For our younger people to decry the removal of the Marquee at the State Theater, we must remember history repeats itself.

In 1956 The Butterfield Theater Chain removed the original Marquee and MALTZ sign, bricked over the windows of the facade and covered the lower half of the building with Mid Century Modern red siding. The exterior and the interior were “Updated” to get with the times.

So if AMC elects to remodel their building, they paid the $$ to do what they want. If we push them they could simply say “Fine, and padlock the place and put it up for sale. AMC is a big chain. I really don’t think they care what we want. It is their building, and they will mess with it like any company does that is in business to make money. Whether they are right or wrong.

Historically it is not an antique. It is at best 60 years old. We in Alpena have destroyed far more valuable history than that sign in our years of being. The Potter house at Washington and Fourth Street; the Chippewa village underneath Van Lare Hall which the city ignored the Haltiner’s pleading not to fill it in because it would destroy Native American Artifacts.

It’s like when someone with a house overlooking the lake sues to prevent someone from building across the street on the lake side of the road because it ruins their view of the lake. Are they paying taxes on it?

Kathleen Melville-Hall

Alpena