They closed the theater for five days in order to renovate the foyer and present a fresh, clean entry to the public. They called in high school volunteers to help. At one point, students pulled up worn, soiled carpeting in the lobby and Nay stepped on the concrete underneath. It was spongy.

She decided to drill into the concrete to find out what was underneath. "With the first vibration of the jackhammer, one-third of the lobby sank," Nay says. "I thought the building was coming down."

It turned out water and sewer mains from the street into the building were leaking. The women had to have the plumbing replaced and a new concrete sidewalk and lobby floor poured.

On Nov. 24, 2004, the theater reopened with the movie "Christmas With the Kranks." Since then, the Casino Star has been showing family movies six nights per week with two shows on Fridays and Saturdays. Proceeds from operating go toward restoration.

Nay and Spencer formed the Casino Star Foundation, dedicated to restoring the theater, and in September, the Internal Revenue Service granted the foundation tax-exempt status as a charitable organization. The foundation still has a long list of restoration work that needs to be done. The list ranges from removing the metallic false front and restoring the central arch to replumbing, rewiring and seismic upgrading.

"We know we have a treasure," Nay says. "Now the serious fund raising has to be done."

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