Ioka's Potential Buyer Makes Statement

The Save The Ioka website wasn't up and running after the big press conference last week in terms of the letter/about me section from Marc Murai. A letter/personal statement from Murai has now been posted.

A video of the press conference can be seen here:

http://www.vimeo.com/4300731

Also, if you happen to tune into Channel 22 our local access station you might catch Murai on his community cable show NH Theater Live. I happened across the show on Friday night.

Here's the intro to the letter from the site http://www.savetheioka.com/:

Dear Friends, Family and Potential Save the IOKA supporters,
Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Marc Murai. I am a father, husband and life-long artist and arts supporter.
On April 23, 2009 I signed a preliminary intent to purchase document with Roger Detzler, current owner of the historic IOKA Theater.
As you may know, demolition has already begun to the interior of the building. By signing the intent to purchase agreement all demolition has come to a halt, for now. This is the last possible effort to save the IOKA Theater. I must raise $ 10,000 by May 6 2009 as a good faith deposit. If I succeed in doing that I will have forty- five days to create a business plan and come up with solid funding to purchase the building. I am in the process of securing a non-profit fiscal agent to ensure that any and all donations will be tax deductible.
Saving the IOKA Theater may seem like an impossible task. I have heard from doubters. Some do not believe. Some do not trust in me.
So why in the world did I sign that intent to purchase agreement? I did it because it was the right thing to do. I did it because as soon as I walked through those hand carved, double wood doors inside the IOKA… I was instantly transported to a magical place. Yes, magical. The exact same magic that Charlie Bucket felt as Gene Wilder opened the doors to his chocolate room. The same magic that Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund experienced when they stepped through the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia. The same Magic I felt as I walked all by myself down Disneyland’s Main Street at 3:30 in the morning, with no other living person around and just the sounds of my footsteps echoing down the enchanted, glistening streets of the fictional Main Street that we all wish we could have in our home towns. It was that same, overwhelming Magic that Romeo and Juliet both felt as they locked eyes for the very first time, proving to us all that love at first sight is the most powerful force in the universe. It was love at first sight with the IOKA and I’m going to do everything within my power to ensure that she’s given the respect and dignity that she deserves and the unconditional love that she requires if she is to go on living. For the full letter, click here

There was an editorial in the Sunday Herald on this latest news from the Ioka as well. Click here