COUNTY LIFE
Bringing a dream to life – Vision centers on creating a movie theater in an 1884 bank building
By BARBARA GREEN
Mark Chancellor, at the age of 30, calls himself an “old soul.”
His career as a lighting designer may have him on the cutting edge of music, but he wants to bring back a historic building back to life by creating a movie theater right in the heart of Montague.
This summer Chancellor bought the former First National Bank of Montague on the southwestern corner of the courthouse square in Montague. It was built in 1884.
After the bank closed, it was later home to Bell Phone, Carminati Grocery and Prime Cut Steakhouse. This dilapidated structure will demand a complete overhaul to fulfill this unique vision for its future.
The dreamer
Mark Chancellor grew up in the Alvord area with his parents Charles and Marsha Chancellor. His father was a Dallas firefighter, who when he retired became an electrician. He now resides in Bowie.
Mark’s parents divorced when he was young, and he spent summers with his dad in the Bowie area. He attended high school one year in Alvord and then completed high school in Dallas. After graduating from a Dallas arts school and McMurray University, he pursued a career in lighting design that has led him around the world.
The location
Moving into this next phase of his life, Chancellor began looking for the right building. It had to be at least two stories in order to provide a balcony, but he also wanted “A building with the right story.”
He checked out the old theater building in Bowie, but it didn’t have the right historic fit.
He also looked at the city auditorium in Bowie, but could not work a deal. Chancellor also was solicited by other locals who would love to have the theater in their town. However, the right building “did not speak to him “until he checked out a run down mess of a property in Montague.
Read the full feature in your weekend News.
Mark Chancellor power washes the exterior of the old bank building. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The Bowie News invites all the kids to write their letters to Santa Claus and they will be published in our Dec. 20 holiday edition.
The deadline is extended to Dec. 6. Santa letter forms are available at the News office at 200 Walnut, at bowienewsonline.com Youngsters are welcome to submit their own letter it does not have to be on the form.
Drop them off in Santa’s mailbox outside the front lobby of The Bowie News offices.
As North Texas finally transitions towards cooler temperatures, community water needs change as well. Preparing your home for freezing temperature scan save time and money, especially with meteorologists expecting El Nino to bring wintry weather to the Southwest United States.
Use these tips from the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District to winterize your house and well, all while saving a few gallons. Now is the time to check fixtures in your home for leaks or moisture loss. To identify leaks in your system, consider a non-toxic dye tablet.
Changing appliance water colors from clear to blue or green reveals issues before they cause damage. For individuals with hard water (water with elevated dissolved solids) faucets and fixtures can be soaked in a vinegar or mild acid solution to break down commonly occurring calcium carbonate build-up.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Bowie will be filled with holiday cheer this week as the 32nd annual Fantasy of Lights Christmas Festival comes to town to herald the start of the holidays Dec. 1-3.
This festival was one of the first in North Texas to feature a lighted Christmas parade and the activities have only grown through the years. Across three days there are activities to be enjoyed by the entire family. This year’s theme is “Sweet Tidings of Gingerbread.”
Sip & Stroll
The Gingerbread Sip & Stroll With Me will feature more than 40 downtown participating locations from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 1. There also will be a storefront decorating contest following a gingerbread theme.
Open house
The Bowie Economic Development Open House from 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 1 with light refreshments.
Festival Saturday
Enjoy Pancakes with Santa from 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. at the Bowie Fire Hall, 203 Walnut Street, then visit the Bowie Library for Elf’n Magic, crafts and stories for kids and families.
The parade is at 7 p.m. There will be live music onstage downtown starting at 5 p.m. and the tree lighting at 6:45 p.m.
The Christmas Tour of Homes will be on Sunday from 2-5 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at the Bowie Chamber office, Walters Surveying, Swaim Surveying, any Amity member at at a home.
Read the full story on the schedule in your mid-week Bowie News.
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