PRESS RELEASES FOR RIALTO THEATER

 

 

A very nice article written by Kim Briggeman appeared in The Missoulian and The Montana Standard on Saturday, December 29, 2007, and can be read  below.

 

Historic Deer Lodge theater seeks funds for reconstruction

By Kim Briggeman - 12/29/2007

 

DEER LODGE — From Main Street, the Rialto Community Theater looks far better than it did a year ago.

It has a roof, for one thing, one resembling the red Italian tile hat it wore before the theater was gutted by fire on Nov. 4, 2006. 

Linda Thompson / the Missoulian Restoring Deer Lodge’s Rialto Community Theater, which was gutted by fire on Nov. 4, 2006, will cost an estimated $3.5 million. So far, there’s about $1.2 million in the coffers.


That was completed last June, after the sagging walls were stabilized and 66 truckloads of debris were hauled away from the inside. Plans to restore the interior have been completed and a general contractor chosen.

Those were the easy tasks.

The marquee that once trumpeted “Gone With the Wind” and, the night it burned, Kevin Costner’s “The Guardian,” now reads: “We Need Your Cash NOW To Proceed.” “We know it’s going to happen, but we just can’t say when,” said Steve Owens, president of the Rialto board. “We make progress every day, but much of it doesn’t show and that’s frustrating for the community, especially the kids.” Besides its weekend movie fare, the theater was a haven and acoustical heaven for school Christmas programs, plays and service club shows. Those things have been shuffled off to alternate auditoriums, often hard-benched and reverberant school gyms.

It’ll cost an estimated $3.5 million to restore the Rialto, which was built in 1921 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The board and community decided construction would not proceed until the money was in hand. This is a huge amount for a small community to raise, just to replace what we lost,” Owens said.

So far, there’s about $1.2 million in the coffers. That includes a $500,000 donation from the Burnt Hollow Ranch outside town last spring, and a $50,000 grant from the William H. and Margaret M. Wallace Foundation in Missoula during the summer.

The latest big chunk of change came early in December, in the form of a $20,000 grant from the Gallagher Western Montana Charitable Foundation of Missoula.

In November, the estate of former Rialto board member and president Jim Gilbert chipped in $23,000. Gilbert, known locally as “Mr. Rialto,” died of cancer six weeks after the fire. Another $10,000 came from a trust in South Carolina with a local connection.

“We are moving forward, and something positive is happening almost every day. Our kids have raised over $11,000 already,” Owens said.

There have been hundreds of memorials, and contributions have picked up lately as people embrace the year-end tax deduction. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 874 in Deer Lodge.

A Web site, deerlodgerialto.com, was established within days of the fire. Among the items for sale there are a T-shirt, a ceramic coffee mug and, for $15 plus shipping and handling, a 12-page, full-colored book the “Rialto Community Theatre Book” with photos and articles from before and after the fire.

“The frustrating thing for me and the rest of the board is that many people seem to be waiting for more progress before they donate, and we need those donations to keep moving,” Owens said.

The state Legislature is reviewing an application for $50,000, with final approval by the Department of Commerce expected in early January. The Rialto is one of two Deer Lodge projects chosen for the city’s share of $92,000 in state money through the Community Transportation Enhancement Program.

The Rialto’s plight gained more exposure late in the year when William Marcus hosted the latest “Back Roads of Montana” segment on Montana PBS from the theater. It first aired in late November and was shown five more times in the subsequent month.

The fire destroyed the auditorium, balcony, lobby and restrooms of what was a 720-seat building. The ornate terra cotta facade, side walls and the stage area with six original 1921 backdrops were saved.

Once funds are raised, the project will come together in five sometimes-overlapping phases, with possible occupancy after the fourth. The first is installation of interior structural steel and concrete, the second ceiling construction. Then comes wall framing, plumbing and mechanical construction, followed by drywall, doors, frames and painting.

The last phase will be floor covering, historical finishes and acoustical treatments.

To meet accessibility codes, an elevator to the new balcony is planned in place of the too-steep ramps. It’s an expensive item, and there were those who thought the theater could do without a balcony altogether to save money.

“We’re still looking at about 550 seats, with a balcony,” Owens said. “Without the balcony we might get done sooner and for a little less money, but would have only about 300 seats and almost no slope.” He puts it in this perspective: Missoula is looking at a 1,600-seat performing arts center for $60 million, and Kalispell is considering one that will seat 1,300 and cost $27 million.

“They won’t even be able to show movies like we will,” said Owens. “We will have a place we can afford to operate, and we can still use our hundreds of volunteers to make things happen.” It will get done, Owens insisted.  “People still care about the project deeply.”

 Missoulian reporter Kim Briggeman may be reached at 523-5266 or at kbriggeman@missoulian.com.

 

 

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PRESS RELEASE FOR DEC. 17, 2007

Rialto Theatre Restoration Moves Forward

Restoration of the fire-damaged Rialto Community Theatre in Deer Lodge got another boost       this week with a $20,000 grant form the Gallagher Western Montana Charitable Foundation of Missoula, following another $40,000 in donations in recent weeks. Total costs are still estimated at about $3.5 million, with over $1.2 million raised so far.  There are some alternate items that can be added back in as construction progresses and actual costs are known.

        The ornate terra cotta façade, stage area with six original 1921 backdrops, and sidewalls were saved from the fire on November 4, 2006, but the auditorium, balcony, lobby, and restrooms of the historic 720 seat building were lost.  The Rialto is used for all local school plays and concerts, traveling productions and dance recitals, affordable current movies and many other events, and is the only auditorium in Powell County.  It was recently featured on a segment of a new “Backroads of Montana” program on Montana PBS.

        Over 66 large truckloads of debris were removed after the fire, the walls were stabilized, and a new roof installed to protect the building.  Construction plans call for five phases, with possible occupancy after the fourth, with all depending on funding.  Building the first of these, the steel and concrete superstructure for a 550 seat new Rialto to serve as the community’s cultural center, is projected at about $942,000.  The Rialto board wants to get that phase going in the next few months, and is working with local donors to get larger gifts and pledges over the next few years to make that happen.  

       Donations continue to come in every day and from across the country. “We know it is going to happen, but we just can’t say when,” board president Steve Owens said.  “We make progress every day, but much of it doesn’t show and that’s frustrating for the community, especially the kids.  This is a huge amount for a small community to raise, just to replace what we lost.  We really appreciate the support of the Gallagher Foundation and everyone else”

       The restored Rialto is designed to be an accessible, functional, multi-purpose facility that retains its historic character and can continue to be operated with volunteers, and that the non-profit can afford to run.  Tax-deductible donations can be sent to P.O. Box 874 in Deer Lodge, and more information is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com.

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Nov. 8, 2007

  Some pictures taken during the filming of the Backroads of Montana segment on the Rialto fire.   The show will be airing November 26, 2007 on the Montana PBS stations.

     

          

PRESS RELEASE OCT. 30, 2007

                               Rialto Subject of  TV Program

      The Rialto Community Theatre in Deer Lodge was the subject of a “Backroads of Montana” segment on Montana Public Broadcasting (PBS.)  The “Backroads “ crew from the University of Montana  filmed at the Rialto in early November, and at this time is trying to locate film, photos, and artifacts to incorporate into the story, including videos of the fire in 2006.  All loaned materials will be returned.  Contact William Marcus at 406-243-4101 for more information.

   “Backroads of Montana” has been featuring the unique people and places of Montana since 1991, traveling all across the state.  All the programs are available on video at the Kohrs Memorial Library in Deer Lodge and other Montana public libraries.  The show usually airs on Saturday afternoons.  The date for the program on the Rialto is unknown.

Rialto Needs Class Reunion Lists

        As one part of its wide-reaching fundraising plan the Rialto Community Theatre’s board of directors plans to contact as many former Powell County High School students as it can, hoping that at least some of them will contribute to the Restoration Fund.  Many former residents have donated already, but there are thousands who don’t know about last fall’s fire who would consider contributing.  The easiest way to get current addresses is from class reunion lists, because they include not only those who attend the reunions but also many who are unable.  So far the board has lists for about 10 years.  Some classes have also taken up collections at reunions held since the fire.

     If you have addresses for any PCHS class, or for former residents, friends, or relatives who might be willing to help, please contact Gayle Mizner or any of the other Rialto board members so they can be added to the database.  Volunteers will also be needed to stuff and address envelopes for the mass mailing.  Total projected costs are still about $3.5 million, and although over $1 million has been raised, many more contributions of all sizes are needed. Grant applications are continuously being submitted, but the competition is very stiff for the limited funds from foundations, and support from individuals is essential.

More information about the Rialto is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com, and donations can be sent to P.O. Box 874 in Deer Lodge

 

 

Press Release  July 30, 2007

$50,000 Grant for Rialto Theater Restoration

         A $50,000 grant from a western Montana foundation has pushed the Rialto Community Theater     Restoration Fund in Deer Lodge over the $1 million mark.  The donation from the William H. and Margaret M. Wallace Foundation in Missoula will help with rebuilding Powell County’s cultural center, which was severely damaged by fire on November 4, 2006.  The Rialto is used for all local school concerts and plays, dance recitals, children’s theater and repertory performances, civic events and conferences, and affordable current movies on weekends.

      The Wallace Foundation was established as a private foundation by Margaret Wallace in 1995 as a tribute to her late husband William “Billie” Wallace, and as a means to further her own charitable purposes.  Billie Wallace had attended the University of Montana prior to graduation from law school at the University of California in Berkeley.  Margaret was a graduate of Montana State College in Bozeman and taught for several years before their marriage.  She taught school and swimming in Deer Lodge.

 The Wallaces owned and operated a large ranch in Powell and Granite counties in western Montana, between Gold Creek and Drummond.  Billie Wallace’s father had acquired the main ranch lands in the late 1800’s and it had remained in the family since that time.   Following Billie’s death Margaret placed a conservation easement on the ranch to prohibit subdivision and to ensure that it remained as agricultural property.  Margaret later sold the ranch to the Nature Conservancy in a bargain sale and moved to Missoula for the last several years of her life.  Margaret always stated she wanted the proceeds from the ranch and her other assets to help others, and she supported education and many other causes.

      Estimated restoration costs for the 1921 Rialto, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, are over $4 million. The ornate façade, stage area and original backdrops, and sidewalls were saved, but the auditorium, lobby, balcony, and restrooms were lost. All the debris has been removed, the wall stabilized, and a new roof installed, and work continues as funds are raised. The old facility seated over 700, and the new Rialto will have 550 seats. The building fund includes many donations and memorials, insurance money, fundraising income, and in-kind donations.  More information is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com, and donations can be sent to P.O. Box 874, Deer Lodge, MT 59722.

 

 

 

                              Community Meeting Report

      A community meeting was held on Tuesday, September 11, with Nathan Blanding of the firm of A & E Architects, Billings & Missoula, giving us a power point look at the  progress of the initial planning and design features for the restoration of the Rialto Theater in Deer Lodge.   Nathan was born in Deer Lodge and has been involved in theater construction and rebuilding, as well as many other projects.  He gave a very thorough and dynamic presentation of what is involved before re-reconstruction can take place at the burned out theater. All board members were present to answer questions and meet with citizens of Deer Lodge and surrounding areas.

       The Rialto was severely damaged by fire on November 4, 2006.  The façade, sidewalls, and stage area were saved, but the balcony, auditorium, lobby, and restrooms were lost.  The walls have been stabilized and a new roof put on, and the architects and engineers have been working on a functional, affordable, accessible design that retains most of the historic fabric.  Total cost is projected to be about $3.5 million, and over $1 million has been raised so far. 

       More information is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com, and donations can be sent to P.O. Box 874 in Deer Lodge.

TEEN CONCERT NETS $477.69!

Teens Concert  Helps Rialto

      The recent benefit for the Rialto Community Theatre Restoration Fund in Deer Lodge was a metal/rock concert on Saturday, August 4, organized by local teens that netted $477.  The concert, at the Powell County Community Center, 416 Cottonwood Ave.,  featured  four bands  including “Gray Lines of Perfection,” (Harvest Earth records),   “The Miracle of You,” (hot foot records) both from New Jersey,  “Hello Newman,” from Missoula, and “Make Them Models” from Helena.  

       The event was  organized by PCHS senior Daniel Lombardi, projectionist at the Rialto before it was severely damaged by fire last November, and 2007 PCHS graduate Sean Malcom.  They wanted a program where other teens could do their part and be involved with the restoration effort as much as other parts of the community have.  Total cost of rebuilding the Rialto is about $4 million, and just over $1 million has been raised already.  More information is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com, and donations can be sent to P.O. Box 874, Deer Lodge, 59722.

 

NEWS RELEASE FROM STEVE on June 16, 2007

Rialto Restoration Update 

       Although it may be hard to tell from the outside, contractors continue to make substantial progress inside the Rialto Theatre.  Sun-Up Ventures got all the sheeting on the roof after the big trusses were put in place, and Blair Roofing will be installing the rubber roofing when we have some dry days. 

      Ryan Plumbing is installing the roof drains this week, and the tile-colored metal for the mansard roof on the front has been ordered.  The catwalks are built in the attic, and B & B Electric is putting work lights in the attic. The architects in Billings and Missoula continue to work through all the complex building code and accessibility issues, so they can present the Rialto board with all the necessary options.

     Many local fundraisers also continue.  The first truckload of aluminum cans turned into AWARE netted $222.  Steele’s is donating 5% of its store sales in June, Pizza Hut is giving 20% of its sales every Wednesday evening until October,  the Shack is giving 10% of its gaming machine revenue this year, and shirts and mugs are still available.  Over $900,000 has been raised so far, and the projected cost is over $3 million.  Most of that will be for mechanical, electrical, and structural work.  Donations and memorials can be sent to P.O. Box 874, Deer Lodge, MT 59722 , and more information is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com

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***May 19, 2007---The pre-sale of SD#1 cinnamon rolls found a hardy crew at the school to make, bake and deliver 1534 rolls!   At $1. each this was a great boost to our Restoration Fund!   CAROL RAINVILLE led a group of volunteers consisting of TAMMY KENT, WANDA RICHARDSON, CODY MITCHELL, JOAN BECKHAM, JACKIE THOMPSON, SUSIE BLAIR, TERESA PIERSON, GAYLE MIZNER and STEVE OWENS (our delivery man!)  Our thanks also to SD#1 for the use of their facilities to make this fundraiser possible!  (And oooohhhh my....those rolls were so good!!)

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*** May 22, 2007--  Steve & Ron Mjelde are at it again!   This time they have been able to snag some  193 "nearly new" seats from the Rialto Theater in Bozeman with the help of  some 12 "volunteers" from Deer Lodge.   The story that appeared in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle is as follows:  (Note)  They also were able to "acquire" 8 light sconces that were exactly like the ones in our Rialto.  Took them right off the wall I hear!  THANKS SO MUCH TO THE RIALTO THEATER IN BOZEMAN  for helping us out this way.   We really appreciate it!! 

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Bozeman's Rialto donates seats to Rialto in Deer Lodge

By MICHAEL BECKER, Chronicle Staff Writer

The doors of downtown Bozeman's Rialto Theater opened once again on Sunday morning, admitting volunteers armed with ratchets and drills who removed 165 seats from the theater.

The seats will travel to Deer Lodge, where they will furnish that community's own Rialto Theater, which is currently being rebuilt.

Six months ago, a fire nearly destroyed the original Rialto in Deer Lodge. The 700-seat theater, built in 1921, had just undergone $300,000 in renovations at the time of the blaze.

“Truly it was a mournful day, the day after the fire,” said Lee Jewell, a member of the nonprofit Rialto board. “Main Street was plain empty. People were in their homes, teary-eyed.”

Board president Steve Owens said the loss of the Rialto left a hole in Deer Lodge.

“It's the whole cultural center of the community,” Owens said in front of the Bozeman Rialto on Sunday morning as a dozen volunteers hauled rows of seats onto trailers.

After the fire, enough of the Rialto remained to keep it on the National Register of Historic Places, a listing it earned in 1998, and the theater board received more than $300,000 from insurance.

The cost to rebuild, however, was estimated at $3 million. So far, the group has raised roughly $900,000.

Looking to save money wherever possible, board members learned about the Rialto in Bozeman, which is waiting for renovations of its own.

Sue Doss, one of the Bozeman Rialto's owners, said Sunday that those renovations are stalled, pending talks with the City Commission. Construction on new retail and residential space in the building may begin in June, but one thing's certain, the building will no longer be a theater.

Doss said giving the seats to Deer Lodge was a matter of two group's needs that happened to agree.

“It seemed like a good cause,” she said.

Located 120 miles west of Bozeman, Deer Lodge is home to about 3,500 people. Nancy Sebena, who grew up in Deer Lodge and now lives in Bozeman, said the Rialto means something to everyone who lives there.

“That little community has kind of withered away,” she said. “The theater is the symbol of people in this small-town just sticking it out.”

The Rialto was the only theater in Deer Lodge. It served as a stage for school plays, political debates and other events, and on the weekends it showed cheap movies. It was a safe place for children and teens, and the community took great pride in it, Jewell said.

“We have a small community,” he said. “About all you can ask for is pride in an accomplishment.”

As of last week, the Rialto in Deer Lodge is still a skeleton. The trusses have been hoisted into place, and the roof will be finished in two weeks.

Owens and board member Ron Mjelde weren't sure when reconstruction would be totally finished. That will depend on donations, Mjelde said, but that won't stop the group from opening the doors of their new Rialto as soon as possible.

“Come hell or high water, it'll be open in a year and a half,” board member Ron Mjelde said. “We may not have the seats, we may not have the balcony done, but we'll have the doors open.”

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**May 17, 2007-- The crane is gone from Main Street so now the work will begin on the inside.  Catwalks have to be put up in the roof area.   Articles were in both the Silver State Post and Montana Standard this week.  You can see the standard article at:  www.mtstandard.com    Do an archive search for "Rialto".

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    MAY 16, 2007

****WARDEN GOLF~~STATE B CHAMPS!!!

        ***HALEY OWENS~~STATE  B MEDALIST!!!

        I know this isn't Rialto news but we sure do like GOOD NEWS around here!   WAY TO GO GOLFERS!!  (2nd State       Golf Champs in 3 years---we waited 102 years but you can't stop us now!)

 

    ***May 15, 2007---Work continues on the trusses.   Main Street has been blocked off since  the crane now needed for this work takes up most of the street!   Sarah Swistak, from the News Channel, KTVM, in Butte was here and did interviews with Ron Mjelde, Abbey Kellicut and Kirk Sandquist.   Sarah, Ron, Kirk and Gayle then climbed the ladders onto the roof of Peoples Bank for a birdseye view.  (scarey as it was getting there, we got some great pictures!)   Sarah truly went above and beyond for this story!!  

 

 

 April 25, 2007~~~~   Report on the Chili Cinnamon Feed~~~  What a GREAT turnout we had for this event!!  We couldn't have been happier.    Carol Rainville and her helpers from the SD #1 luncheon crew had worked all day to get ready for the dinner...They had made around 1500 cinnamon rolls and enough chili to feed  500 and we still ran out of food by 6:30 P.M.    Steve reported that we took  in $2700 for the dinner, $413 for the pre-sale of rolls for May 19th, $325 for the 50/50 (the winner, Linda Tewalt donated her share back to us) and $205 for the Rialto books.    Diana Solle also gave us $1000 for our share of the proceeds from the sale of the mugs that are featured on this site.   What a wonderful boost for our efforts and we thank all the workers, Board members and especially everyone that came to make this such a great community event!  We are so grateful!  (As soon as I get a complete list of all the helpers I'll add to the story) 

 

 

 

 

  $500,000 Donation for Rialto Theater Restoration

Efforts to restore the fire-damaged Rialto Community Theater in Deer Lodge got a huge boost this week with a $500,000 donation for the restoration fund.   The owners of the Burnt Hollow Ranch southeast of Deer Lodge decided that this was the right time to help the community with the rebuilding project.  They were impressed by the importance of the Rialto to the whole area, and how hard everyone, especially local children, are working to bring the theater back.  They also hope their example will convince others to assist the project now.  Rialto board president Steve Owens said “this is the nicest thing anybody has done for Deer Lodge since the Kohrs family donated the Library 100 years ago.”

The gift brings the building fund to over $865,000, with the restoration costs estimated at about $3 million.  Elementary school students and their teachers have raised about $6,800 since the fire on November 4, 2006 with coin drives, bake sales, plays, and other fundraisers.  Many grant applications and events are planned to fund the restoration.

The 720-seat Rialto, built in 1921 and on the National Register of Historic Places, is used for all local school plays and concerts, dance recitals, civic events, performances by the Missoula Children’s Theatre and Montana Rep, funerals, conventions, and other activities.  Firemen were able to save the ornate façade, stage area and six original backdrops, and the sidewalls,  but the auditorium, balcony, and lobby were lost as well as all the stage lighting and sound equipment.   All the fire debris has been removed, crews are installing steel support columns along the interior walls, and a new roof to protect the building should be on by early May

More information is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com, and donations can be sent to P.O. Box 874, Deer Lodge, MT 59722.

      (See note from Gayle in Board Info!!)

 

 

Benefit Concert for Rialto Theatre

       A benefit concert by the widely acclaimed Montana A Cappella Society from the Bitterroot Valley, for the fire-damaged Rialto Theatre in Deer Lodge, is scheduled for Friday, May 11.  The performance, at 7:30p.m.at the Deer Lodge Assembly of God Church at 603 Fifth St., is part of the vocal ensemble’s spring tour.  The Society is composed of 24 singers of varied musical backgrounds, occupations, and ages, all volunteer non-professional musicians who work together to create professional sounding results.

     The Society performs regionally, promoting awareness and appreciation for the art of a cappella singing.  The group’s unique signature sound is produced from a rich harmonic blend of voices under the direction of Artistic Director Don Matlock. Typical musical selections range from early motets and Renaissance madrigals to classic love songs, gospel and folk, patriotic, contemporary, and vocal jazz.

     Tickets for the concert are $10 for adults and $5 for students through High School, and will be available at the door.  All proceeds go to the Rialto Restoration Fund, to repair and rebuild the historic facility that was severely damaged by a fire on November 4, 2006.  Estimated cost of the restoration is over $3 million, and volunteers have raised over $865,000 since November.  All the debris has been removed and structural columns along the interior walls are being placed this month.  A new roof should be completed by early May.

      More information about the non-profit Rialto is available at www.deerlodgerialto.com, about the concert at (406)-846-1614, and about the Society at (406)-363-5778.  Donations for the restoration can be sent to P.O. Box 874, Deer Lodge, MT  59722.

 

Recent press releases by Steve Owens:    (December-March, 2007)

Press Release by Shana Forsman for the Rialto Community Theater Board

                          Donations will be used to help rebuild Our Rialto Theater!     

Thought, Prayers, Letters and Donation can also be sent to:

RIALTO THEATER RESTORATION FUND

PO Box 874 

Deer Lodge, MT 59722