U.S. ARMY Selects Durham Bulls Athletic Park for Birthday Celebration

The Durham Bulls in conjunction with the 82nd Airborne today announced plans for the 236th birthday of the United States Army to be celebrated at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Tuesday, June 14th at the Bulls game against the Norfolk Tides at 7:05 PM.

 

Major Jason Brown from the 82nd Airborne's Public Affairs office determined the Durham Bulls game to be an ideal fit for the celebration when he began planning earlier this year.

 

"We wanted to celebrate the birthday of America's Finest Institution with America's Favorite Pastime," Major Brown said, "We're looking forward to a great night and a fantastic celebration."

 

Beginning at around 5:30 PM, fans will have the opportunity to explore high tech army equipment positioned on Blackwell St. in front of the team's box office including:

• An un-manned Arial Vehicle (Shadow) - The Shadow will be set up on a launcher and fans can look through the camera and see what soldiers see when they are flying it.
• A 105 MM Howitzer
• An Armored Humvee with a guided missile launcher (TOW) that fans will be able to climb in and look through the sites.
• A Front Line Ambulance that fans can climb in and check out the medical training equipment
• A fully-armed Infantry squad complete with body armor, night vision and real military weaponry. Fans will be able to try on all the equipment.

During the game, fans will have the opportunity to recognize all active and retired military during a special between-inning ceremony followed by the singing of Happy Birthday. Then during the 7th Inning Stretch, the All-American Chorus from Ft. Bragg will perform God Bless America.

 

"We are honored that our friends at Ft. Bragg selected us for this event," Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said, "This will be a wonderful night to celebrate with our heroes."

 

Active military wishing to attend the game may come for free courtesy of SofSole by showing their active military ID at the box office. Any fan can take advantage of a "Two Tickets for $9" deal courtesy of Whole Foods Market that night at well. For more information, contact the Durham Bulls PR office at (919) 687-6516.

Corey D. Bizzell Recognized by Meeting Professionals International Carolinas Chapter as 2011 Supplier of the Year and for Long-Term Industry Impact

Meeting Professionals International Carolinas Chapter (MPI-CC) recently announced Corey Bizzell, Director of Group Sales and Services at DCVB, was named Supplier of the Year by his peers at the MPICC annual awards banquet. He was lauded for his outstanding achievements and exemplary service to the hospitality industry not only during the course of the year but throughout his service to the chapter.

 
A 17-year Hospitality Industry veteran, Bizzell has held positions as both a supplier and planner.  Coupling skills used while planning meetings for clients and back of the house knowledge gained while working in lodging facilities Bizzell has been able to provide the highest quality of service to Groups and Conventions during his nine year tenure at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB).  Karen Knox, CMP of Blue Cross Blue Shield, NC says of Bizzell, “Always accessible and responsive, Corey conducts himself with poise, professionalism and confidence, and doesn’t hesitate to raise his hand to assist in any way possible.”

Shelly Green, President and CEO of the DCVB, has supervised Bizzell for 8 years.  “Corey cares deeply about the clients he works with on behalf of our community.  I’ve heard him say many times, his job isn’t to sell someone on Durham.  His job is to understand what his clients need for a successful meeting.  Sometimes Durham is the answer to those needs; other times, it is not.  If not, he tells them so, knowing that the relationship is always more important than the sale.”

Bizzell has served MPI-CC in a variety of different volunteer leadership positions including in the past including chair and director positions.  MPI-CC is dedicated to the professional and personal growth of its members and the meeting industry through education, networking, and communications and is part of a larger organization of over 23,000 members.

DCVB is Durham’s official marketing agency and works through various channels to enhance both business and leisure visitation, sustain place-based assets and support the local economy.  Durham is within an hour flight or a day’s drive for more than half the US population and can accommodate more than 85% of the meetings held in the US annually.

Durham Bike Co-op to Benefit from the Tour de Fat

Seriously...it's not gross, although it is a bit funky, just how Durham likes it.

In its 12th season, New Belgium Brewing’s traveling celebration of all things bicycle will make its first mark on Durham, NC on Saturday, June 25 in the Diamond View Park at the American Tobacco Campus when the tour kicks off in the Bull City.  Tour de Fat is more than an event; it’s a rite of passage that includes a costumed bicycle parade, beer, eye-popping entertainment, local food, crazy bike contests and much more.

A highlight of Tour de Fat is the annual car-for-bike swap where one person hands over his or her car keys and commits to one year of living car-free. Each car-for-bike swapper will receive a hand-built Black Sheep commuter bike in return for their car. A swapper to represent Durham in this challenge is still being sought, those interested can visit the Tour de Fat Facebook page.

“We can’t wait to bring our unique style of bike advocacy to Durham,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesman for New Belgium.  “People who haven’t witnessed Tour de Fat don’t quite know what to expect, but that’s what we love.  It’s an uninhibited day of quirky costumes, bikes and entertainment while supporting our non-profit friends.”  However, since Durham is home to the Doughman, it's unlikely that there will be any shocks delivered to Durham's system. 

A few tidbits about Tour de Fat:

• Tour de Fat encourages everybody to team up and present each city with the most colorful, respectful and creative bike parade ever witnessed. (Hint: No one stands out like the guy who was too cool for a costume!)
• Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible and composts and recycles waste.  The waste diversion rate for 2010 was 91 percent.
• Tour de Fat is free to attend, but beer and merchandise proceeds go to local cycling non-profits. During its lifespan, Tour de Fat events have raised more than $1.75 million for philanthropy.  Last year Tour de Fat raised $331,428.
• All musical acts perform on a solar-powered stage decorated with recycled materials; trucks and transport use biofuel sourced from recycled waste oils; and all vendors operate off the grid.
• This is a pro-bike celebration, not an anti-car rally…non-cyclists are more than welcome to join the festivities. 

The Durham Bike Coop will be a recipient of proceeds from this event, as will the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance and the Triangle Spokes Group.

Bennett Place Explores 'Carolina Culture' of 1800s As Part Of Free 2nd Saturdays Program On June 11

The largest troop surrender, and the effective end of the Civil War took place in Durham at Bennett Place.  The site is the focus of much interest as the commemoration of 150th anniversary of the Civil war is underway, and Durham's three state historic sites are involved in various ways. 

The joy of raising and cooking food, making clothing and candles, and the artistry of homemade quilts will be shared at Bennett Place State Historic Site at the “Carolina Culture” program, a free 2nd Saturdays presentation on June 11. Other 2nd Saturdays dates are July 9 and Aug. 13.

Enjoy demonstrations of 19th-century gardening, cooking and quilting, in the style much as yeomen farmers James and Nancy Bennett would have done. Visitors will learn about soaking and “carding” to clean wool, in preparation for making clothes for the family.  Visitors also can participate in boiling wax and dipping candles. The strains of Appalachian folk music by Mark and Julee Weems will add to the day’s fun.

The farm of James and Nancy Bennitt (or Bennett) was the site of the largest troop surrender of   the Civil War on April 26, 1865. Bennett Place State Historic Site interprets the lives of the Bennett Family and Civil War era soldiers. It is located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Road in Durham, N.C.

Bennett Place is within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information on Cultural Resources is available on their site.

Durham Schools Awarded School Improvement Grants

Durham's Hillside High and Y.E. Smith Elementary have been awarded School Improvement Grants by the North Carolina State Board of Education. They were two of only 17 schools in the state to receive the three-year grants.

Hillside will receive a total of $4,724,648 and Y.E. Smith will receive a total of $2,766,148. The funds will be used to support sustained, systematic academic improvement during school years 2011-2014.

The goal of the School Improvement Grants is not only to raise student achievement, but also to establish models for school improvement that may be replicated. Each school applying for the grant was required to select one of four federally-defined models, and both Durham schools selected the Transformation Intervention Model. This model will enhance student learning and achievement, provide job-embedded professional development for staff, increase learning time, provide an ongoing mechanism for community and family engagement, ensure ongoing technical assistance, and rigorously evaluate and reward all staff.

“We are excited to enhance the academic programs at these two schools,” said Superintendent Eric J. Becoats. “Hillside and Y.E. Smith have devised models to help students and now they will have the funding needed to move forward.”

As part of the Transformation Intervention Model, Hillside High is planning to implement a freshman academy, business and finance academy, International Baccalaureate Programme, engineering and technology pathway, visual and performing arts pathway and advanced curriculum studies.

Y.E. Smith will use the funds to continue the extended school day program which allows for additional instructional minutes per day totaling the equivalent of approximately 42 additional days per year. Y.E. Smith will also add two high-quality pre-Kindergarten classes and significant technology upgrades including digitized classrooms equipped with whiteboards, projectors and laptops for teachers along with increased computer access for students.

Fresh from Durham Farmers' Market

When it is stiflingly hot outside, look to Durham Farmers' Markets farmers for the best tricks for staying cool.  In the heat of Wednesday Market, Renee Clayton of Wild Scallions Farm and Judy Lessler of Harland's Creek Farm shared their favorite cold, refreshing salads. 

Cold Cucumber Salad
Cucumber(s)
Salt
Sugar

Slice the cucumbers very thinly.  Sprinkle them with some salt and some sugar.  Mix it around and let it sit in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes to let the cucumbers start to sweat.  Optional: chop up a a few mint leaves and sprinkled them on top.


Crunchy Kohlrabi Salad
Kohlrabi
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt

Peel the kohlrabi and slice it up.  Sprinkle with a little bit of salt, enough to let it start to sweat.  Shake some red wine vinegar onto it and enjoy!


The warm days (and warm nights) mean summer crops are kicking into high gear. New fruits and vegetables include: Loganberries, Black Raspberries, Blackberries, Dewberries, Blueberries, Cherry Tomatoes, Okra, Basil,  Bell Peppers, and every type of summer squash imaginable.


Remember to show your Durham love and VOTE for Durham Farmers' Market for the 2011 America's Favorite Farmers' Market Contest sponsored by the American Farmland Trust.

Vote the Durham Bulls Into the Triple-A All-Star Game

Triple-A Baseball and MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) announced today that online voting is now underway for the 24th annual Triple-A All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah. The online fan balloting, in its sixth consecutive year of a partnership between Triple-A Baseball and MLBAM, continues through Friday, June 24. This year's contest will take place at Spring Mobile Ballpark in Salt Lake City, home of the Pacific Coast League's Salt Lake Bees, on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. MST. VOTE NOW

Online Triple-A All-Star Balloting is proudly sponsored by Pert Plus, Official Shampoo Partner of the Triple-A All-Star Game. Pert Plus 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner is known for helping users get great, healthy looking hair without the hassle, and can be found in locker rooms of select MiLB teams across the country. For more information about Pert Plus, visit www.facebook.com/pert2in1 and www.pertplus.com. Fan balloting will help determine the starting lineups for both All-Star teams, accounting for one-third of the total vote. Ballots cast by members of the media and each club's field manager, coaches and general manager will account for the other two-thirds.

Fans can register for a chance to win various prizes when they cast their ballots online at the official websites of Minor League Baseball (MiLB.com), the Pacific Coast League (PCLBaseball.com), the International League (ILBaseball.com) and the websites of all 30 Triple-A teams. The online sweepstakes, which is presented by Pert Plus, includes special Triple-A prize packages and MiLB.TV subscriptions.

All fans who participate in the online balloting will be able to vote for players on both the PCL and IL rosters. Fans can select one player for each of the infield positions, three outfielders, a designated hitter and four pitchers - two starters and two relievers. Write-in votes for players not listed on the ballot also will be accepted. Up-to-date statistics and position-by-position comparisons will be available at the click of a mouse to help fans make their selections.

As a new feature this year, fans will also be able to share links to their online ballots through Facebook and Twitter to encourage friends and followers to cast votes for their favorite Triple-A players. Voting updates will be made available weekly for both leagues. Once the balloting period is over, fans can check the aforementioned websites for additional updates and features leading up to the All-Star Game.

The 24th annual Triple-A All-Star Game presented by Zions Bank and Workers Compensation Fund will be broadcast live from Spring Mobile Ballpark in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 13 on MLB Network as well as streamed online at MiLB.TV. On Monday, July 11, the Triple-A Home Run Derby presented by Papa John's will showcase sluggers from the PCL and IL, as well as two Utah high school baseball players.