Big Sandy RECC
The Kentucky Opry Gets a Home
November 1996
On October 19,
Prestonsburg threw a party made possible by a lot of people and
businesses in the city and surrounding eastern Kentucky community.
Thanks to their efforts, it looks like the party will keep going.
On October 19, a
ribbon was cut opening the Mountain Arts Center, followed by a
performance by the Kentucky Opry in its new, 1,000-seat home.
The Mountain Arts
Center provides performance and rehearsal halls for local and
national talent, a recording studio, classrooms, and conference
space. It provides a way to increase tourism and other business, and
to showcase local talent like the Kentucky Opry, as well as
nationally known celebrities.
But as impressive
and valuable as all of that, is the way the community came together
to complete its own homegrown theater complex. Local people and
businesses donated $1.5 million that was leveraged with other funds
to build the $7 million center.
Among the many
contributors were East Kentucky Power Cooperative, which is based in
Winchester and generates electricity for more than 384,000 homes in
eastern Kentucky, and Big Sandy Rural Electric Cooperative in
Paintsville, which distributes electricity to nearly 12,000 homes in
eight surrounding counties.
“This is a
great thing,” says Bruce Davis Jr., president and general manager
of Big Sandy, which provides the electricity for the Mountain Arts
Center. “We’re excited about having this center for our young,
local talent.”
And Big Sandy is
providing more than financial support, says Davis. “We’ve got a
couple employees who are volunteering at the center, and we’ll
probably have more.”
Dan Hitchcock,
Big Sandy’s public relations director, and Patricia Baldwin, data
processing clerk at Big Sandy, are among the 120 community
volunteers helping the center with ushering, directing traffic, and
the other jobs that let an entertainment center keep the focus on
the entertainment.
“This will
bring in a lot of people from different places,” says Davis. “A
lot of local businesses will benefit. There could very well be other
benefits to the community that will spring from this activity.”-Paul
Wesslund
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