Entertainment will be in park, director says

The amphitheater likely won't be completed until Aug. 1.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A full schedule of free summer outdoor entertainment, including some nationally known talent, will once again appear in the city's downtown, but the events will be in the gazebo in Courthouse Square park, not in the Warren Community Amphitheatre.
That's because the amphitheater's roof and stage house likely won't be completed until Aug. 1, said Bobbie Brown, director of the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County, which coordinates the entertainment.
The completion will be delayed because timbers for the roof are being specially ordered and aren't expected to arrive here until the week of June 12 at the earliest, Brown explained. "You can't do anything until the roof's in place," she added.
The delay will cost the council an additional $10,000 for setup of a movie screen, sound system and spotlights in Courthouse Square park, Brown said. Those attending the events there are asked to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
"My anticipation is that, probably everything I do, even if the amphitheater is completed, will stay in Courthouse park" this summer, she said.
Earlier announcement
Earlier this month, Mayor Michael O'Brien said the amphitheater's reopening was to be delayed until June 30 because of the need to deepen the stage's concrete base to support the roof. The mayor had said in December that the work was to be completed by Memorial Day.
Besides the roof addition, the $500,000 worth of improvements being built by Tinkler Construction Co. include addition of restrooms and dressing rooms for performers, a 12-foot forward extension of the stage, and addition of steps on the west side of the seating area.
Rainwater drainage has been improved by installation of catch basins in the amphitheater's grassy area.
When the work is finished at the Perkins Park amphitheater, performers and their electronic equipment and musical instruments will be protected from the rain; performers will be able to get closer to the audience, and sound quality will improve.
The summer events are sponsored by St. Joseph Health Center, the Trumbull 100, First Place Bank, Sky Bank, Sprint, the First Energy Foundation, the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau, Paige & amp; Byrnes Insurance and Warren Rotary.
"With the price of gas, you can do these things right in your hometown. Come downtown. It's safe. It's fun. It's free, and there are quality performances," Brown said.