Think of the picnic table under the canopy tent in the parking lot as Social Networking 1.0. It is the most fundamental device for creating community networks.

World problems have been solved and judgment passed on every local politician at this very table.

Just last month under this tent Leah Nesbitt was declared the 2009 Downtown Red Wing Macaroni and Cheese Smackdown Champion (she used all Wisconsin natural ingredients).

At night the little Japanese lanterns are lit up and the table becomes more of a 'night spot' where topics are dissected, examined and reassembled, many times over fermented nectar and usually in hushed voices. In the mornings, it is a destination for coffee and a newspaper.

Warren Buffet would appreciate how effective this $70 picnic table is as a marketing tool.

Recently a letter to the editor of the local newspaper made the argument for funding art at the elementary school level. Apparently there has been discussion about reducing the amount of art received in elementary schools because of budget pressures. The typical solution has been to increase the tax levy and ask the tax payers to pay more.

A more sustainable approach is to simply spend local. Every dollar spent locally in a community can have up to three times the multiplier tax return to the community versus buying from an out-of-state big box retailer, all without raising taxes a single cent. Let's use two simple examples:

Example 1) A citizen spends a dollar at a local big-box retailer. Taxes are exchanged for that dollar spent and the dollar is promptly deposited in an out-of-state bank account somewhere in Four Corners, Arkansas. That dollar is retired as far as the local economy is concerned.

Example 2) A citizen spends a dollar at their local custom frame shop. Again, taxes are exchanged but this time the local frame shop owner races to their local bank to cover the check they wrote to the local plumber to have their hot water heater repaired. The plumber in turn cashes that check to buy a silk suit from Josephsons Clothing Store. Tom from Josephsons then uses that money to buy himself a beer next door at The Staghead Restaurant to celebrate having finally sold that XXXL silk suit.

The same dollar has contributed to the local economy three separate times, each time participating in the overall tax exchange and actively contributes to the cash flow of four different local employers.

Red Wing Downtown Main Street is focused on exactly these types of issues. The Eat-Shop-Play-Local tag-line could include many other action verbs (Buy. Stay. Invest.), but the point is to think about where your money goes after you spend it.

Visit the DTMS web site or the DTMS Facebook page and consider joining this non-profit organization.

I grew up on Dragnet. I know how crimes of this nature are solved.

First you interview all the neighbors, learn what they may have seen or heard. Talk fast, so they answer fast. When they begin to wander off topic (as citizens will do), bring them right back on topic. Rattle their cage a bit and leave a business card in case they think of anything later.

Then look for motive. Investigate the victim and see if there are any gambling or large debts owed. Find out if there is a 'dame' involved. Follow-up on any motel matchbook covers or cocktail napkins you might find.

This case quickly boiled down to one of two theories: an expert sharpshooter with a middle-European accent was poised on the roof of The Sheldon Theatre and, in a case of mistaken identity, attempted an assassination under the cloak of darkness.

Or...

Two punks in a p-o-s car fired a wrist rocket at my window and several of my neighbor's windows.

Thanks.

Or maybe; future of home of Red Wing Research Park?

This is a city owned building, which was originally the Red Wing City Hospital. It will soon be vacant.

Here are some snapshots from last week's walking tour of The Chief Theater. The first shot is from the lobby looking back towards the street (the updated restrooms would be on the right side and the kitchen is on the left side). The second shot is from the balcony looking towards the original screen. The third shot is the kitchen galley. The pizza ovens are gone and the walk-in meat cooler is behind me. The fourth shot is from the screen stage looking back towards the theater. I have other photos, but this is enough to get the idea of the condition of the interior.

In summary, it looks almost exactly like it did a year ago when I walked through it. The general condition is very good, there are some very nice wood appointments and the mechanicals are all new or nearly new (plumbing, HVAC and roof). The kitchen is nearly new and there are three walk-in refrigerated rooms/coolers. The bar takes up a significant part of the main floor and the basement needs a good bleach scrub.

The owner suggested a selling price of $1.3MM, but he will entertain offers. The basic footprint is about 5,000 square feet, with multiple interior levels.

For the Red Wing community, the opportunity is that this is one of the last authentic downtown single screen movie theaters in the area. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.

Here are my arguments for why The Chief Theater should be protected and re-opened as an authentic downtown single-screen theater.

Just to recap why this is even an issue:

The Chief Theater opened in downtown Red Wing on January 21st. 1939. It was one of three downtown movie theaters and operated in a continuous fashion until 1994. Since then, it has been a bingo hall, a senior's center and several notorious bars. It is currently empty and has been for sale for over a year. The last business was a bar that was a trouble spot and a source of crime. The police were called on a regular basis. The bar closed when the liquor license was revoked because the operators had not bothered to get liability insurance.

The interior is actually in terrific shape. The main floor has been leveled (unfortunately) with poured concrete, but the restrooms have been updated, the roof and mechanicals are brand new and there is a full kitchen line complete with a walk-in cooler and two pizza ovens. The original screen is still in place. The projection room and the equipment are long gone, but the core of the screening room still exists (sans seats).

An argument could be made to save The Chief for either nostalgic or historic purposes. I feel an argument based on economic development is much stronger. With proper management and focus, a downtown theater can revitalize and re-energize a community. The Normal Theater in Normal, Il and the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis are success stories and the neighborhoods have thrived because these theaters have encouraged community investment. Restaurants, coffee shops, retail, housing and hotel projects have been attracted to these theaters because of the thriving foot traffic it creates and the sense of community.

Many of these types of theaters fail, mostly because of poor management. The successful theaters succeed because the screens are worked very hard. The Riverview can show up to four different movies on a given weekend day; something in the mornings for young families, early matinees for retired folk, early evening for couples and a midnight cult favorite. Not to mention film festivals, large group meetings and even rented for church services if necessary.

It attracts commerce, culture, young families and retirees. It is exactly what a core downtown needs to prosper and it is unique to Red Wing.

Downtown Red Wing has a terrific opportunity to save something that other communities have had, lost and now regret. Red Wing government agencies are always talking about smart, long term investments. They only need to look at 325 Bush Street.