June 13, 2024 |
Photo – Medicine Bow park off of Cottonwood Street – Courtesy Google Maps
The return of the drive-in movie. The Medicine Bow Recreation Board is preparing to show free drive-in movies at the public park in town.
During Monday’s Medicine Bow town council meeting, Recreation Board member Jacque George requested authorization to install support columns for an outdoor theater screen at the public park on Cottonwood Street. George said the rec board intends to screen free movies for the community.
George said the rec board will not charge people to attend the drive-in theater screenings. She said the recreation board will make money through concession sales, instead.
Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer said the football field at the park can accommodate roughly 50 vehicles. However, Councilwoman Wickizer said the rec board doesn’t expect more than 10 or so people to attend each movie screening.
Acting Medicine Bow Fire Chief Ed Standish said the public park on Cottonwood Street is used by Classic Air Medical to land their medivac helicopters. So the screen cannot interfere with the landing zone.
The acting fire chief said the town also must create an evacuation plan in case an emergency helicopter must land during a film screening.
Acting Fire Chief Standish said Classic Air typically provides a 25-minute warning before they land in town. Rec board member George said they will have plenty of time to clear the field of vehicles.
Councilwoman Wickizer said the movie screen support masts will not be higher than the existing announcer’s booth, referred to as the crow’s nest.
Mayor Justin George suggested installing a windsock on top of the movie screen support pillars to help the medivac helicopter pilots land.
A resident asked how loud the movie audio will be played. Councilwoman Wickizer said sound will be piped through a Bluetooth receiver into an FM transmitter. Mayor George said the transmitter will ensure that only those who want to hear the movie can do so.
Rec Board Member George said the FM transmitter will allow the board to screen less-than-family-friendly movies. George said the screen will also be set up facing away from the center of town.
Councilwoman Wickizer said the town will need to board up the broken windows in the crow’s nest announcer’s booth to prevent roosting birds from damaging the movie screen. The councilwoman also asked for a hole in the nearby concession stand to be fixed.
Rec board member George said the board intends to use the existing concession stand to sell drinks and snacks during movie screenings. George said the building suits the rec board’s needs.
Councilwoman Wickizer said Town Attorney Cameron Smith’s law firm, Pence and MacMillian, donated $500 toward the drive-in theater project. The councilwoman also said the plywood to cover the crow’s nest windows will be donated by a resident.
The Medicine Bow town council voted to approve the installation of two 24-foot poles to support the drive-in movie theater screen and allow the recreation board to clean the concession stand.
No date was given for the first movie screening.
