I worked at the Ioka in 1991 as a teenager and it was a wonderful experience, lots of funny stories and memories. The Ioka isn’t just a theater, it is the heart of the Exeter downtown. The historic Portsmouth Music Hall, a few miles away, was able to preserve itself from the wrecking ball in 1988 by becoming a non-profit. My son and I hope that the Ioka owner will do the same. We can’t be complacent here and assume the theater will magically keep itself open. The reality is that if the sprinkler system isn’t installed or exempted, the Ioka can’t be in business. If we want to see that marquee lit up, the town and surrounding communities need to come together and fight for it. I don’t see it as a business, I see it as a member of the community, a historical landmark. The other issue is that people say they love the Ioka, but then drive to Newington to the Regal Cinema 15 to see the same movie at double the cost and almost triple the pop corn cost. I don’t see why anyone would prefer a giant, impersonal cinema to the experience of the majestic Ioka. Let’s put our heads together and try to save the Ioka! You can contact my son Brycen and me at childadvocacy at hotmail dot com
I worked at the Ioka in 1991 as a teenager and it was a wonderful experience, lots of funny stories and memories. The Ioka isn’t just a theater, it is the heart of the Exeter downtown. The historic Portsmouth Music Hall, a few miles away, was able to preserve itself from the wrecking ball in 1988 by becoming a non-profit. My son and I hope that the Ioka owner will do the same. We can’t be complacent here and assume the theater will magically keep itself open. The reality is that if the sprinkler system isn’t installed or exempted, the Ioka can’t be in business. If we want to see that marquee lit up, the town and surrounding communities need to come together and fight for it. I don’t see it as a business, I see it as a member of the community, a historical landmark. The other issue is that people say they love the Ioka, but then drive to Newington to the Regal Cinema 15 to see the same movie at double the cost and almost triple the pop corn cost. I don’t see why anyone would prefer a giant, impersonal cinema to the experience of the majestic Ioka. Let’s put our heads together and try to save the Ioka! You can contact my son Brycen and me at childadvocacy at hotmail dot com