Village Council Monday unanimously approved spending about $6,000 to install backstage restrooms and rear exterior doors to the historic Loudonville Theatre building.

The action is the biggest step, dollars wise, made in the joing villag/volunteer effort to revive the 1909-vintage entertainment center into a facility usable for both live acts and films. As of now, in a large part because there are no restrooms backstage for performers, the theater is used almost exclusively for films.

Council contracted Tyler Mowery Construction, Loudonville, to install the rear eentrance doors, stairwells and ancillary tasks necessary for their installation; and Jon Sells Pumbing, rural Howard, to install the restrooms, with the total cost of both projects not to exceed $6,000.

The restrooms will be located in the basement level under the stage, inspaces used for the same purposes many years ago whose facilities have become outmoded. Biggest hurdles in the restroom project will be removing some concrete in the restroom areas, and removing an old metal restroom vent pipe, a pipe that extends nearly three stories upward before exiting the building.

Mansfield Plumbing Products Inc., Perrysville, has donated toilets and sinks for the two restrooms.

Council was a bit hesitant in approving the action because funds were not in place in the buildings fund for the project. However, after Clerk-Treasurer Sandy Lavengood assured council members that funds could be transferred into the fund, the councilmen approved the action. Lavengood admonished the solons, however, "that in doing this, you are taking money away from other projects. It must be replaced."

Councilman Clayton Shoudt made the motion to go ahead with the improvements, commenting, "We have a good group working on the theatre now. This will tell them we are behind them."

Councilman Steve Stricklen, who with fellow councilman Harold Schmidt serves on the Theatre Advisory Committee, said he hoped the restroom improvements could be completed before the Loudonville Players' may 12-14 performance at the theater.

The players, Stricklen said, are contributing $200 toward the restroom project.