Auctioneer says Geauga Lake Big Dipper was offered to ACE for free

Blueprints would ne necessary in order to get the proper permits from the local government to rebuild the coaster. This is a nice coaster. It would be nice to see something worked out with someone to save it.*** This post was edited by PointMan 6/16/2008 1:28:34 AM ***

^This is where you and I disagree. I say with a lot of TLC it could be great again as it wasn't so great last year. The out section was terrible with the back portion being pretty good.

Okay, so even without blueprints, couldn't someone make new ones in a CAD program or the like?

Well ACE probably didn't take it for multiple reasons, one is the cost of moving it somewhere two is where to move it? Its not like ACE has a plot of land where they can just plop down roller coasters that otherwise would have been defunct. I am not surprised they didn't take the offer. I know it stinks when a roller coaster is being torn down but it has to be done, otherwise there would never be any progress.

Bill Linkenheimer, the secretary for the American Coaster Enthusiasts came on KIC last night and desputed the fact that ACE was offered the ride. Low and behold, the article was updated with ACE's despute.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=91337&catid=45

^Almost no one reads retractions/corrections on the back page of the paper....*everyone* reads the headlines on the front page. The update really doesn't carry half as much weight as the original misleading article. Cedar Fair (IMO) pulled some shenanigans and misled the auction people, knowing full well that some "troublemaker(s)" in the crowd would try to argue that the facts aren't exactly as CF spelled them out.

Regardless, there's really nothing ACE could have done by themselves, other than serving potentially as a resource for a potential buyer...the facts of all this probably will never really be known. :(

The ONLY good news I can see right now - El Dorado being relocated. Also TRYING to remain optimistic that "the" coaster, Dipper, could sit as a museum piece until some genius figures out it could be a bigger draw *operating*.

Cedar Fair did not mislead anyone. That's not what happened.

Then someone REALLY got their facts wrong somewhere...sure would like to know how this all really went down. Even if it was "offered to ACE free of charge", that's really more a PR move than anything since it was already known ACE couldn't do anything short of MAYBE store the ride in PTC or Larson warehouses...(they're both storing items now for ACE if I understand correctly).

If this was (supposedly) an offer from CF to ACE, why is it any of Norton's business anyway? If they're hired by the company, they're not going to piss in the wallet where their pay is coming from.

Why did they even have to mention the alleged offer at the auction at all? What does that have to do with the price of wool in China?

Because Norton likes the attention, whether it's good or bad. You used to see his face in every other issue of Amusement Business. He doesn't have that outlet anymore, so he has to use the "regular"media .It worked, didn't it? He got the TV and print media all worked up, not to mention this and other boards.

ACE didn't accept the offer for the coaster because ACE knew nothing about the offer - more than likely the liars at Cedar Fair lied to Norton about an offer and the auctioneer chose to mention it in the introduction.

Oh, you don't believe me? Think I'm another person spreading lies about Dick Kinzel and Cedar Fair? You need proof? You need something more?

Take a look at ACE's webpage:

http://www.aceonline.org/AceNewsNow/?article=72

Just as Kinzel and CF,LLC lied about being committed to Geauga Lake and returning it to the "family amusement park" atmosphere it used to have they (or Norton) lied about an offer to "donate" The Dipper to ACE.