Wake judge gets a gig with the Balsa Gliders

Local rock band Balsa Gliders were to perform at downtown Raleigh's Pour House Music Hall on Friday night.

The Balsa Gliders are well-known in local political circles for occasionally playing with Grace Isley, the 11-year-old daughter of Raleigh City Councilman Philip Isley. Now it appears the band has added another politically connected heavy-hitter to its ensemble.

In addition to Grace, the band was expected to perform Friday with Wake County Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand.

Rand's contributions were expected to be modest -- singing backup on one song -- and he appears to be still getting accustomed to the modern ways of music promotion. Rand sent e-mail to friends publicizing the show, including a link to the Balsa Gliders MySpace page along with this addendum: "Please note that this is the only time I ever plan to forward a MySpace page link to anyone in any context."

Fans of Rand's vocal stylings who were unable to make Friday night's show are not out of luck. His voice can be heard on Balsa Gliders' new recording, "Danceable in Victor," available on iTunes. Rand, 39, appears at the end of the song "Math," listing math equations in spoken-word style.

Rally injury

Wake County school board chairwoman Rosa Gill is one of many people who've fallen for President-elect Barack Obama.

But in Gill's case, she literally fell for him. Gill fell while leaving Obama's campaign rally in downtown Raleigh on Oct. 29. An estimated crowd of 25,000 packed the state government complex for the event.

Gill tripped with her arms outstretched. The spill jammed both of her wrists. She must wear wrist braces for a couple more weeks.

Durham merger

Durham City Councilman Howard Clement said he's going to revive an old issue if he wins re-election next year: city-county merger.

"We're going to have to merge," he said, "and when I run for another term, and if I'm successful, that's going to be my priority."

With 25 years on the council, Clement has served longer than any other council member in Durham's history. A city-county merger has been discussed since at least 1925, but proposals advanced in 1932, 1936, 1961, 1974 and 2000 failed. Clement was vice chairman of the merger commission in the 1974 effort.

"I would like to make one more contribution to the community," Clement said this week. "In light of the economic downturn we are experiencing, ... [the city and county] need to merge. ... It would be a considerable saving to the taxpayers."

Political trail

* NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS invite the public on Sunday to bring toys for needy kids in Wake County at the party's annual Community Cares Holiday Party.

Donated toys -- educational and unwrapped -- go to clients of Interact, a Wake County nonprofit group serving families affected by domestic and sexual violence.

The party runs from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the party's state headquarters, 220 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. There is no admission fee. U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge, Brad Miller and David Price, who represent different parts of the Triangle, will be on hand with their families. For more information, call 865-1616.

* WAKE COUNTY GOP MEN will meet Dec. 2, at 7:30 a.m. at The Top of the Tower restaurant at the Clarion Hotel, 320 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. Breakfast buffet costs $12. RSVP to Chairman Eric Weaver at eric@WakeGOPMen.org or 201-1568 by Dec. 1 at noon.