WNYDIMS - June 2009 Newsletter

The WNYDIMS Newsletter

The official newsletter of the Western New York Drive-in Movie Society

Issue 1 - June 2009

Welcome to the first interactive Western New York Drive-in Movie Society newsletter! We will try to offer a lot of helpful information here about the local Drive-in theaters in Western New York, and anything about Drive-ins anywhere in the world!

If you have some content you would like to include in our July newsletter, please email us and we will do what we can to include your story or information in the next issue!

The Western New York Drive-in Movie Society, known as WNYDIMS, is all about bringing the Drive-in experience to a generation that may not be too familiar with it. We welcome young parents, and anyone else, looking to find out more about the Drive-in to contact us with any questions you may have and we will do what we can to get you an answer.

We hope you enjoy the newsletter and participate in its evolution! Don't forget to ask about joining the WNYDIMS. It's free and we are going to be adding members-only events and specials very soon!

Thanks!

George N Root III

WNYDIMS

Save The Grandview!

We here at WNYDIMS support the efforts of the Friends of the Grandview to try and revive this classic Drive-in. Here is a message from Friends organizer Tony along with his contact info. Everyone is encouraged to give what they can.

Regrettably, Angola 's Grandview Drive-in is no more. Friends of the Grandview fought to the very last day to save the historic landmark.

However, we are proud to announce its rebirth is in progress! Fund raising will begin shortly to help pay for its reconstruction and we are also hopeful we can have a temporary Drive-in operational yet this summer with some help. We are in need of a 35mm-film platter system, as well as a concession trailer to serve as a snackbar, and something to house our projection equipment.

This is a countywide effort and we ask any contractors or electricians interested in helping please contact us. A benefit concert is also being planned, anyone who wishes to participate in any way please help us bring the Drive-in and Family Friendly Entertainment back to Erie county!

Friends of the Grandview can be reached at 716-771-8324 or grandview@bluefrog.com

Grandview demo picture from the Buffalo News

The Grandview screen tower as we will all remember it.

My drive in movie memories…

I can remember my parents taking me to see one of the ‘70's action films at the Transit. My dad had a Chevy pickup truck with a convertible top on the back. We sat in lawn chairs in the back and had a awesome time.

Fast forward a few years. Well, more than a few. I was dating a nice woman, very classy, who liked to get dressed up for every date. I had asked her if she wanted to go to the movies with me, and she said she would love too.

She spent the day getting ready. Got her hair done. Did the manicure and pedicure thing. Picked out and bought a new summer dress. Oh, and new shoes. All very classy. She was stunning. I went to the door to pick her up and the look on her face as she looked over my shoulder to see my Jeep in the driveway was priceless. You see, I had taken the top off. And the doors.And had laid the windshield down. Yes, you can do that with a Jeep.

Now she had been in the Jeep before, but never in its “safari” mode.I admit, she was, well, a bit hesitant. I made the concession to her distress by putting the windshield up. So here was this beautiful woman, dressed to kill for a night out at the theater, attempting to climb into a fully open vehicle. There is no way to climb into a lifted Jeep with any sort of ladylike movements. A dress and nylons are not the recommended attire for that.

I admit she was daring enough to actually do it. I guess I had not told her where I had planned on taking her. An oversight I am sure. A trip from Niagara Falls to Lockport in a Jeep with no top or doors is not a test normally done by hairspray makers. Nor is it imagined by the designers of light summer dresses. She was tone between holding her head in an attempt to save the hairdo and holding the dress down so it did not billow up around her waist.

The desire to retain some form of modesty won out over appearance and the hair was forgotten. By the time we got there, almost all of her preparation efforts had been negated. She looked like she had been in wind tunnel. From my point of view, she had never looked better. She never did understand that about me.

We had a great time.

The windshield came back down, and we feasted on hot pretzels, popcorn and ice tea in our own four wheeled skybox. The looks we got from other movie goers was worth it. Here she was, dressed to kill, me in jeans and tshirt, laughing and acting like kids. I guess the date went well, for a 3 years later, she made me the happiest guy on the planet by becoming my wife.

The drive in played a part in that as well. We did not have the usual hall rental rubber chicken reception, but a catered picnic with friends, family, and even complete strangers in attendance on July 4 th , 2007. After the picnic, we and a whole caravan of folks decended upon the Transit drive in to see the premier of Die Hard 4. That's right. We went to the drive in on our wedding night. We filled an entire row. Yes, the top of the Jeep was off, the doors were off, the windshield down.

We have been a regular visitor ever since, even seeing a movie in a snow storm one late fall night.Just her, me and a big yellow Jeep.Look for us sometime.

- Stuart Forsyth is a member of WNYDIMS and reviews movies on our message board. Send us your Drive-in memories and maybe you can get your story into our next newsletter!

In Search of the Nite-Way Drive-in

The Nite-Way Drive-in is a Drive-in theater that was located in Pendleton, New York on the corner of Transit Road and Fisk Road. So far the picture featured below (found by Rick Cohen) is the only picture we have of anything to do with the Nite-Way.

The Nite-Way operated from at least 1948 to 1949, it may have been around longer but the information that has been gathered so far would suggest that it did not operate much past 1949.

If you have any pictures of the Nite-Way, or any interesting stories about going to the Nite-Way, please contact us. To the WNYDIMS, a picture of the Nite-Way when it was in operation is like the Holy Grail of Western New York Drive-in artifacts, so help us out!

The Nite-Way circa 1966. The red line is Transit Road, the green circle is the Transit Drive-in, and the blue circle is the lot outline for the Nite-Way.

The Advetures of Drive-in Girl!

Gaelyn Sale is a member of WNYDIMS, and she spends a lot of time visiting Drive-ins all around the region in the United States and Canada. Here is here entry for this month's newsletter about the Starlight Drive-in in Stoney Creek, Ontario.

The Starlite Drive-in in Stoney Creek , Ontario has undergone several changes over the past 3 years as new owners work hard to enhance the nostalgic drive-in experience. Changes include an additional 2 screens, new projection equipment, new playground equipment and a new box office.

The owners, Premier Operating of Don Mills, Ontario maintain the drive-in's original structure while adding their own modern look and design to the 56-year old ozoner. The Starlite offers a wide selection of delicious, top quality food in the snack bar from organic french fries to funnel cakes and of course, the classic favorite, popcorn.

Don't forget to visit the Starlite on a holiday weekend for a four-feature dusk-to-dawn. If you are looking for a fun-filled night of movies under the stars and delicious food, pack up the mini van and head out to the Stralite Drive-in on Green Mountain Road in Stoney Creek .

Don't forget our picture page!

Send us your Drive-in pictures and we will see if we can post them on our picture page for everyone to enjoy!

It is a fun way to share your Drive-in experience with the whole world!

Just make sure you give us your name, the month and year the picture was taken, what Drive-in it is, and where it is located. We can't post a picture without that info.

You can make a caption for it, or you can let us do it for you! Submit your pictures today!

Drive-in History

WNYDIMS is proud to be a supporter of the New York Drive-ins historical website.

It is a labor of love put together by a local Drive-in enthusiast, and the amount of work required to collect all of the information was quite a story in itself.

We are hoping that in the next newsletter, the creator of New York Drive-ins will tell his story so that everyone can understand the amount of dedication that goes into some of the things we do to preserve the Drive-in theater.

A Word From The First DIMS!

The WNYDIMS is an idea inspired by the Southern California Drive-in Movie Society. Here are a few words from one of its founders, Sal Gomez.

The Southern California Drive-In Movie society has once again kicked off the summer season here in SoCal with the announcement of a series of dates that will offer drive-in movie theater fans the opportunity to visit their local drive-in and stop by to chat with other "like-minded" drive-in theater fans.

Founded in 2004 by drive-in theater fans, the Southern California Drive-In Movie Society (SoCalDIMS) is once again sponsoring monthly "tailgate party nights" at a different drive-in theater each month all around Southern California from May 2009 through September 2009. This summer they will include stops in San Diego & Barstow as well as the usual stops in Riverside, Montclair and Los Angeles County. You can see the entire summer schedule on our website at www.socaldims.com.

The members of SoCalDIMS would like to extend their love and support to all you D.I.M.S. members scattered through this great country of ours and we ask that you always show your love and support and patronage to the drive-in theaters located near you. Tell them The Southern California Drive-In Movie Society sent you.

See you under the stars!

The WNYDIMS Newsletter The official newsletter of the Western New York Drive-in Movie Society Issue 1 - June 2009
Welcome to the first interactive Western New York Drive-in Movie Society newsletter! We will try to offer a lot of helpful information here about the local Drive-in theaters in Western New York, and anything about Drive-ins anywhere in the world! If you have some content you would like to include in our July newsletter, please email us and we will do what we can to include your story or information in the next issue! The Western New York Drive-in Movie Society, known as WNYDIMS, is all about bringing the Drive-in experience to a generation that may not be too familiar with it. We welcome young parents, and anyone else, looking to find out more about the Drive-in to contact us with any questions you may have and we will do what we can to get you an answer. We hope you enjoy the newsletter and participate in its evolution! Don't forget to ask about joining the WNYDIMS. It's free and we are going to be adding members-only events and specials very soon! Thanks! George N Root III WNYDIMS		Save The Grandview! We here at WNYDIMS support the efforts of the Friends of the Grandview to try and revive this classic Drive-in. Here is a message from Friends organizer Tony along with his contact info. Everyone is encouraged to give what they can. Regrettably, Angola 's Grandview Drive-in is no more. Friends of the Grandview fought to the very last day to save the historic landmark. However, we are proud to announce its rebirth is in progress! Fund raising will begin shortly to help pay for its reconstruction and we are also hopeful we can have a temporary Drive-in operational yet this summer with some help. We are in need of a 35mm-film platter system, as well as a concession trailer to serve as a snackbar, and something to house our projection equipment. This is a countywide effort and we ask any contractors or electricians interested in helping please contact us. A benefit concert is also being planned, anyone who wishes to participate in any way please help us bring the Drive-in and Family Friendly Entertainment back to Erie county! Friends of the Grandview can be reached at 716-771-8324 or grandview@bluefrog.com Grandview demo picture from the Buffalo News The Grandview screen tower as we will all remember it.
My drive in movie memories… I can remember my parents taking me to see one of the ‘70's action films at the Transit. My dad had a Chevy pickup truck with a convertible top on the back. We sat in lawn chairs in the back and had a awesome time. Fast forward a few years. Well, more than a few. I was dating a nice woman, very classy, who liked to get dressed up for every date. I had asked her if she wanted to go to the movies with me, and she said she would love too. She spent the day getting ready. Got her hair done. Did the manicure and pedicure thing. Picked out and bought a new summer dress. Oh, and new shoes. All very classy. She was stunning. I went to the door to pick her up and the look on her face as she looked over my shoulder to see my Jeep in the driveway was priceless. You see, I had taken the top off. And the doors.And had laid the windshield down. Yes, you can do that with a Jeep. Now she had been in the Jeep before, but never in its “safari” mode.I admit, she was, well, a bit hesitant. I made the concession to her distress by putting the windshield up. So here was this beautiful woman, dressed to kill for a night out at the theater, attempting to climb into a fully open vehicle. There is no way to climb into a lifted Jeep with any sort of ladylike movements. A dress and nylons are not the recommended attire for that. I admit she was daring enough to actually do it. I guess I had not told her where I had planned on taking her. An oversight I am sure. A trip from Niagara Falls to Lockport in a Jeep with no top or doors is not a test normally done by hairspray makers. Nor is it imagined by the designers of light summer dresses. She was tone between holding her head in an attempt to save the hairdo and holding the dress down so it did not billow up around her waist. The desire to retain some form of modesty won out over appearance and the hair was forgotten. By the time we got there, almost all of her preparation efforts had been negated. She looked like she had been in wind tunnel. From my point of view, she had never looked better. She never did understand that about me. We had a great time. The windshield came back down, and we feasted on hot pretzels, popcorn and ice tea in our own four wheeled skybox. The looks we got from other movie goers was worth it. Here she was, dressed to kill, me in jeans and tshirt, laughing and acting like kids. I guess the date went well, for a 3 years later, she made me the happiest guy on the planet by becoming my wife. The drive in played a part in that as well. We did not have the usual hall rental rubber chicken reception, but a catered picnic with friends, family, and even complete strangers in attendance on July 4 th , 2007. After the picnic, we and a whole caravan of folks decended upon the Transit drive in to see the premier of Die Hard 4. That's right. We went to the drive in on our wedding night. We filled an entire row. Yes, the top of the Jeep was off, the doors were off, the windshield down. We have been a regular visitor ever since, even seeing a movie in a snow storm one late fall night.Just her, me and a big yellow Jeep.Look for us sometime. - Stuart Forsyth is a member of WNYDIMS and reviews movies on our message board. Send us your Drive-in memories and maybe you can get your story into our next newsletter!
In Search of the Nite-Way Drive-in The Nite-Way Drive-in is a Drive-in theater that was located in Pendleton, New York on the corner of Transit Road and Fisk Road. So far the picture featured below (found by Rick Cohen) is the only picture we have of anything to do with the Nite-Way. The Nite-Way operated from at least 1948 to 1949, it may have been around longer but the information that has been gathered so far would suggest that it did not operate much past 1949. If you have any pictures of the Nite-Way, or any interesting stories about going to the Nite-Way, please contact us. To the WNYDIMS, a picture of the Nite-Way when it was in operation is like the Holy Grail of Western New York Drive-in artifacts, so help us out! The Nite-Way circa 1966. The red line is Transit Road, the green circle is the Transit Drive-in, and the blue circle is the lot outline for the Nite-Way.		The Advetures of Drive-in Girl! Gaelyn Sale is a member of WNYDIMS, and she spends a lot of time visiting Drive-ins all around the region in the United States and Canada. Here is here entry for this month's newsletter about the Starlight Drive-in in Stoney Creek, Ontario. The Starlite Drive-in in Stoney Creek , Ontario has undergone several changes over the past 3 years as new owners work hard to enhance the nostalgic drive-in experience. Changes include an additional 2 screens, new projection equipment, new playground equipment and a new box office. The owners, Premier Operating of Don Mills, Ontario maintain the drive-in's original structure while adding their own modern look and design to the 56-year old ozoner. The Starlite offers a wide selection of delicious, top quality food in the snack bar from organic french fries to funnel cakes and of course, the classic favorite, popcorn. Don't forget to visit the Starlite on a holiday weekend for a four-feature dusk-to-dawn. If you are looking for a fun-filled night of movies under the stars and delicious food, pack up the mini van and head out to the Stralite Drive-in on Green Mountain Road in Stoney Creek .
Don't forget our picture page! Send us your Drive-in pictures and we will see if we can post them on our picture page for everyone to enjoy! It is a fun way to share your Drive-in experience with the whole world! Just make sure you give us your name, the month and year the picture was taken, what Drive-in it is, and where it is located. We can't post a picture without that info. You can make a caption for it, or you can let us do it for you! Submit your pictures today!	Drive-in History WNYDIMS is proud to be a supporter of the New York Drive-ins historical website. It is a labor of love put together by a local Drive-in enthusiast, and the amount of work required to collect all of the information was quite a story in itself. We are hoping that in the next newsletter, the creator of New York Drive-ins will tell his story so that everyone can understand the amount of dedication that goes into some of the things we do to preserve the Drive-in theater.	A Word From The First DIMS! The WNYDIMS is an idea inspired by the Southern California Drive-in Movie Society. Here are a few words from one of its founders, Sal Gomez. The Southern California Drive-In Movie society has once again kicked off the summer season here in SoCal with the announcement of a series of dates that will offer drive-in movie theater fans the opportunity to visit their local drive-in and stop by to chat with other "like-minded" drive-in theater fans. Founded in 2004 by drive-in theater fans, the Southern California Drive-In Movie Society (SoCalDIMS) is once again sponsoring monthly "tailgate party nights" at a different drive-in theater each month all around Southern California from May 2009 through September 2009. This summer they will include stops in San Diego & Barstow as well as the usual stops in Riverside, Montclair and Los Angeles County. You can see the entire summer schedule on our website at www.socaldims.com. The members of SoCalDIMS would like to extend their love and support to all you D.I.M.S. members scattered through this great country of ours and we ask that you always show your love and support and patronage to the drive-in theaters located near you. Tell them The Southern California Drive-In Movie Society sent you. See you under the stars!