Rebuilding History

By Liv Stecker

 

The first drive-in movie theater in the United States was opened in 1933 in New Jersey, setting off a nationwide trend that peaked in the 1950s and 60s as whole families trundled into double features and teenagers found the perfect date in the privacy of their own cars. More than 4000 drive in theaters were in operation during the heyday, until the 1970s oil crisis hit, along with the evolution of home entertainment, as television became colorized and Video Cassette Recorders were invented. Suddenly families could watch feature films on their own couches at their whim. In addition to these technological advances, a new concept called Daylight Savings Time was introduced, adopted globally, and dusk got moved back an hour, making show times later and less family friendly.  Theaters everywhere felt the sting.

 

Drive in theaters across America began to decline through the 1980s until a small resurgence in the 90s gave them a mini-comeback. It was nothing like the glory days however, and by 2013, there were less than 400 drive in theaters still operating in the United States. 

 

One of these artifacts was nestled among the gentle swells of the Colville Valley, right between Colville and Kettle Falls. Opening in May of 1953, the Auto-Vue Drive In drew audiences from over Sherman Pass, up and down the river and out of Canada for all of the hit movies. The Auto-Vue enjoyed perpetual success until VCRs and cable TV began to eat their way into the revenue, and a trip to the drive in became an infrequent luxury for rural families. 

 

Hanging on through the summers, the Auto-Vue was a nostalgic tradition for many local people that was shared by generations. Not without mishap, mind you, as anyone who grew up going to Auto-Vue can tell a story about a time that the sound got out of sync with the picture, or the picture gave out all together, or any other number of memorable technological misfortunes. But they always came back for more, cramming bodies in for the carload nights on Sundays and hoping for the best. 

 

In April of 1974, the Auto-Vue was purchased by Earl Wisner. He and his son Steve owned and managed it until Earl passed away. Picking up the torch, Steve has preserved on. Steve began working at the drive in at 16 years old and is still the energy behind the business. Years of working with local teenagers as the staff, Steve says: “It’s kind of like teaching Junior High for 30 years.” He laughs. “I am ready for a break.” Most of his work now is behind the scenes, instead of doling out popcorn and sodas. 

 

In recent years, changes in technology have made it more difficult to get newly released films for the old 35MM filmprojection equipment that has always run at the Auto-Vue.A full upgrade to digital operations would cost in the area of $92,000 to accomplish, which is only slightly less than the cost of a replacement for the weather worn and not-long-for-this-world screen that tottered precariously during the last drive in season. 

 

The cost of these improvements meant only one thing to Steve Wisner: having recently invested a massive amount to digitize the walk in Alpine Theater in Colville, there was no way to cover the expense of upgrading the drive in. He announced the impending closure to the community and was met with an immediate outcry. Local residents couldn’t stand to see the end of an icon of their collective childhood. Fundraisers were held and donations were gathered through an online site, and Wisner new the story of the Auto-Vue wasn’t over yet. 

 

With a little help from his friends, a bit of crowd funding, and some resourcefulness, Wisner has found a way to keep the Auto-Vue alive. Using funds donated by local residents intent on keeping the drive in open, the theater was able to salvage an all steel screen from a Soap Lake drive in that closed 30 years ago. Wisner and local builder Bob Trudell reconstructed it piece by piece, assembling the steel reinforced ribs and new foundation for maximum protection from wind damage and long-term weather exposure. It’s a major upgrade from the old screen that was constructed from cedar. 

 

The formidable price tag of the switch to digital projection technology puts that project a little further out, and while Wisner says the occasional new release movie comes out in the old 35MM format, for the most part the theater is reliant upon recently released Blu-ray and DVDs for showing purposes. It’s not the optimum arrangement, Steve admits, “it would be better if we had the new releases in the theaters. That’s what the people want to see.” He says. But for now, it’s the best way to get your good old-fashioned drive in fix around. 

 

The Auto-Vue Theater reopened to the public for the July 4th weekend, and presents a new double feature every weekend. It is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday night,tickets cost $5.00 for adults and $1 for kids 11 and under. Sunday nights are still $10 for a car load, although now-a-days it is recommended to observe current seat belt laws when arranging car loads. The box office opens at 8:00 PM and the movies begin at dark. Sound is played through the FM radio of your car. 

 

The Auto-Vue drive in is a piece of local and nationalhistory that represents a bygone era of family outings and shared community adventures. The kick-start that local fundraising efforts gave the drive in is a token of that ideal that still lives. In the spirit of barn-raisings and grange potlucks, there’s a sense that anything can be accomplished if everybody pitches in – even keeping a drive in theater open.  If you would like to help with the continued evolution of the Auto –Vue Drive In, donations can be made at http://www.gofundme.com/3nx3fs . There’s still a long way to go before the theater is all the way up to speed, but it’s still here, and like the rest of the community, it moves at it’s own speed. 

 

 

Woodlands Theater Film festival Fundraiser: Great fun for a great cause!

 

August 7, 6:30 PM at the Colville Community College’s Rendezvous Theater, come support the renovation of Historic Woodland Theater!

 

On July 17, 1940, the newly constructed Woods Movie Theater opened its doors in Kettle Falls with a showing of Turnabout starring Adolphe Menjouand Carol Landis. On August 7, 2015, Woodland Theater Productions will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of their theater building with a double feature of 1940’s movies. Colville Community College’s Rendezvous Theater will be hosting the event since Woodlands Theatre is currently undergoing stage reconstruction. 

 

Tall in the Saddle starring John Wayne and Philadelphia Story with Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart will be the featured films. Festivities will begin at 6:30. As on the original opening night of the theater, popcorn will be served to patrons during the intermission, and members of the organization’s brass ensemble will be on hand to provide entertainment during intermission for an additional treat. 
Featured films should have something for everyone with comedy, romance and good old-fashioned western action. 

 

In Philadelphia Story socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) prepares to remarry, but her ex (Cary Grant) and a tabloid reporter (Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winner James Stewart) have other ideas as they converge on her home for a fateful visit. The three stars form an incomparable trio in one of the most tantalizing screwball romances ever. Under the direction of George Cukor, this once-urbane Broadway comedy springs to life with precision and wit.


 

John Wayne, the star of Tall in the Saddle spends as much time fighting the battle of the sexes as he does brawling with the bad guys in this Western mystery. Hardheaded cowboy Rocklin (Wayne) arrives in town to discover that the rancher who sent for him has been murdered. In the “wranglings” to determine the rightful owner of the property and catch the killer, the chauvinistic Rocklin butts heads with the female kinfolk of the dead man, as well a comely but fiery neighbor (Ella Raines). George “Gabby” Hayes provides a comic note as his sidekick.

 

Woodlands Theatre Productions is marking this 75th anniversary with a capital campaign to make some much needed improvements to the building, including heating, air conditioning, additional insulation, and improvements to the sound system as well as repairs to the stage itself. The organization is halfway toward meeting their financial goal, and donations for the evening’s entertainment will be gratefully accepted and applied to that effort.

Living the Good Life

by Liv Stecker

Joe Theiss had only been out of high school for six months, working in the Columbia Basin in the heart of Central Washington agriculture when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to avoid being drafted into the army. It was 1950, North Korea's communist regime had swept into South Korea in what the United States Military viewed as the first step to global communist takeover. For Joe, the idea of serving his time on a boat seemed better than the boots-on-the-ground alternative in the infantry. The Navy "seemed a lot cleaner than walking around on a battlefield!" Joe laughs. And he wasn't wrong.

 After basic training, Joe was sent to electrician school in San Fransisco and then assigned to the USS Tingey, DD-539, a 2100 ton destroyer. For three years Joe worked onboard the Tingey as an electrician, standing watches on the switchboard while the destroyer supported anti-mining mission and shore raids off the coast of Korea. The ship made two trips to the Phillipines while Joe was onboard, as well as time near Tokyo and Hong Kong, establishing a visible U.S. presence in the local waters. "We'd go out and come back there [to the islands], that was about the time the Korean War was winding up." He reminisces. 

Aboard the USS Tingey, Joe witnessed both support missions and firing operations over enemy ground. He recounts the story of blowing up both ends of a tunnel after train full of Japanese troops disappeared inside of it. Small raiding parties would go inland in boats that were identified by codes of black and white flags. If the combination of flags didn't match the code, the ship was instructed to destroy the boat. The destroyer was equipped with 5 inch cannons and submarine depth charges that performed both offensive and defensive missions overseas. 

Joe had a bunk at the end of a row on the lee, or left side of the ship. "I hate to say it but I kind of enjoyed it," he smiles. "Really I had a pretty goood life down there. I've got no complaints." He tells stories of  WWII vets that re-enlisted and came on board to work with the new recruits. One of the Tingey's missions was to recover U.S. Bomber pilots after they were shot down. If the planes were hit over Korea, the pilots were instructed to wait to eject from their disabled jets until they were over the open ocean. The Tingey would send a rescue mission to collect the floating pilots and they would return him to his aircraft carrier in exchange for the pilot's weight in ice cream. At the time, carriers were equipped with ice cream making technology that the destroyers lacked. Joe said they had ice cream at least three or four times during his tour, upholding the tradition that began before World War II, after alcohol was banned on U.S. Navy Ships.

An armistice was signed in 1953, bringing an unresolved end to the bloody dispute. The following year, Joe returned home to Cashmere, Washinton, the little orchard town where he was born in 1931. Straight away he got a job with Keyes Fibre outside of Wenatchee, a company that produces cardboard fiber trays for apples and other fruit for boxing. For 34 years Joe worked at Keyes, doing every job in the factory - one of the earliest recycling businesses operating in the United States. Keyes began using old newspaper to create molded fiberboard trays before the turn of the 20th century, opening plants in Washington after World War II. 

One of six siblings, Joe had three brothers in the Navy, one in the Army and two sisters. His father was a logger when Joe was born, and then managed an apple warehouse in the Cashmere area. His parents were married in Missouri, where his father met his mother. The family built a hunting cabin at a campsite in central Washington where the boys and their father spent time during hunting season. 

Joe never married, explaining that all the girls he liked wanted him to move, but he liked his life in the Wenatchee valley. "Any time it got anywhere near serious, they wanted to move to Seattle and work for Boeing. But I didn't want to work for Boeing." and so he stayed.  He bought a house and a boat that he would use in his spare time, bass fishing on Lake Roosevelt. 

 Ever the optimist, Joe looks back on his time in the Navy and his life in the Wenatchee area with great fondness. "It was a good life," Joe says, "I enjoyed it all." Recently, Joe suffered a stroke that left him with temporary amnesia. His memory recovered, along with his mobility and he still keeps active. He relocated to Colville to live near his younger brother, and is now a resident at Parkview Assisted Living, where he still gets to go out fishing on Lake Roosevelt from time to time on a boat provided for excursions. Joe has no regrets in his life, making the most of every opportunity that was handed to him and reminding us all to enjoy the ride, and the ice cream.

Cutting Edge Artist

By : Liv Stecker 

The knives that Bill Amoureux makes are more than just tools - they become part of a story to be told and handed down. They bear witness to adventures and escapades, act as accomplices in feats of amazing proportion, and allies in survival situations. He builds a knife not only for its exquisite beauty, but for the performance that could mean the difference between life and death in some cases. 

Bill began knife making when he was 12 years old, as boy in Idaho.  Many years later in Alaska, he opened a shop where he apprenticed under one of the few custom knife makers in the nation at that time. Honing his skill over the decades as he worked out a career with the Burlington Pacific Railroad around the Northwest, Bill developed a following of customers that overwhelmed the one-man production line for some time. Now Bill makes the knives one at a time, custom orders or using new materials that he collects. He sells them as he makes them, and doesn't take outstanding orders since he got frustrated with a six month backlog of waiting customers. 

On most days, you can find Bill in the labyrinth of his cool basement workshop, moving deftly between grinders and buffers and band saws, fitting the perfect bone or wood handle to each carefully styled blade. Rows of sanding belts in every grit imaginable dangle from a rack near the sander, stacks of different thicknesses of steel and drawers of antler and even the odd bone from the genitalia of a Walrus lie waiting for use in Bill’s next undertaking. The dust-covered artist will regale visitors with stories of archaeology in Spain and motorcycle gangs in California, a nod to the varied lifestyle he has lived. 

Over the years, Bill has sold more than 4,300 knives, an average of 100 knives a year. Many of his knives are sold to United States servicemen, both at home and overseas. Building knives for American Soldiers is Bill's favorite outlet. "I want to do anything I can for them since they do so much for us." He says. Hunters and outdoorsmen of all variety, as well as collectors are also among his clientele. His high-quality knives come in handmade sheaths that Bill guarantees personally. If a knife is lost after falling out of the sheath, Bill replaces it for free. In his entire career, he has yet to replace a blade, a nod to his leatherworking skill. 

Every knife that Amoureux makes is unique in it's design and materials. Hand crafted from the tip of the blade to the butt of the handle, he uses various grades of steel and handle materials of all different types. Including fossilized walrus and mastodon ivory, rare specimens out of the far north. His knives are hunting and multi-purpose style, ranging in size and shape depending on the customer and the application, including long rugged Bowie knives, utilitarian throwing knives and smaller concealable blades that hang around the neck. After belonging to the Knife Maker's Guild from 1973-1985, Amoureux left the guild when he felt like it limited his creativity in the craft. 

While Bill's knives are certainly masterful works of art, they are hard core utilitarian as well. They were designed as tools, but double nicely as display pieces. Decades of craftsmanship are apparent in the finished product today as he finishes blades with unique details - some matte finish to avoid the glare of sunlight for military operations, and some polished to a pristine shine. Amoureux keeps a few knives in stock for selling, but does much of his work tailored to specific needs and interests. 

Bill can relate plenty of stories about his knives that happy customers come back to tell him, as well as his own adventures as he has wandered through a wide variety of hobbies and social circles over the years, meeting soldiers from all walks of life and other fascinating clients. 

And life in his knife shop is by no means dull (pun intended). Bill suffered a minor injury when a knife he was polishing bounced off of the buffing machine and into his face, breaking his glasses and lacerating his forehead. Had he not been wearing eye protection there's a good chance that Bill could have lost an eye. Other knife makers have experienced fatal accidents under the same circumstances, including a friend of Bill's, so he counts himself lucky. 

Bill has lived and worked outside of Northport since his railroad retirement in 1990 with his wife of 37 years, Kathy. They travel to knife shows around the U.S., but most of his knife sales happen out of his small shop located next to his house. For entirely hand-crafted knives, his prices are competitive, beginning at $200, and in most cases customers consider them a bargain for the quality and workmanship. While most of his knives are sold in the United States, he does a lot of international business - primarily with U.S. soldiers who are overseas. 

For Bill, knifemaking is a passion that is about the people that he creates the knives for, knowing the importance of the right tool for any specific job. As thanks for his attention to detail and care in craftsmanship, he has received many tokens of thanks from members of the military and other clients, including specialized challenge coins from Navy Seal Team units. The reward in his work is much more about making his customers happy than it is the profit he turns on his one of a kind pieces. They are a representation of the kind of guy that Bill is, tough, interesting and without question, unique.