Ferris Bueller Nostalgia
“The question isn’t what are we going to do. The question is what aren’t we going to do.”
Walk On
Ditch the car. Walk.
Carrboro and Chapel Hill make it simple. Town signs and online maps urge folks to explore its arteries on foot. Walk Carrboro stickers affixed on restaurant windows and storefronts champion a stroll. Chapel Hill street signs installed on Franklin and Columbia streets point to town and university destinations. Best part, minutes in lieu of miles -- easier to wrap your head around.
Need motivation? Try the Triangle Food Tour, 2nd Friday Artwalk or CROP Hunger Walk -- all traverse the adjoining towns.
(photographs taken on Main Street in Carrboro and Franklin Street in Chapel Hill)
Henry Winkler: Dyslexia Hero
"Mr. Rock was my music teacher who actually said one sentence to me," shared Henry Winkler with a crowd at The Barn at Fearrington. "He said 'Winkler when you get out of here, you're going to be okay.' And I kept that one sentence in my heart like Leo DiCaprio holds onto the wind at the end of that boat movie."
Best known for his role of Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli on the 70s & 80s sitcom Happy Days, Winkler was in town with his co-author Lin Oliver as part of their national tour for Here's Hank: Fake Snakes. The Hank Zipzer series is a chapter book collection for children based on the misadventures of a 4th grade boy. As part of his appearance, Winkler discussed his own challenges with learning -- he was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 30 -- and urged parents and teachers in the audience to connect with children to encourage them to succeed.
"Every single one of you is so powerful and everything you say is so important," he pressed. "And it is so important that if you know a child with a learning challenge, believe me, the kid on his own, on his or her own, knows they're not doing well. They don't need to hear it again. They don't need to be punished again. They need you to buoy their self image. Because when they are ready they will fly if you keep them above water. They will meet their destiny. It's the way the world works."
Waving his hands and speaking staccato to drive a point, he pulled anecdotes from his own children, all three of whom have been diagnosed with dyslexia.
"You look at your child, I look at my children, you know, they're supposed to have a great desk, a good light, and a chair. Max who came running into the bathroom one morning and he said 'Dad, I know that they make corn oil out of corn, how to they make baby oil?' So Max stood at his desk. Put his knee on his chair. Turned on the light and listened to music. And I said, like I was told, 'You can't listen to music while you are doing your homework.' But maybe, the music was a tunnel that allowed you to go through it, concentrate, because the grades were coming home. I learned to shut up. The children know."
(photographs taken at The Barn at Fearrington in Pittsboro)
Tales and Fairies
“Storytelling is important. Part of human continuity”
Dripping in a Scottish accent, one storyteller analyzed why ladies' underwear seemed to grow in size as a woman ages -- from lacey bits to those large enough to "parachute" down when tossed in the air. Another found comic relief stuck in a snow storm with beer and Little Debbie cakes. The loft space resounded in chuckles and cackles as four storytellers from across the triangle wove yarn after yarn about self identity and family follies at the Cinderella's Closet of Chatham County Storytelling Evening at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro. The event raised funds for the local organization which helps high school girls who might not be able to afford prom by outfitting them from hairdos to heels.
Now in its fifth year, volunteers at Cinderella's Closet make an indelible mark on these girls taking on a role akin to a fairy godmother. The team provides students with gently used gowns of their choice and accompanying accessories -- shoes, jewelry and hand handbags --- free of charge for them to keep. Students are referred by community organizations and school staff. Appointments are made and girls receive white-glove treatment as they pore through racks of dresses in a bounty of colors, sizes and styles. To ensure a garment fits just right, a seamstress is on hand to dart, pinch, and stitch together the dress that could offer more than a magical evening, rather a boost in life, much like Cinderella's the evening she attended the ball.
Cinderella's Closet event occurs on March 19-21. They are still seeking volunteers and donations.
Haywood Billy Goats opened the evening.
(photographs taken at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, NC)
Incognito Style
(photograph taken on the corner of Franklin and Columbia Streets in Chapel Hill)
UNC Gymnastics: No Place Like Home
Stills captured from the seats at UNC's victorious meet against the William & Mary Tribe on Saturday, February 7th at the UNC Carmichael Arena. The team's first home meet since January 9th began with the vault, on to uneven bars, next balance beam, and culminated with floor exercises accompanied by music thundering from the arena's speakers. Catch the Tarheels next weekend when they take on No. 9 Georgia at 1 pm February 14 in Carmichael Arena on UNC's campus.
(photograph taken at UNC Carmichael Arena off of South Road in Chapel Hill)
One Way to a Dead End
(photograph taken on Broad Street in Carrboro)
Vintage Vinyl with a Java Pour Over
Go Your Own Way. Gold Dust Woman. You Make Loving Fun. Fleetwood Mac's 1977 Rumours album is the most sought after LP these days at Vinyl Perk in Carrboro.
No CD's here. No House music. No music from today's Billboard chart either. But you can grab a steaming pour over coffee while you peruse the racks that, depending on your era, can take you deep into the 80s, across the 70s, or back into the groovin' 60s. The vintage vinyl spans genres: Rock. Progressive Rock. Funk. Jazz. Soul. Country. Folk. On and on.
"A lot of college kids come in that are like 'Oh, I just got record player!" or I'll see some college girls getting The Carpenters, Carole King or Carly Simon and I'm like this is interesting," says Ariane who organizes records, brews the java, and keeps the table turning and the vinyl belting through the speakers.
"I guess this is why I like Al Stewart. It's because my mom would play this when I was little. It's the same thing and it's really nice to see."
(photographs taken at Vinyl Perk, 709 W. Rosemary Street in Carrboro)
Earths Fading from View
Syd's Hair Shop has relocated and the brick building is up for rent, but the world-class mural remains, albeit generously faded from the afternoon sun. Michael Brown's "Many Earths" (2002) piece hangs on, thinly coating the westside wall howling for a restoration. Triangulate from here to catch sight of two additional murals. Across the street is Scott Nurkin's neo-signature "Greetings from Chapel Hill" (2013). Turn and face eastward for Brown's "Sea Turtles" (1993).
(photograph taken on W. Rosemary Street near the corner of Columbia Street in Chapel Hill)
Subversive Message
(photograph taken off of Rosemary Street in Carrboro -- poster pasted on a dumpster, decoded message in the fine print)
Carrboro: Tough Cookies
In first place...the classic chocolatey Thin Mints which debuted in the 1950s. Followed a close second by Caramel deLites, originally introduced to us as the beloved Samoas in 1975. The young entrepreneurs set up shop outside Neal's Deli in Carrboro and flagged down cars with handmade signs. Girl Scout Cookies are typically for sale this time of year for a six-to eight-week run. Godspeed through the drizzle and dipping temperatures!
(photographs taken on N. Greensboro Street near Main Street in Carrboro)
Ringing the Bull
Metal rings on bulls are typically inserted into the nasal septum to control a bull. It's a practice dating back to the dawn of recorded civilization. Known for fiery tempers, these powerful animals can be unpredictable and can pose a threat to handlers -- bull handling is a leading cause of injury or death for U.S. dairy farmers. Yet these 1,200 to 2,200-pound muscular animals tend to be compliant when led by a ring or a rope looped around the ring which is pierced through sensitive nasal tissue. A ring is often installed by a veterinarian using local anesthesia when a bull is about nine to twelve months of age.
(photographs taken at Fearrington Village in Pittsboro)
Epilogue to Analog Film: Digital Triumph
Hats off to the Varsity Theatre and those who contributed to its digital campaign. Looks like the beacon will be burning bright on Franklin Street after all. The historic Chapel Hill landmark launched a $50,000 community campaign to raise money to purchase equipment to transform one of its theaters into a digital screen from the classic -- to some, soothing sounds of -- clicking film reels. Now on overdrive, the additional contributions will be applied towards converting its second screen.The above image is of a film short shown prior to a feature film at the Varsity.
(photographs taken on Franklin Street between Columbia and Henderson streets.)
I'm Your Boogie Man. That's What I Am.
"I've heard everything: 'nice weiner! -- I love your weiner! -- can I see your weiner?' Anything like that," Anthony says. "It doesn't bother me. I just laugh. I probably hear it a few times a day." The UNC student dons the dog duds a couple of times a week and with earbuds firmly in place, he gyrates, hustles and sidesteps for two-to-three hours at a time at the entrance of Sup Dogs restaurant on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.
"I love making people laugh and now I get paid to do it." he says. "It's really cool. People come up to me all the time and dance with me."
What tunes keep him shuffling his feet? KC and The Sunshine Band on Pandora.
Right on.
(photographs taken on Franklin Street between Columbia and Henderson streets)
Walk the Line
(photograph taken at the Blue Horn Lounge on Franklin Street between Columbia and Henderson streets in Chapel Hill)
Galoshes of Franklin Street
“Susie’s Galoshes
Make splishes and sploshes
And slooshes and sloshes,
As Susie steps slowly
Along in the slush.
They stamp and they tramp
On the ice and the concrete.
They get stuck in the muck and the mud;
But Susie likes much best to hear
The slippery slush
As it slooshes and sloshes
And splishes and sploshes,
All round her galoshes!”
(photographs taken on the corner of Franklin and Columbia Streets in Chapel Hill)
The Varsity: Go Digital or Go Dark
The Varsity could have an alternate ending. The landmark Chapel Hill movie theater with the vintage vibe and glowing marquee is receiving pressure from technology to go digital or go dark. Over the past few years, motion picture studios have started distributing movies strictly as digital prints stored on hard drives, rather than film on reels. Economics has fueled the shift. The cost of releasing one film reel is equivalent to about 15 digital copies. While cost effective for studios, independent theaters are forced to shut down given the major hurdle to purchase a digital machine -- upwards of $100,000.
Built in 1927, the Franklin Street theater is one of the oldest in North Carolina. Though ownership and names have shifted -- starting with the original Carolina Theater, followed by the Village Theater before becoming the Varsity -- the Sorrell building has always housed a movie theater. In 2009, Paul and Susan Shareshian renovated the Varsity to offer affordable entertainment (movie tickets are $4) and a space for community events (local film premieres, fundraisers).
The duo is determined to raise enough money to convert one of the two screens to digital and stay alight. They have launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to raise $50,000. So far, they are half way there. The campaign ends in February 2015. To donate and sign up for updates: VarsityGoesDigital.com. To catch what's playing: VarsityonFranklin.com.
Keep the beacon aglow on Franklin Street.
(photographs taken on Franklin Street between Columbia & Henderson streets in Chapel Hill)
On the Tree Top
Heralding Angels, Twinkling Stars ... Globes, Pencil Sculptures and Umbrellas? The tradition of decorating Christmas trees spawned the much anticipated finishing touch, the tree topper. Historically these came in the form of Angels and Stars. Angels represented the divine messengers of the nativity story. Stars were symbolic of the star of Bethlehem, which according to the Bible, led the three wise men to discover the birth of Jesus. These days, Christmas tree toppers are less predictable, and indeed more imaginative.
Take the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge for instance. Nearly 60 non-profit organizations -- including Chapel Hill's Women's Birth and Wellness Center -- joined in on the fifth annual decorating competition on display at Diamond View Park in Durham. This year's theme: "The Island of Misfit Toys." The first place winner was SPCA of Wake County who banked $5,000 for its organization.
(photographs taken at Diamond View Park in Durham)
Sugar & Spice, That's What Little Girls Are Made Of
Steal a peek inside a century's-old jewelry box where the music lures and ballerinas regale. The 15th Annual Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party in the Old Well Ballroom at the historic Carolina Inn benefits the Triangle Youth Ballet. Dancers from TYB bejeweled in flawless regalia and rich in character, silently welcome guests. Inside the ballroom, the tea party drips with chandeliers. Whirling dancers weave between tables while young'uns in Sunday best sip lemonade and stretch for trays of lined cookies.
(photographs taken in at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill)