When I was little, there was one big movie theater in town. The State Theater. It was grand, old school theater with a balcony. That’s where I saw Goonies and Transformers.

Before I got to junior high, we had a second: The Royal Knight. By the mid-1990s, between the two, we had nine screens. One summer I had literally seen every movie playing.

AMC bought both theaters several years ago. Closed one down. Then, in 2020, the other. Now, more than two years later, Alpena remains theaterless.

There have been promises. And waiting. Shortages of both materials and labor are certainly part of it. Other projects and priorities. Plenty of other things.

And yet, still no theater in a community desperate for one.

The recent announcement of a new, three-screen renovation is exciting and hopeful. But without a timetable, it remains at the whim of the developers.

It is easy to make excuses for corporations and wealthy benefactors. Thinking that their money should be spent their way—without regard to how it impacts the community.

But why not actually invest in the community by giving the resources to the community? Wouldn’t it be easier to help the people make it happen?

And the looming specter of the same thing happening in Terre Haute leaves me wondering why we continue to put our trust in entities that don’t put our needs first.