The Twilight Prom Arch is heading to a new home...
FORKS!
YAY!
According to Twilight Lexicon the town has purchased the prom arch in order to not only keep fans interested in their tiny town, but they might even use the arch as a prop for Twilight Weddings.
Yeah, I know very cool!! =o)
This news is bitter sweet for me. You see, as much as I love Twilight, and love the
fact that the arch is finding a better, and safer home the move actually puts, for me, the final nail in the coffin for The View Point Inn.
If you don't remember the TVPI caught fire back in July 2011, and was home for the famous Twilight arch ever since they filmed the movie there.
I'm sad only because I was really hoping someone would step up, and save The View Point Inn, in order to keep the SPARKLE alive for this once beautiful, vibrant, and very magical place which over looks the spectacular Columbia River Gorge.
However, I am very happy knowing the arch will be well cared for, and looked after by the wonderful and very kind people who live and work in Forks, Washington.
Plus it's very exiting to know the arch might be used for some of the Twilight Weddings that will take place this year in Forks and if that is not exciting enough for you the folks of Forks are also putting together a Twilight museum as well... How can this get any better?
Hey Forks can you get us Robert Pattinson too? HA HA Ha
I just hope the arch or museum or both are up, and ready for us come September when we head to Forks to SPARKLE are fangs off during Stephenie Meyer Days! Whoop Whoop!
If you want your own Twilight Wedding make sure you check out Twilight Weddings in Forks.com for more info on how you can SPARKLE big time for your big day!
Oh and Thank you Forks for saving this piece of Twilight history!!! =o)
Sadly this video shout out to all the Twilight Fans and stars of the movie has unfortunately, come a little too late. This video was posted about a week ago and just recently Geoff has sent a letter out to all his supporters which I have posted below.
Below is a letter from Geoff Thompson, owner of The View Point Inn which pretty much sums things up for him and his dream. However, I am hoping there is still light at the end of the tunnel for The Inn, and Geoff as well.
Dear all,
Yesterday marked three weeks since the fire of 2011. First of all let me say, I Geoff Thompson take one hundred percent responsibility for the situation that we find ourselves in. I am deeply sorrowful and crushed for jeopardizing the security of the Inn, relationships with our customers and friends, and obliterating the dreams of brides who had scheduled their weddings here at The View Point Inn.
I wanted to recap the series of events leading up to where we are at today:
As many of you may or may not know, it has been a very, very long journey for me at this Inn. Nearly fifteen years of my life fighting to save history. No one has asked me to do it. The View Point Inn is plain and simply and has always been in my heart and soul. My partner Angelo and I spent nearly one million dollars fighting the US Forest Service. The Columbia River Gorge Commission, Multnomah County and Friends of the Gorge.
We finally opened on Memorial Day 2007. Virtually broke at that time. But hey, we kept going through one rough economy. We kept going through a kitchen fire. We kept going through lots of changes in staff. We kept going. Where there was a will there was a way. We kept going.
With tremendous support from customers, light at the end of the tunnel with a change in our economy, and this our best year yet for weddings, private parties and banquets, season five looked like our year Then on July 10th, at approximately 11:30 a.m. a cinder from the chimney landed on the roof and poof.
In June, I had filed a Chapter 11 to reorganize my debt and provide breathing room for the View Point Inn to finally flourish Due to cash flow issues, there was a lapse in payment of the insurance premium. So to add insult to injury, # 1 the fire, # 2 no insurance, #3 no insurance would automatically dismiss a chapter 11. On the morning of July 14th We received a call from Home Depot wanting to donate the materials to rebuild, also Vanguard Restoration, who had already by July 2oth donated nearly $20,0000 of labor and materials to cleanup from the fire made a commitment to raise $1 million. Armed with that information, my attorney Ted Troutman and I asked for dismissal of my bankruptcy We felt with Home Depot, Vanguard Restoration, our supporters and even a radio station as far away as Australia raising money for the rebuild, we had a chance to rise again. Unfortunately, State Representative Matthew Wand, also an attorney representing three creditors, one of which is his uncle Dick Wand of Dick Want Construction, aggressively asked the bankruptcy trustee to put me into a Chapter 7. That request was granted, and I was ordered to turn over the keys to The View Point Inn on Friday July 15th. Had I not been put into a Chapter 7, we could and would be opening and operating today. Even Multnomah County and the State of Oregon were doing everything they could to get us back open no matter what.
So I take one hundred percent responsibility for the situation that I find myself in. One hundred percent responsibility. Imagine if State Representative Matthew Wand would have done everything in his power to help up secure a small business loan, to consolidate debt, to make much needed repairs and improvements to The View Point Inn and have a little bit of operating capital. There could be a happy ending to this story. And there still might be, however, my journey at The View Point Inn is now over. There have been a lot of angry brides, angry customers, people standing back pointing their finger in judgment, but the supporters eclipse the haters. So once again I am extremely sorry to those who have been hurt by my actions and my hope is that when wounds heal people will see that I truly gave my heart and soul, as did my partner Angelo Simione, and Calvin Myers to The View Point Inn.
Sincerely,
Geoff Thompson.
Another Letter is another video diary of Geoff trying to get the President of The United States attention on this issue. Geoff's perseverance and tenacity in light of his tragedy is very inspiring to me. I applause him for his never surrender, never give up attitude he has maintained in all this and never once, NOT taking ownership for what has happened. Some of you may think he is finger pointing, through all his letters and video dairies, I feel he is just simply stating his case as to what led up to him losing his dream. I am not trying to take a side here of any one persons. I am simply on the side of The View Point Inn which needs our help no matter who owns it!
When we visited The View Point on 7.19.2011 we noticed the owners had posted four very large letters on the side of the Inn. I have finally been able to really read these letters and feel you all should as well. I attempted to blow them up as best I could for you all to read.
This first letter is a copy of a, "Thank you for your gift", letter that Geoff Thompson, owner of TVPI, received back from President Obama after Geoff sent him a 911 call for help letter. Geoff did not send a gift to the Obama's, so ummmm, WTF I say as well with Geoff...
This next one is a letter from Geoff and Angelo. Its kind of a history/thank you/ sorry letter.
History of The View Point Inn
This is a great read if you are wondering how and why the Inn is so important. I think Geoff did a great job with what he had. Like I said in my7.19.2011 blog post, I am not going to point fingers when it comes to the loss of TVPI and about what the owners should have done, or could have done better or instead of.
I love the Inn and I want it saved!
History letter continues
Geoff Thompson makes a plea to the President.
Geoff makes some powerful statements in his video message to the President, and I kind of agree with him. If the banks can get a bail out why can't this small business owner? Why couldn't he get a loan before his dream had to burn down? If you read his letters above I think you can get a picture of why he went so broke fighting "big brother" so to speak trying to save his dream.
I have also posted more photo's of The View Point on our Facebook page Our Twilight Corner if you would like to see them as well.
If you would like to, please visit USBank.comto find a branch near you in order to make a donation to save TVPI. The account is under "Save The View Point Inn" or go on line toThe View Point Innand donate to their Pay Pal account.
The day after my Epic Twilight Birthday party my daughter and I took a somber, very wet, and dreary drive to see the damage the fire caused to The View Point Inn ourselves.
If you didn't already know, recently TVPI tragically caught fire and burn beyond the current owners repair on 7.10.2011.
It deeply saddens me for a few reasons to see this once beautiful building in such a tragic state.I wish I could buy the Inn myself to help keep its magic alive, but that's not gonna happen any time soon.
I would like to say my heart truly does go out to all the brides and grooms who had planned to bind their love in marriage at this fantastic place.I won’t and can’t get into how a feel about your loss because my opinion on this will not change nor matter one bit to any of you.You are without a wedding location and a large deposit no matter what anyone says.
Photo Source: Oregonlive.com What I personally do feel strongly about is the fact that the Inn should be saved if not by the current owners, but at least by someone! I know the current owners have a pay pal account set up to take donations to help fix TVPI if you would like to do donate.
Just so you know, the owners have filed chapter 7 bankruptcy and its possible any donations MIGHT be sized by the courts. I am not sure how I feel about any of this to tell you the truth.I really want to continue to support, and donate to TVPI, but part of me feels like it might not go to the Inn directly. However, part of me does not care where my money goes as long as the Inn eventually gets rebuilt.I guess the real question is when and if it gets rebuilt?I don’t want to judge and finger point because we all have had financial issues at some point in our lives. No one is perfect!
I don’t care what I have read on line or in any of the Facebook site about TVPI and its current owners either; it’s all hear-say to me.I am going to believe the owners never meant for any of this to happen.How or why would they?I can only move on and live I guess in a fantasy land, as some would say, hoping someone, anyone will step in and make things right again.So donate, or don’t.Fundraise or not.It truly is a personal choice to each of us who love TVPI and the magic it has offered us all in some form or another.
Here is a video of our visit to The View Point Inn plus some bounce photos. =)
I have also posted more photo's we took from out trip on our Facebook page Our Twilight Corner if you would like to see them.
If you would like to, please visit US Bankto find a branch near you in order to make a donation to save TVPI. The account is under "Save The View Point Inn" or go on line toThe View Point Innand donate to their Pay Pal account.
Fire may have claimed the life of this historical landmark, in Corbett, Oregon but not the spirit of the owner Geoff Thompson, who told CNN.com back in 2008 when a fire almost destroyed this beautiful building then, “It was almost gone so many times before through ruin and neglect.” He continued, “A little fire isn’t going to stop me. Unfortunately, this is a big fire.” Thompson then added that when it came to needing help to fix the Inn, “I can’t do it by myself.”
The View Point Inn is the location where Bella Swan and Edward Cullen’s prom scene was filmed for Twilight - As Lisa puts it fromTwilighters Dream, "As Twilighters we must stick together. That includes those special places that are a part of the Twilight family. We want to do what we can to help them."
I for one would love to see The View Point Inn rebuilt not only because its part of Twilight, but simple because it is a historical landmark located in Oregon's breathe takingly beautiful Columbia Gorge.
I am very, very sad at the thought of the View Point Inn burning down to the point of no repair. This is where the famous prom scene from Twilight was filmed and it is one of the most beautiful places to view our fantastic Columbia Gorge from. It is one of my favorite places to take all my Twilight fans and non-fans when showing off our amazing state. I am still in shock!
"Fire closes The View Point Inn Sunday around 12:15pm. The restaurant owner tried to extinguish the fire, but had to call in fire crews to the popular hotel and restaurant on E. Larch Mountain Road near Corbett. A second alarm was called after the first crews arrived and assessed the situation. A wedding party was escorted off the property when the fire broke out, according to the Multnomah
Two of the movie's fans, who came to see the hotel, noticed the fire and alerted staff members, who tried unsuccessfully to put the flames out with a garden hose.
This isn't the only fire this hotel has seen. December 2008, fire damaged the kitchen, basement and a room on the second floor. I really hope they can rebuild and keep this landmark going. Reports state that 50 more weddings were to take place this summer. Wow. Very sad heart breaking for this fire to take place.
The View Point Inn became a hot spot for all Twilighters when traveling on there first or twenty-first Twilgrimage to this sacred dancing ground. Who can forget this breathe taking scene from Twilight when Bella was willing to giver up her life to be with Edward for all of eternity. *Sigh* I know I was holding my breath and hoping for more then a kiss from him. Even though we all pretty much knew now the movie would end...
I wonder what will happen to the archway Edward helped Bella through when she needed to solidity her rite of passage by taking her to her senior prom? I feel like driving up there and checking things out cause as crazy as this sounds I would love to own this piece of history. Even if I have to keep it safety tucked away in a Corner of my back yard!
