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JANUARY 11, 2012
ISSUE NUMBER 27 • PARK RIVER, NORTH DAKOTA
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SINGLE COPY $1.00
While an early January snowfall was enough to coat the area,
the temperatures have been remarkably high at around 50 de-
grees, Temperatures have lent themselves to more outdoor ac-
tivity, but with little snow to work with, these students made do
with the dirt, grass, and snow they could roll up on a Friday af-
ternoon, Above: Alex Midgarden (front) and Brandon Houser
found.enougizx, a wJ .mlt in s' ( ble nowballsafter school
on Friday. Right: Mitchell Shirek found this snow ball got a lit-
tle hard to move all by himself.
Bringing new life to t]he L ric
rtc
By Allison Olimb
of The Press
PARK RIVER, N.D. The lights of the Lyric in Park River
turn on each Friday night while kids line up at the door wanting
a chance at the free popcorn offered to the first five in the the-
ater.
It is a promotion that Julie Bandt, the theater's manager, has
been running in an attempt to get more people in the seats and
keep Park River's main street movie screen in business. Now,
with the threat of changing technology only a year away, Bandt
and the theater owners have decided that it is time to kick it up
a notch if Park River is going to be able to keep those lights on
each weekend.
The Lyric Theatre opened in 1915. After a number of shows
and a number of owners through the decades, the theater closed.
In February of 2003 the Community Development Corporation
took control of the operation. The nonprofit group has been run-
n'mg it ever since.
So far, the theater has been getting by with Bandt working as
the manager for the corporation, and volunteers working con-
cessions, taking tickets and cleaning up each weekend in ex-
change for pop, popcorn, candy, and a free movie.
Tom Larson, one of the people behind the Community De-
velopment Corporation, explained that any money made goes
fight back into the theater. This past year alone the operation
met with a number of financial challenges the heater, air con-
ditioning, and the projector sound motor all needed to be re-
paired or replaced. Now, Larson said, all smaller movie houses
are faced with a looming deadline of having to switch to digital
projectors.
Currently, the majority of film releases are run on digital and
a very small amount are run on 35mm film, which the Lyric
uses, however, the industry will be switching completely to dig-
ital format in 2013.
Even without the added expense the theater will be facing
with digital, the films that are released to the available format do
not come cheap.
Bandt said that as soon as films become available to the Lyric
the theater's booker let's her know usually, with only a few
days notice. Most of the films the Lyric receives have a cost of
40 percent of the gate. The cost is up to 90 percent for new re-
leases.
Depending on attendance, the expense is either that percent-
age or a minzmum fee.
"We're payml the minimum father than the percentage," said
Larson explaining that too often the theater doesn't make
enough to hit the minimum.
But, they are looking to change that.
Bandt said that there are four parts to the plan to hopefully re-,
juvenate the theater.
The concessions stand will be offering pizza by the slice from
PR Square as well as nachos and popcorn flavorings in addition
to their current concession items.
"We rely on our concessions sales," Larson said.
Bandt said they keep the cost low and discourage people from
brining in ou,tcs__ide food to try keep concession sales up and add
to the theater s revenue.
The theater will be hosting free movie Thursdays to bring
more folks in and generate revenue through concession sales.
Bandt said that she puts the weekend's film together on
name
rLn,
By Allison Olimb causes. One of which would
of The Press bring a local name to a larger-
GRAND FORKS, N.D. than-life memorial.
On Jan. 19-21, Grand Forks According to the event co-
will be host to an event dubbed ordinators, "Sunshine Fest is a
"Sunshine Fest". The event or- Fundraising Campaign to ben-
ganizers have turned whatefit the Greater Grand Forks
began as the Sunshine Sun$hlne Feat
Walk/Fun Run into a three-dayColott./pa,ge,
event in support of three
By Tynan Nelson
for The Press
PARK RIVER, N.D. The Parks and
Recreation Department in Park River is
reaching out to technology for a new
fundraising opportunity.
They are hosting a "Virtual Mall" fund-
raising service on their website and are
offering "Virtual Bricks" to raise funds
for their programs and services. The "Vir-
tual Mall" is a collection of online stores
that are advertised on the Parks and
Recreation's website that will donate a
percentage of their sales to the depart-
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ment. There are a wide variety of stores
with a range of goods from everyday sup
plies to specialized products including
names such as Wal-Mart, Game Stop,
iTunes and more.
According to Todd Kjelland, PR Parks
nated automatically to Park River Parks
and Rec.
The other opportunity to participate in
the fundraiser is through the "Virtual
Brick" advertising campaign. A "Virtual
Brick" is a space on the "Virtual Mall"
& Rec Manager who also maintains the that you can purchase with at least a $10
site, all you needs to do to participate in donation to the Parks and Recreation de-
the fundraiser is simply visit the Parks partment. With your donation, your name
and Recreation website at www.pr-will be displayed on the website and your
parks.com, click the "Virtual Mall" ban- money will go to help fund the many
ner and then find and click the store that events and programs that the Parks and
interests you. By shopping through the Recreation Department provides to the
online mall, a percentage back will be do- community.
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Republican district
Public Notice
See paKe 6
