#LaconiaCityBoxScore — July 20: Final Colonial Theatre vote expected Monday

LACONIA — The public will get a chance to weigh in Monday night on city plans to spend millions of dollars renovating the Colonial Theatre.

The council has given initial approval to a resolution for $6.7 million in bonds to fund the downtown project, and will have a final vote on the matter after the public hearing.

Long-delayed renovation of the 105-year-old theater could begin as soon as October under the funding proposal.

It would cost the city about $465,000 per year over 20 years to service the $6.7 million in bond debt. Early on, the city loaned $1.4 million to the Belknap Economic Development Council to buy the theater, so its overall financial commitment would be $8.1 million.

The funding plan also uses about $4.5 million in state, federal and private money. A revised overall cost estimate for the project is $13.5 million.

Supporters say a revitalized 750-seat theater would stimulate economic development downtown. Private developer Rusty McLear also plans to build eight to 10 spacious apartments or condominiums associated with the theater.

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They said it:

“The lobbyists for the auto dealers in the state came out full force against this. It’s all about the money.” — Rep. Charlie St. Clair, D-Laconia, on the defeat of legislation that would have reduced the requirement for vehicle safety checks to every other year.

“When over 16 percent of the vehicles inspected are reported as failed, it is pretty obvious why annual inspections are needed. If we didn’t have such inspection laws, these unsafe vehicles would be left traveling the roadways.” — Peter McNamara, president of the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association.

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Facebook comments:

“ It is painfully obvious when the Republicans in the news story, as well as commenters on this post, attack his character, his wife, called him names, or disparage where he was from. Yet none of them have the backbone or true support for the Republican Party to actually comment on what he wrote in his letter. Everything Mr. Taylor wrote is 100 percent factual, and valid reasons for leaving a party. The response from Republicans is verification of those reasons.”

— Quinn Golden on the decision by Hunter Taylor, a Belknap County Commissioner and member of the Republican State Committee, to drop out of the GOP because, in his words, it has evolved “into a cult of personality that embraces bigotry in this country and tyranny abroad,” under President Donald Trump.

“The article reporting Belknap County Commissioner Hunter Taylor’s announced departure from the Republican Party left me somewhat confused — Hunter Taylor was a Republican? Who knew? As for his apparent unhappiness regarding President Trump and his tweets, let me just state for the record that I stand 110 percent behind our great POTUS and look forward to each new one with great anticipation … ” — Doug Lambert.

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The Knights of Columbus Laconia Council 428 and three men recently did a good turn for a disabled veteran.

The VA advised Gail Wyatt that it could not repair the wheelchair ramp used by her husband, Frank Wyatt.

She reached out to Saint Andre Bessette Parish, which enlisted the help of Patrick Kiefer, Dennis Morrissette and David Karl to fix the ramp.

They completed the ramp in one day with material donated by the Knights of Columbus.