Last week, we published a story by Lena Geller about Meg and José Solera, a Durham couple whose granddaughter, Wren, is buried in Maplewood Cemetery. For the past four years, the Soleras decorated Wren’s plot with flowers, stones, and other mementos until the City of Durham, without warning, removed all of the tokens one day for landscaping. A spokesperson said the groundskeeping was city policy. We received the following message from Carlotta Dunagin, whose son Brad is also buried at Maplewood.

I could certainly understand these grandparents feelings. We too had our son’s graveside decorated beautifully. We had white rock, solar lights, and flag on his grave. We would ride by at night to make sure his solar lights were working. There was also a bunny and angel on his marker. A friend of our son had put an interlocking item that represented the love he would always share with his twin brother. This would not mean anything to most people but we absolutely treasured it. I agree with [José] and Meg Solera that it represented a “protection” for your loved one and a place of comfort and peace. My husband always kept the grave sprayed for weeds. It was so pretty and now it is so heartbreaking to go there. It is bad enough to [lose] a child but to have all items removed from their grave without a notice letter was unbearable. We were told that this had always been the policy for the cemetery, however our son has been buried there for 7 years and nothing was ever said. I can understand not wanting rock, for it puts the men mowing in danger.

Our stillborn grandbaby is laid to rest beside our son and they too are heartbroken over the way this has been handled. 

Also last week, we published an op-ed by Pierce Freelon on why Durham Public Schools should keep Durham School of the Arts in downtown Durham rather than proceed with a planned move to a new facility in North Durham. Readers had thoughts. 

From reader BJ Fusaro:

When I first heard the plan to move DSA from downtown I was appalled

It seemed so much a part of Durham’s history. I could not put it into words to make a statement about it but Pierce Freelon has made such a statement here! My son, now 32 y.o. went to DSA and I feel the experience has shaped who he is as an adult, his connection to Durham and the friends he made here. It would not have been the same if it had not been at DSA in the building where it is now, close to the heart of the city. It did the same for me as a parent of a student there. Thank you Pierce for writing this and thank you @indyweek for printing this letter. DO NOT MOVE DURHAM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS!!!

From reader Katie Barkley:

Pierce’s article expressed everything I have thought about moving DSA from Downtown. DPS needs to reconsider, quickly. Their decision is gross, silly, costly, and will negatively impact Durham kids. Let the people who actually grow up in Durham experience and mold the city.

From reader Stephen Wood:

I read with interest about the Durham School of The Arts in downtown Durham. First off why does have everything have to do with race? Complaining about white this and white that? No where in the article does it say DSA is the old Durham High School. No where does it say it is out dated and needs to be replaced. No where does it say that it would benefit the future of DSA for years to come. Next time write an article that [is] about the future of our children instead of racism.

Also for the web, we republished a 9th Street Journal story about DPS’s redistricting plan “Growing Together.” We received this response from reader Pat Malone:

Thanks for this article. Unfortunately, even all the chaos that is described does not cover it all.

We live in the Little River base area. The school is transitioning to Montessori, but next year is also offering the standard curriculum to returning students currently in Kindergarten or 1st grade in a transitional year. At least I think that’s currently the case–information on the transition has been in short supply and constantly changing, and mostly travels by word of mouth among parents at kids’ birthday parties.

But contrary to:

“Each magnet will have a base area where families can automatically enroll”

We were not even able to apply for the Montessori curriculum through the lottery, much less be automatically enrolled. This seems to have been due to a fault in the programming/testing of the new magnet-lottery portal that could not accommodate the dual-curriculum year.

After ever-shifting timelines and projections, we found out our rising second grader would have a Montessori seat just last Wednesday.

This came after we’d committed to homeschooling after being in limbo so long, because we do not trust what DPS as a system says or will do. And we’re fortunate to be able to do so.

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