A group of 20 residents gathered at the corner of Highway 41 and 49 Monday afternoon to encourage members of the community to join them in becoming a "Met Hero" by signing up for a community membership at savethemet.com to save the Met Cinema in Oakhurst, which closed Nov. 1. Three young men raised in the Mountain Area -- Matt Sconce, James Nelson and Keith Walker -- have swung a deal that gives them until Dec. 31 to gather enough memberships to reopen the local movie theater.

Within the first two days of their campaign, residents signed up for 15-20% of the total memberships they need between now and Dec. 31 to make that happen. If only half the people that went to the Met last year (3,000 of 6,000 people) sign up for a membership this month, the theater can be saved, Sconce said. Along with signing up at savethemet.com, residents can sign up by dropping by the Met Cinema lobby (closest to Raley's) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

See Thursday's Sierra Star for more details.