BELLOWS FALLS — Determined to keep the Bellows Falls Opera House open, the Rockingham Select Board agreed last week to authorize special spending to keep the town-operated movie theater going.
Town Manager Scott Pickup made the request last week because the town had not included any funding for the Opera House in the 2021-22 budget, in the anticipation that a citizen-led group would take over operation of the theater.
While negotiations are ongoing, Pickup said, there is no agreement with RED, a group led by local artist Charlie Hunter.
The town reopened the Opera House around June 15, and so far, Pickup said, response has been less than anticipated.
But he said some of the more popular action movies of the summer are coming up, which should attract big crowds to the restored theater, which is located in the Rockingham Town Hall.
It was rare in the past that the movie theater, which was run as a division of the town’s recreation department, paid for itself, said Pickup, noting that, in some years, the operating deficit hit as high as $300,000.
The board agreed to a stop-gap funding measure, and appropriated $60,000 toward keeping the theater’s bills paid and staff employed for at least the next two months. The board indicated it wants to go month by month, rather than a full, 12-month appropriation.
The town is still hoping, Pickup said, for a federal coronavirus pandemic grant for theaters and other arts venues that were forced to close because of the coronavirus. The manager said the “shuttered venue” grant application is still on “active status.” The grant would cover close to a year of expenses, he said.
The board discussed whether it needs to hold a special town meeting to appropriate the funds to run the theater.
But Pickup said the board has the power to authorize spending in this circumstance.
“We don’t want to do deficit spending,” said Select Board Chairman Peter Golec, who said the funds could come out of the town’s ongoing fund balance while the town waits for the grant and an agreement.
“Sixty days gives us a cushion to operate,” said Pickup.
Pickup said the town is committed to showing first-run films this summer. He said the theater’s expenses were between $30,000 and $35,000 a month. “It’s an expensive property,” he said, noting some of the expense is the theater paying a share of the bond issue that paid for the renovation of the town hall, including the theater.
Pickup said he is still working with Hunter, who at one point in his career was a music promoter, about the non-profit’s interest in the theater. Hunter, who couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday, has said in the past he wants the theater to include first-run movies, old movies, as well as special concerts and events.
But he said that the year-long-plus shutdown from the coronavirus has upended his plans as well.
Two long-time Opera House employees, Jen and Tim Heidbrink, are the current managers of the theater.
Select Board member Bonnie North said one way to raise additional cash for the theater is to increase the screen advertisements which are shown before the start of the movies.
“Twenty-five dollars an ad? That’s crazy,” said North, noting that in other media, $25 gets you nothing.
North also questioned why Rockingham taxpayers are in essence subsidizing out-of-town movie goers, who pay the same $6 as Rockingham residents.
"House" - Google News
July 14, 2021 at 06:15AM
https://ift.tt/3r6fQvh
Rockingham spends $60,000 to keep Opera House going | Local News | benningtonbanner.com - Bennington Banner
"House" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2q5ay8k
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Rockingham spends $60,000 to keep Opera House going | Local News | benningtonbanner.com - Bennington Banner"
Post a Comment