SoDu We Have Favorites: Voting Time!

Hey, neighbors! Nominations are now closed for our inaugural SoDu We Have Favorites contest. Now it's time to cast your virtual ballot in a range of categories from schools to youth camps to pediatricians.

To name just a few categories and their nominees, let's congratulate the following:

Favorite Restaurant

• Pulcinella
• KoKyu
• Lakewood Social
• Eastcut Sandwich Shop
• Tomato Jake's

Favorite Coffee Shop

• Bean Traders
• Joe Van Gogh
• Dulce
• Qamaria
• Scooters

Favorite Neighborhood

• Woodcroft
• Hope Valley
• Hope Valley Farms
• Woodlake
• Wellington Forest

See all the nominees and cast your votes using this form. Voting for this period will remain open until June 1. We'll narrow it down to two finalists per category. Then neighbors get to vote for winners.

Thanks for suggesting a lot of great nominees!

Best,

Wes Platt Neighborhood News Guy

News from the Neighborhood

[SeeGov] Durham County Proposes $10.9M Increase for SchoolsThat’s less than half what Durham Public Schools has requested for the upcoming school year, hoping to cover higher wages for classified staff.Southpoint AccessWes PlattRogers-Herr Middle Band: Renada Cammon’s Final ConcertAfter 30 years teaching - 20 of those at Rogers-Herr - she’s retiring from her role as the middle school’s revered band director.Southpoint AccessWes PlattOPA! Greek Festival Returns to South Durham This WeekendThe popular event at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church - running May 16-17 - includes Greek cuisine, dancing, and marketplace vendors.Southpoint AccessWes PlattDurham School Meat Market Health Inspections - May 2026TL;DR Version: The top scores went to Harris Teeter Meat Market 172, Publix #1817 Meat Market, and Super Target Meat Dept 2069, all scoring a perfect 100. The facility with the lowest score was Moroleon Carniceria/Meat Market with a score of 86.5.Southpoint AccessSouthpoint AccessSoDu Shopping Basket: Average Price Virtually UnchangedThe average basket is $66.82, with Aldi posting the lowest total and the familiar gap holding between value stores and premium chains in South Durham.Southpoint AccessSouthpoint AccessDurham Obituaries – May 12, 2026 | Southpoint AccessHonoring lives recently lost in the Durham community, with upcoming services and remembrances.Southpoint AccessSouthpoint AccessPet Remembrance: HuckleberryThe inspiration for Huck’s Heavenly Hangout is remembered in the inaugural post.Southpoint AccessWes Platt

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Dispatches Received in Error 5| A Southpoint Access SerialA weekly serial fiction project for paid subscribers, unfolding through a growing archive of documents from an alternate-universe Southpoint.Southpoint AccessWes PlattHuck’s Heavenly Hangout | Pet Obituaries | Southpoint AccessSouthpoint Access is launching a pet-obituary feature honoring beloved companions, named for Huckleberry and open to families across Durham and beyond.Southpoint AccessWes PlattPaid Subscriber Benefit: Nonprofit SpotlightFill out a form and share an image and link - I’ll give your favorite organization a week of online advertising!Southpoint AccessWes Platt

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