Letters

We were unfortunately not informed of this structural solution until after it had been employed. We deeply regret the correctly perceived lack of transparency with the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board.

We are working extremely hard to bring back the Cinema in a way that will provide additional and improved services to this community, in terms of education and entertainment, while retaining the historical details that we all know and love. The expansion of the Cinema will, we feel, bring pride and joy to the village — but we are saddened by this development, too, and apologize to the HPARB.

To Judith Long’s understandable concern, remaking it exactly as the Cinema had been would not have been economically sustainable for future generations who will be gifted a not-for-profit venue. We have heard from people who had not been in the Cinema since 1978, feeling that the programming was not to their liking. Because we will have three screens, we are planning for something for everyone year round. And our educational outreach starts this fall with a collaboration with Pierson High School, before we are even open.

It should be added, as an addition to Mr. Boody’s article, that the Sag Harbor Partnership, which spearheaded the purchase and rebuilding of the Cinema, was originally in charge of the reconstruction, but that job has since been taken over by the Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center, a new Cinema-specific not-for-profit, and the Partnership is not associated with the above-mentioned issue. We on the Cinema Board are still working with the Partnership in support and are deeply grateful for their ingenuity, enthusiasm and continued help with fundraising, which is ongoing.

April GornikSag Harbor Cinema Arts Center Board