Panida re-lights marquee, elects new board members

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

About 50 Panida Theater volunteers, members and staff gathered in their jackets and stocking caps outside the historic theater on Tuesday night to count down the official re-lighting of the marquee after the aging neon tubes were replaced with LED lights.

Once lit, the group applauded and then filtered into the theater to begin the annual membership meeting.

Interim Board Chair Jim Healey — who took over for Keely Gray last month — started the meeting by thanking everyone who helped with the marquee renovation.

Volunteers and members gather on First Avenue outside the Panida Theater to officially relight the marquee after it was restored. Photo by Ben Olson.

“We thank Yesco from Post Falls and Foster Cline for spearheading the finances behind this fundraising campaign,” Healey said. “Also Doug Jones for working out the details of Yesco and Bill Lewis for cleaning up the reader panels.”

The audience then heard from current board members running for new terms, including Foster Cline, who also serves as secretary; Tari Pardini, who also serves as treasurer; and Jim Healey, the interim chair. Then Robert Chipman and Jimmy Matlosz, both new faces to the board, introduced themselves.

Chipman introduced himself as a screenwriter who has lived in the area the last 10 years. Matlosz said he’s been a resident of Sandpoint since 2010 and is a filmmaker by trade, working as a cinematographer and establishing the Idaho Film Company recently to explore making films in North Idaho.

The audience then cast ballots and approved all new and returning board members, bringing the board number to seven, including Healey, Pardini, Cline, Abby Ullman, Ron Ragone, Matlosz and Chipman.

Volunteer coordinator Nancy Yacavone spoke briefly to thank all the volunteers who help the Panida run smoothly.

“We can’t make this work without you,” she said, encouraging anyone who isn’t currently a volunteer to consider helping out if they have the time.

The audience then heard from newly-hired managing director Veronica Knowlton for the first time.

“The passion surrounding the Panida is simply contagious,” Knowlton told the membership. “This 94-year-old theater has given more than enough to generations of people in this town, so now it’s our turn to give back to the theater.”

Knowlton expressed optimism looking ahead to the centennial year of the Panida, which will occur in 2027, also outlining ideas for a century capital campaign, as well as increasing visibility of the theater and expanding the membership program. Finances were also discussed in detail.

“Throughout 2021, the board has secured $146,000 in grants,” Knowlton said. “Foster Cline continues to be a powerhouse in securing operational funding for the Panida. The Panida’s immediate future would look very different without his efforts.”

Knowlton pointed out that revenue is 11% lower than the last fiscal year, impacted by increased event cancellations due to COVID-19, but said a new tenant moving into the storefront in front of the Little Panida Theater at the beginning of 2022 will help matters.

“We will still see a deficit of nearly $27,000,” Knowlton said. “With this deficit, we rely on our membership donations.”

The current COVID-19 policy of the theater states that Panida staff and board members must either show proof of vaccination or submit a weekly negative COVID-19 test, and all staff and board members are required to wear a mask indoors while visitors are present. 

Furthermore, clients hosting events requiring guests to prove vaccination status or results of a recent COVID-19 test will be able to utilize the full capacity of the theater, but those without vaccine requirements and testing will be limited to 200 guests per event — about 50% of capacity.

Knowlton then introduced Josh Meagher, who was recently hired as the technical and maintenance coordinator. She also thanked former Panida director Karen Bowers, who received a sustained round of applause for her 27 years at the helm of the theater, and newly-retired technical director Bill Lewis, who has been the “backbone of the Panida” since 1985, Knowlton said. She presented Lewis with an engraved Panida hammer and announced one of the membership tiers will be named after Bowers.

In the open forum portion of the meeting, Carol Deaner spoke representing the Pend Oreille Arts Council, saying that POAC will continue to support the Panida through its annual performing arts concerts and other events throughout the year. 

One member in the audience expressed concern with the COVID-19 policy, claiming that since people could still transmit and catch the infection when vaccinated, it would “alienate part of the community requiring different things from our attendees when they don’t seem any different from each other.”

Katelyn Shook, who plays in the band Shook Twins, spoke to that point next, saying her band is very appreciative of the theater’s COVID-19 policy.

“We’ll only play venues who ask for vaccination and testing,” she said. “Every band I know of is asking for this and every legitimate venue of a decent size is, too. It’s proven to be working. It would be heavy on our hearts if we were playing for a big crowd where there’s a tiny possibility we’d be destroying someone’s life.”

Ricci Witte asked about the status of the Little Panida Theater next door.

“There was talk earlier this year of a potential sale of the Little Theater so we could do the things necessary for this theater,” board member Ragone said. “There seems to be a very strong contingent of you very much in favor of keeping the Little Theater.”

Ragone said they have already entered Phase 1 of the roof restoration, with a company coming from Spokane the very next day to hopefully complete roof work on the Little Theater by Nov. 11.

Ellen Weissman spoke about keeping the membership parameters unchanged, which would mean anyone who attends an event at the Panida throughout the year would continue to be referred to as a “member” and retain voting rights at membership meetings.

Knowlton said she encourages anyone who would like to meet the new staff members to come by and introduce themselves. The office hours of the theater will be Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.