Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Well, we made it through the Storm of 2016, but our precious landmark—Donk’s Theater—did not.

I am like a lot who, in the good old days, used to go to Donk’s to watch the latest movies. The last one I remember seeing was “101 Dalmatians.” My mom and I spent many a Saturday night there.

I was deeply upset to hear about the collapse of Donk’s and I thought to myself ‘Is this building gonna be rebuilt?’ Would be nice, but like anything, it takes a lot of money. Then I remembered the greats that have sung there over the years, such as my favorite, Dolly Parton. Then a light bulb went off—I bet if the Smith family contacted her she would help in the rebuilding of Donk’s. Dolly is known for her generosity and, like anyone with a lot of money, she needs write-offs.

I remember reading a comment of hers after performing in Mathews where she said how lovely the people were here and how quaint our commu...