“I would say our investment in the big screen was a great investment,” Glenn Carroll said last Saturday night. “I was particularly impressed with the quality of the picture on the screen.”
Carroll issued that statement after the debut of the Johnston Community Center Association’s (JCCA) Movies in the Park, which attracted 200-plus people and included free popcorn and bottled water.
Dozens of families turned Johnston War Memorial Park into a campsite, setting up folding chairs and blankets to watch “Zootopia.”
“Johnston is very, very lucky to have a group like [the JCCA] that is made up of families that give so much time and effort to make this town a better place to live,” said one man who brought his grandson and granddaughter to see the movie.
“Everyone in this great crowd was very respectful,” Carroll said. “And that was especially true while the movie was playing and people quietly made their way to the popcorn machine and got the bottles of water. At one point while the movie was playing, I’d venture to say that you could have heard a pin drop.”
Carroll thanked the larger-than-expected crowd for turning out and supporting the JCCA’s venture.
“I must say I was nervous as to what kind of attendance we would get,” he said. “I was very happy to see the crowd … it was absolutely heartwarming to see so many children with their parents and grandparents enjoying a movie in the park.”
Mark Gilmore, who serves as the JCCA’s vice president and set-up director, found out later Saturday night that he became a grandfather for the second time with the birth of a 7.5-pound baby boy.
“I second Glenn’s sentiments,” he said. “I don’t think a first-night performance could have gone any better.”
Perhaps no one was more thrilled with the night’s success than Nicole Carroll, Glenn’s daughter, who doubles as a teacher at the Early Childhood Center and recreation supervisor in the summer months. She actually had the idea for Movies in the Park and selected “Zootopia” for the first showing.
“Yes, tonight went very well,” she said as she bid goodnight to many of her ECC students. “Tonight was special. It was a special showing of community support, and I’m honored to have been a part of such a great night of Americana at its best.”
She added: “I hope we see this size crowd, and even more people, on Saturday, July 30, when we present our second movie, ‘Hotel Transylvania.’”
The JCCA purchased an inflatable 8-foot-by-16-foot screen to show movies, as well as a popcorn machine.
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