DURHAM -- Duke Homestead State Historic Site, 2828 Duke Homestead Road -- www.ibiblio.org/dukehome -- will host a free, public spring community yard sale beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Crafts by local vendors will also be available.
For more information call (919) 477-5498 or e-mail duke@ncdcr.gov.
Duke Homestead was 19th century home of Washington Duke, a giant in the creation of the North Carolina tobacco industry.
Jeanes teachers, schools discussed
DURHAM -- The Durham County Library will host an informative talk "The Women Who Ran the Schools: Durham's Rural Black Schools the Jeanes Teachers," about Durham's early 20th-century black schools and their teachers at 3 p.m. Sunday at the main library, 300 N. Roxboro St.
It is free and open to the public.
Jeanes teachers -- blacks, usually women, paid by Jeanes Fund grants -- were charged with improving vocational and industrial education.
This talk, presented by Joanne Abel. Abel, a graduate of Duke University's Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program and a retired Durham County librarian, researched the history of these teachers for her master's thesis.
For information, call Lynn Richardson at (919) 560-0171.
Quilt exhibit set for Friday
DURHAM -- The Allenton and Semans galleries of the Durham Arts Council will host the free, juried eighth annual PAQA-South exhibition of innovative art quilts from 5-7 p.m. Friday as part of Third Friday festivities.
The Durham Arts Council is located at 120 Morris St. downtown.
For more information, visit www.durhamarts.org or call (919) 560-2787.
Crohn's, Colitis benefit walk set
DURHAM -- The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America will its 2010 Triangle Take Steps Walk at 5 p.m. June 5 at Lake Crabtree County Park in Raleigh.
To register to participate in the fundraiser as an individual or part of a team, visit http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR/Walk/Chapter-Carolinas?fr_id=1736&pg=entry online.
The CCFA is hosting a walk kickoff event at KeySource Bank in DiamondView II at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in conjunction with Sunday's 5 p.m. Durham Bulls baseball game.
Next year's walk will be held at the American Tobacco Campus.
For more information, call Tracey Coppedge at (919) 682-7023 or e-mail tcoppedge@ccfa.org.
Open mic poetry nights scheduled
DURHAM -- Durham County Library will host the first of two Neno Na Muziki "Spoken Word and Music" appearances from 6:30-8 p.m. today at the main library branch, 300 N. Roxboro St.
The performance, a celebration of National Poetry Month, will be repeated at the same time and place on May 20.
Both events are free and open to the public.
Tonight's event marks Durham County Library's first "Open Mic Poetry Nite" as well. Guests are asked to bring their own original poetry, a poem by someone else, a song selection of their choice or another form of spoken word.
Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, contact Joel White at (919) 560-0114.
SmartCommute kickoff slated
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- State Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti will help kick off the SmartCommute Challenge -- www.smartcommute.org -- with a "Curb Your Congestion" kickoff event at 9 a.m. today at Research Triangle Park Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive in RTP.
The SmartCommute Challenge, is an annual nonprofit public service campaign aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality in the Triangle, encourages commuters who work or live in Durham, Orange or Wake counties to pledge to ride the bus, carpool, join a vanpool, telework, bike or walk to work at least once between today and May 15.
This year's kick-off event includes a fair featuring:
- Bicycle safety checks provided by REI staff.
- Triangle Segway Obstacle and Demo Course.
- Melon bicycles with folding bike test drives.
- Alternate fuel vehicles displays provided by Triangle Alternate Fuel.
- Triangle Transit bus display to demonstrate how to use the bike rack and riding the bus.
- A chance to meet the Triangle's air quality mascots, Clair and CAM, the Clean Air Maniac.
- Sponsor and partner organization display tables with information and give-aways.
State to offer artist venues
DURHAM -- Artists from across the state are invited to exhibit and sell artwork this summer as part of the Department of Cultural Resources' "2nd Saturdays: History, Heritage, Arts & Fun" programs at 37 state historic sites and museums -- including Durham's Bennett Place and Duke Homestead state historic sites -- June 12, July 10 and Aug. 14.
There is no cost to participate, although artists are responsible for their own display materials, including tents and tables. The deadline to register for the June 12 event is Monday. Artists retain 100 percent of their sales at most sites.
An artist registration form and information is available at www.ncarts.org/2ndsaturdays. Call Jennifer Huggins at (919) 807-6516 or e-mail her at jennifer.huggins@ncdcr.gov for more information.
Early voting begins today
DURHAM -- Early voters can cast their ballots for the May 4 partisan primary and school board elections beginning today at 9 a.m.
One-Stop No Excuse Early Voting for the upcoming election will end on May 1 at 1p.m.
Early Voting allows citizens to vote at a selected site before the specified Election Day. Durham's One Stop voting site for the upcoming election is the Board of Elections Office, located at 706 W. Corporation St. Hours for One-Stop voting are available on the Current Elections section of the Durham County Board of Elections Web site, http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/elec/.
To learn more about early voting, call the Board of Elections at (919) 560-0700 or visit its Web site.
Contact Mark Donovan at mdonovan@heraldsun.com or (919) 419-6655. E-mail items of interest to our readers to news@heraldsun.com.
