ACE donates $10k toward Conneaut Lake Blue Streak, needs $100k to renovate

If GKTW couldn't win, that ride has no shot.

^I concur.

On the other hand, if a school weight room could win...

Doesn't Conneaut serve Coke? Seems like that'd be a disqualification.

It's already got a huge disqualification in my book, because we all know that the money might be a help this year, but what happens in 2011? It'll be back with the same old "we can't open this year, we need money" story.

Agreed.

Side note: does anyone else find it extremely troubling that a park that consistently asks for funding/dontations/volunteers to keep themselves limping along has now turned to entering sweepstakes? Talk about stooping to new lows.

I'm also troubled by their stated goals:
- Raise funds to proceed with restoration
- Replace timbers, realign track, restore trains
- Reopen coaster
- Support local economy by attracting more visitors to the area.

As I mentioned above, haven't they proven time and time again that an operating Blue Streak does not equal enough attendance to be profitable. Plus, outside of enthusiast circles, who would even know if they reopened Blue Streak? It's not like they advertise with any sort of effectiveness, and I can't imagine that their godawful website gets many hits...

To me, the above list may as well read:

1) Hope that we win/are given enough money to temporarily reopen Blue Streak
2) ?????????
3) Profit!

That money is better suited elsewhere, like, you know, cleaning up oil.

Why do we need to clean it up? Oil is all natural! ;)

Carrie M. said:
On the other hand, if a school weight room could win...

When you have a couple thousand resourceful students voting nite and day, it's a given who is going to win.

Not sure I've ever seen a coaster fan site be against a coaster reopening and for a park closing. Obviously enough people like this park to keep giving money and time for it to open every year. I agree that there eventually has to be some point when Conneaut can stand on it's own without donations, but they don't have a chance unless the coaster reopens and they get enough money to do the necessary upkeep of the park. If Pepsi will give Conneaut 50K of their money for enough votes, than I vote. It's not my money anyway, and I would like to see the park carry on and perhaps get on the road to recovery. Those who want it to close and see another coaster hit the ground, I question your status as a true roller coaster/park fan. Are you really that unwilling to take a few seconds to go to one more website every day and click "vote"? It's not even your money. I don't fault them for asking for donations and grants. Should they rely on them forever? No, but it's all they have at the moment.

I'm voting and campaigning for them to get the money because I'm a coaster fan, because I don't want to see another non-corporate park die, and because I would like to ride the Blue Streak again someday. The online coaster and theme park community is big enough to push them to the money.

D the Great said:
I don't fault them for asking for donations and grants. Should they rely on them forever? No, but it's all they have at the moment.

But how long do you hear, "eventually" before you realize it's never coming. Someday the park will be able to run. If they just get this or they just get that, then they'll be able to maintain. In the future things will be better. We just need donations this year.

Yet every year the park seems to look worse for the wear. There's practically no sign of improvement. In fact, some would argue there's evidence that things continue to deteriorate.

Like others have said, it's not being anti-Conneaut or anti-coaster, it's being pro-realistic.

At some point, you have to accept that all of those tomorrows and futures and somedays have come and gone and it just isn't happening.

A park than runs on donations and handouts that includes an online money giveaway contest as part of their plan for success while year after year trying to convince people that this hunk of money will be the last they need really for real?

How long do you leave something on life support before you're realistic and realize there's no life left and mercifully pull the plug?

The difference in opinions here is where each person would draw that line.

^ "Like others have said, it's not being anti-Conneaut or anti-coaster, it's being pro-realistic."

I hate it when the reality isn't what I'd like it to be. Doesn't change the reality at all.

Unfortunately, I'm also compelled to believe that we've probably taken our last ride on Blue Streak. Not that it makes me happy in any way to say it...

Lord Gonchar said:

How long do you leave something on life support before you're realistic and realize there's no life left and mercifully pull the plug?

The difference in opinions here is where each person would draw that line.

Conneaut Lake Park... the Terri Schiavo of amusement parks?

D the Great said:
Not sure I've ever seen a coaster fan site be against a coaster reopening and for a park closing.

First of all, this "coaster fan site" has no position because it doesn't have feelings; Just RAM and a hard drive and such. Second, the community that uses this site is not against a ride opening. How many times do we have to say that? The issue is that many of us have accepted it ain't gonna happen.

Raven-Phile said:
That money is better suited elsewhere, like, you know, cleaning up oil.

I'm sure that Pepsi has a pre-qualification that proposals must go through in the application process to determine whether they meet the guidelines. I'm sure there are thousands of submissions that don't make the grade. There are categories dedicated to health, education, arts and culture, etc. Not every dime of every charity has to be raised for your personal pet cause. Pepsi decided this meets their criteria, and since it's their money being donated, they get to decide what's worthy to include.

I've said all along that parks like Conneaut-- even successful parks like Knoebels-- privately operated (or somewhat privately, given the cluster that Conneaut is run under) should be eligible to receive grant money from the state for tourist attractions. If the Commonwealth of PA can provide billions of dollars to fund arenas and stadiums across the state, huge sums to turn a former Bethlehem steel plant into a museum, give grant money to an organization like Musikfest to help them pay to bring in performers that already earn millions of dollars annually, then they should be able to provide some assistance to privately run amusement parks to help keep them afloat.

A lot of you probably won't like hearing this, but I bet there are lots of people out there in the general public who think that GKTW is just a take-off on Make A Wish. Since they're more familiar with Make A Wish, they'd prefer to support that organization.

I think Gonch sums things up nicely. It's not malicious or vindictive. It's just looking at things for what they are as a matter-of-fact.

And just as people have the right to keep voting and putting their money toward these initiatives, others have the right to choose not to. Why that keeps getting translated to "wanting the park to fail" is beyond me.

Probably because a number of those who choose not to vote or donate don't stop at simply saying "No thank you" or "I choose not to donate."

The announcement that Blue Streak was entered in the Pepsi program drew responses along the lines of "how dare they." Bill called it "stooping to a new low." Personally I think it's creative fundraising. If some corporation is waving 1.3 million in cash every month, why not try for some of it?

There is genuine anger here that a penny of anyone's money would go to renovating the Blue Streak. In the scheme of things, money spent trying to get Blue Streak/ Conneaut up and running is a drop in the bucket of where money is wasted in this country. Go fight those battles.

I still don't think that translates to wishing the park to fail. It's wishing the park would stop taking free money without a plan that insures success.

Go fight those battles.

Are you telling me where to go now, Joe? ;)

I'll put it in a nice irrational and emotional term: If I can't get people to push GKTW into the top 2, I certainly don't care about some roller coaster in rural PA. Plus there's all the stuff about good after bad, no business plan, etc., as has been previously discussed.

But that's it, Jeff. I'm not saying you "have to" care. If that's where people want to spend their money, let them. If enough people vote for this idea, let Pepsi give them the money. BTW, for $50K, they only have to be in the top 10. But I do get the sense that you'll be majorly pissed off if Blue Streak gets money from Pepsi when GKTW didn't.

I can understand people's concerns about what seems to be an endless campaign of fund raising. Makes me feel like I'm watching PBS at times. I agree a realistic business plan should be developed. It wouldn't hurt to bring on board an experienced grant writer as well.

On the other hand, I think of the billions and billions of dollars given out to various organizations and communities by our government for well meaning but poorly planned projects.

Carrie, I doubt you would go anywhere I told you to go. :) It's all good.