Restoration of Waldo Theatre grounds begins

Mon, 09/25/2017 - 8:30am

    On September 18, Shannon Mahan and Andrew Federman of MAC Tree Service, and a group of volunteers, donated  time and expertise to tackle some of the bigger grounds-keeping needs at the Waldo Theatre, in downtown Waldoboro.

    Mahan heads MAC Tree Service, which is based in Pemaquid. He is a licensed arborist and both he and Federman have bachelors degrees in forest science from the University of Maine.

    They took down a large hemlock that had grown into the electric wires that service the building, chipped it, and pruned and trimmed back hedges that were crowding the columns and the kiosk in front of the building.

    Volunteers Penelope Crane, Steven Warren, Bruce Metrick and Barbara Boardman helped with removing downed limbs and cleaning up debris. "It brings the eye's focus back to the building itself," Mahan said, when the tree work was complete. Boardman, who serves on the Waldo Theater board of directors, noted that the tree needed to come down so that exterior renovations on the roof could begin.

    Crane, who is a member of the Waldoboro Garden Club, said that the club is interested in providing advice and helping to enlist volunteers to work on the gardens and plantings around the building.

    The 1936 building was recently placed on Maine Preservation's "2017 Most Endangered Places list – an important recognition of the property's significance to this area, and to the state.

    The Waldo Theatre board is now focused on raising funds to replace the roof and get the building's electrical and plumbing systems in working order. A capital campaign will begin this fall.
    The board is encouraged by the town of Waldoboro's renewed interest in the building and is grateful for the support of businesses like MAC Tree Service. According to town manager, Julie Keizer, "the building is an important capital asset for the town, and well worth investing in."

    The Waldo Theatre Board of Directors meets regularly on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Waldoboro. The meetings are open to the public and participation is encouraged. For more information, the board can be contacted by email at info@thewaldotheatre.org.