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Neighborhood News

Sheep runs ram-pant down Kennebec Drive

On January 31, 2023 Dolores Bailey reported seeing a "brown ram" following Jackie Kaufman's litle green car down Kennebec Drive toward Kepley. More than one neighbor imagined a brown Ram pickup truck up to no good. But Jackie clarified with a winning snapshot.

Linda Mannsmann helped identify the handsome ram's owner, Ana Morales, and he was safely back in Ana's custody within hours.


Joe Sagula retires as UNC volleyball head coach

The Daily Tar Heel (2023-01-11) had this notice:

"After 33 years at the helm of the UNC volleyball program, head coach Joe Sagula announced his retirement on Monday morning.

"Sagula is the winningest volleyball coach in ACC history, with 10 ACC Championships -- seven in the regular season and three in the tournament.

"'As I made this decision to retire, my main focus was to ensure that I leave this program in a strong position to continue to compete for championships, and I feel that timing is right,' Sagula said.

"Throughout his career, Sagula recorded 865 wins -- and a 662-384 -- record while leading the Tar Heels.

"A national search for the program's next coach will begin immediately, and Sagula will remain the program's head coach until a successor is named.

"-Allie Kelly"


2023 Durham County Recycling Schedule

2023 recycling schedule B (PDF - 276 KB) (South of the Eno). Pickup for The Downs is on Mondays.

What can you recycle? (PDF - 1814 KB)

Durham County Parkwood and Orange County Eubanks Rd. Convenience Center Schedules. (Dump and recycling.)


Henry Rice appears before Durham City Council

Henry Rice appeared before the Durham City Council at their June 9, 2022 meeting to advocate for a joint study between Durham's Community Safety and Wellness Task Force and Duke University to interview victims of gun violence.


Sol Wisenberg is guest on Fox News again

Sol Wisenberg is appearing more and more frequently as a legal analyst on TV network news programs. On Wednesday April 21, 2021 he was on the Fox News Channel in an interview headlined, "Biden, Waters comments not significant enough for appeal in Chauvin trial verdict."

Wikipedia in a lengthy article about Sol's distinguished legal career, says that "he makes frequent appearances on NBC, Fox News, CBS, ABC, MSNBC CNN, PBS and NPR."


Downs neighbor Dolores Bailey honored as 2021 Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award recipient. (Feb. 3, 2021)

In her capacity as Executive Director of Empowerment, Inc., Dolores is a "drum major for justice," in the memorable words of local NAACP president Dawna Jones. Read more about the award and how Dolores transitioned from being a mechanical engineer to her present career in the Daily Tar Heel article about it.. Congratulations Dolores!


Barry Saunders draws detailed map of fall line that splits the greater Downs neighborhood (December 2020)

Barry wrote an email message to the greater Downs neighbors on Dec. 7, 2020:

"Rick Kunst and I have been chatting about this fall line that passes through the neighborhood... separating the watersheds of Morgan Creek to our west, and Little Creek (& the Little/New Hope arm of Jordan Lake) to our east. The Durham Co GIS parcels website has a topo layer with 2' contours. I used that to make a rough drawing of the fall line through our neighborhood. Here (Could use some ground-truthing.) Also a color topo image that shows how the Morgan and Bolin/Little Creek drainages basically surround Chapel Hill. We are the last 'hood on the Chapel Hill ridgeline. Our old clay shoulder is part of a peninsula of NCSU and Corps land that pokes southward into Jordan. --Yours on soggy soil, --Barry"

This engendered a lively response and some levity, but Jack Griffith added the provocative suggestion: "Next map should be one showing Indian encampments. There are lots of pottery shards and some arrowheads to be found on our front yard, and Mr. Kepley told me that he had a great collection from the field in front of the Sparrows home. He thought that the Indians lived in the higher land around the Kepley farm and hunted in the wetlands. --Jack"


Rasheed Wallace becomes Jordan High School boys basketball coach (March 8, 2019)

Read the News & Observer announcement here. And here he is at a Jordan vs. Cary game in February 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic changed all our lives. Thanks for passing your knowledge on to our local young men, Rasheed!


Jack Griffith elected into the National Academy of Sciences (Dec. 6, 2018)

Jack is one of 84 new members and 21 foreign associates being recognized for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Scientists are elected by their peers, and NAS membership is one of the highest scientific honors conferred in the United States. He has conducted extensive research utilizing high-resolution electron microscopy to visualize protein-DNA interactions. His laboratory's work seeks to answer basic questions of how DNA and proteins interact in cancer and other diseases. More here. Congratulations Jack!


Phil Buchanan receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award (April 2017)

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is an honor granted by the State of North Carolina to individuals who have shown extraordinary service to the state. It is the highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor. It is awarded to persons with 30 years or more of exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.

Phil's award recognized his over 40 years work as a medical geneticist and clinical cytogeneticist in Chapel Hill. In 1983, Phil founded GeneCare Medical Genetics Center and was its director for more than 30 years. Congratulations Phil!


Bumper crop of zucchini squash available from Rick and Bibby's house, July-August 2014.

Get zucchini squash to your heart's content from a big basket on our front porch. It's an unusual pale green variety, but tastes like zucchini. Some of them are too big and best for zucchini bread (see PDF of recipe), zucchini fritters, or ?

Here's another recipe for a delicious squash casserole. Both recipes are from The Good Housekeeping Cook Book.

Just drive in our gravel drive and come up on the porch and help yourself. At the moment there is also yellow crookneck squash, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers -- big ones good for cold cucumber soup!


Jack Griffith featured on the July 28, 2009 episode of the PBS show Nova ScienceNOW (July 2009)

"Secrets in the Salt: Salt deposits that formed 250 million years ago hold tantalizing hints of early life. Biophysicist Jack Griffith takes you on a narrated photo tour of quarter-billion-year-old water bubbles...." Read more and watch the whole show on video here.


Downs neighbor master stonemason Arthur Jones is subject of Chapel Hill News article "Rock Stars" (May 20, 2009)

The Downs's neighbor on Farrington Mill Rd., Arthur Jones, who is the son of Downs Potluck stalwart Christine Jones, carries on the Jones family stonemason tradition of many generations. The Chapel Hill News describes his latest work on stone walls for Glenwood Elementary School. (PDF - 2443KB)


The Downs gets a new sign (August 2006)

Jim Fink, Bryce McLaughlin and Bibby Moore cleared away the rotting railroad ties from the old sign, dug up the cinderblock footers, cut new ties and reapplied the letters for our new neighborhood sign. Since we want to remain "low key" out here, the sign strikes a perfect balance! The neighborhood drive-by supervisors included: Chris Lambertsen and Chuck Darsie. Betsy Buchanan ordered the new railroad ties but was out-of-town when the work crew got together. Jim Fink sent the pictures to post. Thanks to all for your contribution!


Gillian Fink in NC Special Olympics (July 2003)

Gillian is Athlete of the Week! (6/27/03)


Jackie and Chris Lambertsen Set Sail from Beaufort in Shibumi for Europe (June 4, 2003)

Follow their journey over the next couple of years at these continuously updated websites:


Reed Darsie Almost Wins the Durham Amateur Golf Tournament (May 2003)

Photo of Reed and Paul Darsie as the tournament gets under way

Clippings of the Herald-Sun news story for May 25, 2003, Page 1 and continued here.

Then the exciting conclusion on May 26, 2003, Page 1 and continued here.

Paul and Reed on the course


Kathy Soule Creates a Website for The Downs (May 2003)

Kathy says: While talking about creating this website some people expressed interest in developing a more formal neighborhood organization with dues, bylaws, etc. This page contains information about and/or proposals for such an organization.

Information about one such organization (for a community in Colorado) is given in the website for the Gunbarrel Estates' Homeowners' Association .


Photos from Neighborhood Picnic, Fall 2002

Chris and Jackie Lambertsen's Ofoto.com photo album from our Fall 2002 neighborhood potluck
  Jackie had this to say:
Howdy! To see the photos, click on VIEW PHOTO and when the new display arrives, click on SLIDESHOW at the top right of the screen! No need to buy anything!