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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The Scenic Theater in Lisbon will stay open thanks to over 300 local donations and a recent grant from USDA Rural Development. The fundraising campaign, Save Our Scenic or S.O.S., raised over 0,000 to make the required transition from film to digital technology to deliver major motion pictures.
“I’ll be honest, we, as a committee, had high expectations,” said S.O.S committee chair Amy Lyons. “This community as well as those surrounding surpassed our expectations with their positive response and overwhelming generosity. We are truly blessed to be living in such a supportive community.”
Established in 1911, the historic Scenic Theater in Lisbon is the oldest, continually operating theater in the United States. Almost forced to go dark, The Scenic, like many small-town theaters, are struggling with the high cost to convert from a film to digital format. The 35-millimeter film had been an industry standard for more than a hundred years, but Hollywood studios will stop printing on actual film by the end of the year. To keep up with technology, theaters must purchase all new specialized equipment to show movies.
Intent on preserving the community’s theater, a group of seven local residents organized the Save Our Scenic campaign in April of this year. In the short span of three months, they raised over $74,000. To help the campaign reach its goal, USDA Rural Development awarded the City of Lisbon a $47,500 grant for the technology upgrade.
“The community support behind this project is remarkable,” said Jasper Schneider, USDA Rural Development state director. “Our office received several letters of support from all ages. We are proud to be a partner in preserving the historic theater for people all around the region to enjoy.”
The equipment has been purchased by the City of Lisbon who will lease it at a nominal fee to theater owners, Al and Betty Michels. Installation should be complete by the end of July. To celebrate the successful campaign, a Donor Appreciation Event will be held in Lisbon, Tuesday, July 9th at the Sandager Park Pavilion beginning at 6:00 PM. There will be a ceremony and free picnic meal for all those who attend.