NEWS
The View from Sloan Street
There’s some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for . . .
That’s a line from The Two Towers in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A dear friend reminded me of it late last week, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
DHC hosted our second block party on a Thursday in early November to kick off this season of thanks and giving. The weather was with us. There was a brass band and more than a couple of rousing renditions of The Saints. There was no shortage of fine food and snacks. As the sun went down and the string lights lit up the street, even the most unpracticed dancers among us began forming up a second line.
Our block parties give us a way to celebrate and commit to being a part of the good we see all around us. That’s why our workspace here on the corner of Sloan Street and Mock Circle is important to us. It helps ground us in the community as neighbors and connects us to each other in ways that shape how we work.
We build and preserve affordable housing. In doing so we aim for three things: 1) to keep Davidson’s doors open to people across the income spectrum, 2) to contribute to a sense of community for all citizens of Davidson, and 3) to enhance the quality of life enjoyed by everyone who calls our town home.
As winter approaches, and the days grow shorter, we often lament the added hours of darkness the season brings. Light—from the stars, from a candle flame, from festive holiday lights—gives us a way to move through that darkness without losing our way.
Eric Fronrath, a resident of Creekside Corner (Lyn Batty photo)
Last Thursday as it grew dark, we held a light up to two of our neighbors:
—Mr. Eric Fronrath. In short: he is Mock Circle’s mayor. He’s out here keeping the neighborhood clean and tidy and the flowers and trees healthy, lending a watchful eye, looking out for neighbors who need an extra hand. He models the good in this world everyday, and it’s worth acknowledging the healthy dose of it he brings to our neighborhood.
—Mr. Frank Jordan, this year’s recipient of Davidson’s G. Jackson Burney Award for Community Service. A community celebration for that award will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 27 at Town Hall. Make plans to be there to acknowledge all of ways in which Mr. Jordan has served our Town and contributed to the good.
Sometimes the dark creeps up on us before we know it. I take heart in the fact that it’s that same deep darkness that lets us see the stars.
There were stars among us on that Thursday night. We’re so very fortunate that they shine on us.
(To read more writing by Connie about DHC, go to this link and scroll down to Blogposts)
Connie Wessner
Connie Wessner is a 27-year resident of Davidson who has served our community in a number of capacities, including her current role as Executive Director of Davidson Housing Coalition. She helped lead Community School of Davidson as a K12 administrator for 15 years prior to flirting with retirement and then joining DHC. Connie hails from Washington, DC and moved here with her husband Dave (a member of Davidson College’s Biology and Public Health Departments) in 1997. The couple raised a son Ian on Ashby Drive and still call the house home, along with Sonja, the family’s collie, and Kit, their cat.