Old Farm Neighborhood Association

** 11/10/2022 (Thursday) @ 7PM – OFNA Full Body Meeting

OFNA Elections were held. Elected Officers for the 2023 – 2024 two year terms are:

President  – Trey Gilmore
Vice President – Mesina Reddish
Recording Secretary – Kim Harris
Corresponding Secretary – Shala Perla
Treasurer – Tanya Exum-Coston
Financial Secretary – Carolyn Young
Parliamentarian – David Harris

Congratulations to our newly elected officers!

** ON SALE NOW – A Century+ of Living: The Autobiography of Cora Jones “Boot” McLeod

The link to buy is HERE. 

** 10/13/2022 (Thursday) @ 7PM – OFNA Full Body Meeting 

OFNA Bylaws revision was approved.  Holt Athletic Association President, Don Daves visited to speak about their field adjacent to Old Farm Park and HAA current initiatives. Nominating Committee has begun formulating the slate for November officer elections. Contact Mary Vickers or Barbara Lassiter if interesting on the OFNA Board.

All OFNA Members meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month. OFNA Executive Board meetings are on the 1st Thursday of each month.

Partners Against Crime (PAC) is a community based volunteer organization that brings together citizens and law enforcement, as well as city and county departments, to find sustainable solutions to community crime problems and quality of life issues.

PAC 2 is one of five such groups in Durham, one each for our five Police Districts. Besides being the nation’s most completely PAC covered city, it’s another example of how Durham and Old Farm citizens play a direct and active role in attending to our community.

PAC2 monthly meetings are held monthly, every 2nd Monday, at Edison Johnson Recreation Center, 500 W Murray Ave, Durham, NC 27704.

** 9/13/2022 (Tuesday) @ 1PM – City of Durham, Public Works, Stormwater & GIS Services Division

(They cancelled the meeting, then came out another day & time alone, reportedly, without telling OFNA)

Principal Engineer @ Stormwater & GIS Services, Graham Summerson, was to conduct a site visit walk-thru along the Eno River bank north of Rippling Stream Rd. The visit was to address river widening, lack of vegetation, erosion, and increased flooding risk.

** 9/8/2022 (Thursday) @ 6PM – Durham Parks and Recreation, OLD FARM PARK RENOVATION!!! 

We welcomed a team from Durham Parks and Recreation Department and Eno River Association.

DPR was excited to come to Old Farm Park and more enthused about the number of Old Farm residents who showed up, participated, and brainstormed. They brought a Fun Caravan with games for kids and adults and they a great time. Outdoor education staff from the Eno River Association also joined us to talk about the river system.

Stations had boards and maps which collected neighborhood visions and ideas. DPR Staff collected our thoughts about the park. At the stations, there were questions that will help establish what features we love about the park, what we want to change, and how we can envision a improved park.

As you know, a key consideration of this park is the Eno River. They are working with us to understand the relationship between the park and the river. They’re also flagging to visually illustrate the flood lines which can constrain development and special markings in the park to show new opportunities for park expansion and play.

This information will help them develop a longer term plan for the park and set us up for the next phase of playground development. They are also planning short term maintenance goals for this year including improvements to the basketball court and bathroom, new signage, improved trash cans.

** 9/8/2022 (Thursday) @ 6PM – OFNA Full Body Meeting, in-person at OLD FARM PARK!!! 

Please note the September meeting was in-person at Old Farm Park and there was no formal business. Approximately 40 neighbors attended and spoke with the team from Durham Parks and Recreation Department (and one another) for almost two hours in total!

** 8/14/2022 (Sunday) Burton and Lee KING RECOGNITION

OFNA recognized Burton and Lee King, the longest tenured residents of Old Farm (11/1/1968), who recently moved to the Croasdaile area in Durham.

About 25 attendees were present to honor the legacy of the Kings. The agenda for the ceremony is linked HERE

The Kings were presented a THIS IS YOUR LIFE BOOK, a check was presented for donation to their favorite mission at Aldersgate Church, and OFNA President Trey Gilmore presented a Resolution on behalf of the neighborhood.

For decades, the Kings have been active and dedicated stewards & members of OFNA, Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and the Durham Community. Please read the King’s historical note, “The Beginning of Old Farm Remembrances of Burton and Lee King” (Click Here).  Also, the Kings volunteered with Aldersgate Church to help tutor children at Oxford Manor. In the link, scroll down to Conduit and you will see Mrs. King talk about that mission in a 5 minute video (Click Here).

** 8/2/2022 (Tuesday) from 6:00pm – 8:00pm  OFNA National Night Out

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

** 7/31/2022 (Sunday) @ 4PM – Cora Jones “Boot” McLeod 104th Birthday Celebration 

All OFNA residents are encouraged to participate in the Birthday Drive-By Salute and Celebration of neighbor Cora McLeod’s 104th Birthday. Cars will organize at the Seven Oaks end of Whippoorwill, and begin at 4pm. There is no expense to join in the parade; our goal is to present her with 104 Birthday Greeting Cards. Tanya Exum-Coston also compiled a brief overview (click here).  Cora McLeod will also attend National Night Out to sign copies of her autobiography.

** 7/27/2022 (Wednesday) @ 10AM – Northern High School Beam Signing and Topping Out Ceremony 

OFNA Leaders will join other community leaders as they celebrate an important milestone in the construction of Northern High School.

** 7/14/2022 (Thursday) @ 7PM – OFNA Full Body Meeting 

All OFNA Members meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month. OFNA Executive Board meetings are on the 1st Thursday of each month.

** 6/9/2022 (Thursday) @ 7PM – OFNA Full Body Meeting 

All OFNA Members met on key neighborhood items like the hugely successful Spring Fling, Old Farm Park Renovation, and the on-going updates regarding work with the School Board, City Leaders, and other agencies dealing with New Northern High School construction. OFNA Executive Board met on the Thursday, 6/2/2022.

** 6/4/2022  – Spring Fling

Annual Spring neighborhood gathering to facilitate fellowship with neighbors, kids activities, refreshments, music, dancing, OFNA Memberships, and FUN!

** 5/26/2022 – OFNA PR Committee Meeting with Durham  Public Schools

OFNA Executive Committee Representatives met with Durham Public Schools Leadership and NHS Project Leaders in order to prevent Seven Oaks Road from being used as a thoroughfare, discuss bus route plans, safety concerns, and property damage from blasting.

** 5/18/2022 – OFNA Meeting w/DPR on Old Farm Park Renovation

Durham Department of Parks and Recreation is working with OFNA to completely renovate Old Farm Park.  David Harris, our point person for the project, has already started a list of suggestions already suggested in no order are (email additional suggestions and input to Admin@OldFarmDurham.org:

• Safety for our kids.
• Safe playground equipment for the kids.
• Kids are safe from vehicular traffic.
• A walking/running trail around the park.
• Area for adults to sit to watch the kids playing.
• Bathrooms near kids play area.
• Shelter near kid play area.
• Electricity in the shelter.
• Limited parking area near kids play area.
• Water fountain near kids play area.