Artist Lydia Musco installs one of her book-inspired sculptures at the town’s new Book Garden on Main Street Friday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Artist Lydia Musco nearly completed installation of her three book-inspired concrete sculptures Friday in the new Book Garden next to the public library, off Main Street. The three colored pillars are the focal points of the new garden, which is under an old oak in a space that once was dirt and mulch.

The Book Garden will be dedicated on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 3:30 p.m. in a ceremony open to the public.

The event will include a visit from Curious George, courtesy of Main Street Books, and Dudley the dog, courtesy of the Davidson Public Library. Teens and tweens will receive free copies of “The Hunger Games,” donated by Scholastic Books, while supplies last. And the Wells Fargo Foundation is providing stagecoach rides from the library’s parking lot.
Read more in our story from Wednesday, “Book garden’s centerpieces arrive.”

Lydia Musco (right) stacks pieces of her book sculpture during installation Friday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Friends and family release orange balloons in honor Maurice Van Hecke’s favorite color after his funeral Thursday at Davidson United Methodist Church. (Bill Giduz/DavidsonNews.net)

Friends and family crowded the sanctuary of Davidson United Methodist Church Wednesday afternoon at the funeral service for 16-year-old Hough High School student Maurice Van Hecke, who died Friday. At the conclusion of the ceremony mourners crowded into the courtyard and released orange balloons — his favorite color — in his memory.

– Bill Giduz

RELATED COVERAGE

Sept. 3, 2012, “Hough students pay tribute to a lost friend.”

Sept. 2, 2012, “Maurice Spenser Van Hecke, 16″

Artist Lydia Musco helped offload crates containing pieces of her sculptures for the town’s new Book Garden, next to the library. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Massachusetts artist Lydia Musco was directing coworkers Wednesday as they delivered shipping crates holding three book-inspired sculptures that will become the centerpieces of downtown Davidson’s newest public art project. The new “Book Garden” is being constructed off Main Street, between the Davidson public library branch and the CVS pharmacy. Read the full story

Students painted W.A. Hough High School’s spirit rock in Maurice Van Hecke’s favorite colors Monday to remember their friend who died Friday. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

Candles at Sunday night’s service at Davidson United Methodist Church were lit in Maurice’s honor. (Kathy Watts photo)

Updated Tuesday, 7:24 a.m.
W.A. Hough High School classmates and other friends of Maurice Van Hecke have spent the holiday weekend mourning the loss and remembering the life the 16-year-old Davidson resident, who died Friday afternoon.

More than a hundred students and their families gathered at Davidson United Methodist Church for a ceremony that included hundreds of candles in memory of the Hough High junior. And on Monday afternoon, another group was back to memorialize Maurice by painting the school spirit rock orange and green – his favorite colors. Read the full story

A crowd posed next to Chambers Hall at Davidson College Friday for College Colors Day. (Bill Giduz photo)

There’s a day for everything, isn’t there? Apparently it was National College Colors Dayon Friday, so a group of Davidson College students and staff posed for a picture – from President Carol Quillen (black sleeveless top) to Coach Bob McKillop (red Davidson polo).

Clad in varying sorts of black, red and white clothing, they gathered for pictures at the flagpole next to Chambers Hall around 10:25 a.m. Our favorite contribution: black flip-flops with red painted toenails. Read the full story

Women’s division winner Brigid Behrens selected a cake baked by Davidson tennis coach Drew Barrett. (Bill Giduz/DavidsonNews.net)

Members of Davidson’s track and cross country teams once again “took the cake” in the college’s 73rd running of the Cake Race.

Overall winner of the 1.3 mile dash around campus was Daniel Samet from Washington, D.C., followed closely by his new cross country teammates Ryan Phillips of Ridgewood, N.J., and Patrick Rollo of Owings Mills, Md. First place in the women’s division was Brigid Behrens of Corvallis, Ore., followed by her fleet-footed teammates Grace Carr of Bethesda, Md., and Olivia Menden of Columbus, Ohio. Read the full story

Designer J’Nell Bryson (left) was working this week on the Davidson Book Garden, which is nearing completion next to the public library off Main Street. Click for a larger version of this panorama, created from several photos. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Two artsy additions to Downtown Davidson’s streetscape are in the works this summer. One is a public art project called the Davidson Book Garden, which is near completion on an unused patch between the public library and CVS pharmacy. The other is a Davidson Farmer’s Market-inspired (and commissioned) mural on the side of Summit Coffee, at 128 S. Main St. Read the full story

A plywood square covers a section of caved-in pavement on Kimberly Road Tuesday night. (Eileen O’Flaherty photo)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities sent a crew to Kimberly Road in Davidson Tuesday night to examine the severity of what residents there called a “sinkhole.” The damage happened after a water line under the road leaked for several days. Read the full story