The Shareshians have stepped into the void left when the Varsity Theatre on Franklin Street closed last summer. They are doing extensive renovations to the venerable theater and plan to re-open it this month.

That is wonderful news indeed -- but it gets better. They plan to show classic films and mainstream recent releases, with a lot of attention given to presenting films that will appeal to various age groups. Tickets to all shows: three bucks. They say the theater also will be outfitted to accommodate birthday parties, corporate functions and other events.

The 80-year-old Varsity was showing its age, unquestionably, and in its previous incarnation it fell victim to various forces, some local and some global. Trying to resurrect it in the same guise would be, we suspect, a losing proposition. If it's going to come back to life, it will have to be in a different form. The Shareshians appear to recognize that, and to be willing and able to take a shot at making it happen. A resurrected and thriving Varsity would be a great boost to downtown.

Roses to Carrboro Elementary School's Emily Bivins, who was named the Principal of the Year in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

Among the nice things about this is that she was selected for the honor by her fellow district principals. They know how much goes into the job of being a principal, and they know a good one when they see one.

Bivins will go on and represent the district in the competition for regional and state honors.

Few jobs are more important than educating our children -- and not only in those subjects that are on the end-of-grades, but in the areas that don't have a bubble on the test sheet, like respect, effort and cooperation.

While teachers have most of the direct contact with, and therefore influence on, students, it's the principal who sets the tone. Look at a good school and you'll find a good principal.

Raspberries to the unknown party or parties who sent out mass political endorsement mailings that appeared to be in violation of state laws shortly before Tuesday's local elections.

The mailed postcards, which supported Chapel Hill mayoral candidate Mark Kleinschmidt and criticized one of his opponents, Matt Czajkowski, included a cryptic attribution, saying something called "CHC, PAC" had paid for them.

Problem is, no such political action committee has been registered in Orange County, as is required by law. Nor did the mailings acknowledge that Kleinschmidt had not endorsed them. That's also a violation.

Kleinschmidt said the mailings were as much a mystery to him as they were to everyone else; he didn't authorize them, he said, and he wouldn't have authorized them if he'd been asked.

This has been a contentious campaign. It's hard enough when everybody follows the rules; the last thing we need is anyone ignoring them.