Page 6 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Tuesday, February 15, 2011
LETTERS Colonial Theater can once again be center of our city’s vitality To the editor, Recently, the potential for the return of the performing arts to Laconia has made progress with respect to a future revitalization and the reopening of the historic Colonial Theater for live arts and film. City Hall is helping to broker the facility to potential suitors/ investors and there is a movement in progress to have it recognized by the National Registry of Historic Places — something long overdue. The “world premier” of the epic film, “The Return to Peyton Place” was in that theatre – the world premiere! Live performances by know celebrities once filled the 1915 venue for decades. The recent meeting at the Belknap Mill on January 31 showed forward progress and a glass half-full, not half-empty. There has been a request by the city manager to bring the public “back into the fold” and the energy is still there for those with vision and imagination, not the negativity of one or two naysayers who attended the presentation of the feasibility report by Webb Consulting. The Friends of the Colonial need to step up to the plate now and become proactive! There have been local citizen groups, social media websites (Facebook) and media input into endorsing its revival as a focal point for the downtown rebirth of businesses that would “support the performing arts and a return of vitality” to the area in general, not just for Laconia. Some residents have written letters and made suggestions over 10 years, citing the historic value of the building and the need for the arts. Residents cited the benefits: those venues aside from local entertainment, being restaurants, gift shops, clothing stores, cafes and shops, etc. that would augment/and benefit from a venue that once “drew” locals and “out of state visitors” year-round. It would revitalize the economy and meet social, community-based activities and functions including school performances/dance recitals in dire need of a larger venue. Distinguished speakers, political events and cabaret style performances have also been suggested as sustained income generators in addition to relevant musical attractions that draw (i.e nationally know comedians, folk, jazz and R&B notables) and fill 1,000 seats. Many other towns in N.H. have achieved similar projects, some eight or nine, and had their city council’s support. Community support, the people, achieved each task successfully. To date, the renovation efforts in Laconia have been overseen somewhat autonomously by City Hall but local advocates for the arts are anxious to help, hands on. Prior comments by some city council members were less encouraging in the past . . .reluctant to jump in like other towns have successfully done. To the point that “it was not the council’s responsibility to revive the downtown.” Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes their leadership and supportive residents in toto. We have a mayor who sees the project as vital and important to the city and community — a problem-solver in thought and deeds. Part of the plan for the Colonial’s
revival considered options/or the utilization of nearby facilities to attract a private owner(s) and facilitate the process of a renaissance of the entire Baldi block. Some have regarded the project as “stand alone” and others as a “grander scheme” . . . with broader vision of the block in total. The Webb consulting group “for feasibility” leans that way as well — a grander scheme. They have done this before, over 200 times across the USA. Laconia residents need to listen to them for we are not reinventing the wheel here; Laconia is not the only town to take on such a task and succeed. Step-wise it is doable. A student project by graphic and architectural designer graduate student, Stephanie Wentworth, was on private display in the Belknap Mill (courtesy of John Moriarty, director) for some time and her brilliant collation of the theater and surrounding buildings (including Bloom’s) was a masterpiece in conceptual architecture and broad utility. It was free consulting as well, volunteer assisted. The display harbored and married a restaurant and the performance center, atriums, general utility space and walkways that would have impressed the late, Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries. Few in the public sector had the opportunity to see Ms. Wentworth’s display that incorporated structural changes that would meet needed codes, new novel seating designs of 800-900 and set designs and decor, right down to the fabrics for the drapes and accent pieces that mimicked the old photos of the famed Colonial in 1915. It addressed the Italian frescos in need of repair and the gilded ceilings/stage and related accoutrements, which Mr. Piscopo had originally built. The area where Bloom’s currently resides was to be a multipurpose area for entertainment, food or the potential of a culinary institute and restaurant/cafe. It was meant to be multifunctional to appeal during ‘off theater hours” and generate income and open-air vitality/ camaraderie to meet those needs, pre and post performances. With Bloom’s unavailable, the local community college still supports the overall project in a revised form, as the current president has recently ascribed. Some months back, when we were invited for personal input by the New York consultants (Duncan Webb; Webb Management Services, NYC) regarding the feasibility of the Colonial project in general, the interviewer indicated that the Webb staff was to view Ms. Wentworth’s project /conceptual design at the Belknap Mill before they returned to N.Y. Some of Webb’s staff may have seen it for Duncan Webb was complimentary of the idea, even at the January 31 open forum. An extended public viewing of Stephanie’s concept would have benefited the public and still could be beneficial. No words can replace the visual impact and the public still needs to see it, if not for inherent value, but for continuity! We, who support the Colonial’s “rebirth,” do not take issue with the entrepreneurial spirit of the people that will occupy Bloom’s as an antique
center or with Mr. Bloom for that matter. . . It was their right to pursue that avenue with Mr. Bloom and its vacancy to date surely a financial hardship to the owner I suspect. A modification of Stephanie’s ideas could still involve other portions of the same city block. A Plan B perhaps. Her original vision (Plan A) conceptually augmented “the saleability of the Colonial” if one were to follow the successful model of the Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center in Plymouth N.H. — recent renovations of a historic theatre, lobby and restaurant combination. Alex Ray (Common Man) had that same vision. . . and a similar approach in Laconia makes sense to maximize the Colonial’s vast utility and potential economic impact. . . for it should not be viewed as Laconia specific, but of a “wider geographical impact,” county and state wide. The recent loss of Bloom’s availability makes Ms. Wentworth’s vision and brilliant architectural design somewhat less applicable in toto, but leaves a portion still feasible if the city/new owners go forth with some of her preconceived ideas. A future owner may have his/her own agenda and architectural design, but would find her vision appealing and feasible in the grand scheme of things.
Retrospectively, the loss of Bloom’s may have been an opportunity missed by the city (an option to hold would have been nice) but the new occupants will remain a piece of the overall puzzle and a perpetual “draw” to the downtown. The Citizen and The Sun recently ran editorials or articles that looked at the comparative perception of a “glass half full” or “half empty” as to how the Colonial’s appeal to buyers and support will fare from this point on. The project remains positive and overwhelmingly community-supported as indicative of the attendance at the two, crowded open forums. In closing, thank you Stephanie Wentworth . . . you are ahead of your time. I surmise much of your vision will still end up in the overall plans for the historic theater’s renaissance. Positive thoughts, and organized, stepwise approaches of an advisory committee (to be appointed by the city), will move this forward. We cannot afford “to not do this renovation.” The Colonial was the “center” of the city’s vitality for decades and can once again be the focal point – a center point needed, like a wheel hub, to aggregate the spokes of the businesses that will radiate from its core. J P Polidoro Laconia
My Constituent Nights for S’ton & Tilton will begin next week To the editor, As a State Representative, I am announcing monthly Constituent Nights at town offices in Tilton and Sanbornton, starting this month, as the 2011 Session of the New Hampshire Legislature gets underway. I was re-elected in November. I held similar contsituent meetings last year and will continue to make myself available to people “on both sides of the aisle” within District 2. I thought his program was successful last year, as I met with about 40 residents overall. I think doing what I can to help people, no matter what party they belong to, is pretty important and this has been a good way to hear their concerns and see what I can do to help. I have assisted residents of both towns in a number of matters and all discussions are held in confidence. Should I not have the answers a constituent’s needs, I am willing to find the answers and steer them in the
right direction. Some of the issues brought to me are on the federal government level and while I can’t always help, I can tell a constituent where to with whatever questions or problems they have. This session, I am on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committees. I am also a member of the Belknap County Delegation and was recently elected to the Executive Board. I was very honored by that election and if anyone has a question or issue on the county level, I am also available to work with concerns in that area. Beginning this month, Constituent Nights will be conducted from 4 to 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at the Tilton Town Hall and on the fourth Monday of each month at the Sanbornton Town Offices. Questions or concerns can also be e-mailed to me at dennis.fields@leg.state.nh.us. Rep. Dennis Fields Belknap County District 2
Excellent speakers discussed the economic times we live in To the editor, To those who like to know that their elected representatives are working hard to NOT take any more from your “fixed” income. Perhaps your fixed income is being a parent with school children, a home mortgage, being unemployed and have had your ability to earn the same or more is now out of your reach in this economy. Are you receiving a monthly check for money you paid into to 45 plus years known as Social Security or a disability check? Your president says that you — for the third year — will not be getting a Cost of Living adjustment, though the cost for your medicine, heating oil, gasoline, and food has risen rapidly in this past year.
During the four hours of the Saturday version of my six days a week radio program there were some excellent speakers discussing these economic times. If you go to wezs.com and find the podcast for Saturday “By the Hour” you would get something out of every hour, however, here is who and when. HOUR 3: Area state reps Collette Worsman, Guy Comtois, and Harry Accornero talking the county budget. HOUR 4: Laconia Daily Sun Publisher Ed Engler and former Ward 2 Laconia Councilor Tom Brown talking about health care and taking calls. All did a great job! Niel Young Laconia