The State Theatre, 35 Washington Ave. E., was built in an art-deco style. It offered seating for 850 when it opened Dec. 28, 1937. The Leader described its front design as “unusual and one of the most unique in the state.”
Hutchinson as an arts destination? It was a radical idea in 2011. Since then, the community has embraced its creative roots and expanded its offerings of music, theater, exhibits, sculpture, comedy and more.
Like good stores and restaurants, parks and trails, cultural tourism returns dollars to the local economy. How much? The Minnesota Citizens for the Arts was commissioned in 2018 to conduct a Creative Minnesota Study, which revealed the combined economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences is $2.2 million annually. This includes $1 million spent by nonprofit arts organizations and $1.2 million spent by 61,896 attendees.
It's always been a dream of local art enthusiasts for Hutchinson to have its own dedicated performance space. To help assess the feasibility and cost of this idea, the city of Hutchinson hired Artspace, the nation's leading nonprofit developer of affordable space for artists and arts organizations. The property under consideration? The State Theatre in downtown Hutchinson. The cost of the study: $11,500.
At 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, Artspace Consulting will present its findings in a workshop at Hutchinson City Center, 111 Hassan St. S.E. The public is welcome to attend in person or watch it from home on HCVN. For the link to attend virtually, email City Administrator Matt Jaunich at mjaunich@ci.hutchinson.mn.us.
If you're wondering why the city would investigate a pipe dream, there are practical reasons underpinning this investigation including downtown revitalization, historic building preservation, promoting tourism and sustaining creative businesses.
The project launched this past summer when Artspace consultants Wendy Holmes, senior vice president, and Naomi Marx, quantitative analyst, conducted virtual focus groups to better understand how the theater space fits into the community's current priorities and to hear from local leaders about ideas they might have for its potential use.
A variety of uses were put forth by enthusiastic participants. Ideas ranged from a live music venue and black box theater to conference/event space, a bookstore/cafe and space for nonprofits and working artist studios.
Using this information as well as other research, Artspace Consultants put together a plan that calls for converting the main movie theater into a multipurpose live theater and performance venue while retaining the ability to show movies. It also retains the building's four existing apartments, with the possible conversion of the second-floor theater into two additional apartments, as well as developing a vacant space adjacent to the resident lobby as a cafe.
The plan, which will be detailed in greater depth and context during the workshop, is available for review at ci.hutchinson.mn.us/city-council/. The consultants are also expected to touch on the acquisition of the building.
As Hutchinson and McLeod County continue to see a surge of new COVID-19 cases and deaths, the city constructed this sign of “HOPE” in Library Square to lift residents’ spirits as we enter the holiday season.
MESSAGE OF HOPE
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The new McLeod County COVID-19 dashboard found at co.mcleod.mn.us shows various points of data residents may want to track in coming weeks.
McLeod County residents seeking to stay on top of local COVID-19 data now have another tool available.
The county has added a COVID-19 dashboard to its website at co.mcleod.mn.us, which is updated each Monday by McLeod County Public Health. Data reflecting the state of the county on Nov. 22 showed 1,922 cases and nine local deaths. The dashboard warns data collected in the past seven days should be considered partially incomplete due to delays in receiving data.
McLeod County Health and Human Services Director Berit Spors noted Monday that as of 4 p.m. on Nov. 29, local numbers had increased to 2,166 confirmed cases, 13 probable cases and 14 deaths.
Both data points show a continuation of a trend Spors warned would continue two weeks ago. On Nov. 17, the county had seen a spike to 1,430 cases from 699 on Nov. 3. She said Monday morning the trend is forecasted to continue.
Information on the McLeod County dashboard shows several other points of data as well, including the county's case rate per 10,000 residents, a metric schools use to determine their learning model. This past Thursday, the county's rate climbed to 231.4. Such data is two weeks old and shows data from a two-week period.
The dashboard also shows that as of Nov. 22:
- COVID-19 was most common among ages 55-59, 25-29 and 20-24,
- 20 residents were hospitalized, and
- Hutchinson had the highest case rate, followed by Glencoe.
- Updated
Willard Wendorff has donated to the American Red Cross 184 times now to share his blood with those in need. He was recognized for reaching the 23-gallon milestone last month.
According to the American Red Cross, one donation of blood can save up to three lives. For Willard Wendorff of rural Hutchinson, those three potential lives have multiplied quite a few times over the years.
"The first time I donated, the Red Cross had come to Cosmos in 1964," the 77-year-old said last week. "My mother talked me into it."
Since then, Wendorff has been a regular donor. Just this past month he reached his 23rd gallon at a blood drive at Peace Lutheran Church in Hutchinson. Eight donated units makes a gallon.
To reach his most recent milestone, Wendorff maintained donations whenever he was allowed, save for a time when he couldn't for a medical reason, and when he's been deferred for low hemoglobin.
"He's just so determined to give," said Shirley Wurdell, who coordinates blood drives at Peace Lutheran. "He's very dedicated."
If ever Wendorff has been deferred, she's seen him return soon after making adjustments to his diet to stay healthy.
The American Red Cross allows donations once every eight weeks, or once every 16 weeks for those who give a Power Red donation, which takes two units of blood and returns plasma and platelets to the donor.
"3M years ago would have the bloodmobile come right out to the plant a couple times a year," Wendorff said. "So I donated there the 35 years I was there."
He's kept at it because it's the only way to make sure those who need blood in an emergency have it.
"They haven't come up with anything for artificial blood," Wendorff said. "So it helps."
It's safe to say needles don't bother him very much. He's up to 184 donations now and has set a goal of reaching 200, or about 25 gallons.
"As long as the good lord keeps me healthy enough," he said.
