Durham Magazine June/July 2020 by Triangle Media Partners

A NEW DAY DAWNS: PORTRAITS OF OUR CITY’S EARLY RISERS PAGE 32

JU N E / JU LY 2 020 • DUR H AM M AG. COM

COMING BACK MAYOR STEVE SCHEWEL SHARES HIS HOPES AND PLANS FOR REOPENING THE CITY PAGE 30

SIGN OF THE TIMES The Carolina Theatre closed in early March following the declaration of emergency issued by Mayor Schewel – here practicing safe social distancing – and remained shuttered as a citywide stay-at-home executive order was extended indefinitely.

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magazine JUNE/JULY 2020 VOL 13 NO 4 durhammag.com    PREVENTATIVE DENTAL CARE | COSMETIC & RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY | TMJ TREATMENT

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letter

My Gratitude List

y first in-person interview since we’ve been quarantined was in April with Mayor Schewel. He arrived and immediately thanked all who were present for wearing a mask, and we sat down in front of the historic Carolina Theatre, more than six feet apart, to chat. The moment in our discussion that stayed with me was when the mayor freely conceded that he knows that not all the decisions he’s made since this whole thing started are necessarily the correct ones. “It’s humbling,” he said. Even using all the science, data and advice of experts, he still has and feels comfortable sharing his doubts. Check out his interview on page 30. What gives me comfort in this time, in addition to our responsible local leadership, is how fortunate I am. I understand that my family, friends and I are lucky in many ways while others are facing profound hardships and heartbreaks. And most of us, like the mayor, are doing the best we can with what we have. My dad’s 60th birthday is just a few days away. I plan to bring him a Black Forest cake from Guglhupf (he’s half German) and takeout from his favorite: Waffle House. Both he and my mom are at high risk from the virus. But maybe we’ll sit outside along with my brother, keeping our distance, with Clorox wipes and sanitizer handy, and visit with one another. No hugs, but still close. Doing the best we can with what we have. My dad is still working, which I know he is thankful for (in some ways). My mom has been furloughed since the beginning of March, for which I’m thankful (at least I know she’s safe). And I’m thankful and hopeful for their continued good health as we ease into “safer at home.” Both the pragmatist and the optimist in me have teamed up and know that we will find solutions for various facets of our community; of course, we have to. And there are many people in Durham who are stepping up to help make our transition back happen. We talk about some of them in this issue. But, day to day, we can do the best we can with what we have, and that’s not bad.

TH E COV ER

Photo by Beth Mann The Carolina Theatre participated in the #LightItBlue campaign, illuminating its historic facade to show support for health care workers, first responders and other essential employees. Thank you to CTD staff for assisting us in our cover shoot by turning on the lights for us! 4

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 @amanda_maclaren amanda@durhammag.com

june/july

contents 30 Durham, Interrupted Mayor Steve Schewel’s hopes and plans for reopening the city

FEATURES

32 Durham at Dawn Moments with hard-working early risers in our city

110 Engagement & Weddings Tying the knot, Bull City-style

44 Winning Streak Several of our 2020 Readers’ Favorites have more to celebrate than their recent Best of Durham award. Here’s to the many accomplishments of these local businesses, organizations and professionals.

DURHAM INC. 97 Biz Briefs

102 Durham’s Newest Small Businesses Navigate COVID-19 When Durhamites were told to stay at home, small businesses that relied on face-to-face contact had to pivot and find a way forward

70 Best of Durham 2020 In the Home & Garden and Services categories

SILVER LININGS

74 Homegrown Getaways With stay-at-home orders in place, these three couples used their time to create enviable oases in their backyards

12 Feed the Fight Durham 14 DPAC’s Initiatives during COVID-19 16 2020 Class of Champions 18 Doctoral Matrimony at Duke University Hospital

86 Directory of Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living, Independent Senior Living and 55+ Living Communities 108 Mix It Up Several bars, restaurants and distilleries offer make-your-own drink kits and prepackaged libations, blends and even coffee

PHOTO BY BETH MANN

83 Welcome to the Neighborhood Isabel and Efrain Pineiro adore their 55+ community

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

8 Get Offline, Go Online Virtual and socially distanced events for summer 22 Noted What we’ve heard around town … 26 ‘Living in the Twilight’ David Pisetsky examines the change in Durham’s culture and shares his personal experiences working at local hospitals

20 Durham Neighbors Free Lunch Initiative 21 Virtual Induction into the National Honor Society

SPONSORED CONTENT

28 Healthy Durham Stay well and spend your golden years in Durham 72 Adopt A Pet Meet three pups and a pair of bunnies from the Animal Protection Society of Durham waiting on their forever homes

PHOTO BY BETH MANN

Postcards from Durham Preservation Durham hosted its People +

get offline go online

Place Speaker Series event via Zoom on April 2, 9 and 16. During the three-part webinar series, which is available to view online at bit.ly/peopleplace, “street historian” John Schelp shared his personal collection of vintage postcards and discussesd the local history behind the images.

Durham from the Heart JU N E

This performance series, hosted by Downtown Durham Inc., features a new Durham musician every week in June. Tune in to facebook.com/ downtowndurham at 1 p.m. every Tuesday to virtually connect with the downtown community. Follow #durhamheart for up-to-date information and details. Featured artists this month include Curtis Eller on June 2, Jay Attys on June 9, Juliana Finch on June 16 and Lenora Helm Hammonds on June 23.

RTPfit Yoga JUN E

PHOTO COURTESY JULIANA FINCH

Frontier RTP hosts free 50-minute beginner’s/

intermediate-level yoga sessions with Mary Margaret Wise of YoBa Studio in Raleigh every Wednesday in June from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. During a session, participants learn how to improve their work/life balance while challenging themselves with strengthening intervals, functional training and repetitive movements.

EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS PRIOR TO ATTENDING

Chris Tucker

The Beaver Queen Pageant

AUGUST 1

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JU N E 6 , 7 , 1 3

PHOTO BY LYN STEUART

The award-winning actor and comedian who starred in the “Rush Hour” film series and the Oscar-nominated “Silver Linings Playbook” delivers side-splitting standup at DPAC. Chris is known for his uniquely striking voice, energetic storytelling and impressions, as seen on his 2015 Netflix special, “Chris Tucker Live.”

This unique pageant started in 2005 when the construction of I-85 threatened the Duke Park beavers. Contestants dress up in themed costumes, vying for the title of Beaver Queen, all to benefit Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA). This year, organizers shifted the annual fundraiser online. The pageant has the same components but rolls out in three episodes: a talent episode on June 6, a Q&A episode on June 7 and a final coronation on June 13. Every online vote, which costs $5, supports ECWA’s mission.

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silver linings 1

Feed the Fight BY HANNAH LEE

Julia Love first got the idea for her Feed the Fight Durham initiative from a similar grassroots

movement in Washington, D.C., but she’s putting her own stamp on it. The organization – led by Julia and local residents Lindsay Hoyle, Susan Branion, Judy May and Ann McLain – supports restaurants with dining rooms that have been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the health care workers who are battling on the front lines. Their team has paid Durham restaurants to deliver 50 meals a day to Duke Health, Durham VA Health Care facilities and Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake, among other local health care practices. By mid-May, the team raised more than $82,000 to help fund the delivery of 5,870 meals from 51 restaurants. To donate to the cause, visit feedthefightdurham.org. 12

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1 Mad Hatter’s Café & Bakeshop sent breakfast boxes with thank-you notes to the Duke Regional Hospital emergency room on April 25. 2 Bull City Burger & Brewery provided meals to the Duke Regional Hospital team on April 5. 3 Pie Pushers provided 50 pizzas to health care employees at Duke University Hospital on April 14. 4 Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken sent 50 meals to Triangle Family Practice for breakfast on April 20.

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The Show Must Go On B Y HAN N AH LEE

Jacob Holland, Johnson Lexus President’s club membership manager and tour guide, takes curious guests behind the scenes prior to COVID-19. Virtual backstage tours at DPAC can be found here: bit.ly/DPACvirtualtours.

In April, May and June, more than 75 performances at Durham Performing Arts Center were affected by the global pandemic. “Since March, our team has been busily working on rescheduling almost all affected events,” says DPAC General Manager Bob Klaus. “While we do not control when we will be allowed to reopen, one thing is for sure – when we are back, DPAC will be as busy as ever.” Staff are currently planning for two of DPAC’s biggest events of the new season – the return of “Wicked” in October and the much-anticipated second engagement of “Hamilton” in January. In the meantime, the venue launched new initiatives including “DPAC Living Room

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Sessions,” where staff, performing arts ambassadors and participants of

Triangle Rising Stars

PHOTO BY HUTHPHOTO

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–

a regional qualifying event for high school students as part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards – submit videos of themselves performing live from their homes. The venue also continues to give back. DPAC hosted a virtual food drive with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, raising more

DPAC was lit blue for the month of April to acknowledge the hard work of all the front-line workers.

DPAC began Living Room Sessions to provide virtual entertainment for fans.

than $55,000 by the end of April, and a blood drive in May. For the month of April, it participated in the “Light It Blue” initiative to support those working on the front lines. “At its heart, DPAC is about shared experiences,” Bob says, “and the potential for goodness and change in us all. As we look forward, we will need the healing power of live theater more than ever.”

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ALYSIA JOHNSON Track and field; Hillside High School Committed to University of South Carolina “I miss getting ready for my races and having motivational talks before my runs. I miss seeing all my track friends at meets. I miss competing and being locked in at meets. My favorite memory was last year when I won the 400-meter for states, and then I came right back and won the 200-meter. That is a day I will never forget.”

DYVAI ROBINSON Football; track and field; Hillside High School Committed to St. Andrews University Dyvai’s best memories of his athletic career were of waking up on Saturday mornings for track meets and warming up with his teammates; he appreciates the support they had for one another. “You’re going to have some people in your life who don’t believe in [you]; just prove them wrong.”

2020 Class of Champions B Y HAN N AH LEE

SKY MILLER Fencing; Durham School of the Arts Committed to Northwestern University “This season, I was able to qualify for [the] Senior World [Championships]. This meant I could travel to more countries and fence professional athletes, which was super cool. [I’ve] been fencing for nine years and plan on continuing to do so in college at a D1 level.”

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KEILAN STRADER Indoor/outdoor track and field; football; Southern School of Energy and Sustainability Committed to Livingstone College “I miss the coaches and the people in the crowd. My favorite sports memory was being asked to speak at my middle school, Research Triangle Charter Academy, to talk about my track accomplishments. I love track and football, but one day I would like to be in the Olympics. I was ranked top 50 in the state for all my track events. I’m looking forward to my collegiate experience.” PHOTO BY YOUR VISION PHOTOGRAPHY PORTRAIT STUDIO

PHOTO COURTESY OF MID-SOUTH FENCERS’ CLUB

JAMES “TREY” SHAW III Football; wrestling; track and field; Southern School of Energy and Sustainability Committed to North Carolina Wesleyan College “My favorite memory is the shutout defense I played with my fellow seniors this past season. [I’ll] miss singing the national anthem at games. Football and music are two [of my] passions.”

The coronavirus canceled or cut short the seasons of many student-athletes. A little more than 7% of high school athletes play a varsity sport in college, and less than 2% of high school athletes play at NCAA Division I schools. The Durham Sports Commission recently recognized a few of our city’s talented students, who shared their favorite sport memories:

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A Healthy Marriage BY HANNAH LEE

On April 11, OB-GYN resident Dr. Shelun Tsai and fiance Dr. Michael Sun, a psychiatry resident, celebrated what would have been their wedding day – which was postponed because of COVID-19 – during an impromptu ceremony at the Duke Birthing Center at Duke University Hospital. “Shelun was on call at the hospital the day we were going to be married,” Michael says. “She told one of her co-residents, Dan Spinosa, and they decided she should still be able to have a nice ceremony. Other nurses, staff and residents ran with the idea, and it became more and more elaborate as the day went along.” Shelun created makeshift wedding attire, worn along with personal protective equipment, while she exchanged vows with Michael over a Zoom call that also included friends and family from across the country. “It was completely surreal,” Michael says. The couple plans to have a larger wedding in October. 18

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Childhood is full of milestones. We’re here to help every child reach them.

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No one in need of a meal is turned away.

Neighbors Feeding Neighbors B Y MARIE MUIR

Alesia Bachelor and Emily-Kate Hannapel at Geer Street Garden. 20

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In an effort to help the homeless, workers who have been laid off and students in Durham Public Schools who are food insecure, Riverside senior Elijah King partnered with local business owners Grant Ruhlman of Homebucha, George O’Neal of Lil’ Farm and Andy Magowan of Geer Street Garden to create the Durham Neighbors Free Lunch Initiative. It also seeks to support local farms that have lost markets for their goods, put a restaurant back into service and pay a living wage to several employees for at least 20 hours per week in a safe and healthy capacity. As of May 19, the initiative’s GoFundMe raised nearly $50,000 from more than 575 donors, helping the grassroots campaign increase their goal of 100 meals to 200 meals served a day, five days a week, at Geer Street Garden and satellite location Gocciolina. Elijah notes that food insecurity was a problem before the coronavirus outbreak and will continue to be an issue in the future. “It is my job to promote the idea that we are Durham neighbors, and we should do anything we can to help one another in this major time of need,” he says. Anyone who shows up for a meal will not be turned away. Don’t Waste Durham serves as a fiscal sponsor of the campaign, managing finances and allowing the initiative to receive tax-deductible donations. Altogether, 57 volunteers, three organizers and more than 13 neighborhoods and businesses have joined the initiative in its mission, and about 3,000 meals have been served.

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A Virtual Pledge B Y HAN N AH LEE

Isabella Lane, a Carrboro High School junior who

lives in south Durham, was inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) in April through a virtual ceremony. Her mom, Gloria Sanchez-Lane, who works as a social worker for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, stood by Isabella’s side in their dining room during the ceremony. “It was wonderful to be selected to represent my school,” she says, “and still a little disappointing as I was planning on wearing my grandmother’s traditional Mexican dress and celebrating my achievement with family and friends.” The virtual initiation had its lighthearted moments, too. Isabella listened to her principal read the four core values of NHS while a dog barked in the background. Isabella was one of 19 students who read the NHS membership pledge on Zoom. “It was nice to see friends from school, even if it was virtually,” Isabella adds.

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noted

noted. named the director of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in April.

Trevor was previously the deputy director of curatorial affairs and the Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art at the museum.

WHAT WE’VE HE ARD AROUND TOWN … Compiled by Lindsay Rusczak and Claire Delano

Culture’s roasted-to-order coffee to homes nationwide. A percentage of sales supports NPR’s programming. The local roaster also offers subscribers a rotating selection of exclusive coffees along with discounts. Subscribers can learn the stories behind each coffee they receive along with the best brewing methods to follow at home. Read more at nprcoffeeclub.org.

The New York Times bestselling author Lee Smith released her novella “Blue Marlin” on April 21. Published by Durham-based Blair, the novella shares the story of 13-year-old Jenny on a family vacation in 1950s Key West following her father’s affair.

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NPR and Counter Culture Coffee partnered to create the NPR Coffee Club, a coffee subscription service that delivers Counter 22

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PHOTO COURTESY OF COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE

Durham Food Hall isn’t letting COVID-19 stop

it from serving the community. After more than five years in the making, it opened in mid-May and launched DFH Preview, an online shop where customers can order items for curbside pickup. It started out offering products from The Auctioneer Bar and Small Maker Retail corner. By the time you read this, all its vendors should be open for business. Orders can be made at toasttab.com/durham-food-hall. Zambrero, Australia’s largest Mexican food

BOOKIN’ IT

Email noted@durhammag.com

North Street and Broadway Street in Durham

because this is the epitome of a house beer for us: It’s dry yet smooth, has a lovely bright citrus punch from the classic American hops and is incredibly easy to drink,” says Ryan Bennett, Durty Bull’s sales manager. Design Director Caroline Okun

MindPath Care Centers named W. Scott Griffies as its medical director on April 29.

Scott joined MindPath, an outpatient mental and behavioral health care provider, in 2019 as the associate medical director and director of clinical education and development. Before joining MindPath, Scott was an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University.

From births to awards to new biz and more –

franchise, opens its first Durham location at University Hill on June 13. This is the second Zambrero location in the Southeast and the third in the country. Zambrero offers a menu of burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more, along with its Plate 4 Plate program in partnership with Rise Against Hunger. With each burrito, bowl or bottle of water purchased, Zambrero donates a meal to someone in need. Durty Bull Brewing Company recently renamed

one of its best-selling beers, a small-batch IPA, “North and Broadway.” “We named this beer after our humble home on the corner of

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designed its label, which features a vintage map showing the intersection of North and Broadway in the 1920s and uses the official colors of Durham.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE OKUN

Trevor Schoonmaker was

PHOTO BY SOPHIE LVOFF

ON THE MOVE

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WHAT AN HONOR North Carolina Central University Associate Professor Shauntae Brown White received the

University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching in April. Shauntae, who teaches in the department of mass communication, is one of 17 honorees from across the state to receive the award. Seven winners of the 23rd annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival were announced

on April 22, with cash prizes totaling $47,500. The four-day event was scheduled for April 2-5 but was canceled due to COVID-19. “Mayor,” directed by David Osit, won the Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award; “Then Comes the Evening,” directed by Maja Novaković, won the Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short;

noted

“Time,” directed by Garrett Bradley, won the Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award and the Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award; “Riafn,” directed by Hannes Lang, took home the Franklin Humanities Institute Award; “Saudade,” directed by Denize Galiao, won the Full Frame President’s Award; and “Us Kids,” directed by Kim Snyder, won the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights.

of Water Management.

Students in grades K-8 submitted their drawings based on the theme, “The Value of Water.” Winners at the local level had their posters displayed at City Hall. Pictured right, Nathaniel Ray from Montessori Community School took first place in the kindergartensecond grade division.

to discuss the animals and stay on camera for the duration of the meeting. Pictured above is Conservation Coordinator Noelle Dalhouse with owl Apollo. Gonza Tacos y Tequila closed its Fernway Avenue location in May.

Its lease was up for renewal, and “the revised lease terms were not something we could commit to given the uncertain times we find ourselves in,” the restaurant said in a post on Instagram. Gonza still maintains a location at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and also has a new partnership with Duke Athletics.

IN OUR SCHOOLS

On April 15, six Durham Academy student athletes joined Director of Athletics Andy Pogach online for a virtual signing day, where students announced their commitments to schools for collegiate athletics. “While we wish we could be together today in Kirby Gym, due to the pandemic we are currently facing, we have to be creative about how we handle events like a signing day,” Andy says in the video. Mark Alkins will run track at UNC, Tanner Barry will play soccer at Brown University, Ryan Kirschner will play soccer at Stevens Institute of Technology, Millie Loehr will play volleyball at Wofford College, Caroline Sapir will play lacrosse at Tufts University and Madeline Towning will play tennis at Sewanee: The University of the South. After students signed their official commitment letters using a Durham Academy pen, the event ended with coaches and teammates offering messages of congratulations.

IN OTHER NEWS

Piedmont Wildlife Center created a program

in April to allow you to “Owl-Bomb” your next virtual meeting. Depending on the donation amount, an owl ambassador and owl from the Center will join your meeting

NCCU Assistant Professor Lenora Helm Hammonds released her album, “For the Love of Big Band,” on March 9. The album features NCCU students, faculty and alumni and presents a combination of jazz, orchestra and modern chamber ensemble sounds.

GIVING BACK

Western Governors University North Carolina

In April, NCCU’s School of Business partnered with the Society for Financial Education and Professional Development to create The Ambassador Program, a peer-topeer financial literacy program for students, which helps to teach and promote financial literacy on campus through workshops about credit management, student loan management and financial goal setting. The City of Durham celebrated National Drinking Water Week from May 3-9 and recognized City employees who work every day – especially during the coronavirus pandemic – to provide safe drinking water. This year’s celebration included a Water Conservation Poster Contest sponsored by the Department

raised the spirits of local medical staff through goodie boxes and catered lunches. Workers at Duke Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department and Duke University Hospital’s Pediatrics Department, among others, received boxes containing hand sanitizer, snacks, socks and owl plushies (WGU’s mascot). Beatrice Whittington, a nurse at Duke Regional, sent a note back that said, “All who were able to enjoy some part of the care packages said thank you for thinking of us and your appreciation!” On May 14, Hi-Wire Brewing released a new beer, “Donate to Service Industry Workers by Drinking This Beer.” For every six-pack purchased, a portion of the proceeds goes to the United States Bartenders’ Guild National Charity Foundation and the North Carolina Restaurant Workers Relief Fund. Customers can order

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it for local delivery or curbside pickup at HiWire’s Durham location. It’s also available for nationwide shipping at shop.hiwirebrewing.com. On April 20, Habitat for Humanity of Durham launched the Stronger Together Fund to support Habitat homeowners who’ve lost their jobs to the pandemic. Habitat estimates a third of its homeowners are unemployed and created the fund to provide direct support through mortgage relief and other financial resources. Donate at durhamhabitat.org/strongertogether.

The United Way of the Greater Triangle announced in May that its Rapid Response Fund distributed $266,830 to 36 nonprofits in Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake Counties as part of its second round of funding. The first funding round distributed $277,400 for a total of $544,230 given to 61 organizations, such as Student U and LGBTQ Center of Durham, within the same four-county footprint. United Way created the fund in March in response to the pandemic and has raised more than $1 million to date thanks to nearly 1,000 individual

donors and corporate partner contributions. One year after its establishment, the Durham One Fund raised a total of $566,777 in April. United Way of the Greater Triangle established the fund following the 2019 downtown gas explosion in downtown and now supports local families facing unforeseen disasters. The fund has provided financial support to organizations including Durham’s Partnership for Children and Diaper Bank of North Carolina and is currently focused on relief efforts for residents displaced from McDougald Terrace in January. In April, the Durham Bulls launched Pizza + Paletas to provide meals to employees at Duke Health. Customers can donate by ordering online at Pie Pushers and LocoPops, and Wool E. Bull will deliver the meals.

James P. Furgurson, DDS, FAGD Nathan O. White, DDS D E N TA L E X C E L L E N C E • C O M PA S S I O N AT E C A R E

The PNC Foundation provided a $20,000 grant to the Durham Arts Council in May to support the DAC Arts Recovery Fund, an initiative assisting artists and arts organizations financially impacted by COVID-19. Early applications to the recovery fund revealed initial revenue losses for the arts community totaled more than $1.6 million – just a fraction of expected losses. Funds from the grant will be carefully distributed by DAC through an online request process.

MORE COVID-19 UPDATES

Moody’s Analytics, an economic research company, has found that Durham is one of the U.S. cities best positioned for a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Places that have high degrees of educational attainment but are lower density … [that] have grown very, very well over the last five or six years, in particular, are pretty well positioned coming out of this, whenever we do,” says Moody’s senior regional economist Adam Kamins.

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On May 11, Durham Central Park announced that it canceled its 2020 PLAYlist Concert Series due to the coronavirus. This year, the free annual series was slated to run from June to September. “We will miss gathering and the camaraderie of these concerts but feel that the risk and uncertainty is too great at this time,” DCP wrote on its blog. Several local venues, including Motorco Music Hall, The Carolina Theatre, Morning Choir, NorthStar Church of the Arts, Sonic Pie Productions, The Blue Note Grill and The

noted Pinhook, joined the newly formed National

Independent Venue Association to support the survival of independent music venues amid nationwide shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. NIVA’s mission is to secure federal funding to protect touring artists and the music venues where they perform. The Carolina Theatre postponed the inaugural OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival from Aug.

13-16 to Sept. 11-12. Formerly known as the North Carolina Gay + Lesbian Film Festival, the OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival will be shortened in length, but will still showcase features, documentaries and shorts that fully represent the queer community. The festival will announce its full lineup by Aug. 1. Audience sizes and the number of cinemas used may be limited.

On April 30, Congressman G.K. Butterfield announced more than $3 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will go towards public housing communities in the First Congressional District of North Carolina. The Durham Housing Authority will receive $1.2 million, the largest amount in the district. On May 7, Rep. Butterfield also announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will allocate almost $3.4

million to nine health centers in North Carolina’s First Congressional District, including Lincoln Community Health Center. “Community health centers are our front-line defense amid this pandemic and are positioned to reach people where they are within the community,” the Congressman says. “I am glad to see they will now receive much-needed funding to support the heroic work they do every day in the First Congressional District of North Carolina.”

Although its physical location is closed due to COVID-19, the Durham Literacy Center continues to provide remote learning to students through distance-education software platforms, face-to-face classes and tutoring on Zoom. The center also announced its annual Leaders in Literacy Breakfast will be held online June 4. In May, nonprofit StrongHer TogetHer launched the Durham Girls Summer Book Club, which uses reading to connect girls who are staying at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The club welcomes girls in grades 5-8 at 25 partner schools across Durham to read a book each month with a strong female protagonist and then discuss over Instagram. StrongHer TogetHer will host the club in June, July and August, and accepts online donations through GoFundMe with the goal of raising $3,000 to help distribute books to 500 girls. The Eno River Association announced in May that it was suspending its annual Festival for the Eno, which was scheduled for July 3-4. “This was a difficult decision to make,” says Festival Director Greg Bell, “but the uncertainty and risks to our community members’ health are simply too high to allow us to continue planning an event of this complexity and magnitude for this July.” The Festival for the Eno has been held each year since 1980 at West Point on the Eno to celebrate the nature, culture and history of the Eno River and to raise funds for land protection in the Eno basin. j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 0

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in their words

‘Living in the Twilight’

BY DAVID S. P IS ETSKY, M.D., PH.D.

brief email on March 6 from my service chief informed me that I was at high risk for infection by the COVID-19 virus and had to avoid direct contact with patients with a fever, a cough or wearing a mask. While I consider myself healthy, my age is a big negative in the defense against the virus. I would have to sit out the pandemic on the sidelines. Although my face-to-face contact with patients has dwindled, I am not alone in trying different methods for patient care. I work at both Duke University Medical Center and the Durham VA Medical Center. Both institutions have established ways to reduce all exposures in the health care environment. Phones and computers are now the avenues for communication, allowing conversations and even guided patient self-examinations. The changes seem to be working and will likely impact health care delivery in the future. When I first came to Durham in 1978, there were few rheumatologists in the state, and I saw patients who had driven 250 miles for a routine outpatient visit. I felt guilty about the enormous effort they had expended, especially if all I did was reassure them or renew a prescription. Now those visits would take place in a few minutes on the phone or computer.

T H E AUT H OR I S

A D UKE P ROF ESSOR OF MEDICINE

A N D I M M UNOLOGY WH O H A S LI VED

I N D URH A M SI NC E T H E L AT E ’ 7 0S.

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When the pandemic ends, or at least subsides, I cannot imagine that patients will want to go back to the old ways and put up with the hassle of driving, parking and walking in, and then undergoing the rigmarole in the clinic only to get stuck for blood. While many commentators do not like to analogize the viral pandemic to a war, effectively, that is what it is. All hospitals have had to undergo drastic reallocations of resources, staff and space to create intensive care unit beds for the mass of critically ill patients expected to arrive during a surge. The hospitals are as close to war footing as a civilian facility can get. Both Duke and the VA have done an outstanding job preparing to care for COVID-19 patients and, importantly, have kept the staff informed and morale high. The leaders deserve great credit for meeting an extraordinary challenge. During World War II, an unusual period occurred at the onset called the “Twilight War” by Churchill (and the “Phoney” or “Sitting War” by others). Europe was at war, but there was very little actual fighting for months until Germany invaded France and the Low Countries in 1940. To some extent, March and April in Durham was a period of twilight war. While many people have been hospitalized and some have died from the virus, the frightening surge predicted in some models did not occur (and, hopefully, it won’t), and the hospitals were able to meet the demands. Hospitals are usually frenetic and crowded places; during this twilight period, the halls and clinics have been empty. There are special wards for patients with the virus, and I stay far away. Duke itself is a different place. The students are gone; the laboratories and classrooms are closed and empty; all communication is accomplished by phone or computer. Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting and other platforms are technological marvels. Without them, academic life would have totally crashed. Durham has also changed. It is quiet

in their words

without the drone of traffic on 147, the growl of jets taking off from RaleighDurham International Airport and the roar of motorcycles and cars on the roads. Birds provide a gleeful soundtrack of chirps, twills and tweets, which I can hear unopposed by the noxious noise of modern life. Even though I have lived in Durham for 42 years, I follow the news of New York incessantly since I have family there. The New York suburb New Rochelle, my hometown, was an epicenter of the virus infection. The house where I grew up was within the containment zone, and I was startled to see pictures of National Guard troops occupying the grounds of my high school. My sister and friends in New York are confined indoors. Like me, they are over 70 years old and are afraid to walk down the block, even as they crave a few rays of sun. In The New York Times, I read Nicholas Kristof ’s accounts of patients with COVID-19 in Jacobi

Hospital, where I did my medical school training in the Bronx. The descriptions of the suffering are terrifying. While COVID-19’s impact in Durham may be far from that of New York, the pandemic lurks, and people in the medical field are anxious, uncertain whether the curve has really flattened or is just waiting to shoot upward. When I go to my office in the hospital, I have to answer a series of questions at the front entrance: Have I had a fever? Have I had a cough? Have I been exposed to a confirmed case without proper personal protective equipment? I always answer no to the last question but I, of course, have no idea, and that is the terrible dilemma. I get a brightly colored sticker to indicate I’ve been screened, but I’m at high risk, and a sticker is not protection. Along with many of my friends and colleagues in Durham, I have been lucky thus far, but I have missed the shows at DPAC and, sadly, have not gone out to restaurants whose

financial state must be a terrible source of worry to the owners, chefs and staff. I hope that all the restaurants survive, and I promise to return to Sitar, Nana’s, Vin Rouge and Guglhupf as soon as it is safe. I will definitely splurge to make up for lost time. Given all the troubles that the virus has afflicted, feelings burst forth. On the front of Duke Hospital, a large sign says, “Thank you to our Duke Health heroes,” with images of health care workers wearing capes. As I enter the parking deck on Elba Street, a sign says, “Merci, Gracias, Thank You, Danke, Grazie.” On Vineyard Street, a large piece of fabric with hand-painted pink flowers gives a clear and direct message: “Stay Home.” My favorite sign is on the fence of a house on Arnette Avenue. The sign is in a child’s writing, but it is wise and prescient: “You are not alone.” I agree with the message, but for the time being, Durham, like the rest of the country, is living in the twilight.

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STAY WELL AND SPEND YOUR GOLDEN YEARS IN DURHAM I N PA RT N E R S H I P W I T H

etirees are better for older adults attracted to who struggle to make this area for its ends meet,” Gina says. cost of living, worldSenior PharmAssist class medical care, also facilitates a cultural events and team responding to opportunities for COVID-19 and aims maintaining a healthy to grow the number lifestyle. Many are of community health attracted to the rich workers as part of diversity of Durham as Durham’s Partnership well as the easy access for Seniors, which to Duke hospitals and advocates for older cultural outlets like adult issues, promotes Durham Performing and facilitates Arts Center and The partnerships, and Carolina Theatre. In identifies opportunities Gina Upchurch collects mask donations to deliver to seniors. fact, North Carolina that may improve gained the third-most the quality of life for retirees of any state according to a recent study by Durham seniors. They maintain an up-to-date central SmartAsset. database of community resources and best practices in A lot of the draw has to do with the unique services order to provide reassurance calls for older adults and offered here. Senior PharmAssist, for example, “helps match volunteers with organizations that need them most older adults with limited incomes thrive in Durham,” says during this time. While COVID-19 affected retirement Executive Director Gina Upchurch. “Most have been in communities in ways Gina couldn’t have imagined, she Durham for years.” The nonprofit maintains and manages says, “it has driven deeper collaboration and more activity much-needed medications in addition to providing in the community.” Senior PharmAssist recently received a health education and Medicare counseling. This service, donation of 1,300 masks to cover its participants who are especially, is popular among their clients. The counseling most at risk of complications from the virus. “We are so includes face time with clinical pharmacists, ensuring thankful to be a conduit and connector of goodwill in the people save the most money possible on prescriptions, Bull City,” Gina says, as they worked with The Forest at while also ensuring that the medicines do more good than Duke to package and deliver the masks to seniors’ homes harm. “We focus on what we can do together to make life along with personal letters and health tips.

F I N D A C O M P L E T E L I S T O F H E A LT H Y D U R H A M P A R T N E R S AT

HEALTHYDURHAM2020.ORG/PARTNERS

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OTHER RESOURCES Dementia Inclusive Durham facebook.com/dementiainclusivedurham Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development 919-660-7500, sites.duke.edu/centerforaging Duke HomeCare and Hospice 4321 Medical Park Dr., Ste 101, 919-620-3853, dukehealth.org/treatments/home-care-and-hospice Durham Center for Senior Life 406 Rigsbee Ave., 919-688-8247, dcslnc.org Durham Partnership for Seniors 919-560-7393, meets at the Durham Center for Senior Life Triangle J Area Agency on Aging 4307 Emperor Blvd., Ste. 110, 919-549-0551, tjcog.org/aging

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For those seniors looking to further their education, there’s the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke – the fourth largest OLLI in the country and one of the oldest, as it celebrates its 43rd anniversary this year. With 2,600 members and more than 300 instructors, the learning community offers more than 425 classes annually at more than 20 locations across Durham, Orange and Chatham counties. “We have men and women who moved here knowing no one, because they know they can make friends and build a community with people who share their values and love of learning,” says OLLI Director Chris McLeod. Durham is a magnet for professionals who may have relocated here for work, are parents of children who went to college in the area or who loved living in a big city. “Durham has the perks of a big city without many of the big city hassles,” Chris says. The participants at Duke’s OLLI consist of numerous retired faculty, authors and corporate executives – even former CIA agents – who are yearning for new connections and opportunities to share their passion and expertise. Our city consistently shows care and compassion for the older adults in our community. It is full of people and resources – some of which you can find in the sidebar below – that are passionate about providing assistance and fulfillment for seniors. – by Anna Elsasser

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Durham, Interrupted

P HOTO B Y B E T H MANN

hen Mayor Steve Schewel arrived at the plaza beside The Carolina Theatre for our cover shoot in late April, he told us it was his first time outside with a tie on since coronavirus slammed the world. While much has changed since our conversation, the mayor’s hopes and plans to get our city back to something like normal have not.

Interview has been edited and condensed.

What does getting back to normal look like to you? I know that [it] will be a gradual reopening. What’s going to be critical are the standards that Gov. [Roy] Cooper laid out, which [include]: We have to have enough tests; we have to be able to do enough contact tracing; and we have to see the trends going in the right direction. And the question that everybody wants to know: When? When we see those things, then we’ll be able to begin lifting our stay-athome order, gradually letting more and more businesses reopen. We’ve already been doing some things like that. By the time this issue comes out, I’m sure we’ll have done some more relaxing of our rules. What are some of your apprehensions? One of Interviewing at a social distance. the things we’ll see is that in some places, and hopefully not in Durham, there could be a second wave of the virus. If we see hot spots develop, if we have the testing and the tracing in place, then we can identify those hot spots, quarantine people, isolate the situation and be able to continue to successfully reopen without community spread. That’s the real goal. Is normal going to look like what normal used to look like? I think that there’ll be certain things that are changed forever. For instance, I think that we’re going to see a lot more teleworking. The mass events were the first things that we had to shut down, and they’ll be the last things to come back. 30

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One person told us that the impact of the coronavirus is particularly felt along predictable lines, that those who are hit hardest are the neediest among us. One of the most important lessons is that the inequality we see in our society is accentuated by the virus. We’re seeing that race and poverty are still major determinants of what’s happening, even in a pandemic. What I worry about is that we won’t do everything we need to do to fix that. I can telework, but service workers are still out there working, and not only are they more exposed to the virus, they’re also getting it more often. There are a lot of cases that the race of the person has not been identified, but of the people whose race we know, the number of African Americans [infected] is three times the number of whites. That’s a national phenomenon, not just Durham. What was the defining moment that you felt that you needed to make the emergency declaration on March 13? Broadway had closed in New York. I thought, well, Broadway is closed. We need to be closed. We could be exposing people. Durham had its first case two days before, so I called Bob Klaus over at DPAC, and one of the things that DPAC said was that if they were going to close, they needed an order from the government. I was in touch with the governor’s office, [and] they were not going to do it at that point. So I discussed it with Bob and declared the emergency and closed DPAC. DPAC was very cooperative. They were unhappy that it happened at 5 in the afternoon when they had an 8 o’clock show, but they understood the emergency nature of this, and they were very supportive of it.

It must’ve been a tough decision. It’s difficult to make these decisions because they affect so many lives and so many livelihoods. Making all these big decisions on an emergency basis under the pressure of time and thinking, “We’ve got to save lives,” but knowing it’s going to have a really negative effect on lots of people’s livelihoods, it’s very hard. When you’re elected mayor, you don’t think, “Oh yeah, I’m going to have to deal with a pandemic.” I’ve made a lot of decisions. Are they all correct? I know they’re not. You have to make a lot of decisions fast, knowing that you’re doing your best. I’m taking the best public health advice I can get, but at the same time, it’s humbling. I’ll tell you this, I have felt tremendous support. I feel like the community has really rallied to do the right thing. There are people who are isolated, you know; there’s all the mental health issues that come with this; there’s, of course, the job loss and the economic fear. And that’s so real. You mention job loss. In particular, restaurants are a dynamic part of Durham. What can the city do to help our restaurants come back? I have some ideas about it. Can we shut down some streets and some sidewalks and help our restaurants have outdoor seating? There’s going to be a lot of creative ideas we’re going to need like that. And next steps? I’m going to be announcing a group that is going to be made up of various business sectors, made up of folks from our public health community and the medical community, representative of the nonprofit community and the churches. They’re going to work on a recovery plan and a renewal plan, and it’s going to be sector by sector. They will be coming out with their ideas as they go along. Before they are finished working, we will be gradually coming back. [Ed. note: On May 12, Mayor Schewel and County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs appointed 15 members to the Durham Recovery and Renewal Task Force who will advise in the revision of emergency declarations and make recommendations to the community on how to

safely, gradually and successfully reopen. Co-chaired by Duke Regional Hospital president Katie Galbraith and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC vice president and corporate controller Maticia Sims, the task force will have a 100-day period of service and hold public meetings.] How have you personally been hunkering down? This is the first time I have been outside with a tie on. I’ve gone to the grocery store. I’ve done some takeout at a few of my favorite restaurants. I ride my bike, I run, or I walk every day, but otherwise I’m at home working. Is your family with you? One of my boys, Abe, and his wife are in town. They live in New York, and they’ve been here for about a month. They are not living with us, but they are living near us. So they’re here, which is an unintended blessing, and it’s wonderful. We sit and have dinner with them 10 feet away in our backyard. We had our Passover Seder over Zoom, and we had 17 families in seven states. One of the best things about it was there were people [attending] that sometimes, for various health reasons, can’t come to the Seder. I think that’s another thing that will happen next year. Even if we’re together for the Seder, the folks who can’t always be there will be Zooming in. Aside from the health issue, what are some of your concerns as Durham phases into recovery? I have several concerns, and they are conflicting. One is that we will open up too fast, that we won’t have the testing and tracing in place, and we will have a surge of the illness. We’ve done a great job avoiding a surge that will overwhelm our hospitals and our health care people. If you’ve ever seen a graph of the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, you’ll see it has three peaks. The second peak was the greatest – killed many, many people. We have to, as a nation and as a city, make sure that we’re not reopening up too early. [Another] concern is that we really have to help people by bringing the economy back, and we have to do that safely, and it’s going to be very hard to figure out how to do that. And we need to do both things. That’s going to have to be done gradually. It’s going to have to be done with the advice of public health officials, and it’s going to have to be done with enough testing and tracing in place that we can – when an outbreak does occur – quickly isolate it, quarantine people who have the virus and prevent it from becoming a bigger phenomenon. PHOTO BY BETH MANN

And then came [your] stay-at-home order not long after, near the end of March. The Mecklenburg [County] public health director issued a stay-at-home order. Our public health department wasn’t quite prepared to do it, and I realized it needed to happen. And so I did it. [Ed. note: As of press time, Durham’s updated stay-at-home order is in effect until further notice. For further updates, visit durhamnc.gov.]

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durham at

dawn Moments with hard-working early risers in our city

BY HANNAH LEE, MADELIN E K RAF T AN D AMAN DA MACLAREN | PHOTOG RA PH Y B Y B ET H M A N N

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FRONT LINES

At 5 a.m., three days a week, clinical nurse Laryssa Thompson gets up to exercise and feed her pets before starting a 12-hour shift at 7 a.m. in the intensive care unit at Duke Regional Hospital. “I feel lucky to be part of the team that I’m on,” she says. “I really like helping people [through] a scary time in their lives.” Laryssa currently cares for patients who do not have COVID-19 due to her high-risk status – she is pregnant, expecting her first child in the fall. “I have found taking one day at a time is important,” she adds. “One neighbor even brought me a bouquet of flowers to thank me for what we do. It made my day.”  j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 0

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PET FRIENDLY

wakes up at 5 a.m. to get to her job as the foster manager and medical coordinator at the Animal Protection Society of Durham by 7:30 a.m. She matches available animals to foster families, schedules pickups, provides supplies and then follows up weekly to make sure the animal is adjusting well. Amanda knows firsthand about the importance of pets – she has four dogs and a cat, and she is a beekeeper. “To be able to solidify the lifelong bonds between people and their pets is worthwhile to me,” she says. Amanda Freeman

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ON THE BEAT

Mornings are busy in the McClain household. Either Ona, a City of Durham police officer, comes in from a night shift at 3 a.m., or Talisa, who’s also a police officer and a department physical trainer, wakes up at 5:30 a.m. three days a week to teach fitness at the law enforcement academy at 6:30 a.m. Since sheltering at home brought a stop to group workout sessions, she’s been home with her two sons, Tyler, 10, and Jordan, 14. For now, Talisa’s primary role is recruiting candidates to the force. “I still get up [early], because I’m a police officer,” she says. Her husband, Ona, is still on uniform patrol duty. Whether he’s working 10 a.m.-10 p.m. or 3 p.m.-3 a.m., he’s naturally calm about his duties – even now with the added risk of COVID-19, Talisa says. 

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durham at dawn

PARENTAL GUIDANCE

and Gus Franceschi spent four years trying different fertility methods to have a child before Leo was born earlier this year. “I feel nothing but gratitude about being a mom,” Annie says, “but it’s tough.” The owner of local branding agency Greatest Story Creative, Annie was hoping to get back to work when stay-at-home orders were implemented. “My concern went from putting Leo into day care to, ‘Oh, my husband’s home, and we can split child care, and what does this mean, and should I go back to work given the virus?” Annie says. She and Gus, who is a grad student at Elon, both wake up well before dawn and begin the day by feeding Leo. “And then we do sort of this running, hand the baby back-and-forth, kind of day, ” Annie says. Annie

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durham at dawn

KEEPING STOCK

On a Tuesday morning, when Bulldega Urban Market is expecting deliveries, Receiving Supervisor Josh Nicholson gets to the shop at 7 a.m. “Duties differ day to day,” says Bulldega’s owner Yvette West. “They include starting coffee, wiping all surfaces and cooler handles, stocking things that folks might want first – like breakfast items and dairy – opening the cash registers, putting the daily papers out …” Josh, who’s worked at the shop for two years, “knows our operations in and out,” Yvette says. “It’s just nice to be recognized for [doing] the hard work, really,” Josh says. “I know when I work hard, it rubs off on other people, and people want to be more involved.”  j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 0

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durham at dawn

LET IT GROW

“We’re going to check the potatoes, because I can’t help myself,” Helga MacAller says on an early Sunday morning at Four Leaf Farm. “They’re my favorite vegetable.” Helga – here with farm cat Findus on her shoulders – and husband T im started the farm in 1980 in East Durham and sold produce at the Carrboro Farmers Market for four years. But they lost the lease on the land, and then moved to a little homestead in Rougemont to raise a family alongside a few gardens. When their youngest son, Sven, was in high school, he convinced his parents to start selling their yields at the farmers market in Hillsborough. “And so we got addicted again,” Helga laughs. For the past 20 years, they’ve provided plants and produce to restaurants like Gocciolina and Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets, and to the community at the Durham Farmers Market. Now, they are taking a step back and selling their property, but they won’t quite retire from the job – they plan to help Sven and his wife on his farm in Orange County as his “head gardeners.” “You’re kind of never finished,” Tim says of farming. “If you have that completion anxiety thing, this would be the worst job you’ve ever had.” 38

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CROWD PLEASER

Robert and Fida Ghanem have been in the restaurant business for more than three decades,

with Saladelia Café on University Drive (and six satellite locations) and West Main Street’s The Mad Hatter’s Café & Bakeshop. “My favorite special is the crab cake Benedict,” Fida says after a morning working with her Mad Hatter’s staff, including Bakeshop Manager Elizabeth Chando, at left. The team baked and frosted medical-themed cookies for health care employees. Fida wakes up at her Hope Valley home at 5 a.m. and often doesn’t wrap up her day till 8 p.m. She does scores of tasks, including putting the bakery items made overnight (graveyard shift runs from midnight to about 6 a.m.) into the front case, adjusts the grind on the espresso machine, makes coffee and looks over daily orders and makes sure the kitchens are stocked. What Fida misses most in this time of shuttered dining rooms is people in her cafes. “I love to see the smiling faces of my customers,” she says. “I love seeing the repeat customers, and I love getting to serve them. Food is all about love. That’s the joy of what we do.” 

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GATE KEEPER

has been with the Washington since 2008 and in his current role as a bell person since 2009. Up at 5:45 a.m. to make it to work just before 7 a.m., Chris is one of the first faces guests see. “What I value the most are the relationships I’ve built with guests over the years,” Chris says. “I’m one of the first employees they meet here, and I take pride in getting to really know many of them.” His commitment is apparent: He’s been recognized as an employee of the month on four occasions. Chris has also won several awards from the hotel that honor employees who show high levels of care and compassion in a time of need or distress, and who weather a crisis in the workplace with grace, humor and empathy. Chris Bacugan

Duke Inn & Golf Club

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EARLY START

Shefali Christopher wakes up as early as 5:30 a.m. to sneak in a quick run

around Duke’s East Campus, not too far from where her family lives in American Village. “[6 a.m. is] my running time of choice,” she says, though she admits that it doesn’t always happen these days. The Elon professor of physical therapy education came to Durham in 2005 to study at the Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy program, right around the corner from her regular running spot. A former collegiate swimmer, she needed a way to exercise while raising her two boys, Siddharth (“Sid”), 5, and Ishan, 8. “I could throw the kids in a jogging stroller, so then running became my primary focus,” she says. “I run all over Durham. My favorite race is Running of the Bulls.” That 8K race is postponed till August, so she’s developed a training schedule. “I feel like if I have a goal, I’m more likely to do it.” 

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SAFETY FIRST

These days, Jacquetta Bunch, a 20-year city employee and mother to Ja’Daja Bunch, 17, Janika Bunch, 16, and Damari Bunch, 14, has a new task when she arrives to her job as the maintenance and operations administrator for the City of Durham’s Solid Waste Management Department: “I make sure that the crews have their PPE [mask, cleaning supplies, gloves, etc.] before I do anything else,” she says. “Our safety is my priority.” Jacquetta gets up at 4 a.m. to make her way into work between 4:45 and 5 a.m. She takes pride in holding her own “in a dominantly male environment,” she says. “The guys thought that I could not do the job when I first walked through the door as a collector, riding on the back of the truck. It was all worth it!”

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KID STUFF

YMCA of the Triangle’s Camp Hope

– child care for essential personnel – started at the Downtown Durham YMCA on March 30. Since then, the dayto-day for Chuck Gordon, senior program director for the Durham YMCAs, “is a lot more hands on,” he says, beginning with taking all the kids’ temperatures upon arrival. “And figuring out how to program within CDC guidelines is tough – we can’t do dodgeball or tag or any of those traditional games.” Most days, Chuck’s getting up at 5 a.m. to make it to the YMCA by 6; camp starts at 6:30 a.m. “We’re giving these kids a chance to get away from the COVID talk,” he adds. “They get out and get to be kids again. There’s the reason for this.” j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 0

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WINNING STREAK PHOTO COURTESY OF SPIFFY

Several of our 2020 Readers’ Favorites in the Home & Garden and Services categories have more to celebrate than their recent Best of Durham award. Here’s to the many accomplishments of these local businesses, organizations and professionals.

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ar care service company Spiffy, which was named a Readers’ Favorite Car Wash, was recently featured on ABC News Live for adding disinfection services to its customer offerings. The mobile car wash and detailing company was founded six years ago and grew to include ondemand maintenance and fleet management. “Our fleet clients felt the effects of COVID-19 first and asked us to help decontaminate vehicles and protect their drivers,” says Grayson Leverenz, Spiffy’s vice president of marketing. “We evolved and made vehicle disinfection happen. Those same clients realized their storefronts had been compromised and again asked if we could help. We evolved and made facilities’ disinfection happen.” Business is still down for Spiffy, but “it’s coming back,” Grayson says. “We are recalling furloughed employees and making a real difference in the fight against COVID-19. And that is good news.”

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PHOTO BY MICK SCHULTE PHOTOGRAPHY

Prime Athletic Training & Fitness Institute, one of our Readers’ Favorite Places to Get in Shape, now offers a virtual gym experience with live, trainerled workouts on Zoom Monday through Saturday. Sessions are held as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 7 p.m. Additionally, you can join a Club Prime livestream on Facebook or Instagram – just turn on notifications to be alerted to the next Club Prime pop-up. All you need is an open space and fivepound weights (rental available upon request). You can also book a Prime Built Life Trainer for a 60-minute, socially distanced outdoor session.

ith many families and seniors in need of groceries, Sabrina Seymore of Readers’ Favorite Event Planner Sabrina Seymore Events, utilized her nonprofit, The Prevailing Woman Overcomes, to organize a Fitness Goals Bingo challenge to purchase essential items. The challenge took place over a two-week period and raised nearly $2,500. The nonprofit was able to serve 21 families, 10 seniors and also delivered food to essential front-line medical staff. Each delivery included fresh fruit and vegetables from Perkins Orchard, many essential requests (meat, diary, sides, etc.), and a customized Prevailing Woman reusable shopper’s bag.  j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 0

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the best of durham

Readers’ Favorite Event Planner Joye Speight and the Virtue Events team acquired two new event venues in downtown “to expand opportunities for weddings, corporate and social events, and for the community to host creative events and programming,” Joye says. The venues are Suite Four, located at 506 Ramseur St., and The Penthouse at 300 E. Main St.

n addition to being named a Readers’ Favorite Lawyer, Ellis Family Law was named the small business winner of the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics by the North Carolina Better Business Bureau last year (and was runner-up in 2017). The firm sponsors the annual Feed the Need Gala benefiting Meals

We were so happy to be considered an essential business because we serve many customers who are nurses, doctors, teachers, firemen and police officers,” says Cindy Balentine, owner of Camp Bow Wow North Durham, a Readers’ Favorite Pet Sitter. “Many of our customers are working longer-than-normal hours to make sure the community is safe and well cared for.” Camp Bow Wow has offered essential workers discounted days since midMarch. Hannah Crosby, a Duke University Hospital ICU nurse, recently shared with the team that her puppy, Agatha, “has so much energy, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to sleep during the day while also allowing her to burn off her energy. Being able to get off work in the morning and bring Agatha to Camp Bow Wow North Durham has been the biggest help!” 

on Wheels of Durham

(Founder and Managing Partner Gray Ellis is the vice president of the nonprofit’s board), raising more than $250,000 for the organization since 2017. 46

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BEST PLACE TO GET IN SHAPE + BEST YOGA/PILATES/BARRE CENTER 2020

T H A N K YO U,

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YOU BACK.

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is proud to be voted Best Real Estate Agency for the 3rd year in a row! We are so grateful to our wonderful Durham community and look forward to serving your real estate needs for years to come.

2020

VOTED BEST REAL ESTATE COMPANY

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Thank you, Durham

for voting Lisa Ellis the Best Real Estate Agent for the 3rd year in a row! As a Durham native, nothing means more to me than this community, and the neighbors we get the privilege of moving in and out of our cherished city. I, with my devoted team, will continue to serve you proudly.

2020

VOTED BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

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Tech Foundation has been able to provide immediate help to our highestneed students,” says Melissa Chappell, executive director of the Durham Tech Foundation. The Coastal Credit Union Foundation has given nearly $700,000 in unrestricted grants to nonprofits in all 16 counties that it serves, including $100,000 grants to the NC Restaurant Workers Relief Fund and the United Way of the Greater Triangle’s Rapid Response Fund, and $50,000 to Kramden Institute. Coastal was also named among the best employers in the state for the fourth year in a row by Business North Carolina and recently finished building its newest branch in Brier Creek. As of press time, it is only open for driveup teller service, but will host a grand opening once restrictions ease. 

ramden Institute, Triangle Ecycling

and the Coastal Credit Union Foundation – the philanthropic arm of Coastal Credit Union, a Readers’ Favorite Bank – provided 215 laptops to students in need at

Durham Technical Community College.

Kramden Institute and Triangle Ecycling – nonprofit organizations that refurbish used computers and give them to individuals and families in need – supplied Durham Tech with 175 and 40 laptops, respectively, at a largely discounted price. A grant from Coastal Credit Union Foundation and emergency funds from the Durham Tech Foundation were used to offset the cost of the laptops and shipping. Additional technology items were also purchased. “Thanks to the timely support of community partners like Coastal Credit Union, the Durham

INTEGRITY. QUALITY. TRUST. Certified public accountants providing personalized and high quality service to individuals, businesses and trusts.

2020

Thank you to our clients for voting us

Best of Durham

CAMP BOW WOW® North Durham 4310 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham, NC 27705 919-309-4959 campbowwow.com/north-durham *LEGAL WOOF: Free first day valid only for interview day. New customers only. Camper must meet entrance requirements.

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2020

3622 Lyckan Parkway Suite 2001, Durham, NC 919 403 2353 | bandbcpa.net |  

2020

Thank You Durham for voting us

Best Salon Haircuts & Styling

For Women, Men & Children

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THANK YOU DURHAM! FOR VOTING PAULA WALLS REAL ESTATE THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS!

oga Off East, a Readers’ Favorite Yoga Studio, recently

completed its inaugural 200-hour yoga teacher training program. “Each trainee was required to lead a community yoga class, and many of them have done so live via Zoom, which has been a feat in and of itself !” says Yoga Off East Founder Kathryn Smith. “We are very proud of their dedication and growth over the past eight months.” Additionally, several Yoga Off East members have collaborated to form a movement called Mental Health First in order to elevate mental wellness in Durham. “The program aims to spark conversation, share resources and inspire individuals to own their wellbeing,” Kathryn says. “An Instagram account has been created (@mentalhealth1st_durham), and we are working now to create funding for branding, awareness and virtual events.” A virtual workshop is scheduled for late June with Yoga Off East teacher Devon Pelto and certified physician assistant Kate Godly.

STACY KEATTS

PHOTO BY DAVE SHAY PHOTOGRAPHY

PAULA WALLS 2020

We look forward to continued work with our loyal buyers and sellers as well as meeting new clients to assist in making dreams come true. Let’s talk!

919.618.9768

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PAULAWALLS@GMAIL.COM

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Crafts & Drafts NC – a woman-owned and operated Readers’ Favorite New Business – is a DIY bar that is “truly DIY,” says owner Virginia George. “I painted the ceiling, all the walls, built the tables, made the bartop and more.” She also recently completed a mural of the Durham skyline within the space. The bar and bottle shop sponsors a different local charity each month through its Meaningful Mondays program, donating 5% of every Monday’s sales for the month. Some of the charities sponsored thus far are the Durham YMCAs, TROSA, InterAct of Wake County and Playworks. “The Durham Arts Council was our March sponsorship,” Virginia says. “I think upon reopening, we’re going to pick up our sponsorship for [it] again and go from there, since we closed March 15.” 

Bringing Clarity to Life!

Dr. Tonica Johnson has performed over 7,000 cataract surgeries over the past 12 years. Experienced, board-certified and fellowship-trained Ophthalmologist, specializing in Premium Cataract Surgery, Dry Eye Treatment, Glaucoma, Cornea Diseases and Diabetic Eye Disease.

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919.999.6093 | 3811 N Roxboro St, Durham, NC 27704

Prevention, Health and State-of-the-Art Treatment!

THANK YOU, DURHAM, FOR YOUR VOTE!

2020

THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST OF DURHAM!

Bringing zero-contact wash & detail, disinfection, oil change, and tires right to your door.

(844) 438 - 7743 GETSPIFFY.COM Get $20 off your first oil change or service 2-5 with code THXDURHAM

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DESIGN BUILD REMODEL

THANK YOU DURHAM FOR VOTING CQC HOME BEST KITCHEN DESIGNER, BUILDER AND ARCHITECT!

WHY CHOOSE CQC? COMMUNITY: CQC HOME is a residential remodeler based in Durham and Raleigh; also serving Chapel Hill, Chatham, and Morrisville. We care deeply about our clients and are committed to providing the best experience from start to finish. COLLABORATION: Whether it is using industry-leading project management tools or inviting you into our showroom, we work together to exceed your expectations to conquer any challenges that might come up as a team.

2020

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eaders’ Favorite Architect Grant

Bizios Architecture

March 22 marked Velocity Fitness’ 10year anniversary, but the fitness club closed March 19 to ensure the safety of its

members during COVID-19. Leading up to that day, the Readers’ Favorite Yoga/Pilates/ Barre Center held a canned food drive for low-income families impacted by the virus, collecting more than 500 pounds of food for End Hunger Durham. “Our members are amazingly generous and always come through for the local community when called upon,” says owner Steve Dickinson.

celebrates its first anniversary. The firm, formerly named Bizios Architect, was founded by Georgia Bizios in 1990. Brian Grant and Brian Grant, Georgia Bizios and Katie Wakeford of Grant Bizios Architecture. Katie Wakeford assumed the ownership and leadership of the firm in spring 2019. Georgia, who won the AIA Triangle 2019 Gail Lindsey Award for “her career-long dedication and achievements in educating architects and the public on the critical importance of sustainability issues and … practicing what she preaches …,” remains a part of the team and recently retired from her teaching career as a professor at N.C. State’s School of Architecture. Katie continues teaching public interest design as a member of its adjunct faculty. While its focus is primarily on residential products, the firm is currently working on a renovation and addition to nonprofit community care organization Fearrington Cares, now under construction. It has also added two recent architecture graduates to its team: Elizabeth Macias and Cassidy Putnam. “It’s been an exciting and busy year,” Brian says. “We look forward to many more.” 

Everyone Deserves the Joy of Music Group Lessons Private Lessons ONLINE LESSONS 2020

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Vignette® Modern Roman Shades

Sew Fine II 5850 Fayetteville Rd S Durham, NC

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Creating Inspiring Interiors Creating Inspiring Interiors

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arlier this year, Zarazua Painting joined other community organizations to support the residents of McDougald Terrace when many of them were displaced. Through a matching-donation fundraiser, Zarazua Painting purchased more than $1,300 in food and snacks. In partnership with other business and city leaders, its team participated in a community-wide cookout benefiting the residents. The Readers’ Favorite Painter was also a sponsor of Book Harvest’s 2020 Dream Big MLK Day Book Drive & Community Celebration; owners Juan and Wendy Zarazua and their family volunteered at the event, helping to label hundreds of books that will go to organizations around the city.

WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS TO OUR WELLNESS COMMUNITY! A boutique wellness studio in downtown Durham that takes a whole-person approach to health and fitness. Members of the 360 Approach community enjoy structured coaching models that address their unique needs.

Readers’ Favorite Pet Sitter Creature Comforts Inn serves health care employees at Duke University Hospital. Radiation oncologist Dr. Yvonne Mowery and Kristin Kegerreis, a registered nurse specializing in bone marrow transplants, pictured here, bring Ollie to day care every day during the stay-athome order. “We both work at Duke Hospital, and our shifts are usually 12 hours a day,” Yvonne says. Staff at Creature Comforts say that Yvonne and Kristin always bring bright smiles when dropping off and picking up Ollie. They “are very proud to be servicing the heroes of our community and look forward to serving more.” 

2020 PERSONAL TRAINING | SMALL GROUP TRAINING | GROUP FITNESS CLASSES | HEALTH COACHING | NUTRITION COUNSELING

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your transformation begins here! 1125 NC-54 | Suite 502 Durham, NC 27707

atmosphairsalon.com 919.489.3333

As the first Green Circle Salon in Durham, we are among the greenest salons in the world. We divert salon & spa waste from landfill & waterways, creating beauty while reducing waste.

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IBEST 2020

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Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers Inc. (TROSA) Founder, President and CEO Kevin McDonald recently received the Old North State Award, which is presented by the Governor to recognize “dedication and service beyond expectation and excellence to the Great State of North Carolina.” Kevin founded TROSA, a nonprofit residential recovery center, in 1994 with the purpose of helping thousands of men and women with substance use disorders change their lives.

ew Fine II Interiors’ design

studio, a Readers’ Favorite for Interior Design, reopened to the public in May. As of press time, hours were from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The number of visitors allowed in the studio is limited, so it’s best to make an appointment in advance. Masks are available for customers, and the team is practicing social distancing and cleaning all touched surfaces. “This is the perfect time to begin design and custom window treatment projects for your living spaces, both indoor and outdoor,” says Sew Fine II Owner and Lead Interior Design Consultant Paula Fullerton.

Thank You, Durham, FOR VOTING ME FAVORITE REAL ESTATE AGENT TWO YEARS IN A ROW!

Emily Katherine Events, a

Readers’ Favorite Event Planner, cofounded another organization this spring: the Green Wedding Guild, a community of vendors spearheading the local movement toward more sustainable weddings. 

Your perfect romantic getaway awaits!

2020 SPECIALS • PACKAGES • DINING • WEDDINGS

106 Mason Road, Durham, NC 27712

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3407 University Drive, Durham, NC 27707 | 919.490.4922 | TheKitchenSpecialist.com PREMIER DESIGN AND REMODELING FIRM SERVING THE TRIANGLE FOR OVER 29 YEARS

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right Black Candles has been donating 7% of its online sales to the NC Restaurant Workers Relief Fund since March 27. A Readers’ Favorite New Business, Bright Black plans to continue to donate until the state moves into Phase III of reopening. Bright Black also received a Doonie Fund microinvestment, which is dedicated to supporting Black women entrepreneurs. Looking ahead to June, the company is launching two limitededition summer scents: The first is called KOI and is a tribute to Bright Black owner Tiffany Griffin’s cousin who was a recent victim of gun violence. Fifty percent of net proceeds will go to 100 Males to College’s mission to increase college matriculation among Black and Latino males. The second is called IDA, which honors the contributions of Black women to the women’s suffrage movement. “The candle is named after Ida B. Wells, an incredibly inspiring and influential Black female suffragist (and investigative journalist who happened to have just won a posthumous Pulitzer),” Tiffany says. Bright Black also recently collaborated with Nolia Family + Coffee on a custom scent that is available through the Nolia website and partnered with Fillaree, Rivtak and Lo & Behold Naturals to offer self-care bundles.

The 360º Approach shifted to virtual training sessions a week before the stay-at-home order for Durham was issued in order to continue offering physical and mental support to its community. Since then, the Readers’ Favorite Place to Get in Shape has offered an average of 12 classes a week – including classes for kids – with more than 250 weekly virtual visits. Group classes are donation based. “No one becomes a trainer because they want to look at a computer screen all day, but in one week, [360º Approach Founder and Trainer] Chan [Little] pivoted her business into a robust virtual gym,” says client Sarah B, who was motivated by Chan to train for the Running of the Bulls last year despite being “staunchly not a runner.” With Chan’s encouragement, she completed the 8K last June. She’d just begun training for the 2020 race when the pandemic closed the studio’s doors. “For my life, so much has changed,” Sarah says, “but working out with Chan online has given me ballast in this stormy time.” The studio celebrates its fifth anniversary Aug. 8. “We don’t know what the celebration will look like, but we are looking forward to it,” Chan says. 

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US FAVORITE BUILDER AND KITCHEN DESIGNER! Gail and her team were wonderful to work with – pure professionalism and we felt like we were really special clients at the same time. Our kitchen (and our whole house) are absolutely stunning. So, so happy with the outcome.

2020

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office@gcrabtreespaces.com

SPACES

CORNWALLIS ROAD ANIMAL HOSPITAL

919-489-9194

Compassion • Commitment • Community

206 W Cornwallis Rd Durham, NC 27707

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North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat, a Readers’ Favorite Optometrist/ Ophthalmologist, currently offers phone, video and in-person appointments at its five Triangle locations, including north Durham (pictured here), south Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and Roxboro.

rrichion Hot Yoga + Circuit Training organized a

fundraiser benefiting Meals on Wheels America in mid-March. The dual Readers’ Favorite Place to Get in Shape and Yoga/Pilates/Barre Center hosted “Namastay Home for Others,” a mini concert and yoga class, on Zoom in May. Nearly 100 donors helped raise $4,065 – more than double the initial goal – to help homebound seniors.

and Dan Moore, owners of Readers’ Favorite Interior Design Studio Carrie Moore Interior Design, used the recent shutdown “to reflect on how interior design may look in the future,” Dan says. “What clients may crave after being in their homes and potentially pulling back on spending. “We’ve also been keen to continue employing our staff and craving to create something that comes out of this challenging period in a hopeful, edifying way for Durham, which we so love. The result is a new offering called Teapot.” Teapot, which launches online in June, is intended for people seeking the services of a professional interior designer for their home, but on a smaller budget and delivered remotely. “While the offering is more valuefocused, it’s still very much tailored to each individual client and room, and is thoughtfully designed,” Dan says. “If we’re successful, we hope its growth will lead to new hires and an even stronger Durham economy.”  arrie

Grau Building Company is proud to be a part of a community that cares so much and does so much for one another.

2020

We are always better together. Thank you for honoring us as Durham’s Best Builder! graubuilding.com | 919-886-1906 | @graubuilding

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Four reasons you should consider banking at Coastal.

The rates are better. The fees are fewer. The hours are extended. And we were voted one of Durham Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Banks, two years in a row.

2020

Visit bankbetter.org for all the other reasons. Federally insured by NCUA

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Bella Capelli Salon, a Readers’ Favorite Salon, supports Family Health Ministries every year at its annual gala, which is usually held in April but had to be rescheduled to Nov. 7. Family Health Ministries supports Haitian communities in their efforts to build and sustain healthy families. The salon also donates locally to Jordan High School’s Athletic Booster Club.

closed March 14 and started teaching virtual classes the next day. “There definitely was a learning curve, and we are thankful for the humor and laughter as we all figured it out together!” says Deborah Matthews, founder and co-owner of the Readers’ Favorite Yoga/Pilates/Barre Center. “Our practitioners have succeeded in maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and continue to bring the healing power of movement and caring attention to people in Durham and around the world.”  nsideOut Body Therapies

Providing free memberships for healthcare workers and first responders THROUGH THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

2020

Celebrating our 10-Year Anniversary! Thank you Durham!

We are grateful for the opportunity to bring health and wellness to our community!

OUR AMENITIES:

CROSS TRAINING FREE WEIGHTS CARDIO ARENA PERSONAL TRAINING CHILD CARE GROUP FITNESS

YOGA, PILATES, BARRE, KICKBOX, HIIT & MORE!

5319 N. Roxboro Road, Durham, NC 27712 | 919-381-5388 | velocityfitnessnc.com 66

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Thank you for voting TROSA the best Thrift Store and best Landscaping service again in 2018! Thank voting TROSA best landscaping service, Thankyou you for for voting Thank TROSA you for thevoting best Thrift TROSA Store the best Thrift Store best thrift store and home furnishings & inaccessories! and best Landscaping andbest best service Landscaping again in 2018! service again 2018!

2020 Call (919) 220-6119 to schedule Call (919) 220-6119 to schedule Call (919) 220-6119 to schedule your free donation pickupyour today! free donation pickup today! Full custom framing shopFull onsite custom framing shop onsite free donation pickup today! â&#x20AC;˘ At pressyour time, TROSA Thrift's date due toforCOVID-19 Furniture for home open or office Furniture home or office was not Full certain. Please visit trosathrifstore.org Clothing, jewelry and accessories Clothing,shop jewelry and accessories custom framing onsite for the latest info or call 919-220-6119 inquirevintage items & more! Housewares, vintage items Housewares, & to more! Call (919) 419-1059 for a free Call estimate (919) 419-1059 for a free estimate Furniture for home or office about a free donation pickup. Planning to relocate? TROSA Moving Planning provides to relocate? award-winning TROSA Moving serviceprovides and award-winning service and â&#x20AC;˘ To get inClothing, touch with TROSA Lawncare, call 919-419-1059 climate-controlled storage! Callclimate-controlled (919) 419-1059 for storage! a free estimate. Call (919) 419-1059 for a free estimate. jewelry and accessories and ask for the Lawncare office for a free estimate. Housewares, vintage items & more! Call (919) 419-1059 for a free estimate

Planning to relocate? TROSA award-winning Planning to relocate? TROSA Moving Moving providesprovides award-winning service service and and climate-controlled storage! CallCall 919-419-1059 for a freefor estimate. climate-controlled storage! (919) 419-1059 a free estimate.

Client-Centered Sustainable Design New Construction Additions Renovations

2020

Thank you Durham for your vote!

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he Piano Academy of North Carolina, a Readers’ Favorite New Business, has taught all piano lessons online since March. PANC invested in professional microphones, extra webcams and boom stands to give students a view of the piano keyboard from above. “We regularly have performance classes where the students and their families gather at PANC to play,” says PANC Artistic and Executive Director Frank Pittman. “Since March, we have had two group Zoom meetings where the students play for one another from their home. We are planning a virtual spring piano recital in June.” As state chair of the North Carolina Music Teachers Association Performance Festival, Frank also created an online festival for nearly 200 young pianists from across the state. Four student soloists and one duet team from PANC performed at the NCMTA State Division Piano Performance Festival. Two of those soloists earned top prizes in their categories. Additionally, PANC Artist Teacher and Assistant Director Elizabeth Davis completed her research dissertation and earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree.

ALLIED MEMBER ASID GOLD 2012

BRONZE READERS’ FAVORITE

SILVER

2012 WINNER PLATINUM

2012

GOLD WINNER

WINNER

2015

2016

READERS’ FAVORITE

IBESTIOFBEST IOFBEST IOFBEST DURHAM DURHAM DURHAM magazine

magazine

OF DURHAM 2013

IBEST OF DURHAM 2013

IBEST OF DURHAM

2014

2020

IBEST OF DURHAM 2013

2013

THANK YOU, DURHAM, FOR VOTING ME BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER

9 YEARS IN A ROW!

4422 DURHAM CHAPEL HILL BLVD., DURHAM 919.403.1433 • LINDADICKERSONINTERIORS.COM

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his year, Fuzion Professional Massage Therapy completed its staff training with medi-cupping, a vacuum therapy technique that produces a “separation” in tissue layers. This enables water absorption and renewed blood flow to undernourished and dehydrated tissue. Fuzion, a Readers’ Favorite Spa, also began offering Lypossage, a body-contouring technique that uses a G5 Cellutec machine. “Obviously social distancing cannot be done during a massage treatment, and we are clearly in contact with someone for longer than 10 minutes,” says Fuzion’s Ivy Jo Staton. “Masks, gloves and sanitization measures are wonderful, but we have gone a step further and purchased medical grade HEPA air purifiers for our treatment rooms. … We always put health first at Fuzion, and we look forward to being able to continue to serve our clients in a safe environment.” 

2020

Thank you Durham! Small Town Values. Big Reputation.

Board Certified Specialists in Family Law Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration Services Collaborative Divorce Alternatives

the best of durham

BEST OF DURHAM 2020 WINNERS SERVICES Veterinarian Bahama Road Veterinary Hospital Cornwallis Road Animal Hospital Park Veterinary Hospital & Urgent Care Southpoint Animal Hospital Pet Sitting Camp Bow Wow North Durham Creature Comforts Inn Park Veterinary Hospital & Urgent Care Suite Paws Pet Resort & Spa Car Wash Bull City Car Wash The Durham Ritz Car Wash & Detail Center Spiffy TC’s of Durham

Optometrist/Ophthalmologist Duke Eye Center North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Dr. Tonica Johnson, Eye Physicians & Surgeons of Durham Upchurch Optical Cosmetic/Plastic Surgeon Duke Aesthetic Center Gunn Plastic Surgery Center New Image MD Dr. Ronald Riefkohl

Note: The winners in our dining, retail and arts & entertainment categories will be revealed in our August issue.

Accountant Anthony F. Armento, CPA, PC Balentine & Borg, PLLC Chris Arena, CPA Doreen Carter, CPA, PLLC Financial Advisor Alex G. Nelson Marie E. Baker Mary-Charles Nassif Tamra K. Ellis Place to Get in Shape The 360º Approach Arrichion Hot Yoga + Circuit Training Fitness World Prime Athletic Training & Fitness Institute

Event Planner A Swanky Affair Emily Katherine Events Sabrina Seymore Events Virtue Events

Yoga/Pilates/Barre Center Arrichion Hot Yoga + Circuit Training InsideOut Body Therapies Velocity Fitness Yoga Off East

Call us today to schedule a FREE consultation with Dr. Smith, Dr. Heymann and Dr. Skillestad.

DURHAM

| CHAPEL HILL | MEBANE | ROXBORO

919. 493. 4911 We’re excited to be open! We have enhanced many of our protocols to ensure excellent service and safety for our current and future patients.

SmithandHeymann.com DIAMOND TOP 1% INVISALIGN PROVIDER

2020

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the best of durham All results listed in alphabetical order The presence of five winners is the result of a tie Bank Coastal Credit Union State Employees’ Credit Union Truist Wells Fargo Spa Bella Trio Spa & Salon Fluffy Tiger Massage Fuzion Professional Massage Therapy The Retreat at Brightleaf Salon Ashley Squared Salon Atmosp’hair Salon Bella Capelli Salon Bella Lane & Company Professional Photographer Carolyn Scott Photography G. Lin Photography Ken Branson, MasterMIND Productions Nikki Whitt Belch, Fancy This Photography Lawyer Carlos E. Mahoney Ellis Family Law Frasier & Griffin Kreger Law Firm Real Estate Agent Lisa Ellis, Real Estate by Design Justin Burleson, Fonville Morisey/ Premier Agents Network Paula Walls, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston Theresa Olson, Real Estate by Design Real Estate Company Classic Carolina Realty Real Estate by Design Spotlight Realty Urban Durham Realty Hotel 21c Museum Hotel The Durham Hotel Unscripted Durham Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club New Business Bright Black Candles Crafts & Drafts NC Jeddah’s Tea Good Human Dog Training Piano Academy of North Carolina

HOME & GARDEN Builder CQC Home G Crabtree Spaces Grau Building Company Project 9 Designs Architect BuildSense CQC Home Ellen Cassilly Architect Grant Bizios Architecture Landscaper For Garden’s Sake Garden Environments Kiefer Landscaping Inc. New Leaf Landscaping TROSA Lawn Care Landscape Architect Coulter Jewell Thames For Garden’s Sake Garden Environments Tributary Land Design + Build Roofer Alpine Roofing American Craftsmen of North Carolina Cole Roofing & Construction Pickard Roofing Company Painter Gonzalez Painters & Contractors Hansell Painting Company HM Painting & Drywall LLC Zarazua Painting

REL ATION SHIP. TRUST. THOUGHTFUL DES IGN. THE RIVERBANK EXPERIENCE

Home Maintenance & Repair Blue Chip Handyman Services Mr. Handyman of Chapel Hill and West Durham Kitchen Designer CQC Home G Crabtree Spaces Linda Dickerson Interiors Wood + Water LLC Interior Design Studio Carrie Moore Interior Design Linda Dickerson Interiors LK Design Sew Fine II Interiors Florist Flowers by Gary Ninth Street Flowers Pine State Flowers Sanders Florist Neighborhood Hope Valley Trinity Park Watts-Hillandale Woodcroft

Durham’s premier full-service general contractor for over a decade. RIVERBANK • 919-237-2020 • RIVERBANKCUSTOMHOMES.COM

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PT A PET

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TAKE HOME ONE OF THESE WONDERFUL PETS FROM THE ANIMAL PROTECTION SOCIETY OF DURHAM TODAY!

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This fun-loving senior gal loves to be around people young and old. She is a bit timid at first but warms up quickly. She enjoys a good belly rub. Don’t let her age fool you; she loves walking and playing with toys. Karma would do best in a cat-free home, with someone willing to continue her training. And her adoption fee has been waived!

Popcorn would love for you to hop over to the APS website to set up a virtual meet-and-greet with her. She likes playing with people, and she loves to chase a ball. Toss her one, and watch her go! She’s an exuberant girl who’s excited about life, and she’d love to share her joy with you. She can’t wait to go to a home where she can romp and play with her new family.

Adoption fees for cats are $95 and $50 for the second cat when adopting two together. Dog adoption fees range from $100 to $175. Fees for other animals vary. The shelter, located at 2117 E. Club Blvd., is limiting shelter traffic to appointment-only visits for surrenders and lost pet searches. Send an email to adopt@apsofdurham.org if you are interested in adopting any of the animals in foster care. For more information, visit apsofdurham.org.

THANK YOU DURHAM! Voted Best Veterinarian 7 years in a row!

2020

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Desdamona Bunnie and Clyde

This bonded pair, who are about half-ayear old, are thick as thieves, as you can see from their snuggly picture. Bunnie and Clyde will steal your heart!

Desdamona is a sweet, friendly girl who loves to play. She may need a little time to warm up to you, but give her some gentle affection and treats, and she’s sure to ask for more. She already knows “sit” and would love to learn other tricks, too. She enjoys chasing after a ball or a soft toy and would enjoy a backyard.

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Jessalyn Stull built her own privacy screen and planter box and hired a landscaper to plant a coral bark Japanese maple tree to create a sense of separation between her and the neighbors.

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Homegrown Getaways

With stay-at-home orders in place, these three couples used their time to create enviable oases in their backyards B Y HAN N AH LEE AN D AMAN DA MAC LA R EN PHOTOG RAPHY B Y B ETH MA N N

D IY PAR AD IS E fter three years of cramped apartment living, all MerrickMoore Elementary School

teacher Jessalyn Stull wanted was some space. For her and her husband, O’Bryan, but also as a way to get back in touch with her roots. “When I was growing up, my grandma, my mom and my dad always did renovations at our house and were really good at

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home & garden

being creative,” Jessalyn says. “I would see them use power tools, and I’d be like, ‘Well, I really want to do that, too.’” The housing market was still competitive three years ago when the couple was searching for their first home, so they were open to whatever they could find in their price range. They got lucky: A brand new house became available in Sherron Farms. They pounced, even if it wasn’t quite the dream property they envisioned. “It was already built, so we didn’t get to choose anything,” Jessalyn says, “and I would’ve liked it to back up to the woods, but [otherwise], this house is too perfect.” To remedy her concerns about the cookie-cutter design and lack of privacy, Jessalyn got out her power tools and headed to Lowe’s for supplies. For hours, Jessalyn watched YouTube tutorials on how to use an impact driver or a circular saw, or how to caulk. Whatever it was – except for pouring a concrete patio, which DecorCrete Inc. took care of in May 2019 – she taught herself to do it. That included two hand built chairs and a sofa, all three filled with black cushions. The setting lends itself perfectly to parties, and she even built a privacy screen with a planter box to O’Bryan and Jessalyn enjoy the patio life on an outdoor sofa that Jessalyn built last year. They spend many evenings stargazing and warming up beside the fire pit. create separation between her and her neighbors. It doubles as a way to string lights over the space, which is a bonus. “That’s why I wanted a space that’s really big,” Jessalyn says. “We Jessalyn recently created her own DIY Instagram account can have people over – we have a lot of friends around here now. – @stayhomewithstull – to document her projects. She admits It’s been nice to have this area to escape to.” that as an introverted person, it hasn’t been the easiest to show Jessalyn and O’Bryan spend plenty of evenings under the stars, off her work, but her followers’ positive feedback continues to warming up beside their fire pit. During the extra time at home, encourage her. Jessalyn hired a landscaper, Agape Lawn Company, to install mulch “I started out not knowing a lot and teaching myself through beds around the patio and put in a coral bark Japanese maple, pink YouTube and my family,” Jessalyn says. “I want to empower other knockout roses and emerald arborvitae shrubs. people and show them that they can do it, [too].” 76

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home & garden

ABOVE After being at home for weeks, Cecily Jobe wanted a space where she could work and get fresh air. This recently power washed and painted corner on her deck became the perfect spot. BELOW Cecily brought this white chair from inside her house out to the patio. “It needed a new home,” she says.

H IT TH E D ECK In the seven years that Cecily and Brian Jobe have lived in their house off of Carver Street, they’ve tried to power wash, stain and reconstruct their deck just once before. Cecily, the dean of students at Club Boulevard Magnet Elementary School and a lead tutor at the Emily K Center, planned to complete the project during spring break last year. (She only got to the power washing.) A year later, with the pandemic keeping them at home for weeks, the pair hit the ground running with house project after house project. More specifically, one long-awaited project: the deck. With power washing out of the way, Cecily stained the deck a chestnut brown and the wraparound bench a shade darker to give the

elevated seat a pop. She found the latter stain from Home Depot for $10 on the discount rack. As for the rest of the furniture on the deck, most was given to them and repurposed for a new use. Brian’s mom gave them a patio set while she was redoing her deck about two years ago. “We had junk everywhere off of the deck, and we left the table off to the side,” Cecily says. “I never did anything with it because we didn’t really know what to do.” Finally, Cecily decided to spray paint the set, giving it a major facelift to fit the space they wanted. Her mom also gave them a broken red umbrella, which Brian, who’s “good at putting things together,” fixed. Brian, who works as a commercial property manager for Real Estate Associates, often has luck finding j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 0

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Line Gagnon relaxes next to her freshly painted shed doors with her little companion, Miss Zoie, who turns 11 this year. “She’s my greeter at Atmosp’hair and has worked with us since I opened,” Line says. “Everybody knows her, and she follows me everywhere.” 78

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home & garden

unwanted things in empty properties – like a fake bamboo plant and a black shelf. As the saying goes, the couple turned trash into treasure. Of the items the couple did purchase, they put money toward pieces that add pops of color amid the shades of brown. Cecily is particularly content with her rug. “I’ve never really had an outdoor rug before,” she says, “but I’ve always really liked them when I see them.” She also bought pillows that tie into the greens, blues and grays of the rug. The colorful rug sits below a table that features a built-in planter, which Cecily received from her mom’s boyfriend, who does woodwork in Shelby, North Carolina. “We plan on getting another insert [for the table] because you can also put ice in them with drinks,” Cecily says. “I’m super excited. We have all this stuff, and we’re ready to have people over but, we’re not quite there.” When Cecily walks from her bedroom to the living room every day, she peeks out through the window at the deck in amazement, and says to Brian: “Oh, my gosh, it looks so good out there.” “I’m just really happy with the transformation,” she says. “It’s almost like an extra room in the house.” ‘D OOR S OF HOPE ’ Line Gagnon and husband Steve Kaiser bought their house in the Chamberlynne neighborhood knowing that Line would be spending a lot of hours at her business, Atmosp’hair Salon & La Boutique. (Atmosp’hair also happens to be Readers’ Favorite Salon – see page 71 for more!) Line knew that her responsibilities at the salon would mean less time for traveling, so she brought the vacation to her backyard. “When we get home, we just switch our clothes, and we feel like we are in a resort,” Line says. “You don’t feel like you are five minutes from Highway 54. At all.” And when you’re not spending money on flights and instead allocating it to landscaping, you can do some incredible things, Line says. “One day, Steve decided to spray the form of the pool on a window to know exactly where we wanted it,” Line says of her husband, who works for Turner Asphalt and has a keen eye for landscaping. “Slowly, we’ve added a little shed and little plants and the waterfall to the pool. Every year we invest a little bit of money into something that we want. Last year we did the pergola.” Her latest project was painting the doors of her shed. “I always do something for my doors,” Line says. “I don’t know why. I like to give character and personality to the doors.” She realized that her backyard was filled with natural hues, but was missing a bold pop of color. 

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Line and Steve built the pergola on the patio last year. A mini outdoor fridge is conveniently positioned nearby so a cold beverage is always at hand.

Inspired by the blue doors of Santorini, Greece, Line painted three of the doors a lighter shade of blue mixed with a shadow of black. “That was my quarantine project for the backyard,” Line says. “Those are doors of hope. Hope for a more loving and caring world. And maybe we find a vaccine.” Line says she’s also been tending to the trees, shrubs and flowers in her garden, trimming them up and encouraging new growth. The climbing roses she just put in along the side of their bedroom window are now in bloom. “I don’t have a green thumb, believe it or not,” Line laughs. “I decided that there’s no such a thing as a green thumb, it’s just about having time and giving time to those plants. Two years ago, I discovered that if I cut my chives a little bit every four or five days, I have so much more, instead of just watering and forgetting about it.” Working in her garden has been therapeutic, especially during these uncertain times. “I always thought those people who were outside picking weeds were nuts, and now, I get it,” Line says. “You take off the little flowers that are dead, and slowly, you just go somewhere else. It’s a good thing, and so needed right now.” It took about five years for Line and Steve to get their backyard to its current picturesque state. Now it’s time to relax and enjoy what they have built. “Plus, I don’t have space for anything else!” Line laughs. 80

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Showcasing Realtors, Builders & Leasing Agents For advertising information, call 919.933.1551 or email ellenshannon@durhammag.com

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Isabel and Efrain Piñeiro adore their 55+ community

B Y MARIE MUIR | PHOTO GR APHY B Y B ET H MAN N

NEIGHBORHOO

WELCOME TO THE

Efrain and Isabel Piñeiro hosted a dinner with traditional Puerto Rican cuisine for their neighbors when they first moved to Corbinton Commons. “I had about 12 people at the table,” Izzy says.

oft morning light and the savory smell of fried plantains fill the air. Across the kitchen island, an open concept, spacious floor plan unites the dining and living rooms. Sunday brunch in Hillsborough’s Corbinton Commons neighborhood is a weekly tradition for Isabel “Izzy” Piñeiro, 75, and Efrain “Frank” Piñeiro, 78. Izzy and Frank, originally from Puerto Rico, moved to Durham from Long Island, New York, in 1985 when Frank got a job with Dialight in Roxboro. After living in Durham and Rougemont for more than a decade, the couple moved j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 0

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retirement

Barbara Stewart, Bonnie Thibadeau, Louise Mayer, Kathy Trotter, Izzy PiĂąeiro, Janet McDowell and Sue Traub take weekly walks either around the Corbinton Commons neighborhood or into town. 84

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in 2001 to Hillsborough, where Izzy worked for a printing company and as a nanny. In 2016, an incident at their townhome caused Izzy and Frank to reevaluate their living situation. “I fell down,” Izzy says. “When I missed the step, I thought I was going to break my hip. That’s when we started looking for a place that was flat, with fewer steps.” Izzy started seeing signs for Corbinton, an active adult community. She was sold on the location alone. “I like Hillsborough, and this area is quiet, tranquil and peaceful,” Izzy says. “Everything is more convenient – we [have] easy access to stores, hospitals and the highway.” The couple moved into their Corbinton home in 2017 and feel more at ease since downsizing. “I like the first floor because it’s the most convenient, and my master bedroom is downstairs,” Izzy says. “The kitchen is open concept, and I like that because I can see everything that’s happening in the living room and outside. It’s roomy, I’ve got more cabinet space, and I love where my washing machine is – convenience is the best thing about this place. This is one of the best houses I’ve lived in in my life because everything is downstairs and convenient. [For] anyone who’s getting older, living on one floor is the best.” Before the coronavirus outbreak, Izzy and Frank could expect any number of visitors – from their two kids and five grandkids, who are between the ages of 16 and 26 and live close by, to neighbors who stop by for Puerto Rican cooking classes or coffee. Every week, several women gather at the front of the neighborhood to take socially distanced walks into town. “I love walking in the morning,” Izzy says. “We start at the front of the neighborhood and then we walk together – we have three trails, two that go into town and one that goes in a circle around the neighborhood. If we walk into town, we have a coffee from Cup A Joe. It’s about 3 miles there and back.” In addition to scenic walks, Izzy and her friends take part in hobbies like the traditional Chinese tile game mahjong, book club, potlucks, listening to music, knitting, gardening and fireside chats in the communal outdoor patio area. Corbinton’s indoor community center is currently under construction. It’s that social aspect that makes Corbinton feel like home to the Piñeiros. “People were kind in our old neighborhoods, but Corbinton is more of a community,” Izzy says. “Everyone is very friendly – if you need groceries, people will offer to pick them up for you.” Until it’s safe to venture farther than their tight-knit town again, the couple is thankful for social distancing activities and downtime at home with Mango, their 23-year-old cockatiel, and 11-year-old teacup Yorkshire terrier, Highway.

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DIRECTORY OF CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES AND ASSISTED LIVING, INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING AND 55+ LIVING COMMUNITIES

Assisted Living Communities BROOKDALE CHAPEL HILL ASSISTED LIVING 2220 Farmington Dr., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 919-933-1430; brookdale.com BROOKDALE CHAPEL HILL ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA CARE 2230 Farmington Dr., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 919-929-5850; brookdale.com BROOKDALE DURHAM ASSISTED LIVING AND DEMENTIA CARE 4434 Ben Franklin Blvd., Durham Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 919-479-9966; brookdale.com BROOKDALE MEADOWMONT ASSISTED LIVING AND DEMENTIA CARE 100 Lanark Rd., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 919-918-7600; brookdale.com CAMBRIDGE HILLS ASSISTED LIVING 140 Brookstone Ln., Pittsboro Entrance Fee Community fee of $1,500 Monthly Fee Range $4,150 – $6,250 Contract Options None. Requires 14-day notice before moving out Refund Options Prorated for the first month from the move-in date Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 65 Contact Information Ronda Stubbs, 919-545-9573 or ronda@silver-thread.com; cambridgehillsal.com CAMBRIDGE HILLS ASSISTED LIVING 5660 Durham Rd., Roxboro Entrance Fee Community Fees: $1,000 for a private room; $750 for semi-private Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options None Refund Options Requires 14-day notice Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information Tracey Maloney, tmaloney@cvsliving.com; 336-598-4697; cambridgehills.com CALYX LIVING 4214 Guess Rd., Durham Entrance Fee Application fee required Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Monthly rate includes care, dining, activities, laundry and housekeeping Refund Options 14-day notice required

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Medicare Certified Not applicable Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 60 Contact Information 919-471-0091; calyxseniorliving.com CHATHAM RIDGE ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE 114 Polks Village Ln., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee One month’s rent Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Refund Options Community fees within 30 days of move in Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-918-7872; ridgecare.com MEBANE RIDGE ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE 1999 S. NC Hwy. 119, Mebane Entrance Fee One month’s rent as deposit, 20% discount through June Monthly Fee Range $3,195 – $6,595 Contract Options Month-to-month Refund Options None Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted, not required Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-568-0083; mebaneridge.com

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) CAROLINA MEADOWS 100 Carolina Meadows, Chapel Hill A vibrant community where residents live a lifestyle of wellness and engagement. The 168-acre campus includes a nine-hole golf course, pristine walking trails, tennis courts, community gardens and more. Residents enjoy six distinctive dining venues, a state-of-the-art wellness center and an auditorium that offers many fascinating lectures and performances. Entrance Fee Range $129,700 – $602,900 Monthly Fee Range $2,852 – $4,410 Contract Options Fee for Service: Housing, residential services and guaranteed access to health-related services in exchange for entrance fee and monthly fee. Health-related services are provided at per-diem rates, which vary. Home Care services are also available. Equity: See below. Refund Options Upon departure, resident/estate receives refund based on Entry Fee calculation and, if applicable, additional 50% of equity in the residence; calculation is current Entry Fee minus remarketing and refurbishing fees compared to original Entry Fee, and then sharing in appreciation of unit if new balance exceeds original payment. Medicare Certified Yes, Medicare Part B Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but welcome Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-942-4014; 800-458-6756; carolinameadows.org CAROL WOODS 750 Weaver Dairy Rd., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee Range $99,900 – $468,100 Monthly Fee Range $2,466 – $5,449 Contract Options Modified: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping, and some health-related services. Health-related services are provided at a discounted rate. Refund Options Declining Refund: Pay entry fee; full refund in first 90 days; refund declines at rate of 2% each additional month; after 50 months, no refund. Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required; could help pay for discounted per diems. Minimum Age 65 (co-applicant must be at least 55) Contact Information 919-968-4511; 800-518-9333; carolwoods.org 

5 5 + ACT I VE A DULT A PA RT MEN T HO MES

altogether

more peace of mind.

Contact us today for a personalized virtual tour to learn more about the unique 55+ lifestyle awaiting you at Overture Chapel Hill.

919-883-4188 OvertureChapelHill@greystar.com

Experience the freedom and convenience to live well! At Overture we offer maintenance-free active adult apartment home living with activities to help you stay connected, engaged, and happy right in your own home. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best place to live a full life any time.

OvertureChapelHill.com Overture is an equal housing opportunity. Amenities and services vary by location. Pricing & availability subject to change. *Ask a Greystar representative for details.

retirement

THE CEDARS OF CHAPEL HILL 100 Cedar Club Circle (Meadowmont), Chapel Hill Purchase Price Range $300,000s – $800,000s* Monthly Fee Range $3,027 – $6,193 Contract Options *Equity: Actual real estate purchase, with transfer of ownership of the unit. If resident moves to health center, no added amount except two meals per day. After 90 days, member pays discounted rate. Refund Options Not applicable because of ownership Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 50) Contact Information 919-259-7000; 877-433-3669; cedarsofchapelhill.com CROASDAILE VILLAGE 2600 Croasdaile Farm Pkwy., Durham Set on 110 acres in a pastoral setting, which provides a country feel fewer than six miles from downtown Durham and three miles from Duke University. Croasdaile is within the distinguished residential neighborhood of Croasdaile Farm. Residents enjoy numerous green spaces with yards, gardening and plenty of walking trails, a dog park, lakes and the security of a full continuum of care on-site. The central campus buildings are connected, with a state-of-the-art wellness center, large heated pool, auditorium, woodworking shop, art studio, multiple dining venues and a chapel. Entrance Fee Range $58,154 – $380,005 (includes new residences) Monthly Fee Range $2,004 – $4,583 (includes new residences) Contract Options Fee for Service: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping and some health-related services. Advanced levels of health services are provided at per-diem rates. Utilities bundled. Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Pay lower entry fee; refund declines at rate of 2% per month; after 50 months, no refund. Option 2: 50% Refund – pay higher entry fee; refund declines at a rate of 2% per month until 50% of residence fee is accrued; refund limited to 50%. Option 3: 90% Refund – pay higher entry fee; refund declines at a rate of 2% per month until 10% of fee is accrued; refund limited to 90%. Medicare Certified Yes; rehab on-site Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but welcome Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-384-2475; 800-960-7737; croasdailevillage.org THE FOREST AT DUKE 2701 Pickett Rd., Durham Celebrating 28 years of community, The Forest at Duke is a vibrant continuing care retirement community located in the heart of Durham. Homes, cottages, apartments – each offer spacious, contemporary living with access to a range of amenities coupled with wellness. At The Forest, residents discover a retirement that is as varied, engaging and multifaceted as you are. The Forest strives to strengthen the community and organizations that enrich the lives of Durham residents. Entrance Fee Range $97,970 – $594,205 Monthly Fee Range $3,332 – $7,757 Contract Options Modified: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping, and some health-related services. Health-related services are provided at a greatly discounted rate and are free for a specified number of days. Refund Options The Forest retains $10,000 of each person’s entry fee as a health care reserve. The remaining balance of the entry fee, the residence fee, is refundable based on the following plan: 2% of the Residence Fee accrues to The Forest at Duke each month. The refund decreases to zero over 50 months. Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but welcome. Minimum Age 65 (co-applicant must be at least 62) Contact Information 919-490-8000; 800-474-0258; forestduke.org GALLOWAY RIDGE AT FEARRINGTON 3000 Galloway Ridge Rd., Pittsboro Crafted with heart, soul and Southern charm, Galloway Ridge is a secure, health-conscious lifestyle destination. The 50-acre campus is just south of Chapel Hill and adjacent to Fearrington Village, an 1,100-acre planned community, offering miles of trails and sidewalks. Jordan Lake and the Haw River are just a short distance away for outdoor enthusiasts. Galloway Ridge’s main building includes 248 independent living apartments, library and business center, living room, Chapin Auditorium, Weathersfield Café, Bistro Dining Room, Camellia Fine Dining Room,

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Belties Lounge, billiards room, Players Lounge, a movie theater with stadium seating, art studio, woodworking shop, multiple meeting spaces and conference room. The Arbor, a Medicare-certified health care center, is connected to the main building and offers 96 private rooms for assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing. The residents of the 52 independent living villas have a short walk to all of the amenities of the main building. The Galloway Ridge WellPlex allows residents to maintain their optimal level of health and well-being. It includes the Duke Center for Living, a 20,000-square-foot fitness center, Duke Primary Care and the Center for Physical Rehabilitation. For on-campus primary care services, residents can choose between UNC Health Care within the main building or Duke Primary Care in the WellPlex. Residents and staff volunteer thousands of hours each year to local agencies and partnerships. Entrance Fee Range $226,000 – $1,509,000 Monthly Fee Range $3,237 – $7,533 Contract Options Extensive: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping and unlimited assisted and skilled nursing. Additional meal fee required as one moves from one level of care to another. Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Time-Sensitive – Pay lower entry fee; refund declines at rate of 4% in first month; 2% each additional month; after 4 years, no refund. Option 2: 90% Refund, Not Time-Sensitive – Pay higher entry fee; receive 90% of what you paid in. Option 3: 75% Refund, Not Time-Sensitive – Pay higher entry fee; receive 75% of what you paid in. Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-545-2647; gallowayridge.com GLENAIRE 4000 Glenaire Circle, Cary Entrance Fee Range $66,000 – $394,000 Monthly Fee Range $2,512 – $4,576 Contract Options Modified: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping and some health-related services. Health-related services are provided at a subsidized rate or are free for a specified number of days. Refund Options Option 1: Declining Refund – refund declines at rate of 2% per month for 48 months. Option 2: 50% refundable. Option 3: 90% refundable. Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 58) Contact Information 919-460-8095; 800-225-9573; glenaire.org SEARSTONE 17001 Searstone Dr., Cary Entrance Fee Range $371,000 – $866,000 Monthly Fee Range $3,270 – $7,330; Second Person Fee – $1,470 Contract Options Type A LifeCare contract. Residents pay a one-time LifeCare fee to cover costs of assisted living, skilled nurses and/or memory support. The LifeCare program has significant tax advantages and works well with long-term care policies. Refund Options Entrance fee 100% refundable Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Yes Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-234-0339; info@searstonerla.org; searstone.com SPRINGMOOR 1500 Sawmill Rd., Raleigh Entrance Fee Range Call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Modified: Housing, residential services and some health-related services in exchange for entrance fee and monthly fee, which includes 30 days of free health care (with a maximum balance of 90 days), then is available at a discounted rate. Refund Options Option 1: Life Occupancy – Residence & Care refund declines at 4% per month for 25 months, then no refund. Option 2: 50% Life Equity – refund declines at 2% per month for 25 months. The remaining 50% is returned to the resident or estate after residency is terminated and within 30 days of re-occupancy of the residential unit. Option 3: 100% Life Equity – 100% of the Residence & Care fee is returned to the resident or estate after residency is terminated. The refund is available, once residency is terminated, six years after initial move-in date, or 30 days after re-occupancy of the residential unit, if six years has passed. 

Celebrating 15 years of saying yes to innovation. At Galloway Ridge, life is simple and pleasant. Our 15 years of saying “yes” to new opportunities have shaped the way we’ve grown from one of the area’s first Life Plan Communities to the area’s best. Our tomorrow is just as exciting as our yesterday, and we’re proud of the way our community has joined together to say yes to life. This year we're celebrating 15 years since the start of our story. Thank you to all who have made Galloway Ridge a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. We look forward to doing life with you for many years to come!

Galloway Ridge at Fearrington 3000 Galloway Ridge Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-328-2657 www.gallowayridge.com

Medical Direction Provided By

retirement

Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-848-7080; springmoor.org TWIN LAKES 3701 Wade Coble Dr., Burlington An intentional community that draws people from all over the country, but all residents have at least one thing in common: They want a well-rounded life surrounded by people who are engaged and living purposefully. More than 550 people in independent living enjoy the 218acre community and all the amenities that create a lifestyle where people of all types thrive. In addition to the spacious campus, this is a unique CCRC: there’s no mandatory meal plan; Twin Lakes offers comparably lower fees; and the neighborhoods are filled with people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Entrance Fee Range $55,000 – $415,000 Monthly Fee Range $1,590-$3,023 Contract Options Fee-for-service contract only Refund Options 30-month declining refund and 50% refund available. Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 62) Contact Information 336-538-1572; twinlakescomm.org THE VILLAGE AT BROOKWOOD 1860 Brookwood Ave., Burlington The Village at Brookwood’s intimate size allows the building of strong friendships. Residents can participate in a full array of physical activities that promote healthy living, feed their competitive spirit with fun games and mental challenges, de-stress with their favorite hobby or just relax. The community prides itself on its dining, including two newly renovated options: the Edith Street Café and Lakeside Dining, plus a brand new bistro. Enjoy an engaging conversation with friends over a meal prepared by the executive chef while the dining staff tends to your every need.

Entrance Fee Range $96,300 – $556,420 Monthly Fee Range $2,271 – $4,448 Contract Options Option 1: Extensive – LifeCare Residential Living: Garden Homes & Apartments, bundled services, campus amenities, maintenance and guaranteed future health care all covered by the entrance fee and monthly fee. When moving from one level of care to another, the monthly fee reflects a 58% reduction of the daily skilled nursing rate. Option 2: Fee for Service – Garden Homes & Apartments, limited bundled services, campus amenities, maintenance and guaranteed access to future health care are provided in exchange for entrance fee and monthly fee. Health-related services are provided at the per-diem rate. Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Extensive – Standard Refund is declining over 47 months. 50% and 90% Refund plans are also available. Option 2: Fee for Service – Standard Refund declines over 47 months. Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but may help with costs related to Assisted Living, Memory Care, Skilled Care for Fee-for-Service or LifeCare plans Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 55) Contact Information 336-570-8440; 800-282-2053; villageatbrookwood.org WINDSOR POINT 1221 Broad St., Fuquay-Varina Entrance Fee Range $58,000 – $233,000 Monthly Fee Range $2,276 – $3,284 for independent living; $3,642 – $6,014 with health-related services Contract Options Modified: Housing, residential services and specified amount of health-related services in exchange for the entrance fee and monthly fee. Health-related services are provided at subsidized rate or are free for a specified number of days. Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Life occupancy entrance fee; pay up front and 2% taken out each month over a 50-month period, after 50 months there is no refund; before then, pro-rated refund available. Option 2: 50% Refund; refund declines at a rate of 2% per month for 25 months until 50% of residence fee is accrued; refund received only after resident passes away or moves. 

‘‘After a career working in senior living, guess where I chose to live?’’ Before choosing Croasdaile Village as her home, Carol Roycroft really did her homework. We’re talking 30 years working in senior living, learning about community life, the importance of strong management, location and value. After helping so many other people find a wonderful home here, she couldn’t wait to join the fun. CroasdaileVillage.org

Owned and operated by United Methodist Retirement Homes, Inc.

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Do your own research and call 919-289-4476 to schedule a visit.

gracious retirement living with

At The Village at Brookwood, residents enjoy a robust lifestyle in a down-to-earth retirement community that understands the best time of your life is now. As a Life Plan Community, we have so much to offer, and it’s all designed to keep you active, happy and healthy.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

active, maintenance-free living whole person wellness

The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

lifelong learning at Elon University numerous opportunities for service and volunteering a spacious new home or apartment peace of mind for the future

Enjoy a dynamic 360° view of our community, scroll through our photo galleries or watch one of our brief videos featuring residents sharing their thoughts on life at The Village:

VillageAtBrookwood.org/Gallery Or contact us for more information!

1860 Brookwood Ave. | Burlington Proud to be a part of

Managed by

Call 800-282-2053 or visit VillageAtBrookwood.org

retirement

Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but helpful Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 55) Contact Information 919-552-4580; 800-552-0213; windsorpoint.com

Independent Senior Living ATRIA 5705 Fayetteville Rd., Durham Entrance Fee $5,000 Monthly Fee Range Independent living: $4,300 – $4,475/one bedroom; $4,600 – $5,000/two bedroom; cottages: $5,400 – $5,700 Contract Options Independent Living: No lease term, no buy-in, monthto-month rental with 60-day move-out notice. Assisted Living: No lease term, no buy-in, month-to-month rental with 14-day move-out notice. Refund Options 60-day notice to terminate independent living lease Medicare Certified No, except for therapy services Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted if the resident meets the criteria of the policy Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-401-0100; atriasouthpointwalk.com BARTLETT RESERVE 300 Meredith Dr., Durham Entrance Fee One month’s rent Monthly Fee Range $3,650 – $4,050 Contract Options Sign a year lease, but can give 60-day notice to leave Medicare Certified Therapy services are covered by Medicare Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted for personal care and veteran’s benefits Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-361-1234; Barbara Patterson, bpatterson@bartlettreserve.com; bartlettreserve.com THE CAMBRIDGE AT BRIER CREEK 7780 Brier Creek Pkwy., Ste. 400, Raleigh The Cambridge at Brier Creek is more than just a place to retire – it’s an active community of neighbors and friends perfectly located between two premier cities. It offers the luxuries of a first-class resort with the support and services you need for optimal health, fitness and well-being. Entrance Fee Range No entrance fee, just a deposit of $1,000 up front to get on the waitlist Monthly Fee Range $4,395 – $6,545 Contract Options Month-to-month or one-year leases Refund Options Deposit is refundable Medicare Certified Medicare accepted through on-site physician and with WakeMed Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Long-term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information Victoria Sosa, Marketing Director, 919-612-1054, victoria@cvsliving.com; thecambridgebriercreek.com CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE OF APEX 10000 Cambridge Village Loop, Apex Cambridge Village of Apex offers residents more than just a place to live. With well-maintained grounds, certified health facilities, an engaging event schedule and a diverse community, it promotes Optimal Living® for all residents. Dining options and activities are always most important when choosing a retirement community, and this is where Cambridge Village excels. It is the new generation of retirement living – residents are independent, active adults older than 65 who are enjoying the happiness of a care-free lifestyle. The aim is to make every resident feel welcome, provide them with opportunities to build friendships and help them find a niche where they belong! Entrance Fee Range Community fee equivalent to one month’s rent Monthly Fee Range $3,450 – $5,295 Contract Options One-year lease option Refund Options Community fee is 50% refundable or 100% if there is a medical reason they cannot move in Medicare Certified No Long-term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 65 Contact Information Katina Faulkner, Marketing Director, 919-363-2080, kfaulkner@cvsliving.com; cambridgevillageofapex.com

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DURHAM REGENT 3007 Pickett Rd., Durham Entrance Fee Range $2,750 – $4,250 Monthly Fee Range $2,200 – $4,200 on single occupancy, second-person fee Contract Options Month-to-month leases. All independent living. Medicare Certified No medical services included Long-Term Care Insurance N/A Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-490-6224; durhamregent.com EMERALD POND 205 Emerald Pond Ln., Durham Entrance Fee Range Community fee of $2,850 – $4,700 Monthly Fee Range $2,244 – $4,599 Contract Options Month-to-month leases. No buy-in fees. Refund Options Community fee non-refundable Medicare Certified No medical services included Long-Term Care Insurance N/A Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-493-4713; emeraldpond.net TWIN RIVERS INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING 25 S. Rectory St., Pittsboro Entrance Fee $1,500; second-person fee, $500 Monthly Fee Range Starting at $2,000/one bedroom, $3,500/two bedroom; VA/public servant discounts available Contract Options None. Requires one 30/60 day notice prior to moving out Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Not accepted Minimum Age 65 Contact Information 919-545-0149 or 919-637-7117; michelle@silver-thread.com, silver-thread.com

Post-Acute Continuing Care Systems HILLCREST CONVALESCENT CENTER 1417 W. Pettigrew St., Durham Entrance Fee No deposit or application fee required Monthly Fee Call for pricing Contract Options All-inclusive monthly rate for short-term, long-term, assisted living or respite stays Refund Options Pay only for the days spent, any unused daily rate refunded Contact Information 919-286-7705; admissions@hillcrestnc.com HILLCREST RALEIGH AT CRABTREE VALLEY 3830 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh Entrance Fee No deposit or application fee required Monthly Fee Call for pricing Contract Options All-inclusive monthly rate for short-term, long-term or respite stays Refund Options Pay only for the days spent, any unused daily rate refunded Contact Information 919-781-4900; admissions@hillcrestraleighnc.com HILLCREST HOME HEALTH OF THE TRIANGLE 1000 Bear Cat Way, Ste. 104, Morrisville Personal care, in-home support & companion care, and respite care. Contact Information 919-468-1204; agencydir@hillcresthh.com HILLCREST THERAPY & WELLNESS 4215 University Dr., Ste. B2, Durham Physical therapy, specialty treatments and wellness programs. Contact Information 919-627-6700; rehab.durham@hillcrestptw.com SIGNATURE HEALTHCARE OF CHAPEL HILL 1602 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee None. No application or deposit fee Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options All-inclusive monthly rate for short- term, long-term, assisted living or respite stays Refund Options Refunds for any days not used Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but accepted Contact Information 919-967-1418; shcofchapelhill.com; admission.chapelhill@signaturehealthcarellc.com 

Twin Lakes Community It’s not summer camp or a cruise ship vacation. It’s an intentional community. Where independence is treasured. And, the transition isn’t about what you give up, but what you gain. With neighbors who understand where you are in life. And a staff who does, too. A community where people of all types thrive, living a life that matters. It’s all right here.

Live, learn and grow at a place where community comes first.

A division of Lutheran Retirement Ministries of Alamance County, North Carolina

BURLINGTON NC • 336-538-1572 • twinlakescomm.org

Taking Care of You Learn about your body and how to protect your health and wellness with new programs on broadcast and digital.

Find out more: unctv.org/health

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55+ Communities CAROLINA PRESERVE 115 Allforth Place, Cary Price Range of Houses high-$200s – low-$500s Number of Units 1,360 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 1,200 – 3,500 sq. ft. Amenities Included Tennis courts, bocce ball courts, indoor pool, outdoor pool, fitness center, clubhouse, pickleball court and access to Town of Cary Greenway Contact Information 919-467-7837; carolinapreserve.com CORBINTON AT KILDAIRE FARM 3401 Arthur Pierce Road, Cary Price Range of Houses high-$300s – mid-$400s Number of Units 60 Resale Status New only Average Size of Houses 1,684 – 2,175 sq. ft. Amenities Included Walking trail, dog park, yard maintenance, exterior home maintenance Sales Contact Amanda Loebach or Jemalia van Rijssen, 919-714-8058; corbintonliving.com/cary; info@corbintonliving.com CORBINTON COMMONS 680 Market House Way, Hillsborough Price Range of Houses low-$300s – mid-$400s Number of Units 70 Resale Status New only Average Size of Houses 1,600 – 2,100 sq. ft. Amenities Included Clubhouse, walking trail, dog park, community gardens, yard maintenance, exterior home maintenance Sales Contact Julie Amos, 919-260-6348; corbintonliving.com; info@ corbintonliving.com

THE COURTYARDS AT ANDREWS CHAPEL 1007 Havenwood Ln., Durham Price Range of Houses upper-$300s – mid-$500s Number of Units 120 Resale Status New only Average Size of Houses 1,500 – 4,000 sq. ft. Amenities Included Large clubhouse, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, walking trails, pavilion Sales Contact Kaylee Daum, 919-289-5784; epconcommunities.com CREEKSIDE AT BETHPAGE 6511 Crown Pkwy., Durham Price Range of Houses mid-$250s – mid-$400s Number of Units 655 total Resale Status New only Avg. Size of Houses 1,294 – 2,425 sq. ft. Amenities Included Clubhouse, fitness center, aerobics studio, community garden, social clubs, resort-style pool, tennis courts, bocce ball and pickle ball courts, trail system within natural surroundings Contact Information 919-626-3500; taylormorrison.com ENCORE AT BRIAR CHAPEL 117 Boone St., Chapel Hill Encore by David Weekley Homes, exclusively for residents 55 and older, offers main-story living plans with expanded outdoor living areas for entertaining, wellness-inspired design features and yard maintenance. Encore residents can enjoy the privacy of designated amenities, including a clubhouse, pool, firepits and fitness facility, along with Briar Chapel’s clubhouse, water park, sports courts, 20+ parks and 24 miles of trails. Price Range of Houses mid-$300s – high-$400s Number of Units 185 Resale Status New only Average Size of Houses 1,600 – 3,200 sq. ft. Amenities Included Briar Chapel amenities, clubhouse with exclusive fitness center, outdoor pool, fire pits, bocce ball, yoga room and meeting area Sales Contact 919-706-0199; davidweekleyhomes.com

An Optimal Living® Community

• Multiple luxury private residence layouts

A vibrant, resort-style community for adults 65+, Cambridge Village provides a luxury living space with amenities and services thoughtfully designed to support exceptional health and happiness for each resident.

• Chef-presented restaurant dining • On-site Primary Care, MedSpa & Concierge Services • Lifelong learning & cultural programs • Exclusive state-of-the-art Health & Fitness Center

919-797-1361 | theCambridgeBrierCreek.com | 7780 Brier Creek Pkwy, Suite 400 - Raleigh, NC 27617

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retirement

FENDOL FARMS BY LENNAR IN BRIER CREEK 1003 White Bark Ln., Durham Price Range of Houses low-$300s – mid-$500s Number of Units 500 units Resale Status Primarily new Average Size of Houses 1,550 – 2,900 sq. ft. Amenities Included Clubhouse, fitness center, outdoor pool, bocce ball court, tennis courts, pickleball, community garden, dog park, walking trails, grandkids playground Contact Information 919-337-9420; lennar.com/new-homes/north-carolina/raleigh/durham/fendol-farms OVERTURE CHAPEL HILL 5910 Farrington Rd., Chapel Hill Imagine carefree, maintenance-free, 55+ active adult living where you can truly focus on yourself. This vibrant community offers spacious living, an engaging lifestyle and meaningful mind, body and social amenities. Experience newfound freedom in a beautiful setting that’s close to everything. Price Range of Apartment Homes Starting at $1,200/monthly Number of Units 184 Resale Status N/A Average Size of Houses 604 – 1,365 sq. ft. Amenities Included Continental breakfast five days a week and a monthly Sunday brunch, heated saltwater pool, outdoor lounge and terrace, fire pit, elevator-accessible floors, happy hours and yappy hours, fitness center and yoga studio, grand club room with demonstration kitchen, 24-hour selfserving barista coffee bar, media movie theater room, game room, arts and crafts room, on-site guest suite for friends and family, on-site concierge, Lyft ride-hailing scheduling, 24-hour maintenance and carports available. Sales Contact 919-907-2200; overturechapelhill.com

Cohousing ELDERBERRY 60 Elderberry Ln., Rougemont Price Range of Houses low to mid-$200s Number of Units 18 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 700 – 1,200 sq. ft. Amenities Included Self-developed, community-oriented cohousing, hiking trails, community garden Sales Contact Mary Bennett, 919-482-4222, mbkbennett@gmail.com; elderberrycohousing.com VILLAGE HEARTH COHOUSING 4900 Buttonbush Rd., Durham Price Range of Houses high-$200s – low-$400s Number of Cottages 28 Resale Status New only Average Size of Houses 660 – 1,200 sq. ft. Amenities Included Self-developed and self-governed, LGBT-friendly, intentional neighborhood; community-oriented, large common house, workshop, clustered accessible cottages on 15 acres, walking trails, community garden. Contact Information 561-714-8009; villagehearthcohousing.com

KEEP LEARNING Let’s redefine retirement. Let’s engage in over 400 onsite activities. Let’s enjoy the NC Symphony and DPAC. Let’s taste the downtown Durham foodie scene. Let’s experience the countless opportunities to live your life and keep growing — your way. Vibrant living. Continuing care. In the heart of Durham. 2701 Pickett Drive, Durham NC 27705 919-433-2361 / forestduke.org

KEEP GROWING

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Biz Briefs 97

Morgan Siegel’s tearoom Jeddah’s Tea closed its doors midMarch. Siegel – here at the store with her children, Nur, 2, Ismail, 4, and Mahaliya, 9 – is serving customers via online orders.

96 • durhammag.com • February/March 2019

How Our Small Businesses Are Responding to the pandemic page 102

PHOTO BY BETH MANN

Highlights from our talented and creative business community

durham inc.

BIZBRIEFS Northgate Mall permanently closed May 4 due to financial struggles heightened by COVID-19. Northwood Retail LLC, the Dallas-based company that owns Northgate, had planned to revitalize the mall and move tenants out in December, but a permanent closure was not planned. According to Jonathan Stewart, head of leasing for the mall, the company is committed to providing relief to tenants and connecting them to local small business support programs. Tenants operating outside of the mall but still on the Northgate property will reopen when appropriate.

TALENT POOL

Lexie Vaughn was named the chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity of Durham in April. Vaughn, a graduate of the master’s program at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, succeeds Blake Strayhorn, who stepped down from his position as executive director in November after seven years at the organization. After almost 20 years with Discover Durham, Chief Operating Officer E’Vonne Coleman retired on May 1. During her tenure,

Coleman supervised Discover Durham’s move into its awardwinning space on Main Street, oversaw the two-year initiative to celebrate Durham’s 150th anniversary and increased the organization’s cash reserve from 0.9% in 2009 to 40% in 2019. Parmod Chandna, vice president of finance, human resources and operations, will assume financial and operational leadership upon Coleman’s retirement. Krista Covey was named president of First Flight Venture Center on May 18. Covey succeeds Andy Schwab, who now serves as the chief executive officer of Panaceutics Nutrition. Shauna McIntyre was named chief executive officer of Sense Photonics, a startup focused on advancing 3D sensor solutions, on April 8. An automotive industry veteran, McIntyre previously led Google’s automotive services and automotive maps program. She is based in San Francisco and succeeds Scott Burroughs, co-founder and CEO of the company since 2016, who will serve as president and chief innovation officer.

AWARDS AND HONOR

In May, Duda | Paine Architects won the Association of College Unions International 2020 Facility Design Award for their work on Emory University’s Student Center. The award recognizes excellence in the design of

Compiled by Cam Edson, Anna Louise Pickens and Claire Delano

campus facilities. Duda | Paine Architects sought input from students and faculty to create an innovative, sustainable space for the Emory community. A recent study from Construction Coverage, a review website for commercial, auto and construction insurance, ranked Durham the eighth least unionized mid-sized metropolitan area out of 94 cities. Durham maintains a union membership rate of 1.8% compared to the U.S. average of 10.3%.

bouquets crafted by Heather, a classically trained florist. Boxyard RTP was originally slated to open this spring, but the date has now been rescheduled to the fall. In April, gene therapy company AskBio acquired BrainVectis, a Paris-based gene therapy company focused on the treatment of neurodegenerative

MOVEMENT, DEVELOPMENT, ACQUISITIONS

Boxyard RTP, a shopping and dining center made of shipping containers, announced Wonderpuff, a gourmet cotton candy shop, and Blossom and Bone Florals as its newest vendors. Blossom and Bone Florals, owned by husband-andwife duo Heather and Pedro Sardela, produces handmade

disorders. BrainVectis will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of AskBio and maintain its office in Paris. “BrainVectis has world-leading knowledge of Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases and gives us access to a pipeline of candidates for these indications,” said CEO and founder of AskBio Sheila Mikhail. “We’re honored to have them become part of AskBio.” Virginia-based real estate investor RST Development bought the Lodge at Croasdaile Farm, a 320-unit development in north Durham, for $65.9 million in April. The development features garden-style flats and townhouse units, and amenities including

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DURHAM The future is happening here. And it’s happening now.

INDUSTRIES

TALENT PIPELINE

urham County boasts a vibrant and healthy economy, and is among the lowest costs of

doing business compared with major US cities.

he region is home to three tier-one research universities: Duke University, NC State University,

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and other

Durham County is home to Research Triangle Park,

top educational institutions like North Carolina Central

one of the most recognized high-tech research

University, Shaw University, and Durham and Wake

and development centers in the U.S. And while

Technical Community Colleges. There is a consistent

all industries are represented in Durham County,

pipeline of superior talent being renewed every year.

some notable ones are:

• Life Sciences & Biotech

• Healthcare

• Advanced Manufacturing

• Technology

COLLEGE G R A D U AT I O N R AT E (KNOXVILLE, TN NEWS-SENTINEL)

Corporations, small businesses and entrepreneurs are growing and thriving here. Visit durhamchamber.org to learn how we and our partners can support you.

3rd

M O S T E D U C AT E D CITY IN AMERICA (FORBES)

QUALITY OF LIFE

urham is consistently ranked one of the best places in the U.S. to live, learn, play, work, and retire. With mild weather, friendly

people, and access to some of the best education and healthcare in the country, Durhamites enjoy a very high quality of life. Among the reasons so many people choose to make Durham home are:

• DPAC, Top 5 Theater in the nation and IEBA’s 2019 theater of the year • Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the largest on the East Coast • Shortest average commute time (25 minutes) compared to similar sized cities • Less than three (3) hours to beaches or mountains • 300+ miles of hiking and recreational trails

HOUSING MARKET IN THE U.S. (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)

MOST AFFORDABLE IN AMERICA ( N B C ’ S TO D AY S H O W )

BEST PLACES

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a pool, outdoor grilling areas, resident lounge, fitness center, outdoor pavilion, private garden and dog park. New Hampshire-based company NOBL Beverages acquired MATI Energy, an organic energy drink company, for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced on April 27. There are plans to relaunch MATI drinks later in 2020, and preorders are available on NOBL Beverages’ website. In May, Fennec Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of PEDMARK (a therapy intended to help children with hearing loss as a result of platinum-based chemotherapy), announced that, in connection with its previously completed underwritten offering on May 4 of $30,000,000 at a price of $6.25 per share, the option granted to the underwriters was exercised for 660,204 shares for additional gross proceeds of $4,126,275. The sale of the additional shares under the exercise of the underwriters’ option brings the total aggregate proceeds from the offering (before deducting the underwriting discounts and offering expenses) to $34,126,275. in April, Pairwise, a local food tech company, teamed up with Plant Sciences Inc., a California-based agricultural research company, to develop genetically altered berries. Using germplasm (the genetic material of germ cells) from PSI and Pairwise’s gene-editing techniques, the companies will work in tandem to provide customers with improved taste, longer shelf-lives and increased off-season availability of berries.

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These new varieties are expected to be available for purchase within the next few years, and eventually, the companies will license other farmers to produce the berries. The Climate Service, an organization that helps companies predict how climate change will impact their business, announced it completed a $3.825 million investment round, led by Persei Venture LLC. The investment was larger than expected, and the proceeds will help TCS expand coverage of hazards, climate scenarios and asset classes in its Climanomics software platform. Kriya Therapeutics announced on May 12 that it has raised $80 million of Series A financing. Founded in 2019 and partially based in Research Triangle Park, Kriya will use this round of funding to begin developing gene therapies for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and severe obesity. InnAVasc Medical, a medical device startup founded by Duke surgeons, raised $414,500 in debt, according to a securities filing. Twenty investors contributed to the round that was capped at $1 million; $585,500 remain to be sold. InnAVasc develops medical devices to improve vascular access to patients struggling with kidney failure. Eli Lilly and Company finalized its purchase of property from Parmer RTP to house its new manufacturing site. The pharmaceutical company joins Duke Health, GlaxoSmithKline and LabCorp at Parmer RTP’s research and development campus. “We are excited to announce our new

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manufacturing site in Durham,” Myles O’Neill, Lilly’s senior vice president and president of manufacturing operations, said in a press release. “Recruiting talented engineers, scientists and operations personnel for our facilities is important to Lilly, and we appreciate the expertise and unique amenities that Parmer has to offer our future employees at the site.” The purchase will include multiple buildings for a comprehensive pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, including a quality control laboratory. Chimerix, a biopharmaceutical company focused on accelerating the development of medicines to treat cancer and other serious diseases, received permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April for a rolling submission of its New Drug Application for the approval of brincidofovir (BCV) as a medical countermeasure for smallpox. The company intended to begin the rolling NDA submission for BCV in May with completion targeted for mid-2020. “The value of being prepared for viral outbreaks has never been clearer,” Mike Sherman, chief executive officer of Chimerix, said in a statement. “The potential for engineered or naturally occurring resistance to the currently approved therapy has made the development of BCV imperative.” Chimerix also received clearance from the FDA to continue the second phase of a three-part study of dociparstat sodium (DSTAT) in COVID-19 patients. DSTAT has the potential to reduce inflammation, immune cell infiltration and hypercoagulation associated with some COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 UPDATES

NC IDEA, an entrepreneurial support organization, launched a fundraiser in March to help entrepreneurs navigate the unprecedented COVID-19 situation. The fundraiser, named Partners in Purpose, deployed donations through grant programs. In May, NC IDEA also announced six NC IDEA SEED grant recipients, which were selected from 142 applications. Two of the recipients are Durham companies: Arpio, which protects and restores Amazon Web Services’ environments; and artificially intelligent digital mortgage advisor Home Lending Pal. Each of the North Carolina startups will receive a $50,000 grant. Reborn Clothing Co., Counter Culture Coffee, Fullsteam Brewery, Videri Chocolate Factory and Murphy’s Naturals partnered in April to create the Triangle Bundle Project in an effort to support local businesses and brighten community members’ lives during quarantine. Each

PHOTO BY ALLIE MULLIN PHOTOGRAPHY

business contributed one of its products to the bundle, which can be purchased for $50. The Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area’s workforce experienced a below-average impact during the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study by Volusion released in April.

durham inc.

Our clients, our heroes.

Local physicians Eric Westman, Wickham Simonds and Larry Greenblatt (plus Duke medical students) launched Covering the Triangle in April to collect donated cloth facial coverings for organizations and individuals who need them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forest at Duke partnered with local nonprofit Senior PharmAssist to deliver Covering the Triangle’s protective facial coverings to nearly 1,300 seniors in Durham that same month. Rho, a clinical drug development and research company, announced a 10% cut in staff as the clinical trial industry struggles due to the pandemic. The layoffs are the first in the company’s history. BASF Agricultural Solutions has donated $170,000 to support Feeding America food banks. Employees hosted a virtual food drive in March and April, with BASF matching donations dollar-for-dollar. BASF has pledged to make an additional $195,000 donation and encourages the community to contribute to Feeding America’s COVID-19 relief efforts at feedingamerica.org/ take-action/coronavirus. Also in April, BASF donated hundreds of milkweed plantsr, to Research Triangle Park, which they had been growing

Researchers ranked metro areas according to the share of workers employed in the retail trade and leisure/ hospitality industries. They also looked at the total number of retail trade workers, the total number of leisure and hospitality workers, the cost of living and the percent of residents below the poverty level.

for their employees for Earth Day but were no longer able to distribute to employees due to the stay-at-home order. Bland Landscaping planted them at the RTP HQ office. The plants, which attract bees and butterflies, are near the Bee Downtown hives located on the site. Pictured here are Carrie Gray of BASF and ReShockie Furnace of the Research Triangle Foundation. Employees at Google Fiber’s Raleigh-Durham office, Google’s Chapel Hill office and Google. org have committed to raise more than $100,000 for families in the greater Triangle area who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a partnership with GiveDirectly, donations will provide direct cash payments of $1,000 to close to 100 local families. Members of the public can also contribute to GiveDirectly’s fund by visiting givedirectly.org/ covid-19/us/cities. In response to the coronavirus, Durham design firm Neu Concepts is working to develop safe solutions for office workspaces. Neu Concepts has experience creating custom interiors, trade show exhibits and more. Now they help businesses revamp their current space to encourage social distancing through protective barriers and directional signage. To schedule a free consultation, clients can visit neuconcepts.net/the-socialdistancing-office.

Longfellow Real Estate Partners provides real estate services for life sciences and innovation companies. Creating space for new ideas, collaboration and discovery. For today’s greatest challenges and hopeful tomorrows. Please contact us to discuss your lab and office space needs.

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DURHAM’S NEWEST SMALL BUSINESSES NAVIGATE COVID-19 hen Durham was told to “stay in place” because of COVID-19, small businesses that relied on face-toface contact had to pivot and find a way forward. Many shut down temporarily and laid off employees. Online stores launched overnight. Curbside sales became a primary way of doing business. Personal connections transformed into Zoom sessions. Even after reopening, retailers had to get by with restrictions on how many customers could come through the store. Those in hospitality were especially hard-hit, said Susan Amey, president and CEO of Discover Durham. Her organization reached out to restaurants and retailers early in the crisis to get a sense of how they were affected. Although Amey was careful to say that the response to their survey was too small to be representative, the data they did receive highlighted the devastation. Of 82 businesses, 56% temporarily shut down and 7% expect to close permanently. Eighty-four percent of business owners laid off employees. Even more concerning, 95% of businesses saw revenues decline more than 20%, and 40% had more than an 80%

PHOTO BY DAVE SHAY PHOTOGRAPHY

BY B R A N D E E G R U E N E R

Crafts & Drafts NC owner Virginia George and husband Jim George in front of the do-it-yourself bar and bottle shop on Guess Road. decline. Discover Durham tried to help by setting up a webpage compiling all the restaurants open for curbside sales and delivery and sharing alternative funding and support for those in hospitality. Though federal

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funding has helped, traditional loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) have been out of reach for small business owners with little credit history or ability to keep on employees.

“A lot of the small businesses have just not been able to receive aid,” Amey said. “Even for the ones that have, the PPP is not very well-suited for restaurants and the businesses that had to close.” Nicole Thompson, president and CEO of Downtown Durham Inc. (DDI), heard similar stories among downtown business owners. She and DDI ambassadors walked much quieter streets and talked to folks about how they were doing, all while keeping the sidewalks clean and the grass mowed. Thompson has urged landlords to work with tenants who can’t pay their rent and connected struggling businesses with institutions that could provide funding. “This has really hit them,” she said. “They are missing out on Mother’s Day week, graduation week at Duke and N.C. Central University. They’re missing out on a number of the big festivals.” Thompson praised the city for being quick to put out signs for curbside pickup spots in front of downtown establishments. DDI was also working on banners for businesses to advertise that they are open. Michelle Nelson, director of marketing and communications at the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, said they are hosting weekly teleconferences to see how

durham inc.

PHOTO BY BETH MANN

Ismail, 4, helps his mom, Jeddah’s Tea owner Morgan Siegel, pack up cold brew and bissap concentrate for an online purchase. Jeddah’s is exclusively serving customers through online ordering during this period of social distancing.

business owners are doing and how they can help. The Chamber hosts webinars to address some of those needs and is working with businesses that can offer their expertise to others. Some relief has come at the state and local level: the Golden LEAF Foundation is providing loans from state funds, and Duke University

announced a $5 million Duke-Durham fund that will eventually provide grants to small businesses (at the time of writing, details of that phase of grant relief were still being worked out). In May, Mayor Steve Schewel and County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs announced a task force that will devise a plan for various types of businesses to reopen

(both Amey and Thompson, as well as Chamber President/ CEO Geoff Durham, are on the task force). And in mid-May, City Manager Tom Bonfield proposed a $5 million COVID-19 response and recovery fund, some of which will go to small and disadvantaged businesses, which would be available for use in the coming fiscal year as a part of the city’s budget.

A virtual public hearing for the proposed budget was scheduled for June 1, with final budget approval set for June 15 at 7 p.m. Christopher Gergen, CEO of Forward Cities, has urged city and county officials to fund grants as quickly as possible for small businesses, which often cannot afford to take on more debt. He said that every

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RTP RESPONDS INNOVATIONS FOR THE WORLD. CREATED IN DURHAM.

1967 TAXOL This plant alkaloid chemotherapy drug attacks cancer cells while they are dividing. It was introduced by Bristol-Myers Squibb & GlaxoSmithKline.

1987 AZIDOTHYMIDINE (AZT) Azidothymidine, also known as Zidovudine, is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. It was introduced by Burroughs Wellcome (GlaxoSmithKline).

2013 THE FIRST PATIENT IN THE WORLD TO BE FUNCTIONALLY CURED OF HIV Functionally cured means that the patient still harbors the virus but does not need to take antiretroviral therapy. This technology was introduced by Viiv Healthcare and GlaxoSmithKline.

2017 PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS While many versions of this chart have been produced over the years, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) manages the Periodic Table as we now know it. They also implemented the naming system that it utilizes.

TODAY TRILACICLIB G1 Therapuetics focuses on clinical-stage oncology programs including Trilaciclib, a first-in-class FDA-designated â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breakthrough Therapyâ&#x20AC;? designed to improve outcomes for people with cancer who are treated with chemotherapy.

MICROGLASSIFICATION This novel technology dehydrates solutions of biologics into dense, dry, stable protein particles ideal for high-dosage, lower-volume medicines that can fit into a syringe. Developed by Lindy Biosciences, Microglassification is an alternative to IV drug delivery, allowing patients to treat themselves in seconds at home.

FIRST COVID-19 ANTIBODY TEST The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first blood test that looks for the antibodies against the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. These new antibody tests, developed by Cellex, can determine if the person was exposed to the virus, had COVID-19 and recovered.

PLANT-BASED COVID-19 VACCINE Medicago has successfully produced a Virus-Like Particle (VLP) of the coronavirus 20 days after obtaining the SARS-CoV-2 (virus causing the COVID-19 disease) gene, an essential first step in creating a vaccine. Human trials for the COVID-19 vaccine are expected to roll out by July or August.

Learn more about local companies joining the fight against COVID-19: #rtpresponds

rtp.org

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minute counts when it comes to keeping a business alive. “Without action, we’re at a real risk of hollowing out our small business economy,” Gergen said. “The $5 million fund is a step in the right direction. To best support Durham’s small business community, it’s going to be imperative to include them in planning how these funds can be best deployed to maximize their short- and long-term benefit.” To get a sense of how small businesses are weathering COVID-19, we talked to a few winners for Readers’ Favorite New Business from our annual Best of Durham poll:

PIANO ACADEMY OF NORTH CAROLINA Frank Pittman is not exactly new to the music instruction business; he ran a studio out of his home for 35 years before opening the Piano Academy of North Carolina in the fall of 2018. He had more than 50 students arriving at the academy each week for group and individual lessons before making the unexpected change to online instruction. The transition has been an unqualified success, with only two adult students dropping out. “I’m not saying what’s going to happen in the future. No one

can tell,” he said. But “as far as the business is concerned, we can still keep going.” That’s not to say that online instruction hasn’t been interesting. “Well, I get to see lots of wonderful pets. My students from 6 to 60 have pets, and they want to share them,” Pittman laughed. It’s also challenging to direct younger kids with “the wiggles” over a screen. And buffering can get in the way of accurately hearing students play. At the same time, students are practicing more and progressing

faster with so much time at home. Recitals have been a fun experience with families waving “jazz hands” at the end of every performance. And the adults tell Pittman, “Their music study brings them peace. It brings them normalcy.” Pittman does have worries, though. He does not want to reopen the academy’s doors until schools open theirs. He might even wait until hospitals start allowing visitors. “We don’t want to put our kids in danger,” Pittman said. “None of us do.”

BRIGHT BLACK CANDLES In November, Tiffany Griffin and Dariel Heron decided to take the leap and launch their candle-making company. Griffin was furloughed during the government shutdown brought on by budget battles in Congress. That “sent the signal the time is now,” Griffin said. “Go figure, I didn’t plan for a pandemic.” The couple converted their finished basement into a studio and began producing candles made with natural materials and distinctive fragrances honoring black greatness

and the black diaspora. For instance, “Kingston” has scents of rum and sugarcane inspired by Jamaica, where Heron’s family is from. When January rolled around, the couple began having supply chain problems due to the emergence of coronavirus in China. Then they took a huge hit when the spring markets they had invested in were postponed. With only two owneremployees, the couple found accessing a PPP loan difficult. Griffin believes that grants

will be critical to seeing small businesses through this time. “Even if they’re small grants, particularly for makers, $5,000 can last three months,” she said. With zero marketing budget, the pair began a social media campaign for direct sales, though Griffin noted that “the Internet is the wild, Wild West on a good day.” A few local stores continue to sell their candles online. They plan to release new scents in June. Griffin said collaboration

is crucial; their company got off to a good start through pro bono consulting by Duke business students. Businesses could pool all kinds of resources, even child care. “I really think the power of partnership and the power of social capital is the only way we’re going to get through this,” she said. Meanwhile, Bright Black’s customers say its candles are a comfort, Griffin said. “It’s actually our mission to infuse the world with more light and positivity.”

CRAFTS & DRAFTS NC On Oct. 5, 2019, Crafts & Drafts NC opened its doors on Guess Road, inviting patrons to create something crafty while making conversation over a cold one. Envisioned by Virginia George, the bar offers drafts from North Carolina breweries, plus fun crafts like terrariums, glass etching and leather earrings. George hosted a couple of successful private parties and was excited to begin marketing baby and wedding showers.

Then COVID-19 arrived, and George had to think about how to survive. “I mean, it was devastating,” she said. “I think we’re making 15% to 20% of what we were making when we were open.” George is grateful she can continue offering curbside sales from the bottle shop and craft menu. She and her husband, Jim, weren’t counting on Crafts & Drafts to pay the bills right out of the gate. Still, she had to

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let four of five employees go. It was one of the most painful aspects of the crisis, because her staff was like family. One still helps with curbside delivery on a part-time basis. Two are lucky enough to have full-time jobs. In May, George was approved for a PPP loan. Though helpful, she believes that nationwide mortgage forgiveness is desperately needed. Many small businesses that can’t reopen also can’t pay the rent or a mortgage.

Despite the financial hit, “We can stay closed as long as we need to in order to keep people safe,” George said of the bar’s indoor space. She is encouraged that Durham continues supporting its local businesses by buying gift cards and products. “The community we have here is amazing and has been hugely supportive of small businesses,” she said.

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GOOD HUMAN DOG TRAINING Jennifer Thornburg considered virtual classes after launching Good Human Dog Training in February 2019, but didn’t think it was the best option for her business. Instead, she met clients in parks and at their homes, and then began shopping for a dogtraining facility. “But oh, my God, I’m so glad I didn’t take that jump,” Thornburg said. She stopped meeting with dog owners out of safety concerns, and the company lost 80% of its revenues. Two other companies she worked for parttime had to postpone classes. She no longer had enough work for a second trainer, who also owned a hair salon. Plus, she’s had her daughter, Ari Mae, 4, at home since her day care closed. Thornburg found herself trying to plan virtual dog training classes when she could find the time.

JEDDAH’S TEA Fortunately, Thornburg lives in a two-income household and could “take a little step back” after being relieved of the expense of day care. She also received some paid leave from Paws4ever, the animal welfare nonprofit she works with. Thornburg plans to look into PPP now that it covers the selfemployed. Meanwhile, people stuck at home are starting to notice that their dogs could use more training. She is optimistic about beginning virtual classes and sees the benefit of creating a safety net by diversifying her offerings. She also believes it is possible to maintain social distance outdoors with dogs on 6-foot leashes. “I can always meet people and be mindful and wear a mask and use hand sanitizer,” Thornburg said. “It’s more, can people afford it?”

Morgan Siegel opened Jeddah’s Tea downtown in the fall. The tearoom was designed to foster conversation and community over steaming hot cups with flavors from countries like Somalia and Senegal. But when her manager reported just $25 of sales one day in mid-March, Siegel made the tough decision to temporarily close the doors. Soon after, her kids’ schools closed. Jeddah’s Tea initially started as a family business, but Siegel’s marriage ended, and she needed to find a way through as a single mom. Her mother made the decision to fly in from California and take care of the grandchildren so that Siegel could take care of business. In May, Siegel began selling tea and other merchandise for curbside pickup and delivery. She was also looking to add a line of spices to her offerings. With people home so much, the

interest in cooking has grown. “I want to provide the community some really high-quality, fairtrade spices where they can jazz up their dishes,” she said. The tearoom’s revenues had dropped 55%, and Siegel said it is tough to access loans when she struggled with finances in the past and had no credit history. Fortunately, she was able to bring back three of her six employees after obtaining a PPP loan. Despite the losses, she isn’t in a rush to reopen. “I’m really happy with the online sales,” Siegel said, “as opposed to people trying to crowd into a small space.” “Me and so many other business owners are doing the best we can to navigate this situation,” she added. “There’s just so many things that are not definite, so I’m really, really grateful to the community for being so supportive.”

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mix it up

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Several bars, restaurants and distilleries offer make-your-own drink kits and prepackaged libations, blends and even coffee KIN G F IS HE R Make one of the basement bar’s signature cocktails at home by ordering a Bee Durham kit for pickup. It includes 12 ounces of local honey syrup, a beeswax-lined mason jar for infusing your gin, eight lemons, the bar’s signature Bee Durham rocks cup (lovingly crafted by co-owner Michelle Vanderwalker) and a recipe card. All you need to add is the Conniption Navy Strength gin – which, conveniently, you can now grab just down the street at Durham Distillery (see more below). You can even add a second cup to your order, and fancy ice.

D U R HA M D I STI LLERY In addition to glassware, barware, hand sanitizer and its own liquors, liqueurs and cocktails in a can, you can now order cocktail kits from Durham Distillery. Take your pick from the Southside (mojito), Honolulu, Martini or, our favorite, the French 75. Each kit comes with all you need to make your drink of choice at home and – bonus – you can also order and pick up your gin or cucumber vodka all at once! As of press time, pickup options are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 1-6 p.m. T HE AUCTI ONEER B AR AT D U R HA M F OOD HA LL The recently opened food hall and its centrally located bar offers a couple of fun, make-your-own cocktail and wine kits, plus homemade mixers, available for purchase online. The kits and mixers both come with recipe cards and directions on how to concoct your drink. The fresh-squeezed mixers – made in-house – are easy to whip up. If you’re in the mood for something bright and refreshing, try the Ruby Red. Prefer sweet and tangy? Go with the Tropic Like It’s Hot. The cocktail kits come with a full bottle of alcohol. These options are available for pickup seven days a week.

B AR V IR G IL E While you’re ordering your burger and Brussels sprouts, don’t forget to order a few sangrias. They come in a Capri Sun-like pouch that our inner child is going nuts over. The South Mangum Street bar offers several options, which rotate frequently: prickly pear/honeydew, margarita, strawberry wine and Arnold Palmer sangria flavors are just a few! It's open for pickup seven days a week, 4-8 p.m. N U VOTACO The Mexican eatery spices up takeout with the option of adding a half gallon of margarita mix to orders. At home, mix it with 750 mL of tequila and 375 mL of triple sec. Michelada mix is also available to mix with beer or vodka for bloody marys. COCOA C IN N AM ON If coffee is more your speed, try locally sourced, half-gallon iced lattes with your choice of Homeland Creamery whole milk or Oatly vegan and gluten-free oat milk. Flavors include unsweetened iced latte, vanilla bean, chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne, and matcha, among others. Each half gallon makes between seven and nine 12 oz. iced lattes, depending on how much ice you use. There are specific windows for ordering and pickup, and is only available at the Geer Street location.

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engagement

HE NRY CAMP & MCKE NZIE MIDDLEB ROOK S

Keeping It Low-Key B Y KAT I E B A RH A M | P HOTO BY LUCINDA SMITH

Wedding Date March 13, 2021

Occupations McKenzie graduated from Duke University in May and

will start a midwifery program in the fall while also working as a nurse at a local hospital. Henry will attend Kenan-Flager Business School at UNC in the fall. Crossed Paths During their sophomore year at Duke University, Henry and McKenzie both signed up to be staff members on Duke’s Project WILD, a student-run trip that takes a group of students backpacking through the Pisgah National Forest. After two weeks of getting to know each other, McKenzie and Henry started dating when they returned to campus. The Proposal Henry bought an engagement ring from Jewelsmith, so McKenzie knew a proposal was coming, but she didn’t know when. They’d discussed marriage before,

but Henry still wanted to surprise McKenzie. One day while they were doing chores in their apartment, Henry popped the question. McKenzie thought it was a joke until she turned around and saw him holding the ring. “It was super low-key, but that’s pretty fitting for us,” McKenzie says. Now, “I Do” The ceremony and reception will be held at The Rickhouse, with flowers by Tre Bella and reception music by DJ Ryan. Emily Byrd from The Nest Hair will style McKenzie’s bridal look. The couple rescheduled their wedding from its original date of June 6 and might additionally host a smaller ceremony this summer.

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weddings ALE X M A RKI E W I C Z & CAITL IN R O DE R ICK

Love at First Sight

BY A N N A E L S A S S E R P H OTO G RA P H Y B Y MICHE L L E E LY SE P HOTO GR AP HY, MI C H E L L E E LYS E P HOTO GR AP HY. CO M

Wedding Date September 21, 2019 Neighborhood Old East Durham

Occupations Caitlin is in graduate school at UNC-

Wilmington, working toward a master’s degree in health administration. Alex works at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Crossed Paths Caitlin and Alex worked together at Duke Regional Hospital in spring 2013 as new hires: Caitlin as a nurse and Alex as a nurse’s aide. Alex’s “copper-colored beard and big, handsome smile” immediately caught Caitlin’s eye, she says. After learning about Alex from a “get-to-know-your-fellow-coworker” bulletin board, Caitlin expressed her attraction to him to a mutual friend, who then shared those feelings with Alex. Alex wasted no time exchanging phone numbers, and the pair went on their first date for dinner and drinks at Geer Street Garden and Fullsteam Brewery. The Proposal Alex and Caitlin traveled to a small fishermen’s village in southern Jamaica for a vacation in November 2018. After a morning cup of coffee on the beach, Alex proposed. Caitlin said “yes” through tears of happiness. The Big Day The wedding took place at The Wedding Exchange, with a reception at West End Wine Bar. Their special day included floral arrangements by Petal & Oak, catering by Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken, cake and desserts by East Durham Bake Shop, beer from Pour Taproom and music by DJ Nevy. Caitlin wore a dress by Maggi Bridal, and had her hair styled by Janae Brown of Hair Therapy and makeup done by close friend Angel Rogers, who originally “spilled the beans” about Caitlin liking Alex. “With the help of friends, family and local businesses, we were able to craft a wedding that was representative of us,” Alex says. A Favorite Moment When Caitlin and Alex exchanged their vows, it “was surreal,” she says. “I had a moment where I thought to myself, ‘Is this really happening right now? Or is this a dream?’ He looked so handsome, and I felt like the most beautiful bride.”

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AL E X H A L L & AU B R E Y R O SS

Backyard Bliss P HOTO G RA P H Y B Y JAMIE R O BBINS, JM E PH OTO G RA PHY

Wedding Date May 2, 2020

Occupations Alex is a geomatics

engineer and Aubrey is an event coordinator. They both work in Raleigh. Crossed Paths Alex and Aubrey met in school at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. “My roommates were friends with him and his sister at the time, and they came over to visit,” Aubrey says. “For me, it was an immediate attraction. We have been inseparable ever since that day in January 2013.” The Proposal In May 2019, Alex and Aubrey planned a trip to England to visit a friend, Daniel Rosier, and his family; little did Aubrey know, Alex had a much bigger surprise in store. The couple and Daniel took a day trip to France to see the Palace of Versailles. Aubrey “was able to soak up a longawaited moment of being in this incredibly historic place.” As the pair posed for a photograph in the gardens, “all I could feel [was] Alex’s heart pounding,” Aubrey says, “and I knew something was about to happen!” Sure enough, Alex got down on one knee and proposed to a stunned Aubrey. “It was such a memorable day, and it could not have gone better.” The Big Day The couple originally planned an April 18 wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but when COVID-19 made that plan impossible, they scaled the initial 100-guest wedding down to a four-guest elopement with local friends and one family member. After exhausting the options of public parks over concern for the 112

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health of others, they made a last-ditch effort and looked into Airbnbs. “We came across this breathtaking backyard garden oasis in Durham, and we knew that this was the spot we were going to promise to love each other for the rest of our lives,” Aubrey says. “We contacted Stephen [Barefoot], and he was so diligent to respond with positivity and genuine passion for our situation and immediately offered his garden for our elopement, with the proper precautions.” Guests were greeted by a table with sanitizer and gloves and maintained distance by watching from the neighbors’ backyards. There were tripods set up to Zoom and Facebook Live with family members. The couple’s dog, Magic, sat close by while they said their vows. The newlyweds hosted a small bonfire in their backyard in Raleigh with music and dessert. “We plan to have a reception in Ohio in the future to celebrate with all of our closest friends and family,” Aubrey says.

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