Conneaut Blue Streak wins $50K Pepsi donation

http://www.refresheverything.com/conneautlakeparkbluestreak

Very cool! I'm glad I did my little part and voted. Can't wait to ride this beautiful, and historic ride :)

Word on the street is that it's opening this weekend.

EDIT - actually, word is on the website too...and it says it's open today.

And who can pass up a chance to see the Huckin' Fillbillys?

I don't understand how getting the grant from Pepsi on Tuesday/Wednesday allows anything done so they can open today.

I wonder if they had to pay off some contractor before they could open the ride.

I see they are open this weekend, but I didn't see anything else about other dates this year. I would think if you get your star ride re-opened that you would want to do it for more then 5 days before shutting down for the season.

I suspect that it's a coincidence that the ride is re-opening when it is. The Pepsi money will probably all go to pay outstanding debt on the rehab. Regardless of whether the park won the money or not, they logically should want and do everything in their power to get the ride running as quickly as possible -- to get more revenue in faster, and so they can pay those contractors faster.

As far as opening the coaster with only a few days left in the season, my understanding is their plans for fall operations have been up in the air. Having BS running may tip the decision in favor of keeping the park open (on weekends, probably) for a few weeks, possibly in conjunction with Halloween events.

I hope they'll be open past Labor Day. I'm finally taking my daughter to KI this weekend for our yearly trip, so I won't have a chance to get over there right now. But if they give me the chance, I'll certainly be up there in the next few weeks. Can't wait to get more laps on BS!

Cool. Congrats to those involved.

A marathon Ravine Flyer season ending weekend with the added bonus of Blue Streak? Count me in!!!

Get your rides in now because it could be only a matter of time before the park goes belly-up again!

That's kinda my thought too... if the Cerulean Steak is running now, I'd better get my credit while I can. :) Going tonight after work, in fact.

Hmmm, I have tomorrow off if anyone's interested in trying to get kicked off the Flyers again. (provided they're running) :)

After seeing Carrie's pictures of the park a few months ago, I figure I can satisfy my coaster fix and my urban exploration fix in the same trip. ;) I want my picture taken with the melted light globes.

I'm really happy the way people have responded in this thread. When I clicked on it, I was expecting to see a bunch of whining on how Conneaut got the undeserved prize while something as noble as GKTW didn't. Even Kara, on another board, expressed her disappointment at not winning while still, herself, voting this time for Blue Streak. That's class.

(I did type STREAK, right? Not STEAK? Whew, don't want to go through what Carrie did.)

I'm happy for Conneaut and hope that they use the Blue Streak to their advantage during the Halloween festivities this year.

obxKevin said:
(I did type STREAK, right? Not STEAK? Whew, don't want to go through what Carrie did.)

Aww come on, where's the love for Indigo Filet and Sapphire Porterhouse?? I love the blue steak meme.

Way to preemptively suggest people who don't agree with this as not having class.

I still think it's lame that the coaster nerd community could carry this hopeless "cause" but not a real charity. Remember this post the next time they beg someone for money.

Jeff said:
Remember this post the next time they beg someone for money.

Bookmark it now because it will happen.

It really is a question on WHEN not if... ;)

Nonetheless, to me the real "treasure" of Blue Streak was the lighted board showing where train(s) were on the track....hopefully that will return as well - it was a real nostalgia-piece that hearkens back to the old(e) days of coaster-riding.

Jeff said:
Way to preemptively suggest people who don't agree with this as not having class.

I still think it's lame that the coaster nerd community could carry this hopeless "cause" but not a real charity. Remember this post the next time they beg someone for money.

I just tried to click the "like" button on this. :)

I guess I don't have any class, because I didn't throw a single vote their way. I do have compassion, and put that to use when voting for charities, though. Just because I didn't vote, doesn't mean I want them to fail, and doesn't mean I won't support them when they're open. I'm fine giving them my money when I get something in return, but when they keep dumping it down a hole and claiming they need more, that's when I take issue.

I totally agree on the lameness. I don't understand how anyone can put roller coasters over sick kids/people. but that's just the humanitarian in me.

This is becoming interesting :)

Do you know how people who are 'into' helping a coaster survive, help others and do with their lives? Do you like to be judged by people that are clueless to your financial situation, life situation and how you help or do not help others?

Do you invest in the stock market? Shop at Target or Wal-Mart? Cosco?

Do you know how to treat people? Does everyone like to be treated the same? What constitutes 'treating people nice' to you? How do you talk to those who subscribe to your site?

I voted for the Blue Streak. I don't have any money at this point in my life. I help people all the time. In perhaps unconventional ways that wouldn't constitute help to another individual.

It was a vote. It's a classic, great coaster ride. This is a coaster site, isn't it? Makes you think, I hope :)

No.
No, but it doesn't bother me.
No, not directly.
Sometimes.
No.
I like to think so.
I suspect not.
I dunno.
Like I talk to everyone else.
More or less.

(10 question marks, 10 answers)

Woah. Effort.

I should have said I'd vote, but only if they changed the trains out and put single, ratcheting lapbars and seatbelts on it. :)

*snicker*

Here is a list of the things repeated over and over around here that have become irritating to me, (for what it's worth only of course):

(in no particular order)

1. If you would actually go back and READ my post...
2. This is a coaster enthusiast site, right?
3. Dick Kinzel is corrupting the world
4. "Pay to Cut" is evil and a violation of the eleventh commandment
5. Amusement park food pricing is going to cause the industry to spontaneously implode one day soon

Edit: In fairness I should disclose I did some paraphrasing. :)