DURHAM -- The Durham Public Schools Office of Public Affairs has been awarded nine Blue Ribbon Awards for Effective Communications by the North Carolina School Public Relations Association. The awards were presented at NCSPRA's Blue Ribbon Awards brunch at the Durham Hilton Garden Inn on Saturday.
The Office of Public Affairs was cited for the following (category indicated in parentheses): State of the System Performance Report (annual report); Teacher of the Year video, Arts Spectrum video, Superintendent's holiday greeting (electronic communications); Scholarship and graduation map Web site (Web site); Holton Career and Resource Center (identity/image package); BookMark: Leave Your Mark, Summer Reading Program (marketing campaign); DPS Community EdLink (newsletter).
The North Carolina School Public Relations Association comprises approximately 130 public relations and communications professionals from school districts across the state.
DPS application deadline Friday
DURHAM -- The Durham public school system will accept applications for its magnet, year-round and specialized schools and programs until 5 p.m. Friday.
Parents of any Durham public school student -- or, in certain cases, of any child who will be a kindergartner or prekindergartner -- may submit applications.
English- and Spanish-language applications are available on the Web -- www.dpsnc.net -- along with other school choice information. Applications can also be obtained from school offices or the Office of Student Assignment at 511 Cleveland St. For more information, call 560-2059.
In February, the district will make assignments using lotteries. Notifications should arrive in families' homes by March 1.
Obama speech party is slated
DURHAM -- The Durham-based, self-described "progressive" political action nonprofit Traction -- short for Triangle Action -- will host a State of the Union watch party at 8:15 p.m. at its 1018 Broad St. headquarters. The event is free and open to the public.
RSVP via e-mail to sotu@getTraction.org
N.C. Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake, and representatives of other progressive organizations will be on hand to watch President Barack Obama's 2010 State of Union address.
For more information, call (919) 872-2846.
'State of City' address Wed.
DURHAM -- Mayor Bill Bell will deliver the annual State of the City address at 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers on the first floor of City Hall.
Attendance is free and attendees will receive a complimentary DVD copy of the 2009 Year in Review. This DVD will contain a 17-minute video highlighting many of the accomplishments by the City of Durham in 2009.
The address will be televised live on DTV8 beginning at 7 p.m. and online at http://durham.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2.
The City Council's regular meeting will follow the address at 7:30 p.m.
NAACP/ACT-SO fundraiser set
DURHAM -- The second annual NAACP/ACT-SO fundraiser breakfast will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 6, at the Holton Career and Resources Center, 401 N. Driver St.
The keynote speaker will be state Rep. Larry Hall, D-Durham.
ACT-SO is youth initiative of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to provide a forum through which American youth can demonstrate Academic, artistic and scientific prowess and expertise, to gain recognition often reserved for entertainers and athletes.
The public is invited.
Job search tips offered online
DURHAM -- GCFLearnFree.org, a free computer and life skills training site operated by Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina, is offering updated work and career courses to the public.
Anyone out of work or interested in exploring career options should check out the work and career Web site at www.gcflearnfree.org/everydaylife/career.aspx.
The job search course offers a look at the latest methods for conducting an effective job search including how to approach finding a job, where to look and how to organize leads. Also involved is how to efficiently search online job postings and how to use the latest social media tools for networking..
The career planning course teaches ways to map out future needs and success.
The interview skills course teaches how to impress with preparation, communication and follow-up skills that will lead to job offers.
For more information, call Becky Lytle at (919) 281-9192.
Mega Millions begins Sunday
RALEIGH -- The North Carolina Education Lottery is launching Mega Millions, the multi-state, multimillion-dollar jackpot game with tickets available beginning Sunday throughout the state.
The first Mega Millions drawing available to N.C. players will be Tuesday. Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights. The NCEL will continue to offer Powerball and those drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Mega Millions jackpots start at $12 million and continue to grow until won. Mega Millions holds the record for the largest annuity-based prize ever awarded -- $390 million in March 2007. The largest Powerball jackpot was $365 million, hit in February 2006.
Oxford panel meets Thursday
OXFORD -- The Budget & Finance Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. in the Training Room on the first floor of City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street. The purpose of the meeting is to review the FY 2009 Annual Report with the auditors, to discuss water/sewer service and deposit issues, and to discuss post-retirement medical benefits. All those interested are encouraged to attend.
Durham, Person boards to meet
DURHAM -- The Durham County Board of Commissioners will hold a joint meeting with the Person County Board of Commissioners at 4 p.m. on Feb. 8 in the Durham Commissioners' Chambers on the second floor of the Durham County Administrative Complex, 200 E. Main St.
They will discuss economic development and watershed regulation. The Durham Commissioners will meet in regular session at 7 p.m. on the same date.
Contact Mark Donovan at mdonovan@heraldsun.com or (919) 419-6655. E-mail news of interest to our readers to news@heraldsun.com.
