Alot of Hard Work...

[bellam...@yahoo.com]

Let me start off by introducing myself! If you have ever visited to
starlite in the last 6 years it was open you probably have seen me or
know me! I was one of bobs employees. I met him for the first time
when I was 8 years old, he handed me a softball and told sent me
outside to play with blackie, I threw the ball once and chased that
dog for 30 minutes (never got the ball back). Not long after that I
saw my first drive in movie, Power Rangers the Movie! Yes I am young.
The summer I turned 13 I started working for Bob and Kathy. All my
recent employers have raved about my work ethic and I really owe it
all to them. I had alot of fun learning alot of lessons! I held my
Sweet 16 at the drive in and had the time of my life. But was very
saddened when that was the last event to happen before the screen
burned down. I thought that was the end of the drive in. But I have
always been a very hopeful person and my hopes paid off. I continued
working for Bob on saturday mornings with no pay, and helped with
collecting donations of cash, or prizes for our small events that I
helped plan! I stood on the side of the road alot with a popcorn
bucket collecting donations for the Save our Starlite foundation....
Our fundraising foundation to help rebuild after the fire! trust me,
standing out in the hot sun on the side of the road many days in a
row, getting all dirty trying to help clean up behind the fire, and
working for no pay on saturdays while working another job to pay my
bilss was alot of hard work. But about a year later all that paid
off.... I met some really great people like Bob Cirillo and his
family... ( by the way its me sam!) and the starlite was reopened! I
will never forget Grand opening Night... I was running register and we
were playing The Dukes of Hazzard! We were soo happy to see how many
people showed up! The place was SWAMPED! I cried that night and its a
memory that is burned into my heart and mind.

So the whole point is raising alot of money and rebuilding was alot of
hard work but it does pay off when a community joins together for one
cause!

~*Samantha*~ We miss you BOB!

[Chris K.]

What a beautiful e-mail, Sam!  I miss Bob too and the Starlite and it breaks my heart to know I won't be able to go there anymore.  Unless, has there been any word on any possibility that someone(s) will buy it and open it again, or is it gone to an auction block?

 

Thanks again for your note and all your hard work, dedication, and love for the drive-in and Bob!

 

Chris in Durham

bellam...@yahoo.com wrote:

[HANS...@aol.com]

  I wish we could do something to save Bobs dream.  I am 37 now and my wife and I have been going there since we started dating in the late eighties and early nineties. Whats going to happen now thats Bob is not there to keep it open? My wife and I have many precious memories there as I am sure many others do.

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It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money & Finance.

[TheBigW...@gmail.com]

Hey y'all,

Samantha, thanks for sharing your story. I wish that I had lived
closer to the Starlite when I was growing up. I didn't really know it
was there until I had to film a wedding at the church around the
corner. When I finally lived close enough to enjoy it on any regular
basis, the screen burned. After I'd moved even closer and found out
the screen was being rebuilt, I was excited. I really do regret not
visiting more often before Mr. Bob passed away.

I don't think there's anyone out there crazy enough--well, crazy
enough with enough money--to bring the Starlite back as an
individual. However, I'm sure there's a community full of crazy folks
(myself included) with a little money and a little determination that
could come together and mean something. I had really hoped that the
"Durham Screen Savers" would gain a lot more momentum than it did.
Unfortunately, it's been just a handful of people looking back instead
of a surge of people looking forward.

Last I checked (sometime last month, I believe), Mr. Bob's estate
hasn't changed hands. I don't know if there hasn't been any interest
in the property or what. The fact that the land hasn't been sold yet
offers a faint glimmer of hope. The second bid category for the
estate ends around September of next year. I fear that when the walls
start going up on the Super Wally World next door, there will be an
increasing amount of interest.

If worse comes to worse, maybe someone will open the "Starlite Grill"
in one of the strips surrounding the Super Wal-Mart. I sure could go
for a foil-wrapped double-cheese cheeseburger and some hot onion rings
right about now...

--Stephen White, DurhamScreenSavers.org Webmaster

On Mar 3, 7:12 pm, bellamayf...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Let me start off by introducing myself! If you have ever visited to
> starlite in the last 6 years it was open you probably have seen me or
> know me! I was one of bobs employees. I met him for the first time

[%<---SNIP---]

[robin evans]

Thanks for the response... To know that someone besides me cares helps alot. Now About the estate and all that, The last I heard on it was that it has not switched names or anything. Now walmart is not interested in it because they have all the land they need... Now I personally dont think it gonna go too quickly simply because Someone has reported to the EPA that the soil and surrounding land having possible aspestos in it (from the screen fire). Now I had this really crazy Idea of getting everyone that misses Starlite to pick a number and comparing all the numbers and buying a lottery ticket... Im currently playing the lottery in hopes to win. The first words out of my mouth would be heres my bid, Followed quickly by I need Metal and NEON! after that it would be things like flat grill, deepfryers, PROJECTOR! things like that... So Wanna contribute a number? lol ~*Samantha*~ 

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