▁a ▁group ▁of ▁nost alg ic ▁community ▁members ▁known ▁as ▁" Fri ends ▁of ▁the ▁Fox " ▁took ▁up ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁acqu iring ▁and ▁rest oring ▁the ▁decay ing ▁theatre . ▁The ▁clock ▁tower , ▁long ▁neglect ed , ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁years ▁of ▁p ige on ▁fil th ; ▁the ▁giant ▁six - foot ▁clock — a ▁n uis ance ▁to ▁keep ▁on - time ▁even ▁in ▁its ▁he yd ay — was ▁met icul ously ▁re ass emble d ▁by ▁a ▁local ▁engineer ▁and ▁the ▁clock ' s ▁former ▁ke eper . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁intr icate ▁interior ▁of ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁by ▁the ▁hast y ▁conversion ▁to ▁a ▁three ▁screen ▁multiple x . ▁The ▁gen ie ▁above ▁the ▁stage ▁was ▁del ic ately ▁and ▁pain st aking ly ▁re - sc ulpt ed ▁by ▁a ▁local ▁volunte er ▁using ▁old ▁pictures ▁as ▁a ▁template . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁mur als ▁needed ▁rep ain ting , ▁and ▁count less ▁fl our ishes ▁and ▁decor ations ▁needed ▁replacing . ▁After ▁three ▁years ▁and ▁an ▁out p our ing ▁of ▁support ▁from ▁Vis alia ▁and ▁surrounding ▁communities , ▁the ▁rest oration ▁was ▁complete . ▁Mar vin ▁Ham l isch ▁played ▁the ▁Grand ▁Re - Open ing ▁to ▁a ▁sold - out ▁house ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁the ater ▁remains ▁a ▁v ibr ant ▁performing ▁arts ▁center ▁and ▁defining ▁feature ▁of ▁the ▁community . ▁Near ly