The party took place Jan. 7 at Rigsbee Hall in downtown Durham. The gathering attracted a large number of people. On one side of the room, guests mingled and sampled the food and drink. In another area of the room, a slideshow chronicling highlights of Bowman's career was on display.
Then there was a special table showcasing some of Bowman's accomplishments and accolades. From a proclamation on Dec. 7, 2009, announcing the day as "Reyn Bowman Day" in the city of Durham to Resolution from the Durham County Board of Commissioners dated Dec. 14, 2009, along with numerous awards, the table gave everyone a chance to see just how much Bowman has affected the community.
There was also a special book on the table in which guests were encouraged to leave personal notes to Bowman. Anne Gregory of Durham and her husband, Ronald, took the time to sign the book. Gregory said she has known Bowman for a number of years, adding that she was on the committee that interviewed him for the job more than 20 years ago.
A lot of business and organization leaders were present for the farewell celebration. Dianne Pledger, president of the St. Joseph's Historic Foundation, and Reginald Jones, the Parrish Street Project coordinator, were among those who attended.
The new president of the Durham Convention and Visitor's Center is Shelly Green, who has been a part of the bureau for the past 10 years.
Illusions of Elvis at Somerhill Gallery
From Rigsbee Hall, it was a short drive around the corner to Somerhill Gallery. It was there that I got a glimpse of Elvis, or at least an illusion of the late mega star.
The gallery's "Little Friday" event, "Illusions of the King," featured Keith Henderson in concert. The Little Friday event takes place on Thursdays at the gallery. The next day -- Jan. 8 -- would have been Pressley's 75th birthday.
The gathering had everyone all shook up. It began with words of welcome from Joe Rowand, gallery owner, who made a few announcements before introducing Henderson.
Henderson, who has brought back memories of Elvis through his songs for the past 20 years, traveled from the O.C. (Orange County by way of Chapel Hill) to be with fans Jan. 7.
Clasping his golden microphone, Henderson shared a number of classic tunes. Throughout the show, he picked lots of people in the audience to serenade, dance with, and even gift them with one of his autographed scarves.
Part comedy, part concert, but all classic Elvis, the show inspired hand clapping, dancing, singing, and blushing.
Henderson will return to the stage on Feb. 12 at Linshire by the Pond in Fuquay-Varina.
Somerhill Gallery's next "Little Friday" event will be Feb. 4. It will feature Frankie Alexander in concert with a reception by Zacki's Catering.
United Negro College Fund Power Breakfast
I ended this past week with the most important meal of the day, breakfast. On Friday, I attended the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Power Breakfast at the Hayti Heritage Center, sponsored by the Durham Steering Committee.
The United Negro College Fund provides financial assistance to students attending 39 liberal arts colleges around the country. Locally, the UNCF School is Shaw University in Raleigh.
Friday's breakfast featured a delectable meal prepared by Gail's At Your Place in-your-home-chef catering. The menu included healthy breakfast options including turkey sausage, salmon patties and fresh blueberries among others.
It was fitting to have a healthy breakfast as one of the speakers was Wade Harris of Raleigh Personal Training Centers. Harris complimented the chef on the healthy breakfast and spoke about his support for UNCF. Everyone at the breakfast received a gift certificate for free personal training courtesy of Wade.
The second speaker at the breakfast was James Speed, president of N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co. Speed spoke about how his company owes a lot to UNCF, since one of its founders graduated from a UNCF school.
Speed also pledged his personal and company support to the fundraising efforts of UNCF. He encouraged everyone to give of their time and talent as well as their treasure to the fundraising efforts.
Business professionals from all over the area came to this event. Steven Walker, who works for Fox 50, and Ruth Kennedy, owner of a Personal Wellness Consultant Group, were among those present.
The next event for the UNCF Durham Steering Committee is its Golden Flame Breakfast on March 16 at the Durham Hilton Hotel. Everyone in the Triangle can catch the National UNCF "Evening of Stars," which will air on Saturday at 11:35 p.m. on WTVD 11.
Angela Ray is an actress, author and motivational speaker. For comments or tips on future events, e-mail her at Angela@mahoganydime.com.
