Denny Thompson is about to get to his favorite part of any construction project.
After around 700 volunteer hours put in working on the upstairs apartments in the Camelot Theater building, Denny said the “finish work” is about to begin.
“Cabinets, trim, doors, floor coverings, mechanicals,” he said. “The structures are done. Now it’s time to make them pretty.”
Denny’s volunteer spirit and construction background have been a godsend to the Camelot Theater Foundation, a board he now sits on, as does his wife, Nancy.
“I’ve never been much of a board/meeting person,” Denny admitted, “but it (working with the board and the apartments project) keeps me busy and keeps my mind active. I’ve also enjoyed the people.”
Denny’s wife has served on the Foundation board longer than her husband, and it was her involvement that linked him to the theater.
“The theater men’s bathroom had a toilet sitting with no floor underneath. It was basically just a stand pipe, and they were getting ready to have their first event. So, Nancy asked if I could go in and help John Beals with the bathroom work. That’s how it started,” Denny said.
From there, Denny volunteered for more, which has found him being the main person involved in reframing and working on both apartments, one on the second floor and the other on the third.
The biggest challenge with the work, he said, is the age of the theater. “It’s an old building. The main structure of the building is really sound, very good. But, some of these upstairs spaces were left unattended for a lot of years, leaving a lot of rot and windows that were rotting. It had suffered from a lack of attention. I don’t believe anyone had lived in these apartments since probably the 1950s.”
So, there was ample amount of demo work, then reframing the one-bedroom apartments. Denny is excited to make them both into livable spaces, and he hopes that if all the sub-contractors can be scheduled in a timely manner, most of the work on finishing may be completed yet this fall.
“The best thing about these apartments is location,” he said. “My wife and I actually watched the July 4th fireworks from one of the third-floor windows, and we had a nice light breeze and a beautiful view.”
Both apartments will overlook the rooftop just north of the upstairs, where the Foundation is hoping to put a “rooftop bar.”
Denny said his goal for the smaller, third-floor apartment is to make the décor of it very retro and unique. “I’d love to have a historic image of Nevada’s downtown as part of it,” he said.
Redoing the steps that lead to the apartments was a necessary project and one that was recently completed. Denny needed someone to help on this project and brought in Chad Ullmann of Ullmann Construction. “Chad is new to the community,” and was looking, Denny said, for a way to volunteer. Chad has helped with the stairs and a few other parts of the project since joining forces with Denny.
Denny, Chad and some of the other subcontractors have given volunteer time, especially in labor, even though some things, like materials needed, have been paid to them. But Denny has spent, by far, the most volunteer time on this project.
Sometimes, he admitted, he thinks about all the time he’s committed and all the other things he should be doing, but he doesn’t regret the hours. “It’s like every house I’ve been involved with building. There’s a little bit of pride because you’re leaving something to the future. I’m going to always come back (to the theater) and remember this place.”
For now, he’ll keep plugging away at the work that still needs to be done, and he’ll continue his service on the Foundation Board, helping wherever needed as the theater portion of the building is eventually renovated.
“I don’t ever want to slow down. I was a hyperactive child, and if I slow down, I might not ever get back up.”
About Denny Thompson:
He and his wife, Nancy, have lived in or just outside of Nevada since 1976. They have two children and two grandchildren.
He’s has been in business 47 years with his wife, Nancy, involved heavily in his business endeavors. He had Denny’s Auto Service (body shop and 24-hour towing) for many years. He was also part of Clark-Thompson Builders in Ames earlier in his career. He still owns Triple T Graphics and Thompson Custom Cabinetry. His wife also runs a travel business, Sew Great Tours.
He spent about seven years as a member of the Nevada Fire Department.
His favorite pastimes are traveling all over the country with his wife and taking photos of their travels. He also enjoys being outside and riding around on his side-by-side Razor.
He’s enjoyed visiting with people about the theater project and showing people what’s going on there. “I took Mike Potter up to the projection room, and that brought back a lot of memories for him of when he worked there.”
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
