The Gem Theatre in the northeast Oregon town of Athena reopened last weekend after 20 years of DIY work by teenagers and adults led by a high school band teacher.

The celebrations Oct. 24-26 marked the transformation of a dilapidated 1901 brick building into a premier arts and performance venue on Main Street. The building, once used as a saloon and silent movie theater, had been vacant for almost half a century.

More than 70,000 volunteer hours and work by professionals went into the needed structural work, including a seismic retrofit, and inside, an enlarged auditorium and stage, with modern sound and projection equipment.

The project also relied on $2.75 million in grants and donations.

On Sunday, Rob McIntyre, the music teacher who sparked the idea of revitalizing the buil

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