It was a full house in Rigsbee Hall downtown last Thursday night, as the Inter-Neighborhood Council celebrated two years' worth of Neighborhood Hero awards -- and had a celebration of its own history to boot.
Besides the thirty-eight Durhamites nominated by their fellow neighbors for the INC's honor, the INC celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary at the bash, which moved to the Rigsbee St. downtown event space after a number of years at the Washington Duke Inn.
BOCC vice-chair Ellen Reckhow and Mayor pro tem Cora Cole-McFadden presented the INC with proclamations from their respective bodies commemorating the anniversary of INC, which has through its history provided one approach to galvanizing and supporting neighborhood issues.
City manager Tom Bonfield was the night's guest of honor and participated in the distribution of awards. Bill Anderson emceed the event again this year.
There's too many folks recognized to call out all of their accomplishments, so we'll look instead at a sampling. Among the award winners:
- Woodcroft's Beverly Blue, who besides serving as HOA president for a portion of the south Durham development helped out in rescuing and caring for residents and pets displaced by fires in two units -- including caring for and cleaning the pets and returning them to their owners;
- Old Farm's Carolyn Harris, who helped to raise almost $4,500 in six days to help a neighbor at risk of losing their home to foreclosure;
- Cleveland-Holloway's Natalie Spring and Harris Carpenter, veterans of SEEDS who decided to make their home in the adjacent neighborhood and whose home became a form of "neighborhood headquarters" amidst the influx of newcomers to the historic neighborhood that's recently attracted revitalization;
- Northgate Park's Jennifer Kleckner, who's served as the north-central Durham neighborhood's secretary in addition to helping to create neighborhood yard sales and clean-up events;
- Dr. Terry Peaks-Cash of North-East Central Durham, whose work in the Hopkins St. area of NECD has focused on helping homeless women and others in need and has drawn the attention of the Herald-Sun in a recent column;
- Argonne Hills' Laurie Renard, honored for her advocacy in getting Keep Durham Beautiful, Parks & Rec, fellow neighbors and students engaged to clean up Holt School Park -- and for organizing aluminum can collections, a Labor Day raffle, and a community garage sale to raise the funds needed to finish the job.
Other award winners for 2008 were Irene Guerrant and Loretta Ragan, Catsburg; Wayne Smith, Fairfield; Dr. Nancy Henley, Forest Hills; Vicky Worthy, Grove Park; Paul Cornsweet, Morehead Hill; Carolyn Young, Old Farm Neighborhood; Ben Palmer and Mark Cool, Old West Durham; Richard Brown, Parkwood; Rick Phillips, Twin Lakes; Elizabeth Gill and George Glover, Walltown; Mike Cashion, Woodcroft; Wanda Boone of DurhamTRY (INC 2008 Good Neighbor Award)
Other 2009 INC award winners were Tom Higgins and Diana Peronis, Central Durham; Nancy Astrike and Joan Davis, Fairfield; Joe Chambliss, Forest Hills; David Davis, Grove Park; Beulah Hill, College Heights; Rob Corns, Milan Woods; Page McCullough, Northgate Park; and Todd Twigg, Tuscaloosa-Lakewood.
A number of local restaurants pitched in to contribute food, including Blu Seafood, Parker & Otis, Pop's, Q-Shack, and Rue Cler.
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