Tag Gornall learned the bad news recently that the popcorn machine at the Vashon Theatre had broken. As a self-professed member of Popcorn Eaters Anonymous, Gornall — a retired marine mammal veterinarian — found this news distressing, and he contacted several of the people he knows through Vashon Greentech to see if anyone in that group — which is committed to fostering small, environmentally sound Island businesses — might have the know-how to fix it.

One of the people he contacted was Stan Voynick, a Greentech member and, as luck would have it, an engineer who frequently works with electricity and electronics and enjoys what he calls “improvisational engineering.”He also enjoys a night out at the movies.

At first, it seemed the heating element in the machine was broken and that new parts might be required.

But after a reconnaissance visit to the theater, Voynick discovered that the problem was not the heating element after all. He also discovered that the machine is not just a machine, but a piece of art.

Called a Super 60, it was made by Cretors in the mid-1940s and is one of only five or so still in use. With metal in short supply because of the war, it was fitted with a walnut cabinet, adding to the machine’s beauty and the imperative to repair it, Voynick said.

The next day, he and Gornall went back to the theater and discovered the problem was a bad connection on the heating element.

“We made the customary several trips to the hardware store,” Voynick said, but no new parts were needed, aside from nuts, bolts and a scrubbing pad.

The duo thought they had the problem fixed, but the next day the machine did not work again. This time, the stirring element was not working because of too much congealed grease on it, likely the result of the machine having been cold so long, Voynick said. It required a simple, thorough cleaning.

For his part, Voynick was happy to help out and left with some free movies passes and some more of that enjoyable “improvisational engineering” under his belt.

“I hope when people go to the theater next time they take another look at that machine,” he said. “It’s a cool machine and a cool part of the theater, which is a cool part of the community.”