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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Showing Now: Reserved Seating, Real Butter

Upscale movie theaters common to the other side of the hills came to the San Fernando Valley with the opening of the new ArcLight Cinemas at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. The 16-screen theater offers the same upscale amenities found at the flagship ArcLight on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood reserved, stadium seating, real butter for your popcorn and a large, airy lobby with a gift shop, restaurant and lounge. ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres President and CEO Chris Forman said the company’s goal is to make every movie-going experience better through a wider selection of films that includes small, independent features; customized programming; and an American Film Institute series. Forman refused to comment further about the new theater. The Valley is ready for a movie theater of this type as residents had previously had to travel to other parts of Los Angeles to get the same entertainment experience, said Nancy Hoffman Vanyek, CEO of the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce. “It’s nice to see someone invest here and consider us as important as the West side,” Vanyek said. While teenagers and young adults continue to be the audiences most coveted by theater owners, the fastest growing segment is adults 35 years old and older. Adults in that age range expect a different experience and have different expectations of going to the movies, said Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research at the North Hollywood office of the National Association of Theatre Owners, the industry’s trade group. “Busy adults with jobs and families and other commitments in their lives want convenience, and one of the ways that is being addressed is with reserved seating and valet parking,” Corcoran said. The association is seeing more of these types of theaters and Corcoran expects the Valley’s version of the ArcLight will be a success. Other theater chains are moving in that direction although not all brand them so specifically. Mann Theatres is constructing a 14-screen venue with a bar and lounge area that will cater exclusively to adults at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. CONEJO VALLEY Camarillo Award: Voice Print International Inc., a provider of integrated interactions recording and workforce optimization applications, announced that its technology contributed to the District of Columbia Unified Communications Center’s Recognition Award from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). NASCIO selected 11 state IT initiatives in 10 categories to receive 2007 Recognition Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Information Technology in State Government. The District of Columbia Unified Communications Center won in the category of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery. SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Panorama City Conference: The Los Angeles Unified School District recently held its first Parent and Family Conference in the San Fernando Valley. More than 600 turned out for the event, aimed at helping parents become better learning partners to children to improve student achievement. Conference workshops addressed enhancing study skills, bettering communication with teens, graduation requirements, the ABC’s of bullying, algebra, the ins and outs of gifted programs, science and parental involvement. Clay Roberts, director of the Search Institute, served as the keynote speaker and addressed parents about asset development as a critical key to student success. [w/PIC (on its way)] CSUN: Site work began Dec. 17 at California State University, Northridge to prepare the way for $30.1 million housing complex near the corner of Lassen and Zelzah. Construction will begin in January on a new 1,500-space parking structure and the first phase of two residence halls that will provide living quarters for 396 students. The project is expected to be complete in about 18 months. Bernards (formerly known as Bernards Brothers), headquartered in San Fernando, is the general contractor.

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