157 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/31/07 4:00am)
Once a year Chapel Hill opens its streets to flocks of unfamiliar faces who come to celebrate one of the biggest Halloween festivals in the Southeast.
Among the 70,000 people who typically gather on Franklin Street are students from colleges and universities all over the state who put their school pride aside for an evening of costumes, fun and tradition.
Tiffany Wong, a junior at N.C. State University, said she has been celebrating Halloween in Chapel Hill since she was a freshman.
She said she makes sure to return each year to keep the tradition alive.
"When I think Halloween, I immediately think Franklin Street," she said. "They're equivalent now."
Wong said this year she and two of her friends will be portraying stereotypes.
She will dress up as a geisha, and she will be accompanied by one friend who is Hispanic and will dress like a senorita and one who has French roots and will dress as a French guard.
N.C. State is only half an hour away, but other Halloween visitors will make a much longer drive to spend only one night in Chapel Hill.
Geoffrey Bishop, a junior at UNC-Charlotte and a Chapel Hill native, said he has been celebrating Halloween on Franklin Street since ninth grade.
But as soon as the partying is over, Bishop will make the two-and-a-half hour drive back to UNC-C for his 9:30 a.m. U.S. History class.
"In the South there's not much to do, so if you're under 21 you have to go to something like this," he said. "I go every year, and I have a lot of fun."
Bishop said that although he is looking forward to seeing his high school friends on Halloween, he is most excited about flaunting his costume as the infamous rapper and TV show and commercial icon, Flavor Flav.
"I got a clock for it a couple of days ago," he said. "It's going to be so hot, I can't wait."
Brandon Gleason, a junior at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk said the six-hour round-trip drive to Chapel Hill is worth every minute for the time spent on Franklin Street.
"It only happens once a year," said Gleason, who is also a Chapel Hill native.
He said he has been going to the Franklin Street festival since he was 10 years old.
"It's one of the best places you can be for Halloween," he said. "I can either stay and go to a bar in Boone, or I can go to Chapel Hill and party with thousands of people."
Unlike Chapel Hill natives who know the Halloween scene too well, Kelly Vaughan, a first-year student at UNC-Wilmington who is from the Outer Banks, said this will be her first Halloween celebration on Franklin Street.
"It's just a good experience to have," Vaughan said. "I have a lot of friends who go to Chapel Hill, and I don't know of anything too fun going on out here."
Vaughan said she and her friends plan on spending the night in Chapel Hill, but she hopes to make it back to Wilmington for her 10:30 a.m. class on Thursday.
She said she hasn't had much time to think about a costume, but she will likely show up to Franklin Street dressed as a turtle. "I have the costume from high school, and I have it with me, so it makes it easier."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu
(10/30/07 4:00am)
Typical Halloween attire ranges from fake-fanged vampires to unbearable, stuffy rubber masks of former presidents to impossibly short-skirted referees that should be a penalty in and of themselves.
But some students have higher ambitions than prepackaged costumes this year.
There's a contingent of students who pride themselves on originality, and led by the army of Sparta, they plan not to disappoint.
Seniors Colby Almond and Andrew Hurd said they have recruited more than 150 men in the past three weeks to dress up as Spartans from Frank Miller's epic movie "300." They hope to gather more as Halloween approaches, and they expect stragglers to show up the day of.
"We're seniors, and my Halloweens have been pretty tame so far," Almond said. "I was Iceman from Top Gun last year, and that was OK. But what better way to spend Halloween than dressed as a Spartan with 299 other guys?"
Students also have used Facebook to create groups dedicated to Halloween costumes, including Christmas elves, the Spice Girls and a box of Crayola crayons.
And there are at least three groups devoted to raising an army of 300 Spartans.
There are no swords allowed on Franklin Street during festivities, but Almond and Hurd said they will be wearing Roman-style sandals, crimson cloaks and something resembling leather shorts.
Beards and shields are optional but encouraged, Hurd said.
Sophomore Trevor Scott also created a Facebook group to rally the Spartan troops and has recruited about 50 heroic souls. He said he and other members of Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity hope to join forces with the other factions to create an army of Spartans marching down Franklin Street.
"I try to go big for Halloween every year," said Scott, whose get-up puts the 'cost' in costume at more than $150.
"I already knew I wanted to be King Leonidas from "300," and I knew a lot of other people were going to be Spartans, so I wanted to try to unify them and make it more of a spectacle."
These ancient heroes won't be the only Halloween revelers with elaborate ideas.
Sophomore Michael Hurst said he is taking advantage of his mother's sewing skills this year as they work in tandem to put together his Green Lantern costume. The green part on top will be composed of a backward collared shirt, while the arms, legs and sides of the costume will consist of Under Armour.
Hurst's mother will be making a green mask, green covers for old cowboy boots and white gauntlets to lengthen the look of a pair of white gloves, the only part of the costume purchased expressly for a Chapel Hill Halloween.
Hurst, a self-proclaimed comic book fan, won costume contests in past years with the original Iron Man uniform and the early Spider-Man suit Peter Parker wears to win the wrestling competition against Bonesaw in the 2002 Spider-Man movie.
"It's something you can look back on and say 'I did that,'" he said. "Even if someone has the same idea, the implementation is going to be different. It's nice to be recognized for the effort you put into your costume, and I think it's worth it for anyone who has the time."
Sophomore Lindsey Ochsenreiter, who was a homemade Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle last year, said she enjoys collaborating with other students on a costume theme.
"It's hard to be original because so many people do the same thing on Franklin, so anything outside the box is pretty intriguing, which is why we're going to be braces," she said.
Ochsenreiter and six of her friends are going to be armed to the teeth in pink tights and white shirts with cardboard squares covered in tin foil and a silver ribbon or duct tape strung between them.
"I haven't seen anyone do it before, so hopefully we'll be the only ones," she said.
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(10/11/07 4:00am)
In Chapel Hill, a turtle, a stamp and town residents have more in common than one might think.
All are painted on walls of buildings in Chapel Hill, and all have been neglected - until now.
The Chapel Hill Preservation Society, along with the Downtown Partnership and the Historical Society, have started a Save the Murals project to take care of the 20 murals painted on downtown buildings.
The idea came after Michael Brown, who painted most of the murals, participated in the society's midday lecture series this summer.
"We thought his presentation was so engaging, it occurred to us that no one was taking care of the murals," said Ernest Dollar, director of the preservation society.
"After being in Chapel Hill for so long, they've become a part of our everyday life."
Brown painted the oldest mural on the back of the then-Rite-Aid pharmacy on the corner of Rosemary and Columbia streets 18 years ago. It portrays a night scene in an impressionist style.
Brown, a UNC alumnus who studied art, paid for part of his education by painting houses. After graduating, he spent about 10 years in New York teaching art and working with student groups.
After he moved back to Chapel Hill, he was drawn into mural artwork.
"The town didn't have much of a budget when they wanted to do the murals, and they were looking for someone locally," Brown said. "I was one of very few people with all the skill sets necessary."
The preservation society will hire Brown to assess the extent of the murals' deterioration and how much it would cost to restore and maintain them.
"A painted wall is a cultural landmark," Dollar said. "Our job is to save the things that make Chapel Hill unique. Certainly the murals are a quintessential part of that."
But some of the murals no longer work for the businesses they decorate.
One mural, which shows a collection of stamps and bottle caps, is painted on the side of Mansion 462, a new club on Franklin Street's west end.
"It doesn't necessarily fit what we'd like the building to look like," said Joseph Padgett, manager of Mansion 462. "It's degraded somewhat. But as of now, there are no plans to paint over it."
Murals also decorate the Bank of America building at 137 E. Franklin St. One, on the parking deck, shows turtles. The other depicts people walking down the street.
"We're pretty pleased with both of them, but I wish we could get some money to spruce them up a bit," Facilities Manager Manning Outen said. He added that if the murals reach a certain point of deterioration, the bank would consider painting them over.
"To see them go away or be gradually defaced makes me sad because they've given me a sense of belonging in this community," said Brown, who still paints murals for a living.
"The murals enliven and inspire the lives of 20,000 people a day," he said.
The preservation society is conducting a public comment survey to determine how much Chapel Hill residents care about the murals. Comments can be e-mailed to savethemurals@mail.com.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(09/20/07 4:00am)
Mediterranean kitchen to open at downtown nightclub
Blend has launched a Mediterranean kitchen that is open daily from noon until late night just a block away from UNC campus. Blend is a club with a full-service bar and lounge.
The menu includes vegetarian foods such as hummus, falafel and borekas, as well as other lunch and dinner foods, such as chicken sandwiches, blend-burgers and chicken quesadillas.
The club is owned and managed by two brothers who are UNC graduates.
(04/12/07 4:00am)
Nathan Oliver
1. Describe your sound in visual terms.
"I am pretty sure we sound like suspiciously cuddly stuffed animals with fake blood all over them."
2. How do you see the role of local music?
"Being involved in the local music scene is empowering, especially in Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Durham.
The best part is that you don't really have to be anything more than yourself. I'm a dental student here at UNC and I really encourage everyone (especially students) to come out and try something different.
(03/29/07 4:00am)
MOVIEREVIEW
"TMNT"
1.5 stars
"TMNT" is an acronym of a title and an abbreviation of a movie, one that provides no lasting impact for a new generation of viewers and completely tarnishes the memories of our prior generation.
It is the "Godfather Part III" of kids' movies.
True, the original "Turtles" flicks were hardly Shakespeare (although, at the immature age when we saw them, our comparison might have been to Marlowe). But they were fun, they were offbeat, and let's face it, they were probably as good as a movie about ninja reptiles were gonna get.
This new incarnation, however, manages to dumb down whatever wit those films might have had, and when you consider that they were about a bunch of mutants who live in a sewer, that's really saying something.
What we basically have is a movie that will send the kids home bored, the parents home insulted, and us nostalgic college folk home feeling like crotchety old men, wielding our canes as we moan about the good ol' days.
Blame for this disappointment should largely be placed on the shoulders of writer/director Kevin Munroe, and true, he deserves a lion's share of it. But why stop the spread of wealth there?
Let's go to Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who are open about producing this movie because they knew it would make money. And to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird for creating characters who, once you grasp their basic concept, have nowhere to go but horizontal.
And, to accept a personal blow, myself. Not because I had a hand in the film's production, obviously, but because I'm partly responsible for whatever hype it has.
Yeah, critics are supposed to enter a theater unbiased and keep themselves out of it. But I was a Turtles fan as a kid. I donned Turtles sweatshirts, I played with Turtles action figures, I nearly wept when Santa didn't bring me a Technodrome one year, and when I met Raphael at Disney World, it was like meeting the president (who only dresses like a ninja in private).
So to hell with being unbiased. I entered the theater desperately wanting it to work if for no other reason than sweet vindication for all those years of childhood devotion.
And God, what a train wreck it is. The animation is in an awkward, puberty stage between bright and wannabe-dark, the lame plot about stars aligning or something makes zero sense, and the action consists of the turtles flatly hitting people with their weapons until the running time (a blessedly short 80ish minutes) said that's enough.
So please, stay away from this movie. See "300" again, which is just as lame-brained but 10 times more fun. Don't ruin whatever rosy images of the Turtles you might still have.
It might have been a dumb story, but darn it, it was OUR dumb story, and we grew up with it. This movie, on the other hand, is made for no one and has a shelf life of until the viewer wakes up the next day.
WRITER'S NOTE: Special props go to senior John Musci, who proposed that this article's headline be "Heroes and a half-star." Let it be known that it was in the running right along with "'Turtles' a shell of their former selves."
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(03/22/07 4:00am)
I. MULTIPLE CHOICE:
1. Which pop star did not make the cut to be a Mouseketeer?
A. Britney Spears C. Justin Timberlake
B. Jessica Simpson D. Christina Aguilera
2. Which artist has Rick Rubin not worked with?
A. LL Cool J D. David Bowie
B. Johnny Cash E. System Of A Down
C. Red Hot Chili Peppers
3. Which of the following rappers has NOT publicly dissed Jay-Z and Nas?
A. Jim Jones D. Cam'ron
B. Lil' Wayne E. None of the above
C. 50 Cent
4. The awkward, pubescent star of the viral music-video, "Aicha," goes by what name?
A. Jellyman D. Gunka Gunk
B. Butterman E. None of the above
C. Gellieman
5. In what season of American Idol did Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson get the boot?
A. 4 C. 3
B. 2 D. Who cares?
II. SHORT ANSWER:
1. Liking both Marvin Gaye and Art Garfunkel is like what?
2. List the titles of three Steven Seagal films - with a straight face.
3. Why did actor Buddy Ebsen turn down the role of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz?
4. While filming Jaws, what name did director Steven Spielberg and the crew give to the robotic shark?
5. Lea Salonga was the singing voice for Princess Jasmine in the Disney movie "Aladdin." For what other Disney heroine did Salonga do the singing voice?
6. What BBC (and PBS Masterpiece Theater) show made Hugh Laurie a comedic master long before his "House" days?
7. Which sitcom character lived in Jerry's apartment (5A) across from Kramer before Jerry moved in?
8. What disease do Simon and Garfunkel use to describe silence in "The Sound of Silence?"
9. Name one member of the janitor on "Scrubs'" squirrel army.
10. What musical instrument from the "Zelda" video game series later spawned a game of the same name?
11. In the movie "SLC Punk," what was Heroin Bob's illegal drug of choice?
III. FILL IN THE BLANK:
1. On The Simpsons, Comic Book Guy's real name is _______________.
2. Heavy-metal singer __________ invented the metal horns.
3. The name of the oft-delayed, slightly anticipated new studio album from Axl Rose and the remnants of Guns N' Roses is __________________.
4. _____________ is the longest-running science-fiction series on television.
5. ______________ is the best-selling debut rock album.
6. Best-picture winning film "The Departed" is a remake of the Hong Kong film _______________?
7. Before he appeared as McDreamy on "Grey's Anatomy," Patrick Dempsey played a sometimes mischievous Catholic school
boy in the 1980s movie, ________________?
IV. TRUE OR FALSE (if FALSE, please provide the correct answer):
1. "100 Trapped Passengers . 2,000 Venomous Vipers!" is the tagline for the 2006 film "Snakes on a Plane."
2. Belinda Carlisle played in a band called The Germs.
3. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were all members of the British band The Quarrymen.
4. You will be our friend on MySpace, www.myspace.com/dthdiversions.
5. In the 1980s TV series and accompanying film "Alien Nation," the aliens got drunk on root beer floats?
6. No song in the entire Beatles catalog features female vocals.
7. Three 6 Mafia is the only rap group or artist to win a Best Song Oscar. (Three 6 Mafia won for its song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,"
from the movie "Hustle & Flow.")
V. ESSAY:
1. What's eating Gilbert Grape?
2. What if God were one of us? Just a slob like one of us? Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home, nobody calling on the phone,
except the pope maybe in Rome? Sub-Question: If God had a MySpace, what song would be on His profile, and would you be His friend?
3. If you could create a fifth Ninja Turtle, what would be his name, choice of weapon and scholarly disposition?
4. Would you rather be forced to listen exclusively to Nickelback's entire catalog for the rest of your life, or be forced to listen to Creed's
"With Arms Wide Open" on repeat for the rest of your life? Why?
VI. OPEN-ENDED/OPINION & APPLICATION:
1. Draw a picture of yourself battling a (wo)man-eating shark. Bonus points if Batman's there.
2. How will we stop an army of the dead at our castle walls?
3. Explain in one paragraph which Hollywood hero is superior: Indiana Jones or James Bond. Provide at least three examples
to support your claim.
4. Sometimes people look like cartoon characters. Name any member of the Carolina basketball program and his/her animated
doppelganger (note: The Diversions section rabidly supports Carolina basketball).
5. What are the three best metal riffs of all time?
(09/14/06 4:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
The Duhks
Migrations
3.5 stars
The Duhks sound like - well, they sound like nothing that's been heard before, and that's a pretty hefty compliment.
Pronounced like Daffy and Donald's last names, The Duhks are a combination of folk, soul, gospel, samba, country, Irish dance and zydeco accordion-based style from Louisiana.
Migrations, the group's sophomore release on Sugar Hill, has it all. And it does it all well. The LP is like a trip around the world with stops in Brazil, rural America, Ireland and of course the members' native land, Canada.
"Ol' Cook Pot," the first song on the album, sounds like it was plucked (by a banjo) right out of rural North Carolina with its folksy and small-town vibe and country-cooking theme.
The Duhks don't forget their roots in "Down to the River," where they sing in the French that is native to their hometown of Manitoba.
The band puts an edge on traditional country, but it's a happy edge. In "Turtle Dove" lead singer Jessica Havey's voice puts a cheerful spin on the traditional bluesy folk song.
Folk does have a sunny side, and The Duhks are willing to let it shine.
The best song on the album is the cover of Tracy Chapman's "Mountains O' Things." It's not quite as soulful as Chapman, but is sung with just as much passion and musical talent.
The Duhks are often compared to Nickel Creek, but that is unfair. Just because two young bands play the same type of music does not mean they sound alike.
The Duhks set themselves apart with their obvious musical know-how in the album's two instrumentals and in their diversity, switching from river-dance style on "Three Fishers" to gospel on "Moses Don't Get Lost."
Migrations is a mixed bag of sounds and styles. It is something new, something different and something worthy of a second, third and fourth listen.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(04/28/06 4:00am)
The local business community saw its fair share of change this year.
The issue of turnover is a common one for the downtown business community, and this year was no different.
"The changes have been good," said Liz Parham, the executive director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership.
Besides the perennial shift in eateries, the downtown welcomed a new children's museum called Kidzu. The museum opened in early March at 105 E. Franklin St., the former home of the Laughing Turtle Home store.
"That's a great asset for the district," Parham said of the museum. "It will bring in a younger crowd."
The older Franklin Street patrons probably noticed that one of downtown's historic fast-food eateries shut down in February.
Hector's, which had been at 201 E. Franklin St. since 1969, closed briefly this year to make way for the East End Martini Bar's expansion.
The restaurant quickly reopened in March at 108 Henderson St., the former Off Franklin Bar and Grill location. "The new location is better; it's more clean," Juan Bautista, co-owner of the restaurant, said in March.
The move forced the restaurant to change its setup, as Hector's now has its kitchen closed off from customers, rather than in the dining area.
The old Hector's spot still is waiting to open up to the public.
East End plans to open up a night club called Uptown at the old restaurant venue. The club's opening was delayed because of confusion about a fire ordinance that requires new establishments to install a sprinkler system.
Co-owner Craig LaMontagne said in mid-April that he is working on what avenues to take to be exempted from this rule, which would delay the club's opening two more months.
Another eatery announced this year that it would be moving. El Rodeo is moving down a block, from 1404 E. Franklin St. to 1502 E. Franklin St.
Owner Rigo Ibarra said he is excited about the move. He does not know the exact move-in date, but he said it might happen in about two weeks.
The move will allow the restaurant to occupy a newer and larger space after 17 years in its bright-orange home. "We're going to have a much better place," Ibarra said.
Some older establishments closed their doors this year, after decades in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area.
Pace Gift Shop in Glen Lennox shopping center closed at the end of January after more than 53 years in business. Store owner Wendy Maxwell said she has been unable to find a buyer for the store.
Riggsbee-Hinson Furniture Co., 311 E. Main St., announced this spring that is was closing after a 58-year run in Carrboro.
The store closed as a result of lackluster business and the failing health of store owner Charles Browning, who died March 25
Co-manager Chip Browning, son of Charles Browning, said he is in the process of cleaning things up and "yard-selling things out of here."
He said it was difficult to operate a small business in the midst of competition from larger stores.
"People are more apt to go shopping at these giant stores."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/11/06 4:00am)
Orange County leaders loved that a plan finally had come together Monday night for Fairview Park in Hillsborough.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to accept the master plan for the site.
"It was 20 years ago when I first got elected, three or four recreation and parks directors ago, when the park was proposed, and it took 20 years to get a good product," said Stephen Halkiotis, vice chairman of the commissioners.
"Government crawls slower than a turtle," he added.
The campus, which will be made possible by a land swap between the county and the town of Hillsborough, will include a county public works site, picnic shelters, athletic fields, other recreational facilities and a site for future public works expansion.
The site, near the intersection of N.C. 86 and N.C. 57, is designed to give new use to an old playground and other undesirable sites.
"The northern part of the site is primarily former landfill," said David Stancil, county environment and resource conservation director.
The site also includes storm debris storage.
Halkiotis said he especially liked the name the master plan applied to the reclaimed area: The Meadow of Dreams.
It is set to be sown with grass and used for dog walking, bird watching and other outdoor recreational activities.
"The use of the word meadows is wonderful; you have taken what was an ugly dump, and you have turned it into a meadow," Halkiotis said.
John Link, county manager, had some concern that the meadow might be unsafe due to debris protruding from of the ground.
"I just want to make sure that we don't attract people to an area that's not yet ready," he said.
But Stancil said the meadow might be reconfigured to avoid such hazards, and Halkiotis said the park should not be
over-debated.
Fairview is the last bond-funded park in the county to get a master plan.
Bond money totaling $850,000 has helped fund the park that is estimated to cost $1.4 million.
The plan is slated to go before Hillsborough officials May 8.
Board Chairman Barry Jacobs asked that plans be posted in the window at Fairview Community Center.
Halkiotis also took the chance Monday to praise Marabeth Carr, the county employee who drew the plans, and said she did as good a job as the Charlotte consultant who previously had tried to draw plans for the site.
"Your department never whines," he said.
After the meeting, Stancil said he was happy with the officials' positive response.
"We're certainly very pleased to be able to move forward on the park."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(02/27/06 5:00am)
From dimples to donkeys, audience members provided dozens of the nation's premiere improvisational groups with countless off-the-wall performance suggestions this weekend at the sixth annual Dirty South Improv Festival.
The event featured 23 multi-set shows, making it the largest in the festival's history - third only to Chicago and New York in scale, organizers said.
"Having our own theater has made this the first year where we can have multiple venues available," said Zach Ward, DSI Theater executive producer. "If you miss the start of one show, all you have to do is drive a mile and go see another show that starts in 30 minutes."
Rene Duquesnoy, who performed at and hosted Friday's Gerrard Hall show as a member of the DSI Chicago group, The Beatbox, said the change of venue greatly improved this year's festival.
"The first time I was here three years ago it was in Hamilton (Hall) - two shows Friday and two shows Saturday," he said. "We were even performing in bars and ice cream parlors, stuff like that, and now we have our own home. It's incredible."
Duquesnoy said that despite its initial small scale, the unique atmosphere of the festival was the key factor in wanting to come back year after year.
"The cool thing about this festival is that it brings the college improv scene and the professional improv scene together," he said.
From the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre of New York City to Clemson University's Mock Turtle Soup, the six-day spectacle, featuring performances on- and off-campus, attracted 68 improv teams. Despite the fame of some groups, Ward said, no group tried to make an effort to headline the festival.
"What we are really dedicated to at DSI is the education of improv as an art form," he said. "Everyone at this festival is coming together to play and take workshops, not to compete."
Sophomore David Greenslade, director of CHiPs, UNC's student improv team, said the mingling of college and professional improv troupes proved rewarding.
"I like the fact that, in the workshops, the college and national scenes are brought together, but when it comes to performing it can be incredibly stressful."
Ward said he hopes that the festival will excite local improv lovers and draw them in to take workshops at the new DSI space in Carrboro.
Jaki Bradley, a new member in the CHiPs training program, said she enjoyed the festival workshops, which were capped at 15 people.
After attending several shows and workshops, Bradley said the festival was a bit overwhelming.
"Even though I'm done, I feel like I should be performing right now."
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(01/17/06 5:00am)
Giggles, Play-Doh, scraped knees, finger paints and sticky Popsicle remains soon will find a home in a rather unusual place.
As of March 7, the bustling shopping and dining center that is Franklin Street will be home to a new resident: the Kidzu Children's Museum - formerly the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Children's Museum.
The museum's first exhibit will feature Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," which will allow children to dress up like "wild things," sail a pretend ocean and slide into a bowl of chicken soup with rice.
The nonprofit museum will move into 105 E. Franklin St., the former home of Laughing Turtle Home gift and apparel store, until a larger, more permanent home for the museum is found.
"I think we're going to be great for downtown," said Jonathan Mills, museum co-founder and president of its board of directors.
The museum's executive director, Cathy Maris, said bringing children to Franklin Street will "affect the spirit of the community."
Maris said Franklin Street is a great place for a children's museum because other family attractions are located on or near the street, such as the Ackland Art Museum, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and the Chapel Hill Museum.
There are also shops, restaurants and other businesses close by, as well as bus routes that make it easy to visit downtown Chapel Hill, Maris said.
And unlike some museums with roped showcases and hands-off policies, the children's museum is an interactive place where families learn by playing, which Maris said is becoming a popular attraction.
"This is a time when a lot of children's museums are emerging," she said.
"We're a part of a larger phenomenon."
Mills and Maris both said they hope University students will be interested in volunteering at the museum.
For more information on how to get involved, e-mail info@kidzuchildrensmuseum.org or contact Tina Clossick at 360-1059.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(09/20/05 4:00am)
If kids learn by playing, then what better place is there to learn than Franklin Street?
(11/18/04 5:00am)
"The Last Samurai" - Tom Cruise delivers an amazing performance in this film as a haunted Civil War veteran whose experience slaughtering Native Americans qualifies him to do the same to the ancient samurai culture in Japan.
(11/18/04 5:00am)
With last week's announcement that there will soon be a Polo Ralph Lauren Rugby store opening on Franklin Street, local business officials are speculating on what that will mean for area business.
(09/30/04 4:00am)
Local businesses will soon see $38,000 floating around town in the form of gift certificates issued by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.
(11/21/02 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Not so long ago, the National Football League aired a series of public service announcements that ended with a common command:
(10/16/02 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Like most college students, senior Jonas Streich will do almost anything for a little extra spending money
(10/03/02 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Whether your Thursday night goal is to listen to Radiohead on the jukebox, sip a martini while listening to a jazz trio or simply consume as many draught pitchers as humanly possible, one of downtown Chapel Hill's 28 bars has what you're looking for.
(09/27/02 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Franklin Street is known primarily for its long-time establishments, not its young upstarts.
