Organizers of the first celebrity art auction to benefit the Grand Theater Restoration Project are calling the fundraiser "hugely successful."

The Grand Theater Restoration Project committee joined forces with Hamilton Fine Art & Auctions for the event on Dec. 1 that featured about 150 works - "fine art originals and limited editions from Disney to Dali."

It was held at the Fort Steuben Ballroom, a place that was interesting to go to and what seemed like a perfect venue for such an event.

Billy Petrella and Francesca Carinci were co-chairs for the fundraiser, serving on a committee that also included Scott Dressel, Jan Glaub Rainbolt, Donna Keagler, Ed Stanislaw, Tony Corella and Patricia Fletcher.

Carinci reported that there were about 100 people attending with 70 registered as bidders for the auction conducted by Janice Hamilton, who is the owner of Hamilton Fine Art & Auctions and who was a successful actress in stage, film and television. She had recurring roles on "As The World Turns" and "All My Children."

I find it's always a pleasure to meet another Janice, considering there seem to be so few of us.

Carinci loved one painting in particular.

"The Renoir captivated me from the minute I saw it, and I could not stop looking at it - the gilded copper frame, the shadows and the 1918 ambiance. I went home with it, and it makes me smile every time I look at it," Carinci said.

Jon Cooper donated "a fabulous hand-carved, beveled glass mirror. He painstakingly carved the piece, used old-world carving techniques learned from his wife's grandfather, who was a local cabinet maker," according to Carinci who said Jody and Carolyn Glaub won the mirror and were very pleased with it.

"It was a 'Grand' time," she said of the event.

Sponsors included Apex Environmental, Walmart Distribution Center 7017, the Center of Music and Art, Froggy 103.5, the Herald-Star, WTOV9, the law office of Francesca Carinci, Fort Steuben Apartments, Village Sleep Center, Rehab Plus and Tri-State Financial Service, according to the program book.

Among the photos you'll see on this page are Charlie Hick and his wife, Holly, who looked really sharp in their dress-up attire.

The couple marked their ninth anniversary on Nov. 30, the day before the auction, so they were continuing their celebration.

And check out the photo of Roberta McHugh with Madeline and Ed Stanislaw. That is indeed Roberta on the left. I hereby publicly apologize to Roberta, who I misidentified in a photo taken earlier this year when the Jefferson County Red Cross Chapter had its Girls Night Out fundraiser. I didn't know that until the auction. Sorry, Roberta.

The art auction raised almost $9,000, according to Carinci, and I understand that the gasline and heat work at the theater possibly will be done before Christmas.

So things are moving along in "grand" fashion.

The Grand Theater Restoration Project committee is joining forces with Hamilton Fine Art & Auctions to present a celebrity art auction at the Fort Steuben Ballroom, located at 180 N. Fourth St., Steubenville.

It will be held Dec. 1 with the preview beginning at 5 p.m. and the auction itself getting under way at 6:30 p.m.

The cost is a $25 donation for the cocktail attire event with a complimentary wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres.

Tickets can be obtained in advance by calling (740) 264-4466 and also will be available at the door. They also are on sale at the Center of Music and Art in Wintersville and Frank & Jerry's and Two Brothers Dry Cleaners, both in Steubenville.

The event will feature 175 pieces, according to committee member Billy Petrella. There will be oils, watercolors, serigraphs, lithographs, mixed media and prints. All artwork is custom framed. Artists may include Harrison, Schluss, Miro, Max, Ebgi, Sabzi, Treby, Blank, Haney, Erte, Dali, Picasso, Neiman, Britto, Chagall, Raad, Tarkay, Deleuze, Benfield, Kupesic, Capen, Sacasas, Anagnostis, Disney Cells and more, according to an event flyer.

It bills the event as something featuring "fine art originals and limited editions from Disney to Dali." And that's in addition to sports memorabilia - for Steelers' fans, there will be an autographed Jerome Bettis jersey - glass, sculpture and fine jewelry.

"There's literally something for everyone in every price range," said Petrella, who is event co-chair along with Francesca Carinci. The planners also include Scott Dressel, Donna Keagler and Jan Glaub Rainbolt.

There also will be four faux furs up for auction. They're in pristine shape and originally came from two downtown businesses no more: Denmark's and Cooper and Kline's.

The auction will be conducted by Janice Hamilton who is the owner of Hamilton Fine Art & Auctions, not to mention a successful actress in stage, film and television who among other things had recurring roles in the television soap operas - "As The World Turns" and "All My Children."

Those of you planning to attend can park your vehicles at one of two locations - the Steubenville Post Office in the front or back lot and the parking lot at Tri-State Financial Services at 255 N. Third St.

There will be an attendant at both locations, and both spots will offer shuttle service back and forth to the hotel, so don't let parking be an issue that might keep you away, organizers say.

"Whether you like art or not," said Dressel, president of the Grand Theater Restoration Project committee, "it's going to be a nice event."

Well, that was fun.

The Committee for the Restoration of the Grand Theater combined fashion, furs and food to raise more than $5,000 toward its ongoing effort to give new life to a downtown fixture many may have thought was destined for doom.

"A Grand Night of Fashion" was held Nov. 5 for a standing-room-only crowd at the Center of Music and Art in Wintersville - facilities courtesy of Jody and Carolyn Glaub - and featuring men's, women's and children's outfits from Macy's, both dressy and casual.

Macy's sales managers Carrie Porter and Julie Woodbury were on hand to make the show a success with three of the store's Clinique and Estee Lauder makeup artists available to make everyone sparkle. They were Chrissy Speedy, Ashlie Black and Lorianne Barbour.

Francesca Carinci, one of the restoration project's biggest cheerleaders, looked smashing in her red dress and silver heels as she introduced all the models, yours truly included who was ordered to be the first one out on the runway. All the better to snap some photos, my little pretties.

And by the way, I liked my outfit so much, Better Half bought it for me as an early Christmas present. He just doesn't know it yet.

Other models were Emily Canella; Jennifer Cesta; Cathy Davison and her son John; Nina Dutton; Dave Elias; Patricia Fletcher; Sarah, Tom, Tony, Nolen and Julia Gentile; Claudia Holmes; Dr. John Irvin Sr.; Nate, Noah, Rachel and Shannon Irvin; Betty Kessler; John Mascio; Laura Meeks (one of two women Better Half whistled at on the runway - yes, the other one was me); Shay and Quinn McCoy; Michelle Miller; Meredith Rohan; Billie Petrella; Mike Petrella; Joyce Ryan Orlando; Doug Potts; Margie Radakovich; Kay Sedgmer; Ame Taggart; Ronda Teramana; Ramaine Turrentine; Nan Watzman; Marie Wilson; Cindy Yanez; and Nikki Zimnox.

Carrie Porter gave a description of all the outfits to an attentive audience that afterwards enjoyed an array of wine, hors d'oeuvres and holiday pastries. Students from the Franciscan University of Steubenville helped as hosts and hostesses.

The evening began with a "Happy Birthday" wish to Francesca's mother Mary Carinci and cute commentary from the Rev. Richard Davis, who noted his wardrobe isn't exclusively limited to his black robe. There's the white one, too, but only for May through September, he joked.

After the style show came an auction conducted by Dale Featheringham with assistance from Donna Keagler, another staunch restore-the-Grand person who called the event a huge success. Up for grabs were several donated vintage furs - all quite lovely - and a trip to Aruba. Door prizes were furs as well, which Scott Dressel held as he stood next to me. Karen Jarrett, who said she never wins anything, went home with one of them.

Behind the scenes as we "models" awaited our runway time, I met Doug Potts of Bellaire, a retired librarian who told me he was an usher at the Grand Theater from 1969-70 when one of the big movies of the day was "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." He was a junior at Stanton High School in the Edison school district then, graduating in 1971. Turns out his sister Darlene Potts was friends with my sister, Cathy Hout, during their Class of 1966 Jefferson Union High School days. Small world.

Later in the evening, I was approached by John Cooper, who told me he graduated with my sister Cathy. John's sister-in-law is Francesca Carinci. The world is shrinking.

So it was a great evening. Hats off to Macy's, the committee and all who made this possible.

Next up on the fundraising calendar for the Grand Theater is an art auction and holiday gift sale on Dec. 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Fort Steuben Hotel Ballroom at 180 N. Fourth St., Steubenville. Preview time begins at 5 p.m.

There will be fine art from Disney to Dali, sports memorabilia, jewelry and many other items. Celebrity actress Janice Hamilton will conduct the auction, and there will be valet parking, according to a post on Facebook. Wine and holiday treats will be served.

Tickets are $25 per person and are available at Frank and Jerry's and Two Brothers Dry Cleaners as well as other locations to be posted.

If you'd like to be a "Friend of the Grand," annual tax-deductible memberships are available. They're $25 for an individual; $50 for a family; $100 for a business with less than 50 employees; and a corporate membership of $1,000 applies to more than 50 employees.

Members receive invitations to special-members-only events and other specials as determined. Contact any board member to join or call (740) 632-2899 for information.

STEUBENVILLE - The plaster is still flaking from the walls and ornate artwork in the Grand Theater. But the 86-year old theater that has sat empty for decades is starting to live again.

The lobby has been painted, workers are preparing to install a heating system, and new carpeting is ready to be installed on the lobby floor.

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, took a personal tour of the theater Friday morning and walked away encouraged.

"This is another example of the beginning wave of prosperity for eastern and southeastern Ohio. The projections are of 10,000 new jobs here in the area for the next three years," Johnson said as he walked through the theater.

"According to the recent ABC World News report anyone who wants a job can have a job in Steubenville. That is exciting. We have an opportunity coming our way because of the Marcellus and Utica shale drilling industry," said Johnson.

"We now have to keep the federal regulators off the backs of the companies taking advantage of what God has given us. And we have to make sure these companies are hiring Ohio workers for these long-term jobs," Johnson added.

He was at the theater to pick up a Dave Barnhouse print he had purchased earlier this year at a fundraising auction for the Grand Theater restoration campaign.

"I have performed in community theater. Back in 2006 I played a part in the play "Inherit the Wind" in a community theater. This would make a great community theater, and I will be here when the doors open for an audience," he said.

"I personally donated to the restoration and my campaign has donated to the campaign," remarked Johnson.

Local businessman Bob Becker also stopped by the theater to donate several art-deco pieces.

"I came here as a kid probably 60 years ago. I always thought the Grand put all of the other theaters to shame. It was elegant in the true Biggio fashion. The restoration of the lobby is putting it back to the way it once looked," Becker commented.

"The Grand Theater committee is tackling a big project and it will take a long time. But this theater has potential. You can walk into the theater and still visualize what it once was and see what it can be again," stated Becker.

"With the new building materials now available the restoration work should actually be easier. This was once the place to go in Steubenville. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project," said Becker.

Scott Dressel, chairman of the board of directors for the theater, has said he expects the complete renovation of the 86-year-old theater to take approximately 10 years.

"But we hope to have the lobby finished by this winter that will allow us to hold fundraising events there and to bring back a glimpse of the grandeur of the theater from past years," said Dressel.

STEUBENVILLE - Chris Bomely never saw a movie in the Grand Theater.

Bomely is too young to remember when the downtown business district was home to five theaters. But the Steubenville native spent six hours Saturday with other volunteers cleaning debris from the theater and is planning on returning this weekend for a final cleanup day.

"I wasn't around when this theater was open. But I want to do something to help my community and I would like to see what it looks like after it has been restored to its original condition," said Bomely.

Bomely and Kyle Stutzman were assigned the task of cleaning out several dressing rooms located at the back of the theater stage.

"There are six dressing rooms located up there. Plaster is falling from the ceiling and walls, so we are picking it up and putting it in buckets. Then we carry the buckets outside and dump it into a Dumpster," noted Bomely.

"Some of those rooms are tiny. Its hard to imagine actors or performers running up that iron stairway and changing costumes in those rooms. But I guess at one time they did," added Stutzman.

The final Saturday cleanup in October is set for 9 a.m. Saturday at the Grand Theater.

Scott Dressel, chairman of the Grand Theater board of directors, said Saturday's volunteers will focus on the main seating area in the theater and the balcony.

"I started this project in April last year after we persuaded the city we could save this building. Our first volunteer cleanup was in March this year when we took out 104,000 pounds of trash and debris. A second cleanup campaign took out another 100,000 pounds. So we are now basically cleaning up the remainder of the debris," related Dressel.

He added he is close to completing the painting of the lobby walls but is waiting for more work before applying a third coat of dark blue paint.

"Thank goodness we received a furnace from TEAM Automotive. We will place that in our office next to the lobby and I can always open the door to the lobby to allow some heat into that area. I am hoping we can get one more furnace donated for the museum that will be located in the store to the south of the lobby," Dressel said.

"The six main lobby doors are in the process of being refinished and that will included replating the hinges, door closers and handles. When the doors are done and holes are cut into the lobby floor to allow us to run heating ductwork we will paint the walls again and put down new carpeting in the lobby hopefully by late November," continued Dressel.

"At that point every surface in the lobby will have been cleaned, polished and restored. After that I will take a break. Although I also want to help install new lighting that has been donated to our poster frame boxes," added Dressel.

Linda Hilty and Jeff Wargo were helping three students from Franciscan University of Steubenville clean out the projectionist booth Saturday afternoon.

"Why do we come here for this? We ask ourselves that question every time we are here. But I view this as kind of a project to restore old Steubenville.

"It is much better in here since the roof was sealed up. It is drier and smells better," said Hilty.

"When I agreed to volunteer today I had no idea the building was this bad. I guess I thought it was just a matter of some peeling paint. But after spending time in here I can see this theater was really nice at one time. I can imagine what it will look like once everything is cleaned up and restored," observed Tim Michaud, a senior at the university.

Michaud and Sean Blouin volunteered for the clean-up day at the urging of classmate Chris Kotur, who is a Steubenville native.

"I want to help out my hometown. My vision is to have the downtown area rejuvenated and I think this is a good start. You can already see other businesses doing their part," said Kostur.

And Dawn Tony Leone spent her Saturday at the theater because her friend Francesca Carinci asked for help.

"Fran has been my friend and my inspiration for the past 15 years. I came here at her request. But I also enjoy helping out and making a difference here," stated Leone.

Dressel has said he expects the complete renovation of the 86-year-old theater to take approximately 10 years.

"But we hope to have the lobby finished by this winter and that will allow us to hold fundraising events there and to bring back a glimpse of the grandeur of the theater from past years," said Dressel.

The next fundraiser set to benefit the theater restoration is a fashion show at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the Center of Music and Art.

"Local business women and celebrities will be our models and we will have a drawing for vintage furs from the Hub. A $25 donation will include admission to the 'Grand Night for Fashion' as well as wine and holiday goodies," said Dressel.

"Right now we are continuing to seek funding through donations and grants. We hope to move on to several major projects at the theater in 2012," he said.

STEUBENVILLE - The more Scott Dressel explores and cleans the Grand Theater and the adjacent store buildings, the more he discovers.

Dressel recently stepped down a steep flight of wooden steps into the basement of the store just south of the theater.

He is planning to creat a mini-theater and downtown entertainment museum in the former store and wanted to see what was in the basement.

"First of all there is a dirt floor and we found a number of meat hooks down here. But probably the most mysterious discovery so far has been a brick room in the middle of the basement. I thought it might have been used at one time to store illegal liquor during prohibition," related Dressel.

"But when I opened the wooden door I found about 100 wooden spindles and wood frame windows that appear to have been built during the Victorian era judging from the design," said Dressel.

"The brick room is about 8 feet long, 6 feet wide and 6 feet tall. The inside ceiling is arched and entirely of brick. I have made some calls but so far no one knows what the room might have been used for," explained Dressel.

According to Sanborn maps, the building at 123 S. Fourth St. has been used as a saloon, restaurant and meat store at different times in the late 19th century and early 20th century. In later years the store was home to a men's clothing store.

Dressel is hoping for more discoveries this month when he hold three cleanup weekends in the theater.

"We will be working from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 cleaning the main stage area, the dressing rooms, balcony, main floor and projection booth. Anyone who would like to donate some time toward the restoration of the Grand Theater will be welcome," declared Dressel.

He has started to paint the theater lobby walls a dark blue that will reflect the original lobby colors.

"We will be taking out the ground floor seats at some point and save the best seats for a mini-theater next door in the museum," said Dressel.

"The former store is a fairly long room and I would like to put up a flat screen television in the back and create a mini theater. We will also have the museum in the front of the store so we are collecting memorabilia for display from the Grand as well as the other downtown theaters that are now gone," stated Dressel.

"The rest of the ground floor seats will be offered for sale to anyone who wants a piece of the theater history," he added.

"We still have a long way to go but we are making progress day by day. It is exciting to see the theater lobby start to look like it once did and always fun to discover these little mysteries in the buildings," said Dressel.

Grand cleaning continues

August 5, 2011

Grand Theater moving forward

July 19, 2011

STEUBENVILLE - It is quiet inside the Grand Theater these days.

The sound of water dripping from leaks is gone now that Jason Zumbahlen and his crew from Blast Master of Effingham, Ill., have completed spraying a polyeurathene and sealant foam cover on the roof of the 87-year-old building.

The complete silence is noted immediately by Scott Dressel and a visitor to the building that has survived the water leaks and is now being prepared for the next phase of a 10-year restoration project.

"I know I am sleeping better at night and my blood pressure is down. And the theater gets a little drier every day. We no longer have that musty smell in the theater we had when it was always wet," said Dressel, president of the Grand Theater board of directors.

Two large rolls of carpeting, donated by Bill Croskey of Steubenville, are now stored in the theater lobby.

Dressel said before the carpeting is installed, a complete mold eradication job donated by Apollo Cleaning of Wintersville will be done. That will be followed by the installation of drywall over the original walls and, finally, the painting of the lobby walls and ceiling in the original theater colors.

"We received a $5,000 grant from the J. C. Williams Charitable Trust. That money will be used for the lobby painting and decor as well as renovating the theater office next door. The drywall for the lobby has been donated by Jim Sarlo, a local contractor, and Anthony Mougianis has donated the mold removal services from Apollo Cleaning. These in-kind services are very helpful and can be used to secure additional matching grants," explained Dressel.

"We plan to start painting in September when the humidity drops and it is a little cooler. Our goal is to have the lobby completed by late fall, and we will then have the lobby lit at night so it looks like the theater is open again. The ornate scroll work next to the ceiling will be done in a bronze color. Terri English has volunteered to handle that detail painting," Dressel said.

"Once the lobby is completed, we can host small events there. We will probably take down the curtains on the doors that lead to the theater. That will allow visitors to see the theater as it is now and watch the restoration work over time. We may also want to finish at least one of the ball rooms so we can hold events there in the near future," said Dressel..

"The glass poster frames and the mirrors in the lobby are still in good shape and would be very expensive to replace. So we will keep them in place," he added.

Dressel also announced the restoration campaign has received a $5,000 grant from DPS Penn to establish a Friends of the Grand endowment fund.

"Members will receive invitations to special members-only events and discounts on event tickets. To join the Friends of the Grand, interested persons should contact any board member or call (740) 632-2899 for information," Dressel said.

"Only the earnings from the endowment fund will be spent on operating expenses. This kicks off a Friends of the Grand membership drive. Individual memberships will be $25 and a family membership is $50," Dressel said.

"The purpose of the endowment is to create an investment fund, from which the interest and earnings can be used to cover operating costs like utilities and, eventually, staffing. The interest and earnings can also be used for improvements and maintenance. The principal donations are intended not to be used and to grow the endowment to a level that makes the Grand Theater self-sufficient. The endowment funds are invested to result in the best return available with no risk to the principal balance," explained Dressel.

"We continue to focus on our fundraising efforts. But we are also planning clean-up weekends this fall. Since we will be working in the lobby, we will set up Dumpsters in the alley behind the theater and resume cleaning out the main theater, the ball rooms and the basement. There are marble panels and seats in the basement that we need to bring upstairs to inspect. And we have volunteers who want to get busy cleaning again," Dressel said.

"The next phase of the restoration after the lobby will be on the front of the building. We are working with Steubenville architect Les Zapor to have a marquee designed that will look like the original theater marquee of 1925. We will have environmentally friendly LED lights in the marquee. It is an expensive project and we hope to receive donations for the construction and installation of the sign. And we will be looking at the windows that were painted over. We can either scrape and clean the original windows or replace them with historically correct windows. We will strip the front facade of the white paint, clean it and restore the front of the building to the original look," Dressel said.

"I see a growing interest in restoring the Grand. You can see sprucing up going on all over the downtown area. North Fourth Street was once considered a pretty bad area, but look at it now. The downtown is looking better. There is a growing pride and interest in the downtown area. The Grand Theater will be part of that downtown restoration. It just takes a commitment and work," Dressel stated.

STEUBENVILLE - It should stop raining inside the Grand Theater by this weekend.

A three-man crew spraying a polyurethane foam and a sealant hope to have the 87-year-old roof completely covered and sealed by Friday.

And that is welcome news for Scott Dressel, president of the Grand Theater board of directors.

"I will be so glad when this roof is completely done. That will stop the water leaks into the theater and allow us to move forward with our cleanup and restoration work," said Dressel.

Dressel stood on the tar roof watching Jason Zumbahlen, owner of Blast Master of Effingham, Ill., slowly spray the yellow foam onto the roof top.

"It is similar to a rhino liner that is applied to truck beds. I was able to talk to the director of the Playhouse Square in Cleveland where the same material has been used on seven theaters there and it has stood up very well. Once the foam is dried, they will apply a white sealant that will help protect the roof and serve as insulation," said Dressel.

"We use an Energy Star-rated material that has been used on other buildings and been quite successful," noted Zumbahlen.

Dressel and his volunteers have been seeking donations for months in order to repair the roof.

Dressel said he made the journey through the theater lobby, up the steps to the projectionist booth and climbed the iron ladder to the roof, "at least 20 times today. But people have donated money to this project and I just want to make sure their money is invested properly," said Dressel.

"I am still looking at about 10 years to have the theater completely restored. But we are taking this in stages. We will restore the lobby where we can hold events and the two front rooms facing South Fourth Street. The theater will take a lot of work, but we can make this happen," Dressel said.

"We will be stripping the front facade of the paint, then cleaning it and restoring the facade. All trim and windows will be restored and sealed to the weather.

A new marquee will be designed that will incorporate the 1920s original vertical "GRAND" and the 1950s horizontal signboard portion of the marquee across the entire front of the building," noted Dressel.

"It is a lot of work but we are seeing more support for the project. People aren't asking why we are doing this. Now they want to know when the theater will be open again," concluded Dressel.

"I still have a vision of what this theater can be. Once the roof is sealed we can continue our work," Dressel said.

STEUBENVILLE - The Grand Theater Restoration Project has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Ohio Governor's Office of Appalachia allowing the repair of the building roof to start this week.

Scott Dressel, president of the project board of directors, said Tuesday the Delagrange Construction Co. of Carrollton started the repair of the building roof on Monday.

"They were the only contractor to give us a bid on the roof, gutter and downspouts, roof coping and covering the skylight.

"They will be spraying the entire roof with polyurethane foam that will give us an R-15 insulation rating. That will not only stop the leaks but give us insulation that will keep the heat out in the summer and the heat in during the winter months," Dressel explained.

"We talked to several contractors but we were asking for people interested in rehabilitation work.

"That can be irritating work because there is a need to pay attention to the little details. The Delagrange Construction people suggested different alternatives and were flexible enough to find the material we needed for the project," added Dressel.

"I was convinced we needed to go with the polyurethane roofing material after talking to the maintenance manager at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. They have used the same type of material on their buildings since the 1970s and are very pleased with the results," Dressel added.

Dressel estimated the roof work will be completed by late May.

"We originally planned on just repairing the theater section of the roof. But the state grant will allow us to complete the entire roof. The contractor will also be spraying both sides of the building down to the adjoining building roofs so the theater will finally be secured and dry," he said.

"State Rep. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, put us in contact with the Governor's Office of Appalachia. And Wanda Hairston from the GOA helped us tremendously throughout the application process.

"We were fortunate to receive $30,000, which is the largest grant amounted awarded by the office," remarked Dressel.

"We also plan on replacing the current electrical system with temporary service that will allow us to start setting up our office on one side of the theater and the museum on the other side of the lobby. There were several theaters in Steubenville and we hope to create a display of that history in our museum.

"Once the roof and electric work is done we will shift to the building's front facade and marquee. And we hope to get heat installed before next winter although that will require an additional donations," Dressel stated.

"I have been working on this project since April 2010 and I believe in it now more than ever. Once the roof is completed the building will be dry and we will have time to start working on the interior," Dressel said.

Dressel said the restoration project has so far received 132 donations from individuals and businesses.

"Once the roof is done, I will be setting those names aside in a special category of those who helped save the Grand by putting on our roof. These were the people who believed in the project from the beginning," Dressel said.

"Theater restoration work takes time. We would like to have this project completed in six years but that will depend on money and the time to do the work. I have noticed a change in public opinion. When we started this project a year ago people were asking why we were doing it. Now people ask when we will be ready to open the theater," noted Dressel.

"Getting the roof done is a major accomplishment. Every time it rains it causes me anxiety. It will be nice to see the building dry and secure," said Dressel.