Monday, Aug. 23, 2010

Fly away with a free showing of 'Up' at Henry Miller Plaza

Whiz-bang adventure comes courtesy of donations, grant

The second of two movie nights in Los Banos this summer will be held next week at Henry Miller Plaza, at the intersection of H and Sixth streets.

The movie "Up" will be shown at dusk, which Recreation Coordinator Rob Baker estimates will be about 9 p.m. The Aug. 28 event is free to the public, which Baker said he believes makes the event more popular in the tight economy.

"With these economic times, people are doing more things with their families. I say it's good for families to come out and do something that's free," Baker said.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co., through Merced County, provided grant money for next week's movie night.

Local resident Ann McCauley said PG&E picked multiple sites in Merced County to fund movie nights. She said she and the Los Banos Recreation Division are working on partnering with sponsors to provide the outdoor entertainment once or twice every year.

For the June 19 showing of "Monsters vs. Aliens," McCauley used $2,200 she collected from Los Banos residents and organizations in 2008 and combined it with with a $2,000 contribution from Comcast. Her fundraising attempt began after the city slashed the movie night events out of its ailing fiscal budget.

Movie night attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. McCauley said a vendor will sell snacks during the event.

"Up," which won an Oscar this year for best animated film for Pixar, focuses on the adventures of an elderly widower and a young boy who fly to South America in a house suspended by helium balloons.

Enterprise staff writer Corey Pride can be reached at 388-6563 or by e-mail at cpride@

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