored to be selected as one of six inductees to the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
Police urge marking of valuables
(Herald-Sun, 10 August 2006)
In light of what police are calling "a recent rash" of break-ins and larcenies in Old North Durham, Duke Park and Old West Durham, crime prevention officers are urging residents to mark their valuables.
"I would encourage property owners to have serial numbers [of items like electronics] recorded, and mark tools with an electronic etcher," said Master Officer Eric Hester in a posting Tuesday to the Old West Durham listserve.
Editorial: Ninth Street's future
(Herald-Sun, 9 August 2006)
Ninth Street's small but vibrant business district has long been one of Durham's gems. It is a source of both pride and sustenance to locals and it is a destination for visitors, underscored by the fact its exit is clearly marked on the Durham Freeway.
The Web site of the Ninth Street Merchants Association sums up the area's appeal: "Ninth Street is a pedestrian-friendly, old-fashioned shopping neighborhood," the association says. "Located two blocks from Duke University's East Campus in the Old West Durham neighborhood, Ninth Street offers an exceptional blend of locally owned specialty shops."
Officials taking a look at Ninth Street’s future Design workshop in the works to collect opinions
(Herald-Sun, 7 August 2006)
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association is likely to want to discuss business development. Its president, John Schelp, said members always have regarded Green Street as the proper "firewall for commercial creep," though they wouldn't mind seeing more business along Iredell Street, Perry Street and west Markham Avenue.
Activists also want to see the installation of a short sidewalk connecting Ninth Street to East Campus along Markham Avenue, Schelp said, noting that four pedestrians in that area have been hit by vehicles, one fatally.
E.K. Powe students taking art home
(N&O Durham News, 5 August 2006)
E.K. Powe students have often asked art teacher Malcolm Goff for art supplies and brought him artwork they had completed at their homes. So three years ago, Goff started the program to cultivate that creative energy.
About 200 children signed up last year. Students work on their art at home, and to advance they must complete a series of art and community-service challenges.
Duke should fill in details of project: Councilman wants more information on Central Campus
(Herald-Sun, 28 July 2006)
Durham City Councilman Thomas Stith says Duke University should give regulators more details about the Central Campus redevelopment than it has so far before he and his colleagues vote on a 128-acre rezoning that would facilitate the project...
The development plan Duke has submitted to back its request to apply university and college zoning to the Central Campus area is mostly blank... Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, said that he's glad to see council members speaking up in public, given that several have voiced questions behind the scenes.
Editorial: Central Campus details are needed
(Herald-Sun, 28 July 2006) It makes abundant sense that the community should be interested in what happens in the redevelopment of 128 acres of Duke's Central Campus.
Duke has requested a zoning change to university and college designation for the site, but the plans it has submitted to the City/County Planning Department are mostly a blank slate...
In a Thursday article by The Herald-Sun's Ray Gronberg, Councilwoman Diane Catotti matched the tone set by fellow members Thomas Stith and Mike Woodard. "In general, the more detail the better," she said. "And I have a history of trying to work out stuff and trying to get as many committed elements [in rezoning cases as possible.]"
Working stuff out is good. For their parts, neighborhood activists John Schelp and Tom Miller also seem willing to help work things out.
Buzz: As page turns on Ninth Street, café ready to expand
(Herald-Sun, 26 July 2006)
Next chapter: As Books on Ninth winds down after nine years at 716 Ninth Street, Blue Corn Café is gearing up to expand into the 1,550-square-foot space the bookstore is leaving.
As part of its pending closing, the used bookstore is selling its 4-foot-by-6-foot bookcases. Take note there are only a few left. Books that aren't sold will be shipped to owner John Browner's new venture, an English-language secondhand bookstore called The Munich Readery in Munich, Germany.
Meanwhile, the owners of Blue Corn Café, are planning on doubling the size of their restaurant, which has been serving up pan-Latin cuisine for almost 10 years.
Ceremony honors heroic firefighters
(Herald-Sun, 23 July 2006)
On Dec. 16, 2004, the Durham Fire Department's Squad Company 2 [Ninth Street Station] responded to a house fire at 309 Bobs Lane. Part of the roof had collapsed and a man was trapped inside.
Fire Technician Mitchel Morkunas and Firefighter Matt Abramson each received a Medal of Valor, awarded for an act of heroism that is "clearly above and beyond the call of duty and exemplifies the highest degree of bravery."
"I rest a little easier at night knowing that you're nearby," Durham City Councilman Mike Woodard said in his keynote address. "Tonight, we honor and celebrate the heroes among our heroes."
Frosh get $50 to spend at local eateries
(Duke Chronicle, 19 July 2006)
Duke Student Government President Elliott Wolf said he hopes the program is the beginning of what is to come. "This program only has value in as much as it is going to be expanded... We aren't satisfied with this limited fashion," Wolf said.
On an online town-gown listserve, some residents criticized the University for not taking a bolder action... "Both UNC and NC State have liberal student card policies that do not penalize students for spending off campus and that do not have exorbitant set-up costs for participating merchants," Durham resident Kelly Jarrett wrote. "When will Duke follow suit?"
Editorial: Mr. McDonald's legacy
(Herald-Sun, 12 July 2006)
Southern Living, in a piece on Durham's Ninth Street shopping district in March 1999, rhapsodized about an institution familiar to generations here... "There is one mandatory stop on Ninth Street: McDonald's Drug Store," the magazine asserted. "And a mandatory purchase too: a delicious malted milk shake whipped up at the old soda fountain. Sit sip, and refresh at the counter, look out the window at fellow shoppers, and then hit the pavement again."
Age and ill health closed down that "mandatory stop" over a year ago, but memories of what it has meant to Durham came flooding back with the sad news last week of longtime owner John McDonald's death.
Planning Commission Delays Hearing On Duke Rezoning
(WRAL, 11 July 2006)
The Regulator's co-owner Tom Campbell said, "They were going to open a bookstore a quarter of a mile from here."
"Duke needs to provide a much more detailed plan," said John Schelp of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association. "What they've submitted is mostly blank... We know they know what the issues are. We know we can talk with them because we've worked with them in the past."
Groups to delay vote on Duke’s rezoning Neighborhood associations will ask for month to prepare conditions
(Herald-Sun, 11 July 2006)
The president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association said that he and other activists were concerned because they were "surprised to see how little of what" they've discussed with the university in recent months made it onto the largely-blank development plan Duke filed in support of its rezoning request.
Schelp added that neighbors were pleased that Duke seemed to be backing away from the possibility of asking a major retailer like Barnes & Noble or Borders to run a campus bookstore on the site, but would "like to see it in writing."
Delay proposed on Duke rezoning
(News & Observer, 11 July 2006)
Over the past two and a half years, neighborhood advocates and merchants have raised concerns about new campus retail that could pull customers away from homegrown Ninth Street businesses. They also have pushed Duke to protect environmentally sensitive streambed hollows.
In their letter, neighborhood advocates said they want to see maps and notes designate more natural areas and open space... They also want rules that would protect the location and appearance of the historic homes in the proposed district.
Groups ask to delay vote on Duke's rezoning
(Herald-Sun, 10 July 2006)
The stakeholders were concerned because they were "surprised to see how little of what" they've discussed with the university in recent months made it onto the largely-blank development plan Duke filed in support of its rezoning request...
"Nothing surprises me with Duke," he said. "This happens a lot. Duke has all these community meetings where they tell us what they're going to do, take questions, and say, 'We'll get back to you.' That's not a conversation with partners. That's a lecture in the classroom with teacher and student. But we recognize that Duke does it its way, and we move forward."
Central Campus vote postponed
(Herald-Sun, 12 July 2006)
The Durham Planning Commission postponed a vote Tuesday on a rezoning request by Duke University for its Central Campus redevelopment.
"Duke knows exactly what we want," said the president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, "and we're looking forward to doing what we did with East and West campus, going in with them shoulder to shoulder."
New Duke students to receive $50 for spending in local restaurants
(Herald-Sun, 7 July 2006)
Others said the gift, while welcome, aren't a substitute for reforms by Duke to student spending accounts or meal plans that would make it more convenient for students to patronize off-campus dining and other services throughout the year.
"This is a nice gesture, but it's only a gesture," said John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association. "They assured us they are going to expand the DukeCard to off-campus, and we're looking forward to seeing the details of that expansion."
Duke freshmen to get dine-outs
(News & Observer, 6 July 2006)
"We've been asking Duke since last fall to expand the Duke Card to all local businesses -- Brightleaf Square, the downtown, West End and Northgate Mall," the president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association said. "We received assurances from university officials that they were going to do this. This is not expanding the Duke Card. This is a crumb."
The Regulator Is on a Roll
(American Booksellers Association, June 2006)
Last week, Duke University decided to halt plans to build a new, large bookstore on its campus as part of a $240 million campus redevelopment project, Regulator's Campbell reported to Bookselling This Week... Under the plan, the current textbook and trade book stores would have been rolled into a much larger bookstore located at the corner of the main intersection of the new development in a three-story building. At a pubic meeting in March, Duke Provost Peter Lange would not rule out that a chain such as Barnes & Noble or Borders would run the bookstore.
While Duke officials did not provide him with a reason for the change in plans regarding the bookstore, Campbell speculated that university officials may have been worried that the new store would have faced community opposition. Certainly, a number of residents voiced their concerns over the proposed bookstore at the March meeting, according to the Durham's Herald-Sun.
Vandalism at E.K. Powe School
(Herald-Sun, 22 June 2006)
When cameras don't catch them, neighbors sometimes do. That's what happened Saturday when an E.K. Powe neighbor saw the two teens pulling signs out of the ground and called police. People like this help keep the school safe, Principal Cheryl Fuller said.
"We count on our neighbors a lot. This is a great neighborhood."
Grammy winner to sing 'Tobacco Road'
(Herald-Sun, 16 June 2006)
It's been recorded in styles ranging from blues to metal, sung in languages that include Finnish and Hungarian. But it was written in plain English about a place right down the road -- Tobacco Road.
"I'm gonna leave and get a job -- With the help and the grace from above -- Save some money, get rich I know -- Bring it back to Tobacco Road," sings the soulful narrator. And composer John D. Loudermilk, who was born on a kitchen table in West Durham in 1934, did indeed go out and make good. Tomorrow evening, the Grammy-winning Country and Western Hall of Fame composer returns home to sing his famous "Tobacco Road."
2006 Readers Choice Awards [winners in OWD]
(Herald-Sun, June 2006)
BEST BAKERY: Mad Hatters; BEST BAR FOOD: George's Garage; BEST BREAKFAST: Elmo's Diner; BEST BRUNCH: Elmo's Diner; BEST COFFEEHOUSE: Bean Traders; BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT: Vin Rouge; BEST GROCERY STORE: Whole Foods; BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT: Dale's Indian Cuisine; BEST ORGANIC FOODS: Whole Foods; BEST HAIR CUTS: Clem Rice Family Hair Care; BEST BIKE SHOP: Bicycle Chain Durham; BEST FRESH FLOWERS: Whole Foods; BEST INDEPENDENT BOOK STORE: Regulator Bookshop, Books On Ninth; BEST JEWELRY: Jewelsmith; BEST TOYS: Playhouse Toy Store; BEST AUTO REPAIR: Durham Tire; BEST DANCE STUDIO: Ninth Street Dance; BEST DRY CLEANERS: White Star; BEST JEWELERY REPAIR: Jewelsmith; BEST MAILING SERVICE: UPS Store; BEST TATTOOING/PIERCING SHOP: Dogstar; BEST DIVE BAR: Charlie's; BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PUB: Charlie's; BEST PRIVATE CLUB: Siren's Lounge
Second phase of Ninth Street North is preleasing space
(Herald-Sun, 14 June 2006)
Next phase: The second phase of Ninth Street North is set to go and preleasing is under way for the 54,000-square-foot mixed-use project slated for the 800 block of Ninth Street.
The $10 million project will sit across Ninth Street from phase one where One World Market, Dale's Indian Cuisine and Bali Hai are tenants.
Editorial: Consider neighborhoods
(Herald-Sun, 26 May 2006)
We were encouraged this week to hear City Council members call for the city to develop a fund to help spur economic development in struggling neighborhoods near downtown. A similar fund for the downtown area has been instrumental in fueling the success we see there today. It is important as we go forward for city leaders to pay more attention to neighborhood development. Pouring millions into downtown revitalization while ignoring surrounding neighborhoods wouldn't be a smart move. If left unchecked, crime and blight from nearby neighborhoods will eventually spill over to downtown to spoil the significant public and private investments made there... The time to invest in Durham's neighborhoods is now.
Golden Leaf honors the visually pleasing
(Herald-Sun, 27 May 2006)
Winners of the 2006 Golden Leaf Awards were honored Thursday night during the fourth annual Golden Leaf Awards ceremony for the best visual contributions to the community.
A panel of local professionals judged the entrants... The top honor for Landscape & Maintenance went to the Old West Durham Neighborhood.
What I love about Durham: The readers write
(Independent Weekly, 24 May 2006)
Some of the things I love most about Durham are things we take the most heat for in the media. What the media often represents as squabbling, in-fighting, special-interest politics and government ineptitude I see as open and accessible local government and diverse citizens who care deeply about and participate actively in local political and community affairs. What the media represents as racial discord I see as the healthy conflicts and disagreements that arise when the diverse groups that make Durham home work through issues together for the good of the entire community. While the media often represents Durham as gritty and crime-ridden, I see strong, organized, vocal communities of people who love their neighbors and their neighborhoods and work together to make all of Durham a better place. --Kelly Jarrett [OWDNA vice president]
Column: Duke tries to shift the blame
(Herald-Sun, 16 May 2006)
The Bowen-Chambers report does reach a very important conclusion: "it is a mistake to have responsibility for Duke outreach efforts into the community overseen by the Vice President for Public Affairs. The effect, as one person put it, is to think of everthing Duke does as motivated by PR concerns rather than by a genuine interest in the welfare of the community." The sooner President Brodhead moves the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative out of Duke's PR office the better.
Barnes & Noble on the way?
(Duke Towerview, Spring 2006)
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, has been circulating an email since March about the possibility of a Barnes & Noble bookstore opening shop on Central Campus. "...We'd like to convey to you as clearly as we can that we consider the possibility (no matter how remote), of Duke making arrangements with a Barnes & Noble to run a campus book store as a matter of grave concern," the group wrote in a March 22 email to President Richard Brodhead and Provost Peter Lange.
"Forget for a moment that the Barnes & Nobel wouldn't have to pay property taxes and would, therefore, hold a clear advantage over the Regulator Bookshop. Over the past three years, Duke officials have repeatedly said they'd do nothing to undermine Ninth Street. The fact that Duke is even thinking about a Barnes & Noble that's a quarter of a mile from The Regulator says otherwise."
"We're not talking about replicating the Southpoint Barnes & Noble... I doubt the name would even be on the building," said Duke Executive Vice President Tallman Trask.
Letter: Duke's spin
(News & Observer, 13 May 2006)
Unfortunately, shifting blame is a common weapon in Duke's spin control arsenal: When trouble arises, Duke will protect its own image by blaming its problems on Durham officials and citizens.
The problems that such spin control present for town-gown relations were stated in the recently released Bowen-Chambers report: having Duke's community outreach under the umbrella of Public Affairs makes it seem that "everything Duke does is motivated by PR concerns rather than by a genuine interest in the welfare of the community." The sooner President Richard Brodhead moves the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative out of Duke's PR office, the sooner Durham will become a true partner and not a PR pawn.
Duke not among best commuter workplaces
(Herald-Sun, 25 April 2006)
Some of the Triangle's biggest employers, including UNC and IBM, are among the Best Workplaces for Commuters, a distinction awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency to employers who provide employee benefits to encourage mass transit... So far, however, Durham County's biggest employer -- Duke -- hasn't signed on to the 2-year-old program.
Burness referred questions to Tallman Trask, the university's executive vice president, whose office in turn referred them to the university's campus services office, where an official who had been asked about the program earlier but hadn't responded couldn't be reached Monday.
Study: Duke contributes $3.2B to Durham (Duke Chronicle, 21 April 2006)
"This was ready to go about a month ago, but we were reluctant to issue it as it could be seen as strictly a means to do PR," Burness said.
"Hopefully, the University will recognize the generous contributions of the Durham community when Trinity College was struggling to stay afloat in 1892," Schelp wrote in an e-mail. "Had it not been for the generous donations of money and free land... there would be no Duke University today," he said.
Romand Coles, associate professor of political science, praised the University's economic contributions to Durham, but said there are "blind spots" that must not be overlooked... "What the report illustrates is that there are many good things about Duke-Durham relations," he said. "What is missing is discussion about those least-paid workers at Duke."
Editorial: Economic impact still important
(Duke Chronicle, 25 April 2006)
And yes, the timing may appear to be a little suspect. It does happen to be the only major nugget of positive Duke-Durham news in the past few weeks, and it comes right in the middle of the first major Duke scandal since the death of Jesica Santillan, who died as a result of transplant mistakes at Duke Hospital.
We are aware, however, that an economic boost to a community does not translate over into healthy relationships in other arenas. Duke and Durham have a long way to go, but be sure to stop once in a while and appreciate the healthy parts of the relationship.
Column: Modern-day dookies need a history lesson
(Herald-Sun, 21 April 2006)
When I read of the university's setting up medical practices that compete directly with those of private physicians, of the university's attempts to create a commercial center on the Central Campus that will compete with neighboring Ninth Street shops, of students' parties in Trinity Heights and Trinity Park neighborhoods that plague their neighbors with noise, alcohol-fueled misbehavior, and garbage and excrement in nearby yards, I am appalled.
Students and faculty alike need to learn of Duke's modest beginnings as the Methodist-run Trinity College in rural Randolph County, of the tiny college's move to Durham (already a flourishing town, in 1892) that was made possible by the fruits of hard work in the tobacco and textile industries, and especially by the generosity of two millionaires, Julian S. Carr and Washington Duke. They should hear about the extent to which the Dukes and other Durhamites supported Trinity during its early years in Durham, about the closeness of the town and the college at that time, and about James B. Duke's 1924 endowment that transformed the small college into a major university.
Apartments set record
(News & Observor, 20 April 2006)
Broad Street Partners of Charleston, S.C., paid Wood Partners $47 million for Station Nine, a 323-unit apartment complex near Ninth Street.
The price of about $145,511 per unit is the most ever paid for a Triangle apartment complex, according to data collected by CB Richard Ellis. The complex is 91 percent occupied.
Column: Next generation of Duke
(Chronicle, 20 April 2006)
Make Central Campus a Model for Duke Social Life and Duke-Durham Relations. Duke's increasingly monotonous social scene has pushed activities off campus and bred intense local hostility... If Duke is striving to create a college-town atmosphere on Central-which it should be-then plopping down a big box Barnes & Noble would be a disastrous expression of corporate largesse and insouciance about the local economy. The Regulator is a family-owned bookstore on 9th Street with a college-feel, and could expand its operation in a new facility on Central.
Talkback: PR Tool
(Independent Weekly, 19 April 2006)
Duke University should not have used the neighborhood partnership as a PR tool in its damage control efforts.
Genuine partners engage in dialogue and express their feelings freely. So long as Duke continues to understand and use partnership neighborhoods as extensions of its PR office, true and full partnership isn't possible. And that, it seems, is both the point and the problem with having the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative located in Duke's PR office.
Editorial: Weighing the pros and cons
(Duke Chronicle, 12 April 2006)
Although nothing is yet concrete, we applaud the University for looking into a more liberal meal plan for freshman.
Freshmen would have expanded options to include off-campus vendors, where the variety and quality of food is much greater... Giving students an incentive to purchase food from Ninth Street vendors brings much-needed business to it... And if freshmen are pouring into Durham, it will mean safer and better-lit walking areas, a more lively off-campus area and, down the road, another reason to celebrate the Duke-Durham relationship. At a time when tensions are running high, valuing that relationship is of particular importance.
Ninth Street vendors likely to accept students' food points next semester
(Duke Chronicle, 7 April 2006)
Potential changes include... expanding the food points system to restaurants on Ninth Street by next semester, said Jim Wulforst, director of dining services...
Moneta suggested possibly dedicating particular nights at off-campus restaurants to residents in specific freshman dormitories, which would encourage students to continue to eat in groups.
Wulforst noted that although the incoming Class of 2010 is signing up for meal plans under the current model, they likely will be notified of a change over the summer... "They could be in for a very nice surprise," Wulforst said with a laugh. [The Duke admin later reversed what was an encouraging course of action.]
Forum: DDI's shell game with our money
(Herald-Sun, 7 April 2006)
As part of annual budget deliberations, the city is getting ready to evaluate non-profit applications for city funds, one of which will be DDI. We believe that DDI has a history of using these taxpayer monies to build up downtown at the expense of other Durham neighborhoods and that these funds would be better and more fairly spent funding deserving non-profits that provide services to Durham citizens.
As part of its development strategy, DDI actively recruits existing Durham businesses to relocate downtown from other Durham locations, which DDI staff admitted in a letter to the editor... It's not good public policy to move businesses from one part of Durham to another and pretend it's new business recruitment. Nor is it good policy to move jobs from one part of Durham to another and pretend it's new job creation.
Letter: Downtown Durham Inc. outgrew public funding
(Herald-Sun, 10 April 2006)
In my experience sitting on the community review board for city grants... DDI rated very low on the city's list of goals.
With its new private sector stakeholders, if DDI opened its boundaries to help business districts like Old Five Points, and Angier Avenue, its numbers would rise and it could still score high for public investment.
Case Shakes Duke's Place in City
(Washington Post, 1 April 2006)
Duke has received low marks for its town-gown relations in Princeton Review's 2005 student survey... The university could do more to address what Durham Mayor Bill Bell, a Howard University graduate who grew up in the District, called "moral and ethical issues below the surface that have now risen to the surface." Those issues center around race and class, he said, alluding to reports of racial slurs at the party and recent stories about black female students at Duke feeling threatened.
"The perception is, you have rich kids, predominately white, from very privileged backgrounds, paying $45,000-plus a year for their education, and they've always lived in a cocoon," he said. "And when they get to Duke, they stay in that cocoon."
Duke students behaving badly has been a problem, said neighborhood activist John Schelp, but his own battles with Duke have been over development disputes. He has fought university efforts to bring extensive retail services onto Duke's Central Campus, including a Barnes and Noble and clothing chains.
Schelp, a 44-year-old Washington native who grew up [near] Georgetown, accuses the university of trying to keep students out of Durham and their money on campus. "Since the retail outlets would be tax-exempt, they have an unfair advantage over locally owned businesses nearby," he said.
The Family: How three homeless men's lives came together in a plastic encampment just off West Main
(Independent Weekly, 29 March 2006)
Every night when the sun goes down in Durham, three men sit in the woods by the train tracks and try to keep warm. That's Mark, sitting there cross-legged, splitting sticks for kindling between long draws from a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor. Just to his right is Mike, the one who looks a little like George Carlin, small and wiry, a casual beard, and thin white hair pulled straight back across his scalp... Now look across from Mike, and that's Concrete, sitting on an upturned bucket.
Their shelter is tucked into a blind of cleared woodland among the chutes and thicket that garnish the gravel railway bed looking out onto Main Street in [West] Durham. They lay their heads a stone's throw from Mad Hatter's, that quietly high-born café that's been gradually annexed as a de facto Duke conference room and is the cornerstone of a shopping center for young and affluent Durhamites featuring franchises known for their wholesome corporate citizenry: Ben and Jerry's, Whole Foods.
Letter: No to Barnes & Noble
(Herald-Sun, 28 March 2006) I don't see that the sale of merchandise pertaining primarily to Duke University classes and paraphernalia, which was the original claim of President Brodhead and Peter Lange, would be in the market plan of a big franchise like Barnes & Noble and its stockholders -- certainly not in the long term... I implore those higher minds at Duke to consult their social consciences and their obligations to their community.
Letter: Barnes & Noble should be off the table for Duke
(Herald-Sun, 28 March 2006)
The board of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association asks Tallman Trask and Duke to keep their promises to the Durham community... Actions, as the saying goes, speak louder than words. We ask Duke to take the unneighborly act of bringing a national chain bookstore to Central Campus off the table. Letter: To be fair, pay taxes (Herald-Sun, 28 March 2006) Now Trask is back to trying to open a Barnes & Noble, property tax-free, down the block from Durham's best independent bookstore. (Remonstrations about "fair competition" should be laughed off. Before you start talking about fair, start paying taxes like everyone else.)
Trask's brazen attempts to exploit Duke's non-profit status to abuse Durham's retail market, without any consultation with the faculty, continue to degrade Duke's standing as an institution that exists for something other than its own promotion. As a former employee, student and current neighbor of Duke, I am weary of Trask's malfeasance. Enough is enough.
Duke Plans Raise Concern for Regulator Bookshop
(American Booksellers Association, 28 March 2006)
At the public meeting, a number of residents voiced concern over the effect a book so close to Regulator would have. John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, said the prospect raised red flags, the Herald-Sun reported... The Regulator's Tom Campbell added that it was ironic that a university could potentially be in the "position of destroying a major cultural resource in its community by creating a huge bookstore and moving it to the edge of its campus."
It is clear, however, that many in the Durham community are staunch supporters of The Regulator, Campbell said. "One option is to organize our various communities to oppose the bookstore.... People in the neighborhood, [some] Duke professors, and people who shop here have said if you need help opposing this new bookstore to let them know."
Lunch & Learn: West Durham
(Preservation Durham, Spring 2006)
In another sold-out Lunch & Learn, long-time Old West Durham residents Wayne Smith, Elizabeth Utley, Mary Coles, Dan Wiley, and Holly Hall told stories of life in a cotton mill village. We thank Vaguely Reminiscent for their sponsorship of this program.
Mill Town Graves
(Matter, Spring 2006)
The OWDNA organized the first of many cemetery clean-ups in 2000. And from the overgrown bush emerged a unique picture of our history... There's still a path cutting through the grounds thanks to the OWDNA... The cemetery has a peaceful air about it. It feels like a sanctuary from the highway that pokes through the wisteria.
Duke gives details of Central Campus: Key concern is how it will affect Ninth Street
(Herald-Sun, 22 March 2006)
Several of the 40 or so people who attended a meeting near East Campus voiced the same concern that has cropped up at previous public airings of the development: Will its retail operations harm nearby Ninth Street?
Duke Provost Peter Lange repeated earlier pledges that Duke has no intention of supplanting enterprises on Ninth Street or elsewhere... When questioned by John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, whether Barnes & Noble or Borders might run the bookstore, Lange said "it has been discussed," and that he "can't exclude" the possibility.
Neighbors voice concerns about impact of Central
(Duke Chronicle, 22 March 2006)
Taxation was another controversial topic at the meeting. Because Central Campus is zoned as a University-College District, any vendors located there would not have to pay property tax.
Business owners said this gives on-campus businesses an unfair advantage, but Lange said the University is considering charging vendors fees comparable to property tax to level the playing field. The fees would be collected by the University. [Didn't happen.]
Central Campus: Duke previews development plans
(News & Observer, 22 March 2006)
Some who attended the meeting hoped for more specifics than Duke administrators provided.
"This was a vast improvement over the last community meeting," said John Schelp, a neighborhood representative who has been following the planning process. "But Duke's Central Campus plan is a collage of blank space and vague footprints. We appreciate that they're meeting, but after three years of asking, we expect more information than the vague answers we're getting."
First phase of Central to cost about $240M
(Duke Chronicle, 21 March 2006)
"Everything about Central is pie-in-the-sky, and yet they say something is going to happen in 2008," the chair of chair of Theater Studies said. "A lot of it depends on how much money they can find. You can't just build a campus for $39.95."
The University-College zoning designation-