Conneaut may be finished

If only that history paid the bills.

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Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

Thanks for writing that novel.

So I guess the people who ran ENRON had absolutely nothing to do with the company's failure?

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Keeping Youngstown Living Exciting

*** This post was edited by jkpark on 1/26/2003. ***

Well, chalk up another dying park I was glad to have made time to visit this year (the other being LeSourdsville).

Conneaut has such a great atmosphere. No where else will your Carousel ride last 10 minutes because the operator (who has no teeth, by the way) is too lazy to stop the ride until he finishes eating his sandwich...and oh yeah, he's also riding the ride while he's eating. And then there's the Blue Streak guy ("Muahhahahahaha!!!") and that neat little Devil's Den ride ("Did they make it?")

I hope it ain't so...this park is too unique to go the way of Chippewa and Idora. :(

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- Chris

I put the "D" in DDR.

*** This post was edited by MooreOn on 1/26/2003. ***

jkpark said:

So I guess the people who ran ENRON had absolutely nothing to do with the company's failure?

1. Apples to oranges.

2. Agent Johnson didn't SAY that management had nothing to do with Conneaut's problems, just that it was a difficult situation to be doing so.

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--Greg, aka Oat Boy
My page
"Friendship -- more lasting than love, more legal than stalking."

I sure hope that Conneaut can come of out this. This was the first park we took my daughter to 3 years ago and have gone every year since. She loves it and it's a great family park.

I hope the judge comes through and tells Harris to take a flying leap. Indian giver.

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Lori - who hopes Koaster King is reading. ;)

Conneaut Lake has struggled throughout its 110 years of existence. I'm sure they'll make it through this. Keep in mind, they didn't open in 1995.

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Six Flags, the only chain of parks that can manage to have stacking with a one train operation.

Well, they did close from, I think 1995-1997 when many of the rides were sold off.

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Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

They closed early on Labor Day weekend in 1994, and didn't open in 1995 at all, except for the campground. They reopened on July 4th of 1996. Go back to the Super Bowl.

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"Every Man Has Got to Know His Limitations"

You figured it out Danny. ;)

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Lori - who hopes Koaster King is reading. ;)

Heres another link found by Tim Melego that gives a little more hope but not much.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_114668.html

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Charles Nungester.
Confirmed, Lesourdsville Lake opening for 2003 details soon at Lesourdsville.com

I've always wanted to go there and never have. One of those parks you take for granted I guess. It's not too far away and I figured, it's been around so long, it'll be there. I was wanting to go in the Spring. You guys want to tell me a little bit about the park?

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...Agghh, gimme a break will ya?

MooreOn said:

I hope it ain't so...this park is too unique to go the way of Chippewa and Idora.
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- Chris
I put the "D" in DDR.

*** This post was edited by MooreOn on 1/26/2003. ***

Can you still get into Chippewa Park? I know a friend of mine went a couple of years ago. I'd like to go and take some pictures. I hear it's pretty easy to get into. Are they anal about people going back there?

Where was Idora? I never heard of it.

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...Agghh, gimme a break will ya?

This is my first time posting here, but I have been reading for about a year.

I just wanted to post that I had a down payment with Hotel Conneaut to have my wedding there in August. After reading the news in so many places, I called up there, and spoke to the person I have been talking with about renting the hotel, and they assured me that the park WILL be open this year, and that it will open on time.

Having gone to Conneaut at least once a year, the last 24 years, except for the few years they were closed, the news they would not open again this year made me very sad, but this gives me, and I hope some other people a little light at the end of the tunnel! I am not going to give up on this place yet. After seeing the huge improvements in the park and attendance in the last two years, I think they can bring the place around again, if they get the law suits figured out!

IF it is open and I do a sort of tour de force of Pennsylvania this is one place I wont miss out on then. Even if I have to skip some other park I want to hit badly.

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My website - Zero G Thrills

CP Silly,

Idora Park is located in Youngstown, Ohio (Where I live!) It opened in the late 1800's as a street car terminal for the city. The park closed in September 1984 do to a fire and a lack of profits. All rides and equipment were auctioned off, but the ballroom, a number of buildings, the remaining part of the Wildcat coaster, and Jack Rabbit coaster were left. The park remained vacant for a number of years, and still is empty. -And just like Chippewa, you were able to sneak inside and explore the abandoned amusement park! -My friends and I used to do it all the time. The park sits in a residential neighborhood, about a mile in from the main road. The neighborhood it's in is not a very good part of town.

Another fire in 1986 destroyed the oldest structure on the property, which was the original dance hall and was later converted into restraunt. In 1999, residents of the Mahoning Valley celebrated the park's 100th birthday. In March of 2001, the historic Ballroom burned to the ground. No one knows how the blaze started, but it is believed to be from arson. The Jack Rabbit and the remaining part of the Wildcat were razed later that year in the summer.

For more information, go to www.idorapark.org