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1.Tomorrow I drive 150 miles north to sign the lease on my new theatre. A run down historic two screen with balconies I will be signing at 11:00am. Wish me well. I am scared as Hell since I have to drive 3 hours each way! I will detail my trials and tribulations here as I expand. Call me a chain! Call me a circuit
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2. Drive up, buy the booth for 3500.00, start saying hello to everyone in Mayberry (Houlton) start getting a long list of advice fromn the local bookstore owner, Therese is weeding the bricks on the front walk. We discover there's glass imbedded in the entry walkway so we can light from beneath it!!!, first of 5 contractors arrive and we figure out the walll we thought was framed is now 18" of brick, is a "bearing" wall--- that's a bad word by the way!, the blueprints for the building can't be found. masons come and go. A guy appears from no where in the theatre having opened a door from the outside we did not know how to open nand didn't even know it did open, we look for the telephone wire after deciding on a # since the still active phone now owes over 500.00 for 7 months of unpaid service and they want us to pay. our new # 532-2200 , has a ring, we walk aboput numerous times sticking to the filthiest floor ever in my experience, down in the basement we find that the main sewer T has been snapped off so there's a big time gurgle into the basement. We clean the poster cases, make a display, drive to Canada wher the guards give us the slow motion entry and Therese starts giving them real ****, "Can we move it here???!!!" Oh my God..... I lead her away. But I have to admit I've gotten into 25 countries that faster that act like you're not a major criminal trying to enter. Canada seems to treat the nobodies like me the hardest but if your a bomb building freak why do they always choose Canada for the easy entry? Then we check out the enxt door town and hope they come on over through the border. The US guy is so chatty that he ignores 20 cars as he talks movies! Same-same or what? We put up nice messages on the amrquee, decorate our cute new apartment.. 225.00 with everything included! No phone but heat and coolking and elec. it's there. Introduce my self to the code enforcement officer, try to interest a brain dead slack jaw who could star in MIB2 (this explains everything!) in our wall o' brick, eat a baked potato at a truck stop and we suddenly realize. this is farm country: Aroostok County where they grow potato and man you better get a good tater or we will gut you!
I lock the booth, explore the rear stage where there's ancient ticket stands, vending machines, and an elec panel straight out of Frankenstein!. huge copper throw levers on a big slate board! It is wild.

We're front page on all the newspapers!

I'm tired. We drive home. I work the phone from the car and it's like an office on wheels. the Mason dudes find the prints! We are slowly moving forward.
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3. Drive the 152 miles, no moose in the way, arrive and unload stuff into our primo little apartment (225.00 heat and elec included)show up and we're daunted with where to start. I start picking at the concession stand to tear it out. Therese is sweeping and mopping the office. Contractors come and go bidding demo and paint and plumbing: a bunch of them think we're rich and are out to ream us. WE settle on time and materials because the wall we have to take out is a bearing wall (note that term newbies: BEARING WALL!!!) it has to go. estimate 7500.00. We're estimating 580 yards of carpet and I keep thinking "That's a lot of carpet." Therese wakes up: "I divided by 3 not 9!" Suddenly the carpet is a lot cheaper. A guy gives us a bid of 7200.00 3 guys at 20.00 per hour for 3 weeks to tear out the carpet and the fabric walls and we almost laugh. That night working until 8 we pull all the carpet and feel like we made 1000.00 each for the night. Screw 'em. The Mason's are dragging their tail getting stuff out: the chairs are there still and they're trying to sell them 5.00 each for garbage. GET THEM OUT!!!!! They are actting sniffy and hurt. GET THEM OUT!!!! We change all the locks because it feels like ghosts of Mason's are walking around. One side of the marquee says "Silver screen dreams coming soon!" the other "Dark now but not for long!" We gut the concession/lobby/ it's so filthy and gross you get the heebie-jeebies touching the stuff! We do the flooring slopes, find a horendous plumbing situation, unleash the plumbers, go through piles of junk, appraise a couple of motiographs, and so it goes. It's coming well. We talk to Durkan carpets. very cool!!! Looking for a new Diplomat. Will have a full cooler and pour soda as well. And all kinds of cool gadgets we did not have room for in our current. We leave feeling much better. They called and had started taking down the wall today. Applications are coming in for managerial position. Discover a 10' x 6' amber smoked glass panel that was over the original entry and we'll klight it from the back: way cool! This place also has those glass balls in concrete that lights a basement? We're going to light these from the bottom. Way cool! GET THOSE CHAIRS OUT!!!!! We sign for insurance. Set up the charge accounts. Go to the dump. Sleep the sl;eep of the satisfied and drive home without seeing a danged moose! Stop and run off a copy of the original pencil 1923 drawings! Back to work! We stop oin the interstate and tie orange survveying tape on the half way mark to home! This has been the 2nd in a never ending story!
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4. The latest? We are loaded for bear and head out tomorrow with a pu truck filled with scaffold/ ladders/ table saw/ etc. etc. Have spoken with Durkan carpeting: beautiful stuff and we're looking at a +/- of 4000.00 for custom / if you have never used these guys you need to check them out!. spoke with screen/masking/ fabric wall/ seats/ etc. Made copies of the original blue prints from 1918, tried to get the Mason's (my landlords!!) moving: get the seats out!!!, set up insurance, talked with job servic. Took down some wild old wall light sconces last trip and we'll have new ones made by a fiberglass fabricator we now represent. Taking our time has it's benefits but it also lures you into slumber. WE don't even want to open until October. Set up checking acct. Hired my part time asst. up to full time to help with the two theatres and bigscreenbiz, Talking with Seating Concepts about new seats and I'm planning on leasing them.. pay off in 5 years/ what the heck. Tore off all the plaster of the big wall dividing the lobby and found lots of plumbing that needs moving. All to be decided on Mon Morning. #3 in a continuing story of renovating our 2nd theatre. Stay tuned for further developments.
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5. Put her on cruise control and made it in 2 hrs and 23 mins! Yeah baby! Therese was very happy to see the wall down and the new and improved space. We then kept banging away: took out bath stalls, talked with painters and plumbers, got a guy Hey-Zeus "Jesus" to work and he was a great help. Met with the carpenter for a long while and decided to lodse one riser in the balconies and gave him a list of 11,234 things to do. He's been a great help and supportive. A community guy who has treated us well. While all of these minor details have gone on we plot carpet designs and colors, seating plans, concession layout, water filters, water heaters, urinals, flooring, windows, stained glass, paint colors, etc. manager applications pour in, we bought [url=http://www.templemovies.com,]www.templemovies.com,[/url] and we just keep turning up new ways to add numbers that look more and more like 140-150,000.00. My original budget was used seating 93,000 but with the new seats and a myriad of add-ons it's moving forward fast.
We are serving as the general contractor but from 150 miles away we are not there. There's nothing wrong that 30-50K would not cure. One word of advice? Get a general contractor. Ever wonder why every chain thing looks alike? Saves having to do it all new every time. We're going to replace the 12 X 6' Lexan panels with flat letters from the slotted 3-d and do some kind of vinyl lettering imagery.


And so it goes..............


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6. Drove the 150 miles up: no moose.
The contractors had knocked down the huge brick wall between the old narrow lobby and our now huge ... okay nice and big... lobby. Nicely trimmed, sheet rocked, cleaned perfectly. A great job.
Tore down a old couple of walls in the two rooms.
My grunt labor showed up and started cleaning.
Sent another huge load to the dump.
Met with code enforce officer, Pepsi, trucker, plumber,plenty of people looking for a job, painters, carpet installers.
Measured endlessly over and over the incredibly odd shaped rules for seats and carpets. Struggled with carpet patterns software of Durkan. Made lists/lists/lists/lists/lists!
Drove the fast 43 miles to presques Isle to look over the Hoyts 8 there.
I know it sounds like I'm doing a lot of this myself and I'm not. Yes I do some stuff but mostly it's clearing away of stuff so that the trades can do their work. We're about to unleash all of these trade guys: carpenters, tapers, painters, eelectricians, carpet installers, seat installers: none of this can I do! But I can get down on my face under the ladies stalls and dismantle the stalls with my face stuck against the commode.

The most depressing moment? When I read the 1/4 page guest editorial in the local paper calling gays perverts. Ignorant **** kicking clod heads. I felt like packing it in.
Tracked pipes and found the shut off valve foir the bathrooms. !
Made lists/lists/lists.

2.5 days

Drove home.
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7. Hokay! I'm back. Sat night @ 8:00 and do I have a life: no way! When last we brought you up to date: we're driving like banshees, dirty, sweating, etc. It's 153 miles and we can't make it past Home Depot Thank God for them! We finally settl;ed on a carpet which was holdiong us up for colors for seats/paint/etc. We settled on a lot of subs electrician, plumber, painters, wall applicators, etc. etc. Seats we're still grinding out and looking like Seating Concepts. The contractor we got with there has been a real blessing. I asked him what else was he working on and he listed about 15 schools and hospitals and college contracts and it hit me that the guy was taking a personal interest and doing uis a favor at 17.00 per man hour. The lead carpenter ...a genuine hammer named Jason RUNS from tool to tool to lumber! 6'3" 200 and 2 big wild tatoo's. They secured the paneling and chair walls, rebuilt the risers in the balcony from 6 risers to 5 so that we could get a bit of leg room, dropped old lighting tore off a mile of old cove molding, rebuilt the men and lady floors, retrimmed where needed, tore off two walls and replaced them, took out the old balcony rail, and a bunch of other stuff. Started painting the front, the elects and tapers start on Monday, and it has been hot-hot-hot! 95 and turgid! How hot? Yesterday I went to a motel and got a room for 3 hours to take an ac nap! Like a baby! Came back and worked till 10PM. Heard that 12 niules over the border the Canadians will build a 3 screen and that kind of chilled my bones but have bounced back. The budget went from 86K to 100K to 115K to 130K to 140K and holding. We'll be talking bankers on Monday. Bought lights and fans and some other junk. I can see why people let contractors kit them out the whole thing: but it sure does cost you more. We'll have a beautifully fitted out 2 screen for less than 140,000.00 and a lease to die for. Tried to renogot with the once desperate landlords but got very llittle. Don't forget: hit them hard before you sign. We could have gotten a lot more from these guys and we should have. There's 20K of surprises we never saw coming. Rehuing a janitor door to swing reverse, tore out a mile of speaker wire, measured and remeasured for seats! Therese filling holes and keeping painters moving. At one point I realized every time she bent down to show them color samples they would all start staring down her scoop neck T and lose track of progress. Realized the great stained glass was a non started and rocked it over! So much for historic preservation! Does this convey the thousands of conversations with passer by who all walk in and we say HI! to? Or the Pepsi guy, the lease gal, the insurance, the code enforcement, the "I wuz a bouncer in a brew and movies place down Florida?", the landlord, the gad from across the street, and handling the phone trying to run the office from 150 miles away all while last Sat thru Weds I was in Chicago? Burn out? I am so burnt out but there's no way back. In an ambush you fight through it. Turning back is suicide. We're on track for mid October at the latest! In Aroostook County where they grow taters they are back in school as of last Weds! So they can close school for 3 weeks in late Sept so kids can help harvest potates! Talk to you all later. I'll spend sSunday writing do lists for electrician/carpenters/ and redoing the seat plan for the 400th time!
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8. I have become first name with people at Home Depot, finally have settled into a groove with great electrician, carpenters, painters, and plumbers. Took a bit of doing with a few of them to get them to understand that we were not millionaires from away! The seating plan is done: that was a nightmare but mostly due to our buildings walls and slopes being so weird and varied. The bank has been a serious drag. We've got 40k cash out already and they start hemming and hawing over a low net income the last 2 years. I say to them: I'm in business and this tax return thing is to look as best you can not to pay taxes! But more on that later: I told the guy I have 9 accounts that deposit over 7 figures a yearand if we don't get this done asap they're closing. Carpet finalized, a great sign design, manager interviews going well with 2 strong candidates already and 8 more "top apps" to see for a first round, renting the apartment turns out to be a dream as we are there 2-3 nts a week and a motel would have sucked. It's like home. We're about to start making the big shopping list for all the small stuff like popcorn bags, etc, talking computer stuff with our good friends at RTS, deciding on the best way to set this odd room up, and getting set to take on the spoiled kids planning for intense security and fast and hard enforcement, a real burn out but it is moving/ we thought late Sept and it looks like mid Oct with a theatre ready but no seats! The counter is up in the air but thinking of a fast NY trip to look at Stein extra counter dept/ all in all: we're closing in on making it happen.
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9. Phase seven in a ? part series in which the place starts to come together. Breathless readers will realize this is the 7th in the series to date in which Mayor of Bigscreenbiz.com, Mike Hurley, details his acquision of a derelict 2 screen in downtown Houlton, Maine and the subsequent regeneration of it and the many travils.
Therese had driven up on Weds leaving me at home alone. She took with here Cher a friend and faux painter to =redo the yello glazed tin into faux green marble. Cher was sick and spent most of the day barfing, napping, painting, and demanding weird things to eat which would then promptly be....... you get the picture. The faux that was done looked good but a bit off color wise/. I had stopped at the sign company and gone over the marquee plastic and design 6' X 12'! Over and over. I then blasted up the road at 80 mph.

As I drive I get to think about how best to avoid or hit a moose. They are huge and tall and the classic is to take out their legs so that all 1200 pounds may cleanly enter the windshield meating everything inside to a paste. The only thing I can think of is to aim for the butt as he should be heading in the opposite direction. And: wear seat belt and DUCK!

I arrive to find the paint looking incredible. The plumbers had started to pull a leaky toilet only to find the drain pipe was leaking so they kept digging and following it and all it was was a rotted piece of steel surrounded by dirt and concrete and by the time they stopped they's dug up 25 ft of concrete and pipe and poop juice, installed it all back new, a new sink, hot water heater, etc. The spray painter seemed to have breezed along. Missed a bunch of stuff. Does this convey that we are also accumulating a shopping list with a million items on it and all day long I call, cajole, request, bid out, etc? Find the following list: Victualer lisc. Claire to check at Houlton
Sales tax register with Claire
Emp manual
Edict list (hard fast rules for emps)
1st aid kit
cleaning stuff
insulation: Viking 1” gard 1.5 lb
Stool for tik booth and back counter
Little counter for tik booth
Rolling cart
Soda fountain rig (pepsi)
Outside ashtray
Sign for price list
Ladies and Gentlemen: signs
Coffee rig Keurig
Ice scoop
Time clock
Napkin and straw dispensers
Velvet ropes and standards
Lobby music system
Calculators
Canadian conversion method
Forms/forms/forms/
Popcorn bags
Answering machine
Butter machine
Tik stand
Phone for down stairs and booth?
Public phone? Cell on a cord for .50? Booth?
Fax machine
Mops, flashlights, keys for the thermostats
Poster cases for inside
Lobby Hokey and vacs
Tool kit for the theatre
Fire exting for lobby and basement
Décor
Tape dispenser, pins, etc. etc.
Cash box
Drop safe
Skate board and back pack box
Booth for window
Display for front window
Toilet paper and hand towels disps
Soap disps
Vomit stuff
Lights for the under glass
Tik booth
Gift certs
Name tags
Uniforms
Remote Thermometers to booth?
Fans
Gift envelopes
Garbage cans
Video cameras and recorders
Various signs
Price list
Popcorn machine
Fridge
Cup holders

Etc. etc. Met with the builders who have been great and generous. Too kind. Amazing. The plumber who explained that we really should go through the wall and install fans in 16" brick walls for ventilation as it is code! Thanks for that late breaking news chief. Meet with our final choice for Manager who lurks here regularly: he sems great and I am very hopeful. Would be popcorn and helpers stream in and out filling in applications. I have seen enough bare navels to last a long time. I plan the front counter layout and design for hours after having done it for days already. It finally comes slear and I drop it off with the builders who will custom it as well as a window bench that will go in front of lobby. Electricians been everywhere. Seating Concepts 395 chairs say they will arrive Oct 14th. The installers are ready. The carpet is locked and loaded waiting for the go ahead to ship. The screens/masking/side wall insulation and fabric are set for first week in October. Advertisers keep begging us to sign up and we can't do it all! Smiling Rotarian comes by begging for free tickets. And everyone must stp and tell you how excited they are. I just hope that we are selling as many tickets as we've estimated! It continues to move ahead. I drive back fri. night watching for Mr. Moose and make it in the house by 10:00.

I'm working my list!

PS: The best and most fun was going to Rhino Music web site and buying 200.00 worth of Nuggets (the best of the one hit wonders) the 80's best music (7 cd set!) for the lobby (sorry ascap!) sound system!
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10. The amount of details that begin to pile up exceed my ability to write. Walked in on Weds. and the painters are 95% done, faux painted marble has replaced the yellow formica exterior, our sign and graphics are finalized, we have a date we are shooting for Oct. 19-20 for open house and grand opening on the 25th. The new manager Tony will start on Sept. 30th with a do list 3 pages long. The plumbers are waiting on the bathroom floor tile and ventilation guys, the movie poster miniatures that will wallpaper a band around both bathrooms with girly-guy themes Attack of the 50 ft woman!, etc. arrived. We had these very nice but way too small lights on the walls so we had them fabricated 35% larger out of fiberglass and they look very cool , need paint, etc. but will add to the decor. Haggling like heck with fridge, code guy, ordered cabinets and popcorn. going with Curry Fibre tops and black ashwood front surfaces, finalized screening plans with Major out of Boston, began the letter barrage to film distribs, filed for sales tax and workers comp, etc. etc. And so it goes. The list of minutae gets longer but the details are smaller: "paint top edge of cabinet door" as opposed to "paint all ceilings" . I have discovered red Bull and other small cans that make the ride go way fast! Check out our little web site www.templemovies.com But wait! There's more! Large "Ian" is here out sailing schooners in beautiful warm windy weather. He'll show up on Monday at some point and we'll drive up the coast of Maine to Calais and then turn inland through deep woods to Houlton for a scenic 4 hour drive.
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11. Hi all. please forgive my prolonged absence! We open on Tuesday and it's nuts at this point. Plus in the middle of it I have a local election and am working hard for my hopeful candidate. I am photoing all and will post photos and a follow up onto the last days as it all comes together in a whirlwind of carpet, electricians, plumbers, fire marshall, code officers, tuxedo rental, brass rail, painters, lava lamps, signage, TV, radio, friends and family coming to visit, technicians sending weird stuff and one things for sure: we'll be sold out for weeks!
I'll be back!!! Wish us luck at The Temple Theatre, Market Square, Houlton, Maine 04730 call to hear the message 207-532-2200 or visit www.templemovies.com SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES!!!!!!!
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12. Our former owner was busted for providing alcohol to kids in the theatre, ran a filthy joint, watched a tv duct taped to a broken chair in the lobby and had a crew of cronies hangingwith him. It and he were as dirty as a pig pen. We have done verything to distance ourselves from him. But a part of me says that since he was in the biz his entire life I should be kind to him. Not very but a bit. I don't want to humiliate him on top iof his losing his lifestyle and business. Thoughts?

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13. So many people in our one location wanted to see our new theatre that we finally rented a luxury bus and took so folks up there yesterday.
We left at 8:00 am and had a bunch of drawing for theatre tiks, lunch, t-shirts, etc. then settled in for the 150 mile ride watching Cinema Paradiso.

We arrived after a very fast comfy trip (normally I stop a couple times and take a nap) and met with our local historian who proceeded to give us a 50 mins tour around town and lectured about history etc.

We broke for lunch at a choice of 2 places where they could buy lunch on their own.

We met back the the Temple and did a 50 minute tour. Overheard... "This is nicer than the Colonial!" They had a choice of The Hours or Chicago with free popcorn and soda. We then headed back home and watched the very emotional end of Cinema P before cranking up Casablanca to applause. All in all a great trip and everyone had a great time for the 12 hours. The cost was 35.00 per person and we actually made money on it!

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