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Centre Theatre goes up for sale

By Bill Vander Weele

Sidney Herald
Published on Friday, March 5, 2010 4:03 PM MST

The owners of Centre Theatre have decided to put the movie theater up for sale.

“At this point, we don’t know what we’re going to do,” Vena Mecklenburg, manager of the theater, said. “It’s not too much work, but it can’t stand on its own (financially) right now.”

Since reopening the theater last summer, owners Alvin and Doris Miller have spent about $60,000 in repairing the theater, Mecklenburg said.

The good news for the community is that the plan is to keep the theater open until a new owner is found.

“We aren’t going to close it until the sale,” Mecklenburg said.

She added they are open to negotiate or thinking of other solutions. Mecklenburg would like to keep renting the space for her salon. She isn’t opposed to continue managing the theater under new ownership.

She comments that maybe some “rich” individual would be interested in buying the theater for a tax write-off.

Mecklenburg said the challenges Centre Theatre face includes people going to the theaters in Williston, N.D. Often, Williston has new releases three or four weeks prior to Sidney. Another challenge is that families are busy with many sports activities.

editor@sidneyherald.com

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Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of the Sidney Herald.

Just an idea wrote on Apr 24, 2010 7:22 PM:

" Would it be possible for the local high schools to take this on as a project? Maybe learning to run a business. The BPA's or something. Also, if teens are running it as a project, it may be more likely to be a popular place to go! Just an idea. "

miffed wrote on Apr 2, 2010 7:50 PM:

" Oh and one other thing, the green line on the screen was not the projector, it was a scratch on the film,which came to us that way. That was on the Blind side, that film was in such bad shape that they sent us another copy to replace it. "

miffed wrote on Apr 1, 2010 11:40 PM:

" I ran out of space and I wasn't finnished.
I have heard all of these ideas from someone before who now has an axe to grind, and I could be wrong but I think there are too many similarities for it to be a coincidence. as far as what was said about the concessions , I beg to differ with you. The popcorn is popped up fresh every day, so I don't see how it could be stale , and Blue Rock is in charge of the pop, all we do is pull the lever on the pop machine. So NEW IDEAS if you have a close friend or relative that works for Blue Rock you might want to be careful what you say. As far as you running for office,I
think that would be a great idea, you can promise the moon and spend lots of money but have no clue as to what it will take to get the money or the work involved in accomplishing what you have promised. Yes you would make great politician. "

miffed wrote on Apr 1, 2010 11:19 PM:

" Well, for starters we were blind sided by this article as we had no idea that it was going to be published, there are a few things stated that are inaccurate.
As for new ideas, it all sounds great, but what you are talking about will cost money(lots and lots of it.)The movie prices are set by the movie companies and we are already as low as we are allowed to go. Being in the building business and having a good idea of what the renovations would cost to accomplish what you have suggested would not only be impractical but impossible as our reserves are tapped out. Hosting all the activities you have stated would take lots of time and manpower (and of course money)which we do not have at our disposal as we have jobs we have to go to to make ends meet.If you get the newly released movies it costs an arm and a leg down payment and then you are stuck with that movie for three weeks and are not allowed to show anything else but that movie for that three weeks. I could be wrong, but I think that NEW IDEAS and TO NEW IDEAS are the same person having to pat (him-herself) on the back because nobody else would. "

To New Ideas wrote on Mar 19, 2010 5:52 PM:

" It is because of people like you that communities prosper! You should run for office! I think your ideas are innovative and refreshing not to mention practical. I say we have the plan lets go forward with it. The owners have stated that will hold on to it for a little longer I say bring the ideas to them and see if they can implement them. I would say if they could get the business to pull in a little more revenue itll look like a better business to buy into. We need to stop complaining and learn something from "New Ideas". "

gold fish wrote on Mar 16, 2010 10:05 AM:

" Let it fill with water and make it an indoor pool - with bumper boats "

NEW IDEAS wrote on Mar 15, 2010 6:49 PM:

" when we heard the theater was for sale we (my husband and I) actually considered buying it. I truly think the town should own it and I have lots of ideas....
1. Have a "Time-out Tuesday" -old movies or "Mama Monday's"-romantic comedies $4 a seat (video rental fee)
2. Get some arcade games and concessions and some tables with wi fi
3. Have a "Family Friday" show family films for only $20/family
4. GET BETTER CONCESSIONS I am sorry but the concessions there stink! the popcorn is stale and the pop tastes watered down.
5. During the day instead of being closed open at 3pm and have Teen Time from 3pm-9pm-Mon-thurs for $3. stay open till 12am on friday and saturday with Dances once a month at $6. have the tables and chairs and arcade games,tv with a Wii and some bean bags, music and concessions for the teens to hang out, maybe even a pool table or air hockey table. Everyone is constantly complaining all our teens do is drink. I agree. But shut up and put up. Lets give them someplace to go and chill out! Where can they go? their parents (pulease, what teen wants to do that) or drive around or go to one of the many parties around town.

There would be plenty of room if you cut the theater seating in the middle and take all the seats out from the middle back. Make a wall and that can be the teen room. "

Loves A Movie wrote on Mar 13, 2010 12:49 PM:

" I always have enjoyed a good theatre experience. When I was younger, before VHS and video stores, I always went out to see the movies. At least twice a week I think it was. Today, as much as I hate to say it, it's just not practical to go to the movies. It's cheaper to buy the DVD then it is to take my family to the theatre and then throw in the cost of the soda and snacks. See what I mean. When you get up to use the facilities or buy a soda or snack, you can't pause the movie so you miss part of it. I'm sure I don't need to explain the convenience of a rental or owning a DVD. When you have a town full of low income people, you got to get by the best you can. Sorry to say it but that's just the way it is. "

Get a life wrote on Mar 13, 2010 10:06 AM:

" Who started this rant about people saying "I drink because there is nothing else to do"?I drink because I feel like it and don't really care what others think about it.I've not heard people in the bars saying that,so were are you getting it from?You read something someone posted a week ago and now that's why everybody drinks?Because they have nothing to do?And nobody said if you live in a cow town you drink so learn how to read before you comment.The comment said that's what SOME people like to do in a cow town so get a life and go stick your nose somewhere else.It's not like anyone in Sidney needs your blessing to drink.It seems Sidney has an overwhelming number of people that want to tell others how to live there life but you want to do it hiding behind the comment section of the newspaper.This was about the movie theater,not WHY DO PEOPLE IN SIDNEY DRINK??How many of you crying about those who drink can't seem to push yourselves away from the table or stay out of your refrigerator long enough to lose a pound?You talk as if everyone who drinks in town is running around smashed and driving all over running down pedestrians.So once again "get a life"mind your own business and you won't have time to mind mine. "

IliveInAcowtown wrote on Mar 13, 2010 4:46 AM:

" I too hope we can keep the theater in Sidney. I don't blame the seven theater screens in Williston...their owners keep enough new movies playing for their residents to honor the contract. It is hard to get the newer movies in Sidney, when you have just the one screen. But, I will continue to support the movies in Sidney as long as they stay open. As far as nothing to do but drink, and that is what people in "cow towns" do...hate to burst your bubble, but young people and people in general drink because they have nothing to do in places like Billings, Bismarck, Minneapolis, Denver, etc... etc... too. Underage or problem drinking is NOT exclusive to just "cow towns". Drinking because there is nothing else to do, is just a lame excuse to drink and get drunk...and it will always be just that. "

Penny wrote on Mar 12, 2010 4:15 PM:

" We have went to the movie more since it has been reopened then we ever did before, and we don't go to Williston to go to the movies or get groceries. We maybe go to the movie every other month or if there is something my kids really want to see. I would take my kids more often on the weekends, if the matinee prices were a little lower.
I have also had someone mention to me that maybe they should do a classic movie night once a month, and run one of the really great older movies like "Casablanca" or "Gone with the Wind" there are lots of us who would pay to see those on the big screen since we never have gotten a chance to before. Maybe even do the Star Wars movies or Lord of the Rings movies, before the new Twilight movie comes out run Twilight and New Moon the two nights prior. I think there are lots of interesting things that could be done. I don't know how realistic they are but it might not hurt to try them. "

flickchick wrote on Mar 12, 2010 1:17 PM:

" It's not just the expense of getting a "first-run" movie. When a theatre buys a "first-run" movie (a "new" movie that can be shown on it's release date), the theater also has to sign a contract to show the movie for a certain number of days and a certain # of shows. This usally means every day, twice a day, for two weeks or more. We just don't have enough movie-goers in Sidney to support that type of contract. "

hmmm wrote on Mar 12, 2010 10:47 AM:

" I would be more than willing to support the theater even with older movies, if they fixed the projector so there wasn't a green line running through the picture on the left side and the right side so dark and shadowed you can hardly see. When you pay 30 bucks for your kids to see a show, you'd like to actually see the show. "

yes please wrote on Mar 12, 2010 10:02 AM:

" What I am saying is that I don't think that Sidney is too small for a theater. It's actually much bigger than the town I grew up in. So it would be nice if there could be some way the community could run it.

BTW, I do drink (gasp). I just think that there are many other things to do, and a theater is a great thing for a town to have! "

What wrote on Mar 12, 2010 8:12 AM:

" "yes please" nobody is whining there is nothing to do in Sidney but drink there saying if you don't want to drink then don't but other then that mind your own business when others drink.The only whining I'm seeing going on are people whining about those who drink.Get real you live in a small cow town in eastern Montana there will always be drinking because that's what a lot of folks like to do.This comment section wasn't even about drinking until you made it about drinking.If you frown that much on drinking then don't do it.I think you and "please" need to pack your bags and move to a convent you're out of your element here. "

Discounts wrote on Mar 11, 2010 1:14 PM:

" "Please" I support Sidney whenever I can. I also support the Theatre as much as possible even after I have already seen the movie in Williston. I do get tired of waiting for Sidney to have the movie and while i wait, hear about it from everyone else who as already seen it. It may cost more money for them to get it sooner, i don't know. Maybe the owners should briefly explain the proccess of geting a movie for the Theatre so we may better understand. Sidney has a little of everything and yet nothing at all. But they can order it for me. There are many things you have to go out of town for but i do buy what i can here in town. "

Small Town Down wrote on Mar 11, 2010 12:14 PM:

" That theater will never see the hay days of when the Sucksdorfs owned it again.Kind of like the days of The Dutch Mill Drive In theater now Millers Corners or when Sidney actually had an A&W.Days long gone by and at a time where you have NetFlix BlockBuster and Movies on demand it would be hard to make a theater work in a town the size of Sidney today and I'm sure it's not a bed of roses for Williston theater ether.I mean in a town where you can't keep a Hardies functioning as a restaurant it's just a matter of time before the theater is a big casino.I mean it takes an act of congress just to get KFC to stay open long enough to sell any chicken. "

Supporter wrote on Mar 11, 2010 10:29 AM:

" If there is something I want to see bad enough that I will drive to Williston for (it has happened twice) then its something I wouldn't mind seeing two times. If I go to Williston, I also go here when it arrives, otherwise I just wait for it to get here. There are times when I could just wait for it to be on video but I would miss not having a theater here so my family does its best to support it. Its also a lot friendlier service than you get at a lot of other theaters and the price really isn't any higher (lower in a lot of cases) than you pay elsewhere. "

yes please wrote on Mar 11, 2010 10:07 AM:

" In ND there are several community-owned theaters. It does take committment on the part of the communities, however.

Having grown up in a town 1/5 the size of Sidney with a wonderful movie theater, it's a shame to think of Sidney without one.

Maybe the people who are whining about how there's nothing to do here but drink should put their money where their mouth is. "

ben wrote on Mar 10, 2010 8:48 PM:

" why dont the county buy it they have money for everything else "

Please wrote on Mar 10, 2010 8:27 PM:

" How ironic that many say there's nothin to do in Sidney, but won't support businesses such as the theater when nice people like the Mecklenburgs go to the expense and effort to provide such a service. Thank you and God bless them for trying! "

movielover wrote on Mar 10, 2010 11:03 AM:

" i agree, if i really want to see a movie that i've been wanting to see, i will just go to williston because i dont want to wait another month to watch it. but if they were to lower prices or make it a different exsperience somehow i might go. or....get the movie sooner. "

Discounts wrote on Mar 9, 2010 3:08 PM:

" I guess they will have to consider the cost of getting the movies here as quick as Williston does vs. the money they lose waiting weeks longer. Keep trying and I hope it picks up for them. "

Keepin it Real wrote on Mar 8, 2010 2:21 PM:

" It will pick up again this spring, don't give up yet! "

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