Volunteers still needed to restore Park Theater
When passing through downtown McMinnville, we tend to forget the historic aspects we actually possess.
What was once a crowded Main Street with people lining the sidewalks from the library to the old Brown Hotel is now a few yards shy of a ghost town. The reason for this is the slow deterioration of the city and extreme lack of public interest.
Although the buildings along Main Street have begun to show signs of life, some have gone the extra step in trying to completely restore a tradition that passed along with other things in hopes of bringing our city back to its old self.
Many years back it was common to see cars lining the street in front of the old Park Theater. People came from all ends of the county to enjoy a bag of popcorn, an ice-cold Dr Pepper and a classic James Stewart movie. It’s where teenagers came to steal their first kisses and older folks came to have a good laugh at the popular comedies of Jerry Lewis.
Bill Moore, who happens to be my grandfather, recalls working the concession stand of the theater as a young man and slipping on in to enjoy a good movie himself. Every weekend, people would race to the theater to ensure a good seat and a fun night with the family. Sadly though, the theater would be closed, leaving the Park tradition lost. The old building has since been used for other things, but nothing could compare to the old theater. So, in hopes of bringing it back to its old self, many have begun restoring this historic building.
The Park Theater Group is working every Saturday from 8 a.m. to around 3 p.m. and is making significant progress. After selling materials from the demolition inside the theater, the group made over $2,000 last Saturday.
Although this is a good start, the group still needs more public participation in the restoration effort. Many more are expected to turn out this Saturday to buy more materials. The group welcomes anyone and everyone to help out and volunteer.
The Park Theater was an amazingly beautiful building and it can only be its old self again with more help from the community. Anyone interested in helping with demolition is asked to contact Pam Pallas or Sam Allen.
Josh Hicks
117 Tony’s Lane
McMinnville