Another reason to love Duke

I'm pleased to say that Duke U has responded positively to our request and will be working with us to restore our sign and hopefully help us take steps to prevent a reoccurrence in the future.

Continue reading Another reason to love Duke

Another reason to hate Duke

I'm 54 years old, and i'm still not quite sure what it is i do best in this world. I know there's a couple of things i suck at besides blogging. One of them is asking people for money, which is why i'm especially proud of the fundraising effort i led to raise the $1500 we used to build this sign at one of the gateways to our neighborhood.

It was bad enough when the copper letters D U K E K A disappeared a couple of years ago. (The P & the R were removed several days later either by a copycat or by someone wishing to distract attention from who might have committed the vandalism.) I heard second hand that they'd been spotted at a certain frat house on a certain nearby campus, but since the authorities at the campus declined to actually look for the letters, we let it slide, and remade the sign with gold paint.

This latest low class act of vandalism is just, well, stupid and tasteless.

Our neighborhood shares a name with the University, but that's about it. We're not one of the partner neighborhoods, we're too far from campus to have hardly any students living in our neighborhood, we never see any Duke students come by to volunteer at any of our cleanups or other events. But it sure looks like the Dookies know where we are, doesn't it? Wonder if whoever did this knows, or cares, that a Durham native and Duke alum designed and built this sign, based on a design originally drawn by the late Grace Richardson?

Wonder if anyone from Duke is going to be willing to pony up to repair this damage?

Continue reading Another reason to hate Duke

Duke Blue Devil

Did i mention i went to my first b-ball game of the season on Monday night, Duke women v Maryland? It was a good one. Duke, up by 11 at the half, held on for a 3 point victory. I think Maryland actually took the lead by a point with about 5 minutes to play.

It was also my first look at the revised Duke Blue Devil. His face is narrower and more angular. I guess it's supposed to be more sinister, but i think it just looks more ethnic, if you know what i mean and i think you do. And what is up with the fake spandex muscles? That's just silly. Unfortunately, i didn't bring my camera, and i can't find a picture of the new guy on line anywhere. for you to look at. Maybe next time.

UPDATE: Steve was kind enough to forward a link to one of his photos of the new Blue Devil. (Don't know if you need a facebook account to view it or not)

Check out those fake biceps. I really think they need to rig up a harness and have him fly across the court during one of the incessant TV timeouts.

Continue reading Duke Blue Devil

Billy Bragg at Duke

Best line of the goes to opening act the Watson Twins. "We spent some time today walking around your lovely campus. It's really quite beautiful. Is the school as good as it looks?"

A lone audience member pipes up, "No," to cheers and applause. The band soldiers on, awkwardly.

Continue reading Billy Bragg at Duke

Oprah!

Alert reader JS sends me the following news from the Herald Sun:

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey will deliver Duke University's 2009 commencement address May 10, Duke President Richard H. Brodhead announced Monday.

Winfrey is the supervising producer and host of the top-rated, award-winning "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She is also the first woman to own and produce her own nationally syndicated talk show.

Oh, the irony.

Update: Photo yoinked without permission from Brandon's Picasa album, until i can take my own photo later today.

Continue reading Oprah!

Good luck with that

From an AP article titled "Universities try to control students off campus:"

People who choose to live on the beautiful tree-lined streets surrounding the nation's institutions of higher learning often get a more vibrant experience than they expected — loud parties, rundown student boarding houses and trash generated by weekend melees.

A growing number of universities are starting to take a more proactive approach to monitoring off-campus behavior and neighbors say the efforts are working.

. . .

Some universities take their discipline policies a step further. At Duke University, the campus code requires students to report misbehavior by their fellow students to campus officials, no matter where the students find themselves.

Continue reading Good luck with that

Someone loves me

I'm on the road the next few days, so very light posting. Remember how depressed i was that Durham Magazine didn't comp me?

Well, Duke made up for it by sending me two copies of Duke Magazine.


Yay, me. I have no friggin' idea how either Mrs. D or i got on this list.

Continue reading Someone loves me

The artificial turf issue revisited

Kevin calls attention to this clause in yesterday's announcement that Durham is stepping back to Stage III water conservations measures:

Athletic turf is eligible for special consideration within the modified Stage III Mandatory Conservation Measures since athletic fields must be maintained in order to ensure player safety.

He calls it the East Campus LAX exception, although i'm pretty sure that's a field hockey surface next to Broad St.

Let me point out what follows in the announcement:

Institutions that use athletic turf, along with other industrial, manufacturing and commercial customers, may apply for a written license from the city manager to use water contrary to the modified Stage III restrictions if they can demonstrate a reduction in usage of 30 percent or more.

So, as long as the entity getting the "written license" demonstrates that watering the field does not contribute to an increase in water usage, and they still reduce their overall usage by the mandatory 30%, i don't have any problems with watering the artificial surface. Of course, nobody from either Duke or the city, provided to the public solid evidence that the University had reduced its usage by 30% overall in order to qualify for the exemption in the first place. And that's all that i, or any number of other citizens who harped on this issue last year, asked for.

The city has a rule saying you need to reduce your usage by 30% under Stage III, 50% under Stage IV, in order to get one of these exemptions. When we asked to see the documentation that the exempt entities had in fact met these requirements, we were ignored. When the new list of Stage III exemptions is posted, we'll ask again.

I've been willing to make my water bills public. No reason why Duke, or any business granted an exemption from the outdoor watering restrictions, can't do the same.

Continue reading The artificial turf issue revisited

Video of drought forum now online

If you weren't able to make it last night, you can watch it here.

Continue reading Video of drought forum now online

The unasked question

The unasked question at the drought forum last night was, given that Duke University is not a Stage IV exemption holder, will there be any watering of artificial surface athletic fields come the spring season?

The other unasked question, i guess, is why is Duke not a Stage IV exemption holder? Did they not apply? Did they not meet the 50% reduction required in order to receive an exemption? Months of requests to the city of Durham water folks never resulted in an answer about how much reduction was seen from the Stage III exemption holders.

Meantime, any outdoor watering by anyone who is not on that list of 27 businesses is illegal. You can report violations here, or by calling Durham One-Call at 560-1200

Continue reading The unasked question

The Five Ws

Been a long time since i took a journalism class, but i think they're still teaching the 5 Ws to would be journalists.

What's missing from this story?

Duke University remains an economic juggernaut here says a report released Thursday showing the school had a combined $3.4 billion city/county impact in 2006 and 2007.

The study is conducted every two years. The latest figure is up $200 million from the 2004-05 report and up by 62 percent over the 10 years since the first economic impact study was released.

"In my more than 30 years in Durham, I have always appreciated that Duke University is an important economic engine for Durham," said Phail Wynn, who is retiring as Durham Technical Community College president at the end of the month. The 27-year Durham Tech leader will become Duke's new vice president of Durham and regional affairs

Duke paid the more than $7.3 million in city and county taxes and fees in the latest fiscal year, including nearly $1.9 million in sales tax.

The university is also the county's largest employer, with a total work force of 39,782, of whom 19,755 are Durham residents and make up the largest portion of the economic impact figure. The resident workers' salaries and benefits total $931 million.

The study is based on a standard formula used by economists to estimate the overall impact of money spent in a community, the university said in a written statement.

The basis of the study included: the amount of spending in Durham by the university and its health system for goods and services; the amount of money spent locally by students and visitors; and the salaries and benefits received by Duke employees living in Durham.

The analysis assumed each dollar spent by Duke changed hands only once.

It's entirely possible, indeed likely, that the study is an accurate accounting of Duke's financial impact on the community. (If anything, using a multiplier of 1 for the number of times each dollar spent changes hands understates the impact. Adding - on the other hand, the article makes no mention of the costs of services Durham provides to Duke; we have no way of knowing whether or not the study does either.) But it would be a whole lot easier to assess the validity of the study if we knew just who had written it, don't you think?

UPDATE: Holy shit! I would never in a million years have guessed that the study was prepared for the Duke University Office of Public Affairs.

Continue reading The Five Ws

Guest editorial: Laney Funderburk has a lot of nerve

Durham activist and writer John Schelp has long been involved with town/gown issues, working to weave Duke into the greater Durham community, encouraging the University to shed its fortress-like attitude by arguing against self-contained commercial development deep within University property, among other issues. Laney Funderburk, an administrator at the University, is also a candidate for City Council on today's ballot. His recent op-ed piece in the Herald-Sun (not available online, as far as i can tell) A recent profile of the candidate by Ray Gronberg in the Herald-Sun drew Schelp's ire. This piece circulated via email yesterday, and is posted here with the permission of the writer.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw
stones. In the 11/02 Herald-Sun, longtime Duke
University administrator Laney Funderburk describes:

"a city government that spends its time 'careening
from one crisis to another,' that's overly
image-conscious and that sometimes makes decisions
that 'smack of cronyism.'"

Funny, that's a pretty darn good description of Duke.

** "careening from one crisis to another"...

Jesica Santillan getting the wrong organs, Duke pushing
drinking off-campus and then blaming Durham Police for
out-of-control student parties, hydraulic fluid
scandal, l'Affaire Lacrosse, multiple out-of-court
settlements, senior administrators getting sued and/or
stepping down, etc.

** "overly image-conscious"...

Duke puts out hundreds of press releases a year and
manufactures its own self-serving puff pieces for
publication in the local media. The university has a
whole building dedicated to protecting its image.

** decisions that "smack of cronyism"...

Duke's $2 million dollar bribe for Central Campus that
both the Herald-Sun and the News & Observer called
quid pro quo -- which is illegal in North Carolina.
(By the way, Duke's blunder backfired.) :)


This longtime Duke University administrator has a lot
of nerve criticizing local government -- when Duke has
taken specific steps to avoid paying both property
taxes and sales taxes.

Duke officials fought for more than three years to
build unlimited retail shops on campus that wouldn't
have to pay property taxes -- and the university
systematically avoids paying sales taxes by not
allowing the DukeCard to be used off-campus.

Fortunately, we've been able to stop much of this
nonsense. And Duke is finally showing some signs of
progress, like hiring Phail Wynn.

Like any small city, Durham has its challenges and
mistakes have been made. But, this is a great town.
People care passionately about this town. Durham is a
place where people can roll up their sleeves and get
things done.

The last thing we need is some Duke administrator
sitting on the sidelines throwing stones. I'd suggest
that Laney clean up his own house before throwing
rocks at Durham.

have a good day,
John Schelp

Don't forget to vote today. Polls are now open, and will remain open till 7:30 pm.

DE will be voting for Bill Bell for mayor, and Diane Catotti, Eugene Brown, and David Harris for City Council

Continue reading Guest editorial: Laney Funderburk has a lot of nerve

Duke and the drought

I was re-reading the post below about Duke's "news article" which talks about how they're reducing water consumption. Here's what jumped out at me:

Duke is among about 40 commercial water consumers that received a Stage III license, allowing for minimal watering of critical areas such as select trees at risk and some athletic fields for safety.

The Stage III ordinance requires all customers to document efforts toward a goal of 30 percent water reduction.

Umm, actually, no. Stage III bans all outdoor watering except for drip irrigation and hand watering, and that only on Saturdays between 5am and 8am or 5pm and 8pm. To qualify for an exemption, according to the city's website:

Customers may secure a written license from the city manager (or his designee) to use water contrary to the Stage III mandatory conservation measures if it can be shown to the manager's satisfaction that the licensee's use of water will result in an overall thirty (30) percent or greater reduction in water use. Any license issued pursuant to this provision: (1) must be in the possession of the licensee whenever water is used contrary to the Stage III mandatory conservation measures; and (2) is subject to amendment or revocation by the city manager at any time for good cause.

Duke's interpretation of the exemption is far from the case. It's not a question of "documenting efforts," according to the city. It's a matter of achieving "an overall thirty percent or greater reduction in water use."

We ask again. Has Duke (and any other exempt entity) achieved this 30% reduction in water use? And who's keeping track?

Continue reading Duke and the drought

Stith/Bell forum at Duke tonight

At Page Auditorium, 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

This should be interesting, given the increasingly negative tone of the campaign.

Continue reading Stith/Bell forum at Duke tonight

N&O: Duke gets exemption to water artificial playing field

From the N&O:

Durham, which has about 69 days left in its water supply at the current use rate, has banned all outdoor watering. Duke, which could not supply a number for the gallons used on turf watering, gets a business exemption to spray the field and other places on campus as long as overall consumption decreases by 30 percent.

I wonder who'll be checking up on that 30% reduction?

UPDATE: I should add, kudos to N&O reporter Ann Blythe, for braving the barely civilized wilds of East Campus and Broad St. to report on this issue. I myself have been scared away from that part of town.

Continue reading N&O: Duke gets exemption to water artificial playing field

Math lesson

From the Herald-Sun:

Duke University will invest $1.25 million over the next five years for its law school to establish a center devoted to the promotion of justice in the criminal justice system and the training of lawyers to fight against wrongful convictions, Duke President Richard Brodhead announced Wednesday.

Addressing problems in the North Carolina legal system highlighted by the Duke lacrosse case, the center will incorporate and expand the law school's Wrongful Convictions Clinic and Innocence Project, which investigates credible claims of innocence made by convicted felons in North Carolina and works to raise public awareness of systemic problems in the criminal justice system that lead to wrongful convictions.

"The lacrosse case attracted a lot of publicity, but is not the only case in which innocent people have suffered harm through the state's legal system," said Duke law professor James Coleman, who led a university committee that examined the lacrosse team's behavior apart from the case and later was prominent in criticizing the actions of former Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.

Let's see. 30 million divided by 1.25 million is . . .

Continue reading Math lesson

Dirty rotten scoundrels

That's a picture of some folks in my neighborhood a couple of years ago at the installation of our neighborhood sign. The sign was based on a design created by Grace Richardson, an artist who used to live in the neighborhood. Her life was cut short in an automobile accident, and she is remembered as well by her friends who have built the Grace Garden, in Durham Central Park.

Andrew Preiss, another neighborhood artist, (pictured front with the white t=shirt and baseball cap) created the sign in his studio on Foster St. two years ago. Andrew is a 1991 graduate of Duke University. The construction of the sign was financed by many months of fundraisers held by the neighborhood association. Upwards of 15,000 people drive past it every day.


That's what neighbors noticed on Tuesday.

Initial speculation centered on the theft of the copper letters for scrap metal, and area scrap dealers were alerted to be on the lookout.

DE has learned that is not the case, at least as far as the initial theft is concerned. (The remaining letters were missing as of Thursday afternoon in what may have been a copycat theft inspired by the original reporting. We're still looking into that.) Negotiations for the return of the missing letters are apparently ongoing. We're not prepared at this point to name the culprits, but we will say this: When all is said and done, this will probably not mark a high point in Duke/Durham town/gown relations.

Continue reading Dirty rotten scoundrels

Noted without comment

From the N&O:

Duke's Tauiliili OK'd to play
Despite facing criminal charges, Duke linebacker is reinstated -- with sanctions

Duke reinstated linebacker Michael Tauiliili to its football program Thursday, 11 days after he was suspended following an arrest on charges of driving while impaired and simple assault.

Duke's leading tackler during his first two seasons, the junior will be held out of the Blue Devils' Sept. 1 season opener against Connecticut and faces several undisclosed internal sanctions, coach Ted Roof said.

. . .

According to Durham Police citations, Tauiliili, 20, failed to stop at the scene of an accident that resulted in property damage to a vehicle owned by Jesus Alejo of Creedmoor. Tauiliili was arrested about 4 a.m. Aug. 4 and, according to police citations, had a .12 blood alcohol level, above North Carolina's legal limit of .08. (The legal age to consume alcohol is 21.)

Tauiliili -- listed under his birth name, Michael Shawn Brown, on the warrant -- also is accused of carrying a concealed knife and pointing an air pistol at Alejo.

I'll have some comments later on this development, when i get a bit more time. Meanwhile, your thoughts?

Continue reading Noted without comment

Duke's Board of Trustees: We don't know anybody who lives in Durham

Fifteen months ago, i wrote about why Duke University president Richard Brodhead pissed me off in his handling of the lacrosse case.

What set me off was Brodhead's casual inclusion of himself as one of "Durham's leaders," along with Mayor Bill Bell and then NCCU Chancellor James Ammons.

See, Duke's president serves at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees of the University. Of the 37 members of the board last year, precisely 2 were Durham residents, and one of those was Brodhead himself. So any claim by Brodhead to be a "Durham leader" is specious.

Duke recently named seven new trustees, none of whom are Durham residents, although one is supposedly from Chapel Hill. The Duke Board of Trustees page, which claims to present the 2007-2008 board, only lists a few of these seven new names, however, and does not list the Chapel Hill resident as a board member yet.

Regardless, the new Board does not include a single Durham resident aside from Dick Brodhead.

I don't know if Duke's by-laws require that all trustees be Duke grads, but even if they do, there are many dozens of qualified people living in town that Duke could have chosen for this important position. Surely one of them would have accepted a seat on the Board.

Next time Dick Brodhead tries to make the claim that he's a leader of Durham, ask him why he hasn't been able to find a single Durham resident to serve on his board. Ask him how hard he's looked.

Continue reading Duke's Board of Trustees: We don't know anybody who lives in Durham

Durham rising, or "I'd be afraid to send my kid there."

Yes, prospective Duke parents. Durham is a very scary place, and, as Joe T. points out in the comments, you'd be right to be afraid to send your kids here, as these photos will show.

For starters, we have very scary policeman on motorcycles. They cruise the city streets looking for easily identifiable Duke students, so they can arrest them on false charges, and extort money from their always wealthy parents.


Then there are the blind people in town. Who knows what they're thinking? Best to avoid them altogether. They're creepy.



Perhaps the scariest of all Durhamites is the drum majorette. You really need to stay out of her way, lest she bop you on the head with that baton.





Fortunately, she's almost always seen in the company of a spontaneous marching band, so you usually can tell when she's around and get back home safely before something bad happens.





And don't get me started on those brown people. You know how they've got the entire legal system structured to do their bidding. It's amazing any Duke students survive 4 years in Durham, let alone graduate and decide to stay here.

Probably best to stay home where it's less scary.

Continue reading Durham rising, or "I'd be afraid to send my kid there."