Big Bean Roasters hits Durham Farmers' Market

Atrac Kay and Suzanne Kerns, both physicians training in residency programs at Duke, have launched Big Bean Roasters, a mobile coffee business that offers home-roasted coffee imported from Uganda. The Big Bean Roasters stand will be set up for the Durham Farmers' Market crowd at 8 a.m. Saturday on Foster Street.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - BIG BEAN ROASTERS

Davidson Hotels Names Annette Vanstory Director of Sales of the Year

Davidson's Hotels selected Annette Vanstory of Hilton Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park as their 2010 Director of Sales of the Year.

Another Win for Durham's King's Daughter Inn

Durham’s newest, luxury Inn, The King’s Daughters Inn, acquired dual recognition this month from AAA and Select Registry. Select Registry, a group of industry professionals that grades independent luxury properties throughout North America, visited the Inn anonymously in March. The King’s Daughters Inn met the extremely high expectations of the inspector and has been inducted into the Select Registry elite. For it's March recognition as a AAA Four Diamond Property, the 17 room, Art Deco style Inn will be listed in the 2012 edition of the AAA North Carolina Tour Book guide that is released in May.

Mez Named Casual Dining Finalist in Best Dish in North Carolina

Durham's Mez has been named a finalist in the casual dining category of this year's Best Dish in North Carolina contest, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture. The contest is designed to encourage restaurant owners and chefs to use N.C. foods. The top three winners in each category and in each region will be announced in November.

Read more: News & Observer - Six Triangle restaurants are finalists for Best Dish in NC contest

Corey Bizzell Nominated MPI-Carolinas Chapter Supplier of the Year

Corey Bizzell, Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau's Director of Group Sales & Services, has been nominated to receive the MPI-Carolinas Chapter Supplier of the Year award. Nominees are announced in late-April; the award is presented at the MPI-Carolinas Chapter's annual Awards and Installation Gala.

Scrap Exchange Among Winners of Keep NC Beautiful Litter Prevention Award

Keep NC Beautiful has announced the winners of its 12^th annual Litter Prevention Awards program supported by Keep NC Beautiful and the North Carolina Beverage Association. Durham-based Scrap Exchange was one of eight recipients of the $500 cash awards which were issued to organizations that developed innovative programs and measurable results in litter prevention, recycling and beautification in 2010.

McKinney Wins Radio Flyer Business

Durham advertising agency McKinney has been hired to help a 20th-century icon prosper in the 21st century. The agency's newest client is Chicago-based Radio Flyer, maker of bicycles, tricycles, scooters and other products - including, of course, those shiny red wagons.

Read more: News & Observer - McKinney gets the little red wagon

Durham Central Park School Named Champions of Construction

A class of Durham Central Park School third-graders were named the top third-grade builders in the nation after building four towering skyscrapers from K'NEX building tools. The K'NEX sponsored competition required structures, which included everything from working elevators to chandeliers, to be taller than the shortest student in the class and shorter than the tallest. They also had to support a standard-sized softball.


Read more: The Herald-Sun - Durham Central Park School class named top builders in U S

Duke Student Government President Selected as Student Commencement Speaker

On Sunday, May, 15, Duke Student Government President Mike Lefevre will deliver the student commencement speech. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium. Cisco CEO John Chambers will deliver the main commencement address.

Price to address Durham Tech grads

Rep. David Price (D-Orange) will give the commencement address to Durham Technical Community College's Class of 2011, the school's 50th graduating class.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Price to address Durham Tech grads

Ritter, McLean Join Square 1 Ventures

Square 1 Ventures, the private equity arm of Durham-based Square 1 Bank, has added Andreas Ritter a former investment manager for Duke University's endowment as an independent member of its venture investment committee. Square 1 Ventures also named Will McLean, chief investment officer for Northwestern University's $6.5 billion portfolio, to its venture investment committee.

Read more: News & Observer - Square 1 Ventures Beefs up its Team

Durham Filmmaker wins Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short Film

Durham filmmaker, Rodrigo Dorfman, took home the Jury Award for the Best Short film Sunday at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival for "One Night in Kernersville," a film chronicling the John Brown Jazz Orchestra's recording session for a CD to be released in the fall.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - documentaries honored

Wendell M. Davis Named NCCU Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

Wendell M. Davis will join N.C. Central University as vice chancellor for Administration and Finance. Davis will be stepping down as deputy Durham County manager on May 30. He has worked for Durham County since 1999.

Read more: Deputy manager moving to NCCU

Duke's Syed Zafar Awarded American Cancer Society Grant

The American Cancer Society has awarded Syed Zafar, MD of Duke University Medical Center, $583,000 to study evidence-based supportive care in advanced cancer clinical trials.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - 3 from UNC 1 from Duke get Cancer Society grants

Full Frame Founder returns as Featured Filmmaker

Nancy Buirski founded Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in 1998 when she attended Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies. After running the festival for 10 years as executive director, she returns this year as a featured filmmaker. Buirski's documentary, "The Loving Story," centers on the case of the Loving family, the interracial couple at the center of the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court ruling - Loving vs. Virginia - that overturned anti-miscegenation laws in America.

Read more: A 'Loving' debut at Full Frame 

Preservation Durham names Bob Ashley Executive Director

Bob Ashley has joined Preservation Durham as its executive director.  Ashley, retired in January after six years as editor of The Herald-Sun. Prior to joining The Herald-Sun, he edited newspapers in Owensboro, Ky., and in State College, Pa. He previously held management positions at The Charlotte Observer and at The Raleigh Times.

Duke Forest Fitness Loop renamed for Sally Meyerhoff

Duke University announced at the end of the memorial service held on April 10th for Sally Meyerhoff that the Fitness Loop on the Al Buhler Trail in Duke Forest will be renamed after Meyerhoff for her contribution to the university and runners everywhere.

Read more: Meyerhoff Memorial Video Now Available

Johnston and McCrory Set for World Series Competition

After capturing two national titles and garnering ACC Diver of the Year accolades for the second consecutive year, Duke divers Abby Johnston and Nick McCrory set course for two international competitions in the Diving World Series. The World Series events are a precursor to the World events this summer, and the World events are a precursor to the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Read more: Johnston and McCrory Set for World Series Competition

Durham Filmmaker Rodrigo Dorfman's Short Film Premieres at Full Frame

Durham filmmaker Rodrigo Dorfman's short film, "One Night in Kernersville," premieres at the Full Frame Documentary Festival. This is Dorfman's latest story of jazz bassist John Brown, associate professor and the director of the jazz program at Duke University.

Read more:  Filmmaker strives for visual jazz

Philip Bennett joins PBS as Managing Editor of "Frontline"

Philip Bennett, Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University, will join the PBS investigative documentary series “Frontline” in the newly created role of managing editor.

Tim Walsh Named Vice President for Finance at Duke

Tim Walsh, Duke’s assistant vice president and controller for the past six years, has been named the university’s vice president for finance.  Since joining Duke in 2004, Walsh has overseen the largest division of central finance. In addition, he recently led the analysis efforts for the Duke Administrative Reform Team (DART), which since the global economic slowdown has identified ways for Duke to save more than $60 million annually.

IEM Consulting Plants Roots, Celebrates Relocation to Durham

Rows of cherry trees were planted in downtown Durham as a permanent signal that the consulting firm IEM has planted roots here. A dedication ceremony was held at the main branch of the Durham County Library on Monday for 25 Yoshino cherry trees that were planted by the Durham-based consulting firm IEM in honor of the company's 25th anniversary and to mark the relocation of the firm's headquarters to Durham County last year.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - IEM has planted roots

Urban Ministries of Durham Expands Board With Four New Members

Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD), a community-based organization that provides food, clothing, shelter and supportive services recently welcomed four new members to their Board of Directors. The new board members include Monica Barnes, Community Affairs and Programming Director at WTVD ABC 11; Sheena Johnson Cooper, Director of Communications and Marketing for the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce; Byinna Crowder, Director of Marketing and Development for Measurement, Inc.; and Abdul Waheed, a local business person affiliated with the W. Deen Mohammed Islamic Center.

Tony Taylor Named New Manager of Probation Office

The state Department of Corrections announced this afternoon that Tony Taylor has been promoted from assistant to the top manager for Judicial District 14, covering Durham, Orange and Chatham County.
The News & Observer - New Manager of Probation Office Named

Briggs Avenue Community Garden Offical Opening

Government officials and gardeners declared the Briggs Avenue Community Garden officially open for digging on Saturday, April 9.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - As ye sow so shall ye reap Briggs Community Garden opens

Rescue Mission Co-founders Honored

Rev. Ernie Mills and his wife Gail Mills, co-founders of the Durham Rescue Mission, were presented

The Progressive Sertoma Club's "SERvice TO MAnkind" Humanitarian Award.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Rescue Mission co founders honored.

The Cookery to Open in April

The Cookery slated to launch this month to provide kitchen space, equipment and support for food-related businesses. The new "culinary incubator" will be housed at 1101 W. Chapel Hill St. in a building that previously was home to the Durham Food Co-op.



Read more: The Herald-Sun - Too many cooks will make this broth work

Former Durham Schools Chief Ann Denlinger to direct Education Department at Peace College

Former Durham Schools chief Ann Denlinger is going to work for Peace College. Denlinger, most recently president of the Wake Education Partnership, will be an associate professor and direct Peace College's education department. Denlinger served as schools superintendent in Wilson and Durham counties and in 2000 was the first woman named North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.


Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/06/1107846/ex-durham-schools-chief-hired.html#storylink=misearch#ixzz1Iqzsmizt

Duke University Junior, Megan Morikawa, wins Morris K. Udall Scholarship

Megan Morikawa, a Duke University junior from Del Mar, Calif., has been named a 2011 Morris K. Udall Scholar. The Udall scholarship recognizes students who have demonstrated a commitment to careers in the environment, health care or Native American tribal public policy or health care.

Nick Vlahos Appointed as Burt's Bees Vice President and General Manager

Burt's Bees has a new boss. Parent corporation Clorox appointed 15-year veteran Nick Vlahos as vice president and general manager of the Durham-based personal-care products company. He replaces John Replogle, who unexpectedly stepped down as CEO in February to join Seventh Generation, a Burlington, Vt., company that makes environmentally friendly household products.


Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/07/1110940/burts-bees-gets-new-manager.html#storylink=misearch#ixzz1IqxjH67u

Just Fashions and Things Opens on Holloway Street

A clothing store selling urban and active wear for men and women called Just Fashions and Things will hold a grand opening on April 16 oon Holloway Street.

Moe's Southwest Grill Opening in Southwest Durham

A Moe's Southwest Grill restaurant is expected to open on McFarland Drive this month.

Bull City Craft Now Open

A new arts boutique and craft lounge store, Bull City Craft, is now open on University Drive.

The Volunteer Center of Durham Raises More Than $250,000

When all the money is counted the 2011 Great Human Race hosted by The Volunteer Center of Durham will have raised more than $250,000 for more than 100 nonprofit agencies.

Durham Arts Council Opens New Studio

The Durham Arts Council is opening its new DAC Clay Studio at Northgate Mall at on Tuesday, April 5.