This is a Barco 2K Digital Movie Projector similiar to one being considered for the Town Hall. This one sells for 87K
Here’s the deal, film buffs: Hollywood is no longer going to produce 35mm film. They are going all digital, all the time starting this year. 2013. What does that mean for Woodstock? A dark theater. Period. No more movies. Because all we have is a film projector.
So, you will notice on your printed Town Meeting Warning and hear about on Saturday, March 2nd, the need to upgrade – YES, IMMEDIATELY – Woodstock’s Town Hall theater with a whole new digital projector, screen, hard drives, audio processors and associated stands.
The total for the entire project — all the equipment and new screen — to keep movies in Woodstock and bring live streaming and 3-D to our hamlet is large, 60K, which you will be asked to approve by voice vote on the floor the Saturday after next. Installation charges and a service contract are being funded through another source.
Projector Maestro Jeff Kahn, who has been researching the project, for which he says four bids have gone out, says the cost to each individual voter, if approved, will be $7.10 per 100K of valuation. He says this is really a one-time deal “forced upon us by Hollywood.” The equipment being considered is also a 16-channel set-up that will allow for greater data capacity as Hollywood digital changes or expands.
Overall, Kahn says some 10,000 people enjoy movies every year at the Woodstock Town Hall. He notes with this digital set-up, Pentangle will be able to bring such lively entertainment as the Metropolitan Opera or the Academy Awards or any number of programs not currently available. He adds that the Town Hall Theater is currently “lower tier” in how it gets its 35mm movies — the films are already run somewhere else and may be degraded film with broken-up audio — kinda’ “sloppy seconds” for film. With digital, of course, a “silver screen” “silver lining” will be: movies “perfect every time.”
Woodstock Early Bird thinks having movies at the Town Hall theater is a “must-continue” in order to keep our small community vital. We note other “big-ticket” articles listed on our Town Meeting Warning that may not be as essential as this. Sure, entertainment isn’t truly vital, life or death situation, but it sure helps us locals get through the winter and provided “something to do” for our visitors who can enjoy the fun of up-to-date first run movies projected in a homey theater.
(Since Woodstock Early Bird often spends a wee bit of winter in California, we have visited and enjoyed this remarkable “big screen” theater (like Woodstock’s) that has also moved into the 21st century while still maintaining its character — Much as the Pentangle Town Hall Theater seeks to do. Check it out, Larkspur’s Theater brought back to life.
We’ll be reminding you that Town Meeting is Saturday, March 2nd, starting at 10am, with lunch provided next door and it must all end by midnight Saturday. THEN, for articles voted by ballot, you will be asked to RETURN to the Town Hall on Tuesday, March 5th to mark your ballots. So, Saturday for regular Town Meeting and Tuesday for voting.
But, wait, Early Birds…This is the part that always gets us confused, in a TWITTER as it were. We have a TOWN of Woodstock and a VILLAGE of Woodstock. VILLAGE MEETING is separate and won’t be held Tuesday evening, March 19th at 7pm. For Village Meeting, you will see a couple NEW items of note:
You will be asked to approve the purchase of 2.1 acres of land for 70K from the Woodstock Foundation for the purpose of development of a new snow dump. The funds already exist if you approve pulling them from the following sources:
Capital Reserve Fund: “Old Fire Station Fund” – $5,000
Capital Reserve Fund: “Parking Facility Fund” – $32,500
General Fund Reserve for Parking Facility — $32,500
The Village Trustees have sought to “zero out” various floating caches of money and this is one way to do so for an important purpose.
Total Village Budget comes in 1.3M, of which $630K is to raised by taxation. The Town Budget comes in $4.1M of which $3M is to be raised in taxes.
More details to come, Early Birds, but this will do for now!
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 
Posted by Chris Balcer on February 18, 2013 at 11:34
I agree…the $60k expenditure for the new digital equipment is a MUST. Woodstock Town Hall is one of the last remaining “big” screens left in New England. It would be a shame to pass by this opprotunity.
LikeLike
Posted by Margaret (Peggy) Kannenstine on February 18, 2013 at 14:56
I encourage everyone to cast a positive vote for the Town Hall movies. Remember back when they were stopped in the 1980–and then Pentangle had a campaign to save and restore the theater? 800 people gave to that effort; it was a true community outpouring.
Lots less money involved now, but still the need for the community to come together. What happens to the local economy if ten thousand visits to the theater don’t happen?
LikeLike
Posted by Sunni Fass on February 18, 2013 at 16:34
Julia, thanks for helping get the word out about this important issue! Hope to see a good crowd at Town Meeting ready to say “Aye!” during the voice vote.
LikeLike
Posted by Meriel Hall on February 18, 2013 at 17:09
The Projector – Town Vote
I wonder why Pentangle did not provide for this “must-have” new projector a few years ago. Perhaps an increase of $1.50 in the ticket price then would have secured the funds for its current needs. In that way, the users of this wonderful large screen would carry the burden of the improvement rather than those of us who rarely, if ever, go to the movies. We were told that 15,000 tickets were sold during 2010, 15,000 tickets during 2011, and now we are told that 10,000 tickets were sold during 2012. Forty thousand tickets times $1.50 equals the necessary $60,000. Pentangle received over $64,000 from the taxpayers of Woodstock last year and is looking for the same this year in addition to $60,000 for a projector. We should allow Pentangle the time to look for another way to raise the money rather than asking the taxpayers to bail them out of a situation that appears to be caused by a lack of appropriate business management.
The Snow Dump – Village Vote
We have been told that buying a parcel of land for a new snow dump will not increase our Village taxes. However, I recall that the cost of preparing the parcel for use as a snow dump would be $150,000 to $200,000 in addition to the $70,000 for the purchase of the land. I must assume that this cost of preparation will increase our property taxes at some point in time. We have also been told that the current snow dump is in compliance with environmental statutes and/or regulations. We have not been told by the State to move it. I remember a trustee saying at a Village Trustee meeting that we want to act now before we are told to move it. But that time is not now; we do not know if the State will ever require us to move the present snow dump; or if they do, we do not know that the State will not help us financially. We have spent enough time and money on this issue already.
Economic Development Coordinator – Town Vote
$50,000 for a part-time EDC? Is that a joke? Hope so.
LikeLike
Posted by Julia Carlisle on February 18, 2013 at 17:23
On the projector our understanding is that even a year ago the cost of a projector needed was as much as 40K more, so waiting is actually a savings from one point of view.
On the Econ Dev. Coordinator 50K we are in total agreement. We nearly fell out of our nest learning that was only for PT help!!! We want that job and we agree “Give us a break” !!!
We have at least three boards and committees whose brain power is already dedicated to “economic development” but who can’t get their heads out of the sand to be forward thinking enough to look beyond tourism for a future sustainable economy.
WEB
LikeLike
Posted by Cindy Towne on February 18, 2013 at 18:37
Do you know if the town is going first or if the school budget is first?
LikeLike
Posted by Julia Carlisle on February 18, 2013 at 20:28
Don’t know but will find out. WEB
LikeLike
Posted by Julia Carlisle on February 21, 2013 at 11:18
Hi Cindy, as of Feb 21st, a decision has not yet been made about whether town or school will go first. Mary, at the Town Hall, says we probably won’t know until late next week. It has to do with if the superintendent wants to stop in, in addition to other towns, scheduling will revolve around the issue of where school officials may need to be, when. WEB
LikeLike
Posted by Andrea Sand on February 18, 2013 at 20:26
Bringing the movie theater into the 21st century is a no-brainer.
LikeLike
Posted by vermontliberty on February 19, 2013 at 16:13
Government paid for movie theaters…. Leni Riefenstahl would have loved it!
LikeLike
Posted by Charlie Kimbell on February 19, 2013 at 18:36
I look forward to town meeting to be able to more fully discuss the costs of the Economic Development Coordinator and the benefits that it will bring to the town. Woodstock has a strong tourism base, but there is a need to diversify the economic base so that there are more good paying jobs that will contribute in many ways to our community, such as a more sustainable school population. The volunteer groups, including the Woodstock Economic Development Commission, do not have the time or the expertise to do meaningful economic development work beyond the planning phases. That has been our conclusion and that of many previous boards. See you on March 2nd.
Charlie Kimbell
Chair, Economic Development Commission
LikeLike
Posted by Julia Carlisle on February 21, 2013 at 10:15
The Economic Development Commission and other boards have done some terrific work and brainstorming. The ideas put forward are good ones. However, we believe The Village Trustees and Woodstock Selectboard must have “buy-in” to those ideas — without that “buy-in” an EDC hired to implement suggested changes will be useless. Meaningful development, following suggestions already made by the EDC, sits with the existing boards — and the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce — who must be ready to consider that development may go in a direction beyond, and perhaps even away, from traditional tourism.
A Woodstock Early Bird suggested this simple idea: 1. Grow some grass. 2. Be nice to people (parking/speeding) 3. Be Innovative.
Woodstock Early Bird would add: 4. Bring fiber-optic connectivity to Woodstock Village. Without it, any economic development plans are a joke.
A Woodstock Chamber member rose at a recent meeting and talked of the history of tourism here. That history only goes back 100 years. There were a 100 years before in which several other economic engines kept the town going. Let’s see if we can find some new ones.
LikeLike
Posted by Dale Johnson on February 21, 2013 at 12:09
It’s only been since the late ’60 and early ’70s when the town hitched it’s wagon to the tourist trade nearly 100% and a lot of that was influenced by Rocky and friends. What space is available in the village for good paying jobs and improvements to the economy.
Plus just how many village residents would approve new jobs? They might make noise!
LikeLike
Posted by Julia Carlisle on February 21, 2013 at 12:16
Actually the “new economy” or the “creative economy” is based on using intellectual capital, which often means less noise than found in tourism, manufacturing or even farming. The “hush” you hear over town, might actually be making people money and people working here, living here and paying taxes. WEB
LikeLike
Posted by John on February 20, 2013 at 19:41
Why don’t they try kick starter the Randolph theatre has raised over 20,000 for their projector.
LikeLike
Posted by Dale Johnson on February 20, 2013 at 20:19
I don’t like the idea of my tax money buying a projector. Pass the hat to the Pentangle supporters. If other organizations need something they have to raise the money not hit up the taxpayer. As stated elsewhere they should have jumped ticket prices a couple years ago. Also stated there are 10,000 people using the movies, is that 10,000 different people which I can’t believe or 10,000 total tickets to the same group of people?
The same for the Chamber looking for a taxpayer handout. The officials of the town made a decision years ago to be anti business other than the tourist. Just what economic changes can be made with half the town wanting it to be silent until noon? Again let the Chamber raise their own money and keep out of the taxpayers pockets.
The Woodstock Taxpayer isn’t a bottomless pit of money.
LikeLike