By Mari Radtke
The concept of new seating began five years ago. The need for an updated, handicapped bathroom started the drive to improve the volunteer run theater. Health department requirements for the concession stand led to changes and remodeling to the concession area, still the best deal in movie theaters. Wonderland Theater board members who largely took on the planning of each phase of this project are Marge Feltman, Brenda Kruse, Cindy Richter and Gina Paulsen.
Paulsen, who teaches in Orange City was well acquainted with the owner of Main Street Theater there. She caught wind of their remodeling talk back which led to a conversation about Wonderland purchasing their theater chairs. That was when COVID invaded our lives. Their remodeling project was put on hold. In 2022 a contractor with ties to Main Street Theater connected with Paulsen and the Wonderland Theater board. He was working on a remodel at Sioux City’s “Promenade Theater”. He told the Wonderland Theater Board, “You can have what you want, but you have to get them yourselves,” according to Richter. That was October 2022. They had about one weeks of notice.
Volunteers stepped up. Nicole and Daniel Jacobs offered use of a trailer. Shane Harms provided a truck. Volunteers to load in Sioux City and in Paullina to unload the chairs were corralled for the rapid response needs. Dave and Janelle Hibbing were “kind enough to allow us the use of one of their sheds for ten months. It was an amazing group effort,” said Cindy Richter.
Mike Hohbach of Hohbach Construction is credited with being the board’s guide through the maze of construction related decisions that have to be made. He assisted with necessary tasks to getting estimates for several of the parts of this remodel – ceiling tiles to flooring.
The fundraising has been ongoing for this project for this entire time, reaching and $12,600. The group was buoyed by the $13,000 O’Brien County Foundation Grant awarded in June. Donations continue to come to the theater.
The renovation committee members, Tammie Evans, Ross Mastebergen, Kathy Fields, Cindy Richter and Brenda Kruse made the decisions of color and style of ceiling tiles, carpet, tile, paint.
Richter was sure to point out that the decisions did not start until after the grant award was announced.
The simple chair replacement blossomed into a full blown remodel. It didn’t make sense to the board, encouraged by Hohback, to replace the chairs while the worn floor coverings stayed. It didn’t make sense to install the chairs now and remove them later to replace the floor covering. Painting the walls didn’t make sense to do after putting in new floor coverings. The thinking was much the same for the ceiling tiles. Putting up scaffold to change ceiling tiles after the floor and chairs were replaced just seemed too easy to cause damage to new furnishings. So With the grant award, they felt sufficiently financed to take on this entire whale.
And out came the volunteers. The hard work began in August. FFA helped unbolt the old chairs, many of which were broken. Devin Hermosa hauled the old chairs away in two trips. Materials started to arrive.
Richter recognizes two people for special involvement: Mike Hohbach and Marlin Sjaarda. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” she stated. “Marlin”, Richter explained, “reconfigured the chair placement probably ten times. We started with 100 chairs, then 110. We finally got to 130 new seats, thanks to Marlin.” The comfortable easy lean back chairs are staggered for better visibility and allow wheelchairs a place to sit. A new wall painting was done by Kiersten Kruse.
Others involved were organized into committees. Deconstruction members were: Nelda Werkmeister, Ross Mastbergen, Tammie Evans, Brenda Kruse, Kiersten Kruse, Doyle and Sheryl Wilson, Kathy and Scott Fields, David, Adam and Cindy Ricter and Mr. Kumm’s FFA class. Painting committee members were Brenda Kruse, Kiersten Kruse, Cindy Struve and Kathy Fields. Chair installation was done by Mike Hohbach, Marlin Sjaarda, Daniel, Nicohle and Brenna Jacobs, Paul Struve, Chuck Postma, Thomas Nelson, Andrew Richter, Ross Mastbergen and grandson, Micah, Tammie, Carter and Clay Evans.
Kyle Paulsen and Ryan Paulsen brought their steam cleaning truck with special equipment to clean and disinfect each of the new chairs, no easy task. Upholstery cleaning is not something they normally do, but they did, and donated their effort to the theater. “Please thank them immensely,” requested Richter.
Volunteers who cleaned everything from the plastic chair backs to all other surfaces were Cheryl Sjaarda, B Kruse, Michelle Hohbach, Kathy Fields, Cindy Struve and Mastbergen.
Cindy Struve and Kathy Fields are getting special thanks from the theater board for their professional painting inside. “Your talents are remarkable,” said Richter.
The outside “WONDERLAND” sign fell apart when it was lifted. That got some new wood backing and a good cleaning. The next project is to replace the failing overhang “marquis”.
Movie ticket prices remain at $3 for children and $5 for adults. The loss of 40-ish chairs doesn’t faze the board. The theater doesn’t fill seats regularly and not by a lot when they do. They can simple get chairs for the extra seats.
Congrats to the Wonderland Theater board for a tremendous job!