Hello supporters! Happy Friday! I wanted to send a quick update on the status of our petition, answer some of the questions I've been asked, and let you know about our planned next steps before I sign off for the weekend.

THANKS 

First, THANK YOU so much for your incredible support! As of this update, more than 9,000 of you have signed on to show how much you care about this theatre! It's astounding. Thank you for taking the time. Thank you also for your stories and comments. Reading about why this theatre means so much to you has been such a sincere privilege. 

STATUS

Yesterday I reached out to Randy Herrel, CEO of the Catalina Island Company, to let him know about this petition and the astounding support we have received (letter pasted at the end of this update). I presented our three "asks": 1.) Reconsider the decision to close the theatre; 2.) Allow us to call a community movie night to show our support for the theatre; and 3.) Let us know how we can help. As of this writing, he has not responded. I have been informed that he has invited interested parties to meet with him at his office in Avalon. Once I have confirmation of that I will share the details.

QUESTIONS

I have received some questions and I thought I'd post the answers here as they may be of interest to other supporters.

1. Does the Catalina Island Company plan on demolishing the theatre? 

I do not have information about the Island Company's plans. I only know that "as of January 1, 2020, (they) will discontinue showing movies at Avalon Theatre."

2. Have you started fundraising or collecting donations?

No. We have not collected any donations or done any fundraising to save the theatre yet. There may be an opportunity at some point in the future to make a donation to keep the theatre open but at this time we are not aware of any such efforts. We will keep you posted!

3. But I made a donation!

You may have! We have been informed that someone in Avalon may have been collecting signatures on a paper petition and asking for donations. There may be other individuals/groups working to save the theatre, but we are not affiliated.

4. Didn't I donate online through this petition? 

No. We have not asked for nor have we received any donations through this petition. There is a change.org feature that allows supporters to pay a fee to "sponsor" or promote a petition by giving it wider online distribution. This feature does not raise money directly for the theatre! If you want more information about this, see the change.org FAQs here: 

5. Are you a non-profit or a group that will run the Avalon Theatre for the Island Company?

No! We are just a few busy working moms that really love our hometown theatre! We are not a formalized entity of any kind!

6. Are you working in any kind of official capacity for this effort?

No! I am just a busy working mom that started an online petition. I am managing this in my private, individual capacity because I love this theatre very much. 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to send them our way at: keeptheavalontheatreopen@gmail.com. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible but please forgive any delay. As stated above, we are busy work--you get it.

NEXT STEPS AND ACTION ITEMS

We have not heard back from any decision-makers at the Island Company and we have not seen any official retraction of their decision to close the theatre. So we shall press on! 

--> Please keep sharing our petition with others that you think might care about this cause. Our petition goal is to reach 10,000 supporters by the end of this weekend!

--> If you are a resident of District Four in Los Angeles County, please reach out to your Supervisor, Janice Hahn. Her email address is fourthdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov. Her telephone number is 213.974.4444. District Four is big! It spans from Diamond Bar to Marina Del Rey. If you aren't sure if you are a District Four resident, check out this map.

--> If you would like to contact the Island Company directly to express your concern, their telephone number is 310.510.2000, and their offices are located at 150 Metropole in Avalon.

--> We are hoping to gather for a movie at the theatre soon. We will share those details when we have them.

--> We have an exciting meeting scheduled with some very experienced community organizers! They have graciously agreed to provide us with some guidance on effective protest and boycott strategies.

Stay tuned and, again, thank you!

Email to Randal Herrel, CEO, Catalina Island Company, Thu, Nov 14, 4:39 pm

Dear Mr. Herrel,

My name is Melinda Benson and I am reaching out to you today regarding the Island Company's plan to close the Avalon Theatre. You may not recall, but we corresponded a number of years back about the Chimes Tower and you were very responsive and gracious.

As you probably know, the announced theatre closure has generated an overwhelming response from the community of Avalon and beyond. I was personally devastated to learn of this plan. I appreciate the need to protect and promote the health of the Island Company, but I sincerely believe and fervently hope that closing the theatre isn't the only available means to that end.    

I felt helpless and I wanted to take some action. As I do not find Facebook discussion pages particularly effective at generating productive dialogue or bringing about change, I decided to start a change.org petition. My sincere wish in doing so was to try to persuade the Island Company to reconsider the planned closure and to open a dialogue with community members and other stakeholders to explore any/all possible alternative solutions. I believe in the power of the hivemind, especially when it involves saving something as cherished as this historic place. 

I know that many others share my feelings about the theatre and I expected strong support. I did not, however, expect the degree of support that we have received. As of this writing, our petition has over 8,400 supporters from all over the world and the number continues to grow. We are very likely to reach 10,000 by the end of the coming weekend and I look forward to sharing it with you. We have had inquiries from the press, from historical societies, from Avalon residents and visitors--past, present, and future--eager for a way to help. There are hundreds of incredibly moving comments.

"I grew up seeing films in this gorgeous theater and it breaks my heart for others not to have that chance!"
"In our visit to Catalina Island the theatre was the one thing that I truly felt was unique. That history should be kept and preserved."
"The first step in losing a beautiful theater is not using a beautiful theater! Keep it open!"
"My dad was born in Avalon in 1925. My mom’s grandmother bought a house on Whittley in 1915 that we still own and on every visit me, my kids and grandkids go see a movie at the Casino!  Please don’t close this historic treasure!!"
"There is nothing more magical than seeing a movie in this historic venue ️"
"As a former resident and theater lover we attended many movies in this amazing landmark. There truly is nowhere else that is comparable to this stunning masterpiece. Please, please, please do not close this iconic spot for locals and tourists, that would be devastating."
"I am an owner of a family shared condo in Bahia Vista....since 1979....and I fear there will be less and less for families to share like evening movies."
"The theater is an important part of California’s and Avalon’s history which should continue to remain open for future generations to enjoy!  Please look at all options to keep this theater open!!!"
 "Catalina is one of my family's favorite places. Every time we are on the island my family and I go see a movie because It’s like time travel, we get the opportunity to step back in time and spend a few hours in a beautiful old theatre just like our grandparents would have. The theatre itself in architecture, design, and craftsmanship is a treasure to be able to enjoy something so simple surrounded by its beauty is a special treat without having to pay museum prices looking at things behind glass or a rope. Keep the cinema the same not just for the occasional tourist but for the residents of Catalina."  

It is abundantly clear that this announcement has galvanized a lot of people and that strong emotions and opinions abound--some that are neither constructive nor positive and that do not move us forward. I am reaching out to you today in the hope that we can help right the ship. There is a tremendous opportunity here for the Island Company and the Avalon community to work together toward the shared goal of keeping the theatre profitable and open for everyone to enjoy. 

To that end, I would like to inquire as to whether or not the Island Company has reconsidered, or is amenable to reconsidering, the theatre closure planned for 01/01/20. If not, I would respectfully ask if you can see your way fit to do so. I believe that this decision was not made lightly, but I also believe that there must be some way forward. 

I would also like to ask for your blessing to call a community movie night on Friday, November 29. I believe that inviting the community to come together to see a movie and to enjoy and support the theatre--rather than to complain about the Island Company--could change some narratives and reset the tone to something unifying and positive. I am confident that we could fill every seat and that it would be a great celebration of this cherished theatre for Avalon. It would also, of course, generate the revenue of a sold-out show.

Lastly, I'd sincerely like to know how we can help. We have over 8,400 supporters awaiting word, ready to roll up their sleeves and help in whatever way they can. We have not yet asked for donations or conducted any fundraisers but should the Island Company see fit, for example, to lease the space to a non-profit organization willing to continue theatre operations, we have organized a large base of supporters, many of whom would surely welcome the opportunity to donate to such a worthy cause. 

In closing, I would just like to say that since the announced closure, I have heard the argument made that as a private concern, the Island Company's objective is shareholder profit--not the happiness of the residents of Avalon. This argument is made by people who do not understand business or logic. It operates on the false premise that the two concerns are mutually exclusive, rather than interdependent. I know--and I am confident that you and the Island Company Board of Directors agree--that there is a necessarily interdependent relationship between the profitability of your business and the health and wellness of the Island community that helps to generate that profit. I am confident that changing course on the planned closure of the theatre is a decision that will serve both interests very well. 

Thank you very much for your consideration and I will await your reply.

Sincerely,

Melinda Benson