Also, Armin’s Catering takes over bookings at Beaver Dam Park

The planned Our Town Cinemas in Davidson’s Sadler Square Shopping Center has begun recruiting employees, announced ticket pricing, and launched a full-fledged website as it prepares to open around or just after New Year’s.

Meanwhile, the Town of Davidson has decided to contract out the operations of Beaver Dam Park to Armin’s Catering. Davidson College leases the town the historic homesite off Davidson Concord Road. Over the past year, the town had been studying its options as it struggled to cover the costs of operating the park.

OUR TOWN CINEMAS HIRING

Renovations are continuing at Sadler Square, off Griffth Street, and Our Town Cinemas is hoping to open in late December or early January, spokeswoman Jan Black said Friday. The theater will show first-run movies, art and international films and film festivals, she said.

Prices will be in line with those at other local theaters. Our Town Cinemas will charge $9 for its top-price evening adult ticket – compared with $10 at Movies at Birkdale and the AMC Northlake Mall theater. Here’s a full list of prices: Adult Evening – $9.00; Student/Military Evening – $8.00; Seniors (60-plus, all day) – $7.00; Children 3-12 (all day) – $6; ?Matinee Adults/Students/Military (all shows before 5 p.m.) – $7.

The cinema will have a beefed up concession stand with two smaller rooms of about 40 seats and two larger ones with about 80 seats. Plans call for serving pizzas from the Brick House Tavern off Watson Street in Davidson, as well as sandwiches, cookies, chocolate and other foods – from local businesses whereever possible, she said. No word yet on whether the theater will be able to serve adult drinks.

Our Town Cinemas also has begun hiring for all management and floor positions, taking applications through the new website, www.ourtowncinemas.com. Ms. Black said she’s not sure how many employees the theater will hire, but the positions equate to 5 full-time jobs. If you’re interested, she invited applications through the ourtowncinemas.com website.

The Website also is now open for purchasing gift certificates – at http://www.ourtowncinemas.com/gift-certificates/ and other locations – and for theater-goers to sign up for theater email information including movie schedules and special events. Now Taking Employment Applications – via Our Town Cinemas website.

Ms. Black said there’s been an outpouring of interest (via emails through its website) in foreign and art films, and she expects Our Town Cinemas to start some sort of a film society here. Just based on what’s come in to the website, we know we’re going to do that. That’s been our number one .. request,” she said.

Our Town Cinemas chose Davidson in part because of the expected interest in specialty films, Ms. Black said. At the same time, it’s in the right place geographically – far enough from other area theaters – to get first-run movies. It’s currently negotiation licenses with Hollywood film distributors.

More information: www.ourtowncinemas.com.

CATERER TAKES OVER BEAVER DAM

A ribbon cutting Friday morning helped turn over a new page in the operation of Davidson’s Beaver Dam Park, off Davidson-Concord Road. Armin’s Catering will now handle all bookings for special events at the historic site, once home to the Davidson family.

The town decided to seek an independent operator at Beaver Dam because it was having difficulty meeting the operating costs. Parks & Rec. chief Steve Fraher told the town’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board last March that the town’s revenues from the site have been falling $1,500 to $2,000 short of the cost of the annual lease with Davidson College, which owns the site.

The town had been studying its options, including returning the site to college control. This summer it interview a number of potential operators, including Armin’s, which also operates a lakeside venue called Armin’s On the Lake.

“Beaver Dam is the perfect venue for weddings, meetings, receptions and private dinners,” Armin’s Catering said in a press release. Armin’s Catering can be reached at 704-947-1670, or at www.arminscatering.com.

Brenda Barger was at Friday’s ribbon cutting (and feast). Check back on Tuesday, when she’ll have more about the event and the change in her Around Davidson column.