The beauty of moon-vine blooms on a summer evening

One has to love these summer mornings when early risers are greeted by bird songs and gentle breezes – until we must come inside and find the closest air conditioning vent to combat the summer heat.

Some are escaping the heat by enjoying four days of music camp at the Davidson United Methodist Church.  Others are securing a ticket for “Noises Off,” the second summer offering of the Davidson Community Players at Duke Performance Hall.  Enthusiastic readers are finding a comfortable chair to spend time with Lou Green‘s new volumes of poetry.  We report on these activities today plus a Fourth of July trip for Leland Park and a just released photo of Jay Fesperman atop the winner’s podium last weekend in Colorado.

Jay Fesperman atop the podium celebrating his win in the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championship on July 17 in Granby, Colorado

HOORAY FOR JAY!

We promised you a photo of Jay Fesperman and here it is! Jay received a medal and a winner’s stars ‘n stripe shirt for posting the best downhill time in his age category (13-14 year olds) last Saturday in Granby, CO, where the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championship was held. Outstretched arms and a smile from ear-to-ear as he stands on the podium says it all for this young man from Davidson. A member of the Grom Racing Team coached by Chris Herndon of Brevard, Jay certainly has a bright future in mountain biking. Congratulations again to Jay and his family. (Read more about Jay in last Tuesday’s Around Davidson or in Sports)

CAMP MUSIC AT DUMC

"Making a joyful noise" are these 5 year olds at DUMC Music Camp!

Hats off to Patty Gruce as she conducts yet another summer music camp for elementary age youngsters at Davidson United Methodist Church (DUMC).  More than 85 children, with the help of dozens of adults and teens, enjoyed four mornings of music camp with this year’s theme of hiking and biking.

The participants were divided into three groups (rising Kindergarten, grades 1 and 2 and grades 3-6).  Each morning the groups donned their camp shirts and hats, shouldered their “back packs” packed with camp “essentials” (including a map and plenty of bug finger puppets) before setting out for the various activities.  The camp began last Monday and finishes this morning with a final hour of musical presentations for parents and guests.

A visit to DUMC Wednesday to check on the campers provided an opportunity to hear the rising Kindergartners learn about their güiro frogs before stopping to paint the wooden pond creatures.  (A güiro is a Puerto Rican percussion instrument.)  There was also a chance to try the camp’s “frogs on a lily pad” snack: refreshing lime sherbet with gummi frogs atop, floating in green limeade!  What is not to like about reporting for DavidsonNews.net?!?  Summer fun is certainly packed with creativity!

SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE

An air conditioned evening at Duke Performance Hall on the Davidson College campus is a great idea if you are ready to laugh.  “Noises Off” begins its run this evening at 8 p.m. and continues this weekend and next.  Call 704.892.7953 for tickets or go to the Davidson Community Players’ website, www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org, for more information. (See also July 8 Theater Notes for more about the show, and other local productions.)

Holding her latest book of poetry, Lou Green stands before one of her "Color and Sound" canvases

MEET RENAISSANCE WOMAN LOU GREEN

As mentioned above, what is not to like about writing a column for DavidsonNews.net?  It leads one in so many directions, to meet new residents and to catch up with friends made decades ago.  Such is the case of Lou Green who moved to Davidson with her husband, Lewis, and small children, Brent and Meredith, in 1974.  Recently an opportunity presented itself to visit with Lou and hear about her new volume of poetry, “Night Garden” (Spring 2009), and her compilation of poems and photographs, “The Art of Seeing in Sweet Silent Thought”  (Spring 2010).

The dictionary defines “Renaissance woman” as one who “has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences.”  Lou fits the definition perfectly. Her interests are varied ranging from poetry and painting to theatre, free lance design, cooking and sewing (ah, memories of Lou helping the Barger girls with 4-H garments).  She also chaired the Friends of the Arts and taught art and music in the Ada Jenkins after-school program.

But for the past 20 years, Lou has focused full time on writing professionally and it shows.  She has won awards for her poetry.  Her poetry and prose have appeared in newspapers, anthologies and literary journals.  She is the recipient of fellowships in literature for poetry from the N.C. Arts Council, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the MacDowell Artist Colony – the latter perhaps the most prestigious, where she spent the month of April 2008.  Able to work without distraction at McDowell in Peterborough, N.H., Lou was able to create many of the poems in the volumes mentioned above.

Lou speaks of writing as a discipline and craft, committing to paper simple and complex observations about the human condition.  She has a passion for words and explores all emotions.  What a delight to find a quiet spot and page through these elegant books.  Both are limited editions (“Night Garden” was 300 copies and “The Art of Seeing” 200) and are available at Main Street Books in Davidson or from Lou at PO Box 583 in Davidson, 28036.

At present Lou is teaching at the Writers’ Loft of the Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius. She also is turning her focus to painting, in a new body of work she calls “Color and Sound.”  Access www.southernartistry.org/LB_Green to see her most recent portfolio.  What a pleasure, Lou, to hold your books, study your poems, admire your photographs and view your paintings.  How glad we are to have your many talents in our midst!

Leland Park (r) is joined by good friends, Robert and Jane Davidson, for the 4th of July in our nation's capital

A FOURTH TO REMEMBER

Leland Park was able to spend a wonderful Fourth of July in our nation’s capital thanks to his numerous library connections.  (In case you do not know Leland, he retired a few years ago from his decades-long position as director of the Davidson College library.)

Leland’s good friend, David Ferriero, worked previously as the Library Director at Duke University and then at the New York Public Library, before being appointed archivist of the United States by President Obama.  The Archives has a special program each Fourth of July and this month, Leland and his good friends, Jane and Robert Davidson of Columbia, S.C., were invited.

The activities began with a brunch in the Archives building followed by a wonderful patriotic program in the Archives Rotunda where the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are located.  Soon after Leland, Robert and Jane took their seats on the portico of the National Archives building and, according to Leland, watched a “first class” parade.

This busy day continued with visits to several museums and dinner with Davidson alumnus David Barkley at a restaurant on the Potomac River where they had a perfect vantage point to watch the fireworks.  Quite a Fourth to remember!

Send us your news

Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbarger@bellsouth.net.