Bijou sees financial troubles
■The theater’s owner says if
business doesn’t pick up, the
future looks grim
By Chris Noble
for the Emerald
Those who wax nostalgic at the
thought of watching a movie at an
old-fashioned movie house may
soon be able to only do just that.
Michael Lamont, the owner of
the Bijou Art Cinemas, known to
most simply as the Bijou, says the
theater that is one of a kind in Eu
gene has been experiencing severe
financial difficulties lately. If busi
ness doesn’t increase soon, Lamont
said he believes the Bijou’s screens
will darken for good.
“The Bijou lost an important rev
enue stream when Movies 12
switched from first-run movies to a
dollar house,” Lamont said. “Bijou
LateNite used to specialize in
showing movies fresh out of the
theaters. However, when the dollar
theater opened, people quickly re
alized that they could see the same
movies at more convenient times.”
The Bijou is located in the his
toric Wilcox Building at 13th Av
enue and Ferry Street. In 1925,
then-dean of the University’s
school of architecture, W.R.B.
Wilcox, designed the structure and
oversaw its construction.
Whitewashed walls, arched ceil
ings and a large open courtyard be
tray the fact that the building was
originally a First Congregational
Church. Lamont said the church
membership grew too large for the
building, and the church moved to
its current location on 23rd Street.
For the next 20 years, the Wilcox
Building served as a mortuary until
Lamont leased the main section in
1980 and turned the large, empty
structure into the Bijou Art Cine
mas.
In an effort to stay competitive,
Lamont decided to show cult and
classic movies for the late-night
showings. He said he hopes this
will attract a more eclectic and loy
al audience that will keep coming
back.
Rose Johnson is one of the people
that Lamont hopes to hold onto as
a customer. She has been going to
the Bijou since she moved to Eu
gene six years ago, and she said she
is saddened by the thought of it
closing.
“It is too bad,” she said. “I like
the Bijou and the movies they
show. It’s the place to see anything
that the mall theaters don’t bring in.
Besides, I usually enjoy the Bijou
movies more than those I see some
where else.”
Other business owners nearby
said they will be affected if the Bi
jou closes its doors for good.
“The Bijou brings people to our
area,” said Dale McDonald, a pierc
ing apprentice at nearby Primal
Body Tattoos. “People come to see
a movie and then visit us before or
after the show.”
Not only is McDonald a fan of the
business the theater draws to his
shop, he is also a fan of the theater
itself.
“I’d hate to see it go,” he said.
“It’s my favorite place to go see
movies that no one else shows.”
Lamont said the Bijou fills a
niche in the movie market by show
ing films that are not necessarily
mainstream fare, but he added that
the future looks bleak.
“If people want the theater to
stay open, then they need to come
see all our movies — twice,” Lam
ont said jokingly.
But he added: “Seriously, people
need to try and remember the Bi
jou. When looking at entertainment
options, don’t forget that the Bijou
is here.”
Chelan wildfire destroys three homes
CHELAN, Wash. — A 2,500-acre
wildfire that burned three homes
near this central Washington resort
town had forced the evacuation of 32
homes by late Sunday, while crews
were able to contain a fire that grew
to 5,000 acres east of Walla Walla.
Some 70 homes were not evacu
ated but remained threatened by
the Union Fire a few miles north of
Chelan. Nearly 500 firefighters and
support staff were on scene, along
with three helicopters, four air
tankers, five bulldozers and 25 fire
engines, the state Emergency Man
agement Division said.
The fire, burning in brush, scrub
grass and some timber, was only
about 10 percent contained within
fire lines as of Sunday afternoon,
and there was no estimate on when
it would be fully contained, intera
gency fire spokesman John Towns
ley said.
It was reported on Saturday after
noon, and by Saturday night it had
destroyed one house and two trail
ers being used as summer homes.
No injuries were reported, and no
other structures burned on Sunday.
Mike Brownfield said he spent
Saturday night fighting to save his
home in the Union Valley area.
“Within just a few minutes we
were surrounded with flames,” he
told KOMO-TV. “It was glowing or
ange, and trees were candling and
just exploding around us.”
Meanwhile, more than 300 fire
fighters were able to fully contain
the 5,000-acre Port Kelley fire burn
ing in sagebrush near the Oregon
border around Wallula, east of Wal
la Walla on the Columbia River,
said Don Marlatt, the emergency
management director for Walla
Walla County.
The fire was contained within
fire lines by 6 p.m. Sunday, and
mop-up work on hot spots was un
derway, state Emergency Manage
ment Division spokesman Rob
Harper said. Crews were aided by
cool, damp weather.
No homes were burned and no
injuries were reported in the Port
Kelley fire, which was believed to
have been started by sparks from a
train.
Many residents of homes around
the Union Fire evacuated voluntar
ily, fire information officer Greg
Thayer said.
The town of Chelan, full of sum
mertime visitors to the lake’s resorts
and campgrounds, was not threat
ened and was not in the path of
smoke from the fire, he said.
The cause of the fire was under
investigation, but investigators be
lieved it was started by area resi
dents, Thayer said. It did not start
at any of the burned structures as
earlier had been reported, he said.
The fire was called in at about
2:30 p.m. Saturday, and it grew to
15 acres within 30 minutes, Chelan
County Fire District No. 7 reported.
A Red Cross emergency center
was established in Chelan’s com
munity gym, but most evacuees ap
peared to be staying elsewhere.
News briefs
Oregonians create Bigfoot kit
FOSSIL, Ore. — An Eastern Ore
gon couple is having fun with the
Bigfoot legend, and hoping to make
a buck, by marketing a package of
items aimed at helping customers
lure, track — and hopefully repel
— the mythical missing link.
The Official BigFoot Fur Co. in
cludes “fur” from the animal, along
with bait, a bottle of repellent and a
tracking guide in a BigFoot Track
ing Kit, available for $14.95.
The company is owned by Fossil
residents Jeffrey Pickering, his wife
Karlena and her mother Edith
Lowe. Through their Web site,
www.bigfootfur.com, the company
has taken orders from as far away as
Texas and Missouri since the site
was launched July 4.
“This is Bigfoot central,” Jeffrey
Pickering said. “We’ve done a lot of
research. It’s meant for people to
have fun.”
Pickering said most of the 100 e
mail inquiries he gets every day are
questions from those who noticed
the first BigFoot Tracking Kit offered
on the Internet auction site eBay. The
kit was put together by the family
and given as Christmas presents to
other family members and friends a
little more than six months ago.
“We watched the Discovery
Channel and all these Bigfoot doc
umentaries,” Pickering said.
“They’re pretty serious, but we
wanted it to be fun.”
The Associated Press
Tickets
continued from page 1
we did the best job we ever did this
year telling people where to park.
But the message only trickles down
so far.”
Last year, the society paid a
handful of parking citations issued
to participants, but there were no
plans for similar payment his year,
he said.
The Relay for Life is an annual
fundraiser for the American Cancer
Society. Money goes to cancer treat
ment, research and prevention pro
grams in Lane County. This year,
about $430,000 was raised, topping
last year’s $313,000 mark, Oaker
son said.
The Associated Press
f PHOTO
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Oregon Daily Emerald