Pendleton Loses Only Movie Theater
Yes, there is still the five-screen cineplex at Wildhorse Casino, and it's great. But downtown Pendleton had a movie theater since 1981 and now it doesn't.
The man who owned the theater also owned the WHOLE BLOCK! He also owns property in Hermiston and The Dalles and got tired of driving to Pendleton. He sold the whole block to Goodwill Industries of Columbia for $600,000.
You can't fault him for selling to a good organization, but it's the end of an era.
The owner said Pendleton just doesn't have enough people to support renovations and improvements to the old theater. That's a bad omen for the future of entertainment in the city.
But we welcome Goodwill with open arms, and thank our lucky stars for the Wildhorse theater, and hope that arts and entertainment have a bright future in Pendleton.
[SOURCE: East Oregonian]