At last.
Movie aficionados have an opening date for the newly-renovated Clark Theatre in downtown Andalusia, and even a pretty good idea of the first movies they’ll see there.
“We are opening for business on Fri., April 14,” Mack Clark said. And the theater, he said, is fabulous.
Downstairs, there are two theaters with about 50 seats each. And those seats? Electric recliners. The upstairs theater is slightly larger.
“Because two of the screens don’t have a lot of seats, we’re learning to do business in a whole different way,” Clark said.
There also are technology upgrades in the facility, with digital projectors and upgrades in sound. The projectors can be controlled from a computer screen in the lobby.
“It’s the latest and greatest of everything,” Clark said.
Including a new popcorn machine.
“It’s like a Cadillac model,” he said. It’s been a busy time for Clark, whose owned and managed the Clark Cinemas in Enterprise and Clark Theatre in Andalusia for years. Even as the Andalusia theater was being renovated, a brand-new, 10-screen facility is under construction in Enterprise.
“We’ll open that one two or three weeks after Andalusia,” Clark said.
While scheduling for the weekend of the 14th is still slightly up in the air, he’s pretty sure “Fate of the Furious,” which opens on April 14, with early shows on the 13th, will be aired, possibly on two screens. The film starts Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron, and Helen Mirren. It is the eight in the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
“It’s still up in the air, but the other one will probably be “Smurfs: the Lost Village,” he said.
“Everything is up in the air,” he said.
Andalusia Star News
Is it your dream to see the Pacific Coast?
The Andalusia Adult Activity Center may have the trip for you. The center is organizing a seven-night Pacific Coast cruise with an overnight in Seattle in September.
Starting in the Emerald City, travelers will spend the night in a hotel in Seattle before departing the next morning, Sept. 22, on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, Debbie Carter of the Adult Activity Center said. The ship will make its first stop on Saturday in Astoria, Ore.
“Small-town pleasures define Astoria, which played a part in the American exploration of the West, thanks to Lewis and Clark,” she said. “You can explore nearby Mount St. Helens, walk the Astoria Bridge and fish for sturgeon and crab.”
On Sunday, travelers will spend the day relaxing and enjoying the cruise ship’s amenities.
On Monday, the ship will stop at the City by the Bay.
“San Francisco’s hilly streets provide some gorgeous glimpses of the Bay and its famous bridges,” she said. “This picturesque city is unique in its style and personality, and it charms everyone who comes here.”
Travelers will spend two days in San Francisco.
“From its seafood and sourdough breads to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is the ideal city for visitors,” she said. “Trolleys and prominent landmarks make getting around this eclectic metropolis easy.” On Wednesday, travelers will spend a day at sea.
Thursday will be spent in Victoria, British Columbia.
“The capital of architecture and historic charm,” Carter said. “The heart of Victoria is its scenic harbor and old town.”
The cruise will end on Fri., Sept. 29, in Seattle.
The cost for the cruise pack varies from $1,949 per person to $2,339 per person depending on cabin level.
The prices are based on double occupancy.
The package includes round-trip airfare, one night of hotel accommodations in Seattle, cabin, shipboard meals, port charges, taxes and transfers in Seattle, motor coach transportation to and from airport.
Those interested in going must contact Carter at 334-222-6891, and a $250 per person deposit is due immediately.
The final payment is due June 21. Travel insurance is available.
Andalusia Star News
To help raise awareness of developmental disabilities, the South Central Mental Health Center partnered with the Miracle League of Covington County and the City of Andalusia to host a fun day out at the Miracle Park at Johnson Park for children and adults with disabilities on Thursday.
“March is actually Developmental Disability Awareness Month,” South Central Mental Health Center activity coordinator Staci Wilson said. “We have never done anything before for this month and we just wanted to start somewhere. We called the Miracle League, and together with the City of Andalusia we were able to pull this off. Everyone seems to be having a really good time and we hope for this to become an annual event.”
The event was set up to help raise awareness to people in the community. “We just want raise awareness and knock down the barriers,” Wilson said. “They are people just like you and I. They enjoy the same things that we enjoy, but they just might enjoy them in a different way. We want to knock away the ‘dis’ in disability.” Wilson said that the children and adults enjoyed all of the available activities.
“We got started with a baseball game on the Miracle League field,” Wilson said. “There is also a bounce house and we will be having a hot dog lunch that was donated by Ben E. Keith Food.”
Miracle League of Covington County president Jill Ainsworth said that the event has been great and said she looks forward to future events.
“It’s been a really great day,” Ainsworth said. “There are a lot of people who came together to make this happen. The people from Kona Ice gave us a great deal and everyone is able to enjoy unlimited icees all day. Jumping Maniacs in Opp donated the jump house, and many people have donated their time to make this happen.”
Andalusia Star News
Andalusia Councilman Will Sconiers joined municipal officials, resource advisors and League staff in Montgomery on March 21 for the Alabama League of Municipalities’ 2017 policy meeting of the Human Development Committee to develop state municipal policy for the upcoming year.
The league has five policy committees composed of municipal officials representing cities and towns of all sizes form the state’s seven Congressional districts. The collective work of the five committees will be compiled and posted to the League’s website at www.alalm.org as a set of Proposed Policies and Goals for 2017. The statement will serve as a blueprint to guide the League’s efforts in the Alabama Legislature and in Congress on behalf of its more than 440 members municipalities.
Andalusia Star News
Engineers have redesigned a sidewalk project for which the City of Andalusia received a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant in 2015, and are ready to begin the bidding process.
Originally, the proposal was to extend sidewalks down Stanley Avenue to Andalusia Memorial Cemetery and from Stanley Avenue down Lindsey Bridge Road to the intersection of Maple Street. The state will pay $394,218 toward the project, with the city contributing matching funds.
But Alan Kilen of Civil Southeast Engineering told council members Tuesday night that the project has been altered, and now also addresses drainage issues in several locations. The sidewalks still extend to Maple Street off Lindsey Bridge Road, but only go to Johnson Park on Stanley Avenue. “This plan accomplishes a lot more than just sidewalks,” Kilen said. “The large dirt area in front of Gitty-up and Go where trucks park, will be paved.”
In addition, drainage will be improved at the entrance to Johnson Park, and at several points on Lindsey Bridge Road.
Unlike a similar project on Prestwood Bridge Road, Kilen said the sidewalk is not nearly as close to the road because engineers have more right-of-way with which to work.
In other business, the council:
- Agreed to purchase extraction equipment from Coastal Rescue for the Andalusia Fire Department.
- Had the first reading of proposed changes to the city’s building code.
- Agreed to issue checks to non-profit agencies to which the city contributes when its budget allows.