This is happening to businesses all over Mandeville. I don't see how any business owner can survive unless they are independently wealthy.

We are actively engaged in responding to these challenges. The expansion of our business pursuits into other sectors is driven by the very issues that created these challenges.

Our first goal is to be number one in our region. We have to take care of business there before we can focus on anything else.

I've already put a new roof on the main building and repaired the roofs on the other two buildings. Now I'm waiting on insurance money for the rest of the repairs. I've been ready to begin for three months, but the insurance company has been very very slow and resistant.

I want everyone to see what's going on so if we don't come back they'll know why, and if we do, they'll see how much we had to go through to open again. If I have to sell the building, I would hope it would be reclaimed as a theatre, not an engineer's office or something. It would be sad to see it go. I didn't buy the building to make money, I did it because the theatre is so important to my life.

The state gives them hardly any money at all, not even to buy those great t-shirts that the kids love.