Homer Alaska - News

For information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perps responsible for breaking into and stealing candy from the Homer Theatre, manager Robin Daugherty offers a reward of $500 in movie punch cards.

That's five $100 punch cards worth 60 movies and 10 extra-large popcorn and pop combos.

About 8:15 a.m. Aug. 24, an employee discovered someone broke into Homer's only movie theater and took $1,600 in candy and $150 in ice cream and juice. Daugherty thinks the burglary happened sometime between when she closed the theater at 1 a.m. and 8:15 a.m.

"It just seemed to be a smash-and-grab," she said.

The theater doesn't keep money on the premises and no cash was taken, Daugherty said.

To make things worse, instead of taking a fresh trash bag, the burglar or burglars dumped out trash bags full of sticky, yucky popcorn boxes and drink cups and used those bags to haul off the loot. The stolen candy is distinctive. Some brands are sold locally only at the Homer Theatre, and all are in 6- to 8-ounce sizes. One brand, Bunch o' Crunch, says "movie pack." Other brands include Butterfingers, Sugar Babies, Dots, Jujubes, Milk Duds, Sweet Tarts, Trolley Squiggles and Hot Tamales.

"If somebody has 25 boxes of Butterfingers or whatever, it pretty much came from here," Daugherty said.

The theater also has had some vandalism this summer, including breaking and rearranging of letters on the movie marquee. Daugherty has chased away groups of boys or young men twice this summer who tried to vandalize the sign. The vandalism in particular has angered Daugherty. Known for her rigorous enforcement of a no cell-phone rule, she has been lightening up this summer.

"I haven't even been harassing them about their cell phones," she said. "They won't leave my marquee alone."

Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call the Homer Police Department at 235-3150, Daugherty said. Homer Police Chief Mark Robl said anonymous tips also can be made to the Kenai Peninsula Crimestoppers tip line at (800) 478-4258 (-HALT).

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.