As I noted in my last post, the 72-year-old, historic Mahoning Drive-in in Lehighton, PA was in danger of closing after an energy company was about to buy the land, with plans to build a solar farm. Well, good news! The Mahoning Drive-in is staying open. The company, Green Skies, has pulled out of the deal and the Mahoning is safe. Further, the owner of the land has agreed to sell it to the drive-in operators. Talk about a storybook ending!

This was the company’s statement:

When Greenskies first discussed leasing the Mahoning Drive-In Theater property from the landowner more than six months ago, we were not aware of the cultural significance and nostalgic value the theater represented. We now recognize the importance of the Mahoning Drive-in to the community of Lehighton and film enthusiasts far and wide. We are engaging with the theater operator and the landowner to resolve the concerns of all the parties involved.”GREENSKIES CLEAN ENERGY

Kudos to the Green Skies for doing the right thing, and now the Drive-in lives to see another day and most likely, many years. It’s been a success story during the pandemic, and this is a fitting chapter to its long and storied history.