To the editor:

Fifteen years ago, our community established a nonprofit, two screen movie house — the Tropic. Quickly it grew to a four-screen multiplex with extensive concessions, lounge, art gallery and digital projection screens. We show international films, Hollywood and art cinema, and rarely but now and then a blockbuster eardrum breaker.

How did we do this? First it is a nonprofit, member-sponsored, board of directors entity. There is no way that you can run a cinema in Saranac Lake today as a for-profit business. It will never happen. But we bring patrons from as far away as 50 to 75 miles. I am thinking Malone and even Plattsburgh. We have film festivals, Oscar night, and you can rent a screen for a private showing, i.e. birthday, anniversary, etc. It works! But you need a goodly share of your residents behind it. Just a thought, but what if you added two screens to the new Pendragon? Just saying. Anyway, our fantastic Tropic Cinema is in Key West, my hometown island (7 gigantic square miles), and it would be great to go to a film festival in Saranac Lake when visiting our Camp at Lake Clear!

Best,

Kevin Barry

Key West, Florida