Northwood group at work to open movie theater

By DEB NICKLAY, of The Globe Gazette

NORTHWOOD — A Northwood betterment group is working to bring a movie theater back to Northwood.

The group called Total United Northwood Effort, or TUNE, is working to renovate the former J. B. Thompson building to house the theater.

"We are very excited about the idea," said Tanna Moretz, head of TUNE's board of directors.

The group purchased the building for $1 from the owner in 2003 and has worked to stabilize the building since then. It has replaced the roof and tuck pointed the exterior, paid for through donations and grants.

A Worth County Development Authority grant of $25,000 was recently awarded to help fix 17 upstairs windows that will also end troublesome water damage.

With the exterior done, the work will now turn toward the interior, Moretz said. No completion date has been estimated, although hopes were high earlier to have it done during the town's sesquicentennial year, in 2008. Moretz said, however, that may be difficult to accomplish.

One interesting item is that chairs once housed in the old theater are coming back.

The Northwood-Kensett Community School received the old theater seating when the theater closed. The school replaced its seating this fall. The school administration gave the seating back to TUNE, Moretz said.

"So the chairs are coming back, full circle" she said.

"We are really excited about this project and the many great things happening in Worth County and in Northwood," she said.

Reach Deb Nicklay at 421-0531 or deb.nicklay@globegazette.com.