LIVINGSTON — The Livingston Food Resource Center sits on the corner of Lewis and 2nd Street. Since late September, that section of 2nd Street has been closed for the filming of a movie.
Not everyone in town is happy with the film, so protesters have also been spending time in the area. Resource Center Executive Director Kaya Patten-Susselman says all that activity has turned into a reduction in the number of people the center is serving. “We’ve seen a 17% decrease in visits in the last few weeks,” she says.
Watch Story here:
Patten-Susselman says the Resource Center provides an essential service to the community: “We serve 1 in 8 people in Park County.” She says Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are crucial times for as many as 125 people who come to the Center to pick up food each week.
The Livingston City Commission took up the issue of the movie at a more than 5-hour-long meeting Monday night, ultimately granting the film company access to its filming permit.
Patten-Susselman spoke during that meeting and says she just asked for people to have access those two afternoons each week, without hassle from security or protesters. “The first day of filming, September 24th, we had access to the entrance of our parking lot; our concern was the security guards associated with the film were stopping all of our clients.” She went on to say that the next two shopping days at the center, 2nd Street was simply closed to everyone.
Film workers opened the access to the Food Resource Center from 2nd Street at about 1 pm Tuesday afternoon. The lone protester was asked to stand across the street to help avoid a confrontation from those working on the film. Patten-Sussleman says her effort now will be to try to inform regular Resource Center users that the facility is once again accessible like it was before the movie started filming. The Livingston Food Resource Center opens for shopping Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm to 5 pm.
