Cinema and Drafthouse in West Hazleton closes its doors

WEST HAZLETON, Pa. — The 'coming soon' board is cleared, and the neon lights are all shut off.

After more than two decades, the Cinema and Drafthouse on Broad Street in West Hazleton closed its doors for good, marking the end of an era.

Regina Stakevich from West Hazleton says, "Oh yeah, it was fantastic. I remember when it had the neon lights inside and stuff like that, and I've gone to the Drafthouse Cinema, too. That was a lot of fun too. It was great."

The single-screen theater, which many remember as the key theater, originally opened in 1915 as the Hersker Theater.

The Hillman and Katona families bought the place in 2003 and served casual American fare with a side of mainstream films, but this past Sunday was the theater's last day serving the community.

The families say that