The front of the Waldo Theatre benefits from recent tree work.
On Monday, Sept. 18, Shannon Mahan and Andrew Federman of MAC Tree Service in Pemaquid and a group of volunteers donated their time and expertise to tackle some of the bigger groundskeeping needs at the Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro.
Mahan, who heads up MAC Tree Service, is a licensed arborist. Both he and Federman have bachelor’s degrees in forest science from the University of Maine. They took down a large hemlock that had grown into the electric wires that service the building and chipped it, and pruned and trimmed back hedges that were crowding the columns and the kiosk in front of the building. Volunteers Penelope Crane, Steven Warren, Bruce Metrick, and Barbara Boardman helped with removing downed limbs and cleaning up debris.
“It brings the eye’s focus back to the building itself,” Mahan said when the tree work was complete. Boardman, who serves on the Waldo Theatre board, noted that the tree needed to come down so that exterior renovations on the roof could begin. Crane, who is a member of the Waldoboro Garden Club, said that the club is interested in providing advice and helping to enlist volunteers to work on the gardens and plantings around the building.
Shannon Mahan of MAC Tree Service works in a tree on the grounds of the Waldo Theatre.
The 1936 building housing the Waldo Theatre was recently placed on Maine Preservation’s 2017 Most Endangered Places list – an important recognition of the property’s significance to the area and to the state. The Waldo Theatre board is now focused on raising funds to replace the roof and get the building’s electrical and plumbing systems in working order. A capital campaign will begin this fall.
The theater’s board is encouraged by the town of Waldoboro’s renewed interest in the building and is grateful for the support of businesses like MAC Tree Service. According to town manager Julie Keizer, “the building is an important capital asset for the town, and well worth investing in.”
The Waldo Theatre Board of Directors meets regularly on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Waldoboro. The meetings are open to the public and participation is encouraged. For more information, the board can be contacted by email at info@thewaldotheatre.org.
