*Proposal to SAVE THE CATSBURG STORE in Durham, NC*
I first saw the Catsburg Country Store on February 24, 2019, when I was on my way to Eno Valley Elementary School, shortly after we adopted a beautiful and intelligent black cat named Kale from the Durham APS. I pulled over, took a picture of the place, and made it my cover photo on Facebook with the following accompanying text: “At Hamlin and Old Oxford Roads. Someone must open a cat-prioritized local pet store and cat cafe here.”
Durham Arts Council's Portraits of Durham Exhibit: A (Free) Multimedia Feast
It’s been too long since I last perused the free exhibits at the DAC, and I looked forward to seeing Marthanna’s work and the work of other local artists in the natural light of the windows that stretched from floor to ceiling past the second floor of the 113-year-old building. Today was the day, and I was not disappointed. Drawings, paintings, and multimedia artwork displayed well-known as well as little-known Durham people and landmarks in thought-provoking strokes, stitches, and colors…
Rana Hablar (en Espanol)
¡Feliz año nuevo! Pensé que publicaría aquí el primer borrador de mi libro para niños de lectores tempranos / desafiados. El libro demuestra la diversidad cotidiana y la cortesía entre múltiples especies de ranas que habitan en el mismo espacio de manera pacífica. Si las ranas pueden hacerlo, ¿podemos nosotros?
Frog Talk: A Free Online Book for Early or Challenged Readers
Thought I'd post the first draft of my early/challenged-reader children's book here. The book demonstrates the day-to-day diversity and politeness among multiple species of frogs inhabiting the same space peacefully. If frogs can do it, so can we!? The educational/curriculum components of the book are discussed herein.
Inspiration at a Discount
Last Sunday, my teenage daughter and her younger brother walked to the Dollar General at Broad and West Markham near my home in Durham, NC, to buy some candy. When they went to check out, she thought she had left her wallet at home. They returned and we scoured the house; then she walked back to the DG, but they could find no wallet and none had been turned in…
Water Problem solved on historically low-income Canal Street (Durham, NC) - For Now
Knowing this neighbor could not afford to rent a commercial sump-pump (anything less burned out quickly) and fearing the damage the flooding would cause her home otherwise, I went straight to the Planning Department to identify the location of any drainage pipes on my property that may be clogged. When Planning Department staff could not identify the location of such pipes, I was directed …
Why You Should Have a Pond
Pond installation can be back- and time-consuming work, and a long-lasting one like mine can cost over $1000.00 (liner, pump, filter, rocks). But it doesn't have to be this way. You can purchase inexpensive, small-pond kits, or you can build a pond out of a plastic toddler swimming pool simply by…
DPS Having Trouble Finding Substitute Teachers
I sent the email below to Durham Public School board members today. If you live in Durham and agree, please follow suit.
Struggling Schools Benefit from Adding Arts to Learning...!?
In most cases, the day they enter first grade (sometimes earlier), public school kids' creative and experiential education ends, and worksheets and standardized testing begins. Fortunately, this is NOT the case at EK Powe and DSA (both public), where my kids go to school (in Durham, NC). But I know full well that we are an anomaly in a sea of schools that house American children for the majority of their lives between 5 and 17 years of age…
With the lack of public school funding, the need for school districts to facilitate (not just permit) PTA's is long overdue.
“We will need help from families, partner agencies, and communities,” states Durham Public Schools Superintendent Bert L’Homme’s February 5th commentary regarding DPS’s challenges in meeting the educational needs of low-performing students (LHomme_DN_Feb2017). By ‘help’, DPS means ‘We need you to keep your children in our schools.” I get that. But parents don’t want their kids in schools that don’t sincerely welcome parent involvement…
Protect and Improve Affordable Care Mental Health Coverage
It pains me to think of all the mentally ill persons languishing on our streets or in our prisons. So many are uniquely brilliant in ways we are only beginning to understand. What's more, the NRA and supporting politicians argue that we don't need better gun control, we need better treatment of mental illness. So it is completely irrational and incomprehensible to me how someone could be against gun control as well as against the treatment of mental health issues made possible by the Affordable Care Act…
“Eddie Moves Out”, Picture-Book Sequel to “Eddie the Electron”
If you're looking for an educational stocking stuffer this Christmas, please consider buying the first in the Eddie series if you haven't already done so. Whether you do it via *Eddie the Electron* or another avenue, the earlier you introduce your kids to science, the better for their (and our) futures…
Thought for the Day
It's easy to forget to thank these special people in our lives. I'm making a conscious effort to improve in that regard. The older I get, the more I appreciate how difficult it is to be more than is expected of you. Words of appreciation help. A lot. …
Your Village
In organizing children’s events this summer, I’ve talked to several science museum directors and staff, mostly about how to ensure that people actually attend the events. It’s not a matter of young people wanting to be there. It’s a matter of their parents getting them there. Turns out it’s one of the biggest challenges for education directors across the country…
The Danville Science Center - A Unique Experience for Kids of All Ages
I spent last Saturday bonding with young people, pre-school through high-school, via my hands-on children's book readings at the Danville Science Center (DSC). While driving to Virginia from my home in Durham, NC, I worried that my kids, who accompanied me, would get bored in one place all day and would consequently interfere with my program and my sanity. Boy, was I wrong!
Middle- and High-School Strings Students Amaze at Animazement in Raleigh, NC, this Weekend
Yesterday, the Duke University String School's Youth Symphony Orchestra yesterday performed an Anime Symphony (entitled Space Brothers) at the 2016 Animazement Convention in Raleigh, NC. The symphony was written, designed and conducted by renowned Japanese movie composer and record producer Toshiyuki Watanabe, who flew in from Japan just for the event…
Welcome to my blog ...
... where you'll find articles pertaining to education and written for parents, caretakers, & teachers (traditional & home-school) regarding practical hands-on books, curricula, events, & opportunities. Other articles concern parenting, marriage, writing, & life in general, as well as local (Durham/Raleigh/Chapel-Hill), regional (Southeastern United States), and national issues and concerns.