New family takes over theater

The Village Cinema has become a new family affair.

Carole Fisher, of Changes in Electric City, recently purchased the theater from Lori Crabtree, and Fisher’s daughter, Lynette Zierden, has become the new manager. Three of Zierden’s children, Mara, Alisha and Jimmy will all play a major part in the operation.

Fisher and family have worked with the town of Coulee Dam, owners of the building, to establish a two-year lease.

At the town council meeting last week, the council committee dealing with town properties said that the plan was to just end the lease with Crabtree and start a new lease with Fisher and family.

“We just want to see the theater continue in the community,” Zierden stated last week.

The change in ownership took place Jan. 1, and there’s been some bumps in the road. The hot water tank exploded, the heater went out and the projector went south.

Temporarily, there will be an interruption in local movies while the new owners get all the bugs worked out.

While Village Cinema is noted as a second-run theater, owners are still able to get popular first-run films a week or two after they show in the big theaters.

Films are arranged through a distributor who assists owners in obtaining films that are suited for the community.

Zierden said she is considering changing the Sunday movie from evening to afternoon.

All three of Zierden’s family members are training to do the various movie theater duties of a small theater.