Crashing into journalism

I was driving through downtown Durham Sunday when I spotted this mangled Herald-Sun box. Looks like a car smashed into it this weekend. A couple of other newspaper racks were tipped over too, including the Indy’s.

Also, I think it’s amusing that the photo of the Herald-Sun on the front of the rack features one of the stories I wrote when I worked for the paper about five years ago. I guess it can get pretty expensive replacing these advertisements, but it is interesting that they haven’t been swapped out of some Herald-Sun boxes for at least four years.

Sir Walter Raleigh puts on a tutu for the Triangle Race for the Cure

If you’ve noticed a splash of pink in downtown Raleigh this week, it’s because of the Susan G. Komen Triangle Race for the Cure.

I drove past the Sir Walter Raleigh statue in front of the Raleigh Convention Center last week and saw a group of women wrapping a tutu around his waist. I snapped these photos of Sir Walter’s new look on Friday. The Shimmer Wall, the Capitol Building and the Governor’s Mansion are other downtown sites that are supposed to be pink this week, but I haven’t had a chance to check them out yet.

The newly-dressed statue and other pink decorations downtown are part of the “Go Pink for the Cure” celebration, which is a week-long event leading up to Saturday’s race. It’s not to late to register for the race.

12+ cheap things to do in the Triangle this weekend

Triangle residents rejoice! It’s that time of year when the area starts coming alive with festivals, outdoor events, and more. The randomness that will ensue every weekend between now and fall will be so much fun. And I will try to keep you posted on some of the more interesting events (especially for families and those of us on a budget).

Let’s start with this weekend:

* Dog owners might want to take their pooches to Moore Square between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday for the SPCA Dog Walk.

* Go camping, dancing, crafting, Earth-saving, concert rocking at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, which starts Thursday and continues through Sunday.

* Listen to a free performance by the Durham Symphony at 5 p.m. Sunday at Trinity Park in Durham as part of the Pops in the Park concert series. And if the weather holds up to the forecast, then head over to Francesca’s Dessert Cafe on Ninth Street for some stellar gelato (the Sweet Cream is my favorite) or to LocoPop’s on Hillsborough Street for a gourmet popsicle treat.

* Check out the Durham Art Scene. This weekend is the annual Durham Art Walk. Make a day out of it by wandering over to the American Tobacco complex and hanging out by the water or head in the opposite direction to the Scrap Exchange to make crafts with the kids.

* The weather will also be perfect for a picnic at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. I plopped myself down on a blanket there last weekend, played some frisbee and snacked on Peanut Butter sandwiches. Cheap way to be romantic with your honey or let the kids burn off some energy.

* Go to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science for the Butterfly Bash. It features dung beetle races, butterfly releases, insect eating and more.

* Saturday is Earth Action Day at the Morehead Planetarium. The family-friendly event is from noon to 5 p.m.

* You can go see “Pride and Prejudice” on stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Paul Green Theatre in Chapel Hill.

* The Durham Bulls are out of town this weekend. But UNC baseball has a home game against Miami at 1 p.m.  Sunday.

* If you’re a Wilco fan, you might want to check out the screening of the band’s new documentary “Ashes of American Flags” which airs at 11:55 p.m. Saturday at Galaxy Cinema in Cary.

* Go to the N.C. State Fairgrounds. The flea market is best when the weather is beautiful, so I can almost guarantee this weekend’s market will be filled with a variety of vendors. The flea market is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekend. While you’re at the fairgrounds you can eat some Mediterranean food and learn about Turkish culture at the N.C. Turkish Festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

* And finally, consider supporting local comedy (you know I’m a fan). DSI Comedy in Carrboro has an out-of-town guest who tracked me down on facebook and made me laugh with her message, so I’ve got to give her a plug. Sara Benincasa will be performing a one-woman show at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the theater.

Of course, I probably inadvertantly snubbed about 50 other local events happening this weekend. As always, feel free to promote them and post links to them in my comment section. Let us know if there’s other events we should be checking out.

Vegans not allowed

I spotted this sign at Aquarium Outfitters, an awesome pet shop in Wake Forest. It made me smile. If you’re ever looking for something random to do, take a drive out to Wake Forest to go to this pet shop. I stumbled upon it last year when I was in Wake Forest researching stories for MyNC.com. It has a huge snake and fish collection. No dogs or cats, but lots of birds and mice. It’s a fun find.

Also, I stopped by this cool new vintage shop in downtown Wake Forest that has only been open for a week. Of course, since I was in Sunday stroll mode, I didn’t jot down the name of it. But it’s not hard to find (there’s not much on the main drag in downtown Wake Forest). The prices were really good and there’s even a meeting space (complete with bright yellow and green retro chairs) that the couple is letting the public use for free. If anyone knows the name of the shop, please post it in the comments so I can update my blog.

Five things to do in the Triangle this weekend

My Saturday plans have been crushed with the rescheduling of the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Forecasts of rain and chilly temps prompted them to push it back to March 21.

So I figured it was time to see what else was going on this weekend. Here are some events that should keep you dry, warm and entertained:

* Artistic bailout. Go see the Bailout Biennial exhibit at Golden Belt in Durham. The exhibit features 57 works by 26 artists all center on the messed up economic situation we’re facing and the scandals and greed that got us there. Not only is the show worth checking out, but so is the venue. Golden Belt is a restored historic textile mill that is simply gorgeous. Here’s a snippet from an N&O article about the show:

The staging could hardly be more spare; the works are arrayed around a vast second-floor room with tall windows and high ceilings. The show is remarkable not only for the variety of media it includes — painting, photography, sculpture, installation, audio — but the variety of perspectives and approaches the artists took. Some of the works are subtle, others distinctly less so, and some offer no easy or obvious interpretations.

The exhibit is scheduled to end Sunday. So this is your last chance to check it out. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

* Political theater. Can you believe the Iraq war started six years ago this month? Carolina Theatre is marking the anniversary with a one-man show by ex-soldier and playright Kenny Carnes. “Pieces of War” starts at 8 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $24.

* Hang out with some live alligators and sea turtles. Saturday is Reptile and Amphibian Day at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. The 16th annual event will feature hundreds of live creatures. Best of all? It’s free. It’s from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just don’t snicker about the theme “Extreme Herps” in front of your kids (they mean Herpetology, of course. Geez, I can be immature sometimes).

* Get your comedy on. You know I’m a big improv fan. If you’re in Raleigh on Saturday night, check out the return of the Super Sparkle Showcase at Comedyworx. The talent competition is supposed to be hilarious. Or if you’re closer to Carrboro Saturday, head over to DSI Comedy Theater for the “Best Show Ever” — a comedy showcase.

The Super Sparkle Showcase starts at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and costs $10. The Best Show Ever starts at 9:30 p.m. and costs $12 (or $10 if your a student, in the military or a senior).

* Look at the stars. The Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill has several shows scheduled this weekend. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children. Though there are discounts, including this $1 coupon for Sunday shows. News & Observer subscribers can get buy one, get one free admission using this coupon.

As always, there are plenty of other events worth checking out around the Triangle including the Bishop Allen concert at Local 506 Saturday, the craft fair at the State Farmers Market, the Hillsborough Street Renaissance eco event in Raleigh, Art After Dark at the Ackland Art Museum and more.

If there are other events we should know about, please share in the comments section.

Happy chilly, wet weekend!

Downtown Raleigh’s new bus service needs a theme song

I ate dinner at The Borough last night, and saw Raleigh’s new downtown circulator bus (called the “R Line”) drive past the restaurant at least four times. So we decided to climb aboard and check out the route for this new, free service.

The hybrid, electric bus service launched Friday and allows residents to take a free ride to various stops downtown.

We waited at the “R” stop for a few minutes last night, but it was quite cold. So we stepped back into the Borough and watched the stop from the door. We didn’t get out the door fast enough to catch the R bus when it made its rounds again, so we chased after it, with no luck.

On the drive home, we got a little goofy and decided to create some improv theme songs for the new bus service. For the record, we both know we’re not good singers. We strung together about six or seven possible themes, but I’ve only posted two for you. If you make it through this entire video, then you deserve a cookie.

The photos in the video were taken by Leo who runs the fabulous Raleigh Connoisseur blog.

Have you taken the R Line yet? It has recieved some positive reviews on the Raleigh Philosophical Society blog. I think the bus line will be a handy service that will help downtown Raleigh’s efforts to grow.

If you want to try your hand at creating a theme song for the R Line, feel free to send me a video clip or use the Seesmic plugin in the comments section.

Here’s what you need to know about the Raleigh Twestival

If you’re on Twitter, you’ve probably read something about the Raleigh Twestival. Details about it have been leaking out under the hashtag #RalTwestival for some time. Here’s what you need to know and why you should go.

What’s the point of Raleigh Twestival?

The Raleigh Twestival is the Triangle’s version of a fundraising event that will be hosted on the same night by Twitter communities in appx. 160 cities worldwide. The goal is to raise money for “Charity: Water” an organization that works to provide access to clean water in developing nations.

When and Where?

The party/fundraiser is from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday Feb. 12 at Edge Office in downtown Raleigh. This is the same cool space where we had the 30THREADS launch party and the most recent Triangle Tweetup.

What will the fundraiser be like?

Um, super fun! Among the highlights:

* The new Raleigh brewery Lonerider Brewing Company will be pouring its hefeweizen, Shotgun Betty, which must be pretty good b/c it received a favorable review on always-picky New Raleigh.

* A video booth where you can record a message to be posted on MyNC and the Twestival blog.

* A silent auction/raffle that includes items from local social media firms, giftcards, and a cute handcrafted Twitter necklace that I made especially for the event.

* A chance to socialize with all the Triangle Tweeps you’ve been following online, but missed at the Triangle Tweetup.

How much are tickets?

Tickets are $11.40 if you buy them in advance or $14 if you buy them at the door. All of the proceeds go to “Charity: Water.” If you can’t attend, but still want to show your support, you can make a $5 donation (or more) via the Raleigh Twestival website.

But I just went to the Triangle Tweetup two weeks ago, why should I pay to go to this?

The Triangle Twitter community has grown a lot in the past two years. It includes people of all different ages, professions, backgrounds and more. Tweetups usually have presentations and not enough time to socialize. This entire event will be a chance for you to socialize and network with all those new tweeps who you didn’t have time to meet recently. All the money goes to charity and it includes beer and food, so really it’s a great bargain.

I think Twitter sounds stupid, should I go anyway?

Absolutely. While this event is targeted toward people who already use Twitter, it’s not exclusively for Twitter users. So consider attending to meet an interesting cross-section of Triangle residents who appreciate the Internet (this does not mean we’re all geeks who blog in our pajamas). Also, this is a great event where single women can meet men and vice versa (so say my single Twitter friends). You may even leave the event convinced that you should join Twitter before it turns into the MySpace of the Internet.

I’m @GinnySkal, and this was your public service announcement about Twitter and Charity: Water. For more details, follow @RalTwestival on Twitter. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section and I’ll try to get additional information to you.

Six things to do in the Triangle this weekend

I wanted to clue you in to some events happening around the Triangle this weekend. Because sometimes we just need something different to do.

1. First Friday is tonight in downtown Raleigh. Here’s a list of participating galleries.

2. Watch people run two miles, down a dozen Krispy Kremes and then run a dozen miles back all for charity. The Krispy Kreme Challenge starts at the N.C. State belltower on Saturday morning, but I recommend watching it from Krispy Kreme on Peace Street, where the runners will be eating and puking.

3. See the circus. Ringling Bros. is in town.

4.Get your passport. You need to have one now to travel anywhere outside the United States. Durham is hosting a passport fair from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at its post office downtown.

5. Celebrate Bob Marley’s birthday. There will be a tribute to him at Cat’s Cradle on Saturday night.

6. Buy some used furniture. The Junior Women’s Club of Raleigh is hosting its annual furniture consignment sale at 1 p.m. Sunday at the State Fairgrounds.

New Durham Transportation Station will improve bus service for Bull City

A lot has changed in downtown Durham since 2004. The nearly-complete Durham Station Transportation Center is just another gleaming example of the transformation happening downtown.

Back in 2004, the glass-encased building had not even been sketched by an architect. The site the new bus station now occupies on Chapel Hill Street used to be the home to the dilapidated Heart of Durham motel. The motel, built in the late 1960s, was once a cool place to stay. But after it turned seedy after it changed ownership, reports Endangered Durham. The motel sat empty for about 12 years before it was condemned by the city and seized through eminent domain. The city later bought the property to house a new bus station.

On Sept. 30, 2004, the city staged a cheesy demolition ceremony. Here’s the lead I wrote for the event (which had the theme “Jump Start the Heart”) when I worked for the Herald-Sun:

Three firefighters armed with a heart defibrillator dashed through the parking lot of a dilapidated downtown motel Thursday, but they weren’t there to rescue anyone. Instead, they used the device to jump start changes at the Heart of Durham motel, releasing a large, heart-shaped balloon into the sky. The scene was part of a city demolition ceremony that was more symbolic than destructive.

By February 2005, the site was cleared and designs for Durham Station were complete. At the time, the transportation hub was expected to cost $15.3 million, but that price has since climbed to $17.6 million, the N&O reports.

But the new building is probably worth the wait for DATA bus riders. Here’s how N&O transportation guru Bruce Siceloff recently described the current bus station:

The transfer center is crowded, littered and chaotic. Its unisex toilet is filthy and seatless. … The buses are packed headlight-to-taillight at the curb, so they cannot come and go according to their timetables. Ready or not, each driver begins a new circuit through town when the bus at the head of the line starts rolling.

Here’s a sneak peak of the lobby of the new center:

And, as you can see, there are plenty of terminals where the buses can line up:

It’s a shame that the planned February opening has been pushed back to March so the city can tackle some nearby street improvements required by the NCDOT. But when it opens, we can all look back on the Heart of Durham days and realize just how far downtown has come (even if it took more than four years).

Book lovers looking for something to do should go to the Raleigh City Museum

Dear Book-Loving Triangle Residents,

If you’re like me, you love perusing eclectic titles and you love a good deal. That’s why you must make an effort to visit the Raleigh City Museum sometime between Saturday and Jan. 17. That’s when the downtown museum is hosting its twice-a-year book sale.

You might remember that I went to the sale this summer and didn’t want to leave:

The titles were impressive, including many classics, some old textbooks and an impressive children’s book selection that brought back memories of my “Choose Your Own Adventure” and “Fear Street” reading days. I could have spent an hour or more scouring the tables for titles. But not all of my friends were thrilled about spending Friday night browsing used books, so I paid for my 1950s edition of Huckleberry Finn, a biography about Freud and some retro mini-Hallmark greeting books with plans to return

The sale also includes CDs, DVDs and other odds and ends, the museum reports. And while you’re there, you can even check out the [R]evolution of Media exhibit, which explores the history of newspaper, television and radio in Raleigh (basically it’s just a big promotional exhibit for WRAL and the News and Observer, which makes sense since they dominated the local media market for so long. Still, the exhibit is still pretty interesting even if my station isn’t really represented).

So consider this your head’s up. The book sale is definitely worth the trip.

Sincerely,

Your book-loving blogger,

Ginny Skalski