The Mauch Chunk Opera House opened its doors on Tuesday morning to state Rep. Doyle Heffley, along with various business owners and residents of Jim Thorpe to discuss the future of the establishment.

Noise complaints from residents near the opera house on West Broadway have resulted in five notices from the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement since September.Fines have totaled $2,000, and operators of the business are concerned that the venue's liquor license will be revoked soon.Because the fines are issued by the state, local government doesn't have much influence on the matter.However, Heffley is looking to shift enforcement from the state to local municipalities in regard to noise ordinances."What applies in Philadelphia, or Pike County, or Potter County ... may not be best suited for Carbon County," Heffley said."All I want to do is provide relief from some very overbearing state regulations that work in a lot of areas, but don't necessarily apply to the betterment of the community here in Jim Thorpe," he said.His proposal would also exempt businesses in historic districts from noise restrictions placed by the Liquor Code."Everything else would apply," Heffley said of all other aspects that compose the Liquor Code.Members of the community hope that complaints do not lead to the opera house closing its doors.Brenda Marks, a homeowner in Jim Thorpe, feels that the Mauch Chunk Opera House lends both charm and quality to the town.Marks said, "It helps, not only for culture and quality of life, but to keep our taxes lower if we have thriving businesses."Residents fear that closing the establishment would lead to a decline in the economy of the historic district, since tourists who come to see shows at the opera house patronize other local businesses, such as bed and breakfasts, restaurants and gift shops."If there isn't a show here on a Friday or Saturday night, it's a ghost town," said Brad Konstas, a volunteer and performer at the opera house.Konstas added that revoking the venue's liquor license would significantly reduce revenue.He said, "The shows that come in here are very expensive. They're getting the top musicians in the world. Some nights they just break even, but they continue to do it to provide this cultural, artistic place for people to come."Other businesses along Broadway showed their support for the opera house.Randall Sellers, owner of Sellers Books & Fine Art, agrees with Heffley's proposal."We do need some sort of an exemption to the noise ordinance. We have a very delicate economy here," Sellers said.For now, without any exemption in place, leaders of the Mauch Chunk Opera House are doing the best they can to subdue any noise that can be heard from outside the building.According to Dan Hugos, executive producer for the business, approximately $20,000 was spent on 10-inch thick doors, soundproof windows and new drywall. Another $10,000 will be used on the outside of the building."We have lurched full force into trying to fix these problems," Hugos said."It's not about kind words, it's about deeds," he said of the business's attempts to please neighbors who feel that the shows are too loud.Hugos believes that these projects have taken care of some of the noise, but he wonders if there is an underlying cause for the complaints."I'm feeling like it's not entirely about sound because I've received liquor control complaints on nights where I have been across the street to listen ... the noise is so faint," he said.Sandra Reese, who lives across the street from the opera house, agrees."I sit across the street on my porch. I hear nothing," Reese said, adding that she wishes more people would come to support the opera house. "This building is beautiful. I'd like to see people actually come here and see what it's all about for themselves."