CRATOS is pleased to be able to report that the Cedar Rapids City Council, on Feb 4, 2009, voted to restore the flood-damaged Paramount Theatre. The restoration funding is inclusive of the theatre and the organ. The Cedar Rapids Gazette provided the update on this monumental decision.
More updates will be provided as details are released.
Just over 6 months since sustaining flooding from the Cedar River, the Paramount Theatre has flooded once again. This time a broken water pipe, apparently left unchecked, caused the building’s sub-basement, basement and orchestra pit to fill with water.
Fortunately this time the water was clean, but still damaging to an already flooded and closed building. [...]
CRATOS members gathered for the 2008 annual membership meeting, the first full meeting of the organization since the June 2008 flooding severely damaged the Wurlitzer and Barton organs.
Members present enjoyed food, music, and conversation prior to the start of the annual meeting. Father Joe Roost provided entertainment on an Allen R211 donated for the occasion [...]
Just shy of 1 month following the dramatic removal of the Paramount’s 1928 Wurlitzer Balaban 1A theatre organ console, CRATOS and CRBI coordinated another rescue effort. This time it was the 1928 Rhinestone Barton console from Theatre Cedar Rapids (formerly the Iowa Theatre).
The Barton console was damaged by the floodwaters, but the impact to the organ was [...]
With the conclusion of the ATOS National Convention in Indianapolis, CRATOS has received word that a “Pass the Hat” fundraising effort during the final banquet help raise funds for our cause. We are very appreciative of the efforts of ATOS and the generous members attending the national convention.
We still have a long way to go [...]
Members of the CRATOS Board of Directors made the journey to Indianapolis over the July 4th weekend to help raise worldwide awareness to the impact of the June 2008 flooding in Cedar Rapids, IA.
Ferreter, Kelzenberg and Marple attended the July 6, 2008 annual membership meeting at the request of Ken Double, ATOS President and CEO. At the start [...]
CRATOS has been the official caretaker of the Paramount Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ since 1969. The City of Cedar Rapids, which owns both the Paramount and the Wurlitzer – a matching set since 1928, and now one of just 36 original installations still in existance – has consistently entrusted CRATOS with the task of ensuring [...]
In the midst of all of the activity over the past many days, we have been fortunate to have a significant amount of media interest in the story of the Paramount, and our Mighty Wurlitzer.
Local, state and national news organizations were onsite to spread the word of the danger the organ was in due to [...]
CRATOS members were summoned to the Paramount Theatre at 11:30am, Wednesday, June 18th at the behest of theatre management. Of concern was, and still is, the stability of the heavily damaged main stage. Based on the June 17th photos by The Gazette, the condition of the console was documented, but the condition of the pipe chambers [...]
We’re keeping this update brief as it’s been a long day. We gained entry into both theatres late today and took detailed photos of both the Paramount’s Wurlitzer and Iowa (TCR’s) Barton.
The Paramount is difficult to look at, the organ console off the lift and on its back and heavily damaged. We’re holding out for [...]
