HBO film pinching business
Merchants grumble over blocked-off downtown
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
SKOWHEGAN — Downtown merchants have discovered making a movie can be costly, for themselves as well as the filmmakers.
Although they remain pleased that Skowhegan was selected as a site for filming the HBO movie "Empire Falls," most intown business people agree that shutting the downtown rotary for shooting on Friday, Monday and Tuesday had created financial hardship.
Doreen Poulin, owner of Key Appliance, said she lost thousands of dollars in sales while the streets were closed.
"We're all willing to give a little, but there's a limit to how many days they can block off the downtown and still let us make a living and pay our employees."
Kevin Holland, owner of Variety Drug Store, said rerouting traffic away from the downtown rotary made it difficult for customers needing to fill prescriptions. He said he didn't mind doing his share to make the filming work, but eliminating all access was "unacceptable." He said that was not part of the original plan.
"I love having them here and understand that they have to make a living, but we have to make a living after they're gone," Holland said.
Others, like Sumner Hayward at Hilltop Antiques, said his concern also lost business, but felt ultimately the downtown will benefit.
"Considering what the film is going to do for the town, it's worth it," Hayward said. "If someone wanted to buy yesterday, they'll come back again. The movie will bring people back to town and money will be spent, maybe indirectly, maybe two years from now. I think it's the most exciting thing that's happened in town since (President Dwight D.) Eisenhower was here."
Town Manager Patricia Dickey already is at work seeking solutions to the problem. On Wednesday, she sent an emissary into the downtown area to collect comments and complaints.
Meanwhile, Dickey and Police Chief Butch Asselin met with a movie company official Tuesday night to determine how to minimize the film's future impact on downtown businesses.
"We're trying to work out a better solution to the parking of the movie trailers for easier customer access to parking and downtown stores," Dickey said. "We're also trying to resolve how traffic barriers to Route 150 and Route 2 can be kept from going so far back."
Dickey said John Moore, owner of the Strand Theater, has offered his parking lot for some of the trailers, so they will not be crowded around Commercial Street. She said that would open up parking for customers when the filming crews and actors return in early October.
"There are some alternatives we're working on right now," Asselin said. "I feel positive about the long-term benefits the film is going to bring to the town. What we have to do is more to accommodate the business people."
Larry Charrier, co-owner of Skowhegan Fleuriste and co-chairman of the Downtown Business Association sympathized with the businesses most affected.
"Some business owners I spoke with yesterday were disappointed that some of the (traffic movement) they were told would happened didn't happen, which affected their businesses," he said.
Charrier said he and business partner Dwayne Burbank had some trouble getting deliveries and lost some customers, but did not suffer as much as some of their neighbors.
"It's easier to order flowers over the telephone than it is an appliance," Charrier admitted, referring to Key Appliance next door.
Darla L. Pickett — 474-9534, Ext. 343
dpickett@centralmaine.com