A New Home for Visitors Bureau
In mid-January, the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau moved from its location of 23 years at 101 E. Morgan St. to the first and mezzanine floors in the Trust Building at 212 W. Main St., greatly increasing its facility size from 5,000 square feet to 8,610 square feet. The new address also comes with a new name, the Visitor Info Center, and includes a suite with the latest interactive computer technology so visitors can stay connected, recharge their devices and get the latest information about Durham.
Where Are They Now?
Betsy Loeser took home the title of Miss Durham in the late ’40s when she was just a teenager. She’s now living in Charleston, S.C., but has maintained her flair for pageantry, having been chosen as Miss February for a pin-up calendar that her retirement community produced a few years ago. “I was very proud to be Miss Durham,” she says, “very happy to represent my city, and I’d do it again in a minute. I’m still very young at heart.” She has five children and 10 grandchildren, and is pictured here with (from left) daughter-in-law Beverly Carr, son Larry, grandson Mike and daughter Debbie.
Local Architect Builds National Museum
Durham resident Phil Freelon is heading the design team for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is being constructed on the National Mall’s final building site and will open this year.
Fifth-Grader Wins Ice Skating Essay Contest
Amelia Horvath, a fifth-grader at Montessori School of Raleigh who lives in north Durham, was named the winner of the preliminary category for the 2015-16 RISE Youth Essay Contest, a national contest sponsored by the U.S. Figure Skating Association. She was asked to write about why she started skating and what she loves about the sport. “Skating takes so much hard work,” wrote Amelia, who trains about 15 hours per week at Orange County Sportsplex and Raleigh IcePlex, “but I don’t mind. When I’m training, I love getting that high-five from my coach on a jump or spin well done.” Her essay will be published in “Skating” magazine.
Principal Honored for Academic Excellence
Northern High School Principal Matthew Hunt was named the Durham Public Schools 2016 Principal of the Year and will chair the Superintendent’s Principals’ Advisory Council during the 2016-17 school year.
Food Truck Owner Opens Support Facility
Will Pettis, owner of Will & Pops and operator of two successful food trucks, opened the doors of the Will and Pops Commissary, located at 3726 Mayfair St., in August. The commissary not only serves as an operational hub for many local food trucks, providing the storage, refrigeration and preparation spaces they require, but Pettis hopes to expand his facility in the very near future to include both takeout and delivery lunch services for local businesses and the surrounding population.
High School Sophomore Sets Racing Record
Durham Academy sophomore Tate Fogleman became the youngest driver ever to win the Pro All Star Series (PASS) South Super Late Model racing championship. The 15-year-old has set his sights on another PASS championship, and he’s looking at also racing in the CARS Tour series.
Duke Football Wins Big
The Duke football team won its first bowl game in 54 years – since its victory in the 1961 Cotton Bowl – after Ross Martin kicked a 36-yard field goal in overtime to put Duke ahead 44-41 against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
Historic Nonprofit Welcomes New Leadership
Ben Filippo is new executive director of Preservation Durham as of December 2015; he and his family – including partner Ali Rudel, owner of new East Durham Pie Company – live in Old East Durham in a house they renovated themselves.
Indie Movie Hub Opens its Doors
Unexposed, a microcinema dedicated to experimental film, hosted its grand opening at 105 Hood St., Ste. 5, with a black box screening highlighting work from New England filmmakers on Jan. 8. Throughout each month, it will highlight filmmakers living and working in specific geographical locations.
Vintage Music Site Established
Carolina Soul Records, headed by online retailer and long-time soul collector Jason Perlmutter, has opened a large, primarily used record store at 117 E. Main St., selling rare and classic records in underrepresented genres: soul, jazz, dance, rap, reggae, R&B, blues and gospel. Classic rock and contemporary indie albums are also available.
And if you’ve got news we should know about, send it to noted@legacy.durhammag.com!
