Janice Moore Fuller will speak at the January meeting of Charlotte Writers Club North, to be held at the So Alive Gallery in Davidson Thursday evening.

It’s a weekend of arts and music in Davidson, with the restaging of “Driving Miss Daisy” by Davidson Community Players, a performance by an a-capella Jewish group, a CD-release party at Summit, poet Janice Moore Fuller at the So Alive Gallery, and contra dancing at the IB Middle School gym.  Plus, the Rocky River Road Club will host its 11th annual Polar Bear Ride through the area Saturday morning, while Wildcat sports features the women’s basketball team at home Saturday afternoon.

WEEKEND OF JAN. 8-11

Charlotte Writers Club North presents poet Janice Moore Fuller, who will speak Thursday, starting at 7 p.m. at the So Alive Gallery, located at 108 South Main Street.  Ms. Fuller is writer-in-residence and professor of English at Catawba College in Salisbury. The event is free and guests are welcome. More info is available on Janice Fuller’s website, or atcharlottewritersclub.org

Davidson Community Players will re-stage their successful 2007 production of “Driving Miss Daisy” in Charlotte for eight performances, starting Thursday and continuing through Jan. 18.  Shows will be held at the Spirit Square Duke Energy Theatre in downtown Charlotte. The production includes the original cast of the sold-out Davidson production. Shows are scheduled for Jan. 8-10 and 15-17, 8 p.m., Jan. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets and information at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center box office, 704-372-1000, or www.carolinatix.org.

Downtown Davidson Inc. merchants meet Friday, starting at 9 a.m. at the new Homewood Suites.  The regular meeting will include a presentation by Internet marketing expert Corey Creed. RSVP to Cristal Moncur, 704-237-2004 or cristal.moncur@hilton.com.

Contra Dance Carolina will launch a new year of high-energy dance in Davidson with a night at the IB Middle School gym.  The evening will feature the band Global Warning and caller Charley Harvey.  Dancing gets underway at 7ish and runs until 10:30 p.m.  Tickets are $7 for general admission and $5 for students.

The Rocky River Road Club will host its 11th annual Polar Bear Ride Saturday morning, a portion of the proceeds going to Davidson’s Ada Jenkins Center. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Bailey Middle School on Bailey Road in Cornelius. The 50-kilometer and 100-kilometer rides begin at 10 a.m., following routes through the north Mecklenburg and Lake Norman area. Registration, waiver, route sheets and directions to the ride are available at the club website, www.RockyRiverRoadClub.org. Registration is also available at www.sportoften.com. The rain date is Saturday, Jan. 17. More in our Dec. 19 preview.

The  University of Pennsylvania Shabbatones will hold a concert and Havdalah Service Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Davidson College union.  The free event is sponsored by Beth Shalom of Lake Norman. The Shabbatones is a student-run Jewish a capella group.

Summit Coffee, located at 128 South Main Street, will host a CD release party for guitarist/singer Rusty Knox and friends Saturday, to mark the release of Mr. Knox’s album “Reason Why.”  Also this weekend at Summit, Billy Jones & The Pocket will play Thursday, and Mike Strauss Trio is up Friday. Live music runs from 8-11 p.m. weekends at the coffee shop’s upstairs stage.

SPORTS

Wildcats’ sports this weekend features Women’s basketball vs. Georgia Southern Saturday at the Davidson College Belk Arena, starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for youth.  Saturday evening, the men’s basketball team visits Citadel for a Southern Conference game that starts at 7:05 p.m.  You can catch it on the radio at AM1350, 610 or FM 95.7.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• MONDAY, JAN. 12, 7 p.m., Davidson College Belk Arena – Women’s basketball vs. College of Charleston. Tickets $6 for adults, $3 for youth.
• MONDAY, JAN. 12, 7:30 p.m., Boone – Davidson men’s basketball visits Appalachian State University for a Southern Conference game. Radio: AM 1350, 610 or FM 95.7. Details: www.davidsonwildcats.com.
• WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14, 7 p.m., Davidson College Belk Arena – Davidson College men’s basketball vs. Elon. Radio AM 1350, 610, FM 95.7, and TV on Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. Details: www.davidsonwildcats.com.
• SATURDAY, JAN. 17, 9:30 a.m., Davidson United Methodist Church chapel, 305 S. Main St. – Davidson AGLOW Community Lighthouse presents “His Banqueting Table” with June Cherry, the former Cornelius AGLOW president. Come at 9:30 for coffee; meeting starts at 10. For more information, call Carol at 704-892-8235.
• SATURDAY, JAN. 17, 7 p.m., Peninsula Club at Lake Norman – Ada Jenkins Center hosts its Ice 2009 fund-raising gala. All proceeds benefit the regional community services center and its programs. Sponsorships available. Details: www.adajenkins.org/ice/
• SATURDAY, JAN. 17, 3 p.m., Statesboro, Ga. – Davidson men’s basketball at Georgia Southern. TV: SportSouth. Radio: AM 1350, 610, FM 95.7. Details: www.davidsonwildcats.com.
• SATURDAY, JAN. 17, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee 128 S. Main St. – Live music and CD release party for Davidson mandolin player Michael Orlando. The album “what i see” is due out  Jan. 15. Mr. Orlando’s CDs are available through DualTone Records and Apple’s iTunes. His website: http://www.michaelorlando.com/
• SUNDAY, JAN. 18, 4 p.m., Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. – Davidson Historical Society presents a free program on “The History of Sports at Davidson College.” Led by Sterling Martin, a 1963 Davidson College graduate and athlete, who retired after over 40 years with the college athletic department and as director of the college’s Lake Campus. For more information, please call 704-892-6022.
• MONDAY, JAN. 19, Davidson College – Martin Luther King Day events at Davidson College: 9:30 a.m., Walk for Change, from Richardson Stadium to Chambers steps, for a reading of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech; 9:30-11:30 a.m., King Day for Kids at Alvarez College Union, with activities for kids in grades K-5; 11:30, King Day Community Convocation, with Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president of University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Also, there will be a community reception, faculty and student seminars, and a 7 p.m. community celebration in Duke Family Performance Hall (see next item). Details on the college website.
• MONDAY, JAN. 19, Davidson College – Martin Luther King Day events at Davidson College: 9:30 a.m., Walk for Change, from Richardson Stadium to Chambers steps, for a reading of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech; 9:30-11:30 a.m., King Day for Kids at Alvarez College Union, with activities for kids in grades K-5; 11:30, King Day Community Convocation, with Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president of University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Also, there will be a community reception, faculty and student seminars, and a 7 p.m. community celebration in Duke Family Performance Hall (see next item). Details on the college website.
• MONDAY, JAN. 19, 7 p.m., Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall – Martin Luther King Day community celebration, featuring Pastor John P. Kee and New Life of Charlotte, Brothers in Christ of Gethesemane Baptist Church of Davidson, The Chosen Disciples of Asheboro, N.C., and Pastor Jeffrey Thomas of Lincolnton. Details on the college website.
• TUESDAY, JAN. 20, 10 a.m., Main Street Books, 126 S. Main St. – Story Time for children 5 and under. Story Time is held twice monthly, on the first and third Tuesday. Future dates Feb. 3, Feb. 17.
• TUESDAY, JAN. 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m., North County Regional Library, Huntersville – Family Game Night. Info: 704-416-6000, option 4.
• SATURDAY, JAN. 24, Davidson College Baker Sports Complex – 2008 Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame events. Induction ceremonies begin with a reception at 3:45 p.m., following the women’s basketball game against Appalachian State. That game begins at noon in Belk Arena. A dinner and program will begin at 4:30 p.m., and that’s followed at 7 by the men’s basketball game vs. Wofford. Details about this year’s honorees in our Dec. 16 news item.
• SUNDAY, JAN. 25, 3 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 301 Caldwell Lane – Music at St. Alban’s series presents the Farallon Recorder Quartet. Tickets required. Details on the Music at St. Alban’s website.
• TUESDAY, JAN. 27, 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Presbyterian Church – Organ at Davidson Series continues with a performance by Jane Dimmock Cain, director of music at DCPC. Details in our Organ at Davidson season preview.
• WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28, 2-3:30 p.m., Davidson Parks & Recreation office, 416 Armour St. – Davidson Senior Scholars program, with a presentation on “Reporting Community News in the Internet Age” by David Boraks, editor of DavidsonNews.net. Learn about how local news reporting is changing and how it’s staying the same as local newspapers shrink and the Internet becomes a local news source. Free. 704-892-3349.
• SATURDAY, JAN. 31, noon to 2 p.m., Davidson College Chambers Hall, Lilly Family Gallery – Davidson Housing Coalition fifth annual Souper Bowl, a food tasting fund-raiser with food from area restaurants. Come help choose the best soup by local chefs. Adults $10, students $8, children $5. Details: www.davidsonhousing.org
• TUESDAY, FEB. 17, 8 p.m., Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall – Davidson College Artist Series presents “Mike Super: Magic and Illusion.” Ticket information: 704-894-2135 or www.davidson.edu/tickets
• SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 3 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 301 Caldwell Lane – Music at St. Alban’s series presents countertenor Ian Howell with Tableau: Handel’s Inheritance. They’ll explore the music behind the man who wrote “Messiah.” Tickets required. Details on the Music at St. Alban’s website.
• THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 8 p.m., Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall – Davidson College Artist Series presents Celtic Crossroads, a theater concert of invetment arrangements and bass-driven groove in the Celtic tradition. Ticket information: 704-894-2135 or www.davidson.edu/tickets
• TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Presbyterian Church – Organ at Davidson Series continues with a “Bach Birthday Bash.” Music by Bach accompanies readings from works by Albert Schweitzer. Details in our Organ at Davidson season preview.
• SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 3 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 301 Caldwell Lane – Music at St. Alban’s series presents VOX & Friends. Vox is a professional vocal group from Charlotte, led by David Tang. Tickets required. Details on the Music at St. Alban’s website.

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