Help Conneaut open this year.

Thanks, FS...I missed that forum. Although it appears that has degraded over time into a pi$$ing contest. I keep hoping the Powerball will come my way.....

Dang,they are really going at it in that forum.

Whew! :O

Well, at least now we're back on topic......

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Comet Rider said:
Absolutely amazing...it appears that no one involved with the "trust" or operation over the last 10 years has any idea what they're doing...

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Amazing, but not at all surprising. I agree with the old trains on the Blue Streak and the refurbishment of the Bug, but most other things the trust has done (or allowed to be done) have been idiotic. I think a more knowledgable group of people would have had a much more profound impact on the park.

This is interesting.

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_171230819.html

I wonder where they'll get the money of this.

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_160001421.html *** Edited 6/22/2007 4:03:09 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

It keeps gettin' better....

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_178212209.html

It keeps getting better still. This should be of interest to more than a few of you:

New board of directors named for the park

I guess this answers my questions about Camperland.

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/NEWS05/707010403&SearchID=73286036447165

Some rides at park could be on way out

By Tim Hahn
tim.hahn@timesnews.com

CONNEAUT LAKE -- Conneaut Lake Park's new board of directors might find themselves dealing with more bare patches of pavement when the time comes to consider the future of the amusement park portion of the facility.

Three of the park's 16 adult rides and one of the dozen rides in Kiddieland soon could disappear as their owner, Erie businessman Joe Prischak, considers other options for the amusements.

Prischak said late last week that he might take back his rides, which he purchased several years ago and leased to the park in an effort to help the park's operations.

"I might take them down to Lake Erie Speedway," said Prischak, whose family also owns and operates the racing facility in Greenfield Township, Erie County. "Two of my sons run the speedway. I told them if they want to go down (to Conneaut Lake Park) and look at the rides to set up at the speedway for an added attraction, go ahead. It would be another activity there."

Park board member George Deshner, who also serves as the facility's general manager, said Friday that Prischak has indicated that he is going to remove the rides and sell them. Prischak has had people come to the park to take photographs of the rides in order to get them listed for sale, Deshner said.

The rides that Prischak owns are the Witch's Stew, the Toboggan, the Musik Express and the Kiddie Carousel. They have sat idle since summer 2006, when park officials closed out the 2006 season.

That season was made possible by Prischak, who loaned park officials $250,000 so that the amusement park and resort could open in 2006.

Prischak also loaned the park $250,000 a few years earlier.

Prischak is owed the $500,000 in loans that he made, former park custodian H. LeRoy Stearns said. Prischak also is owed about $150,000 in lease payments for the rides, Stearns said.

The money owed Prischak is part of roughly $2.5 million in debt that park officials have been unable to pay. A lack of funds forced Stearns to order Conneaut Lake Park closed for the season in May.

Stearns later stepped down as custodian and was replaced by a 15-member board of directors that Crawford County Judge Anthony Vardaro appointed June 29.

Prischak said he is "sitting tight" when asked what he is doing or is contemplating doing about his unpaid loans. He said he is currently focusing his attention on other projects.

TIM HAHN can be reached at (814) 724-6979 or by e-mail.

Last changed: July 15. 2007 12:29AM

Never a dull moment in PA.

So does anyone think there's a real chance of the park opening again anytime soon?

It just seems like one thing after another working against the park.

I wish Mr. Prischack would sell The Witch's Stew to Waldameer. That ride was beautifully restored, oddly by Conneaut Lake Park staff and volunteers in 2006.

The Conneaut Lake Park ownership situation just keeps getting stranger and stranger!

Exactly which rides does this person own?

I hope a good save can be made for the Roll O Plane. Theirs is a fantastic example.

A chance for Lakemont to pick up a couple of goodies, perhaps? The Roll-O and Flying Scooters would make a heck of a cool retro addition to the area around Leap the Dips for nostalga. And the Tumble Bug for that matter (I never even got a chance to see it since it came back into operation :( )

Conneaut's Paratrooper looked to be in really nice shape, too. Maybe a cool way to make a nice "save" of some great old flat rides, if there is no other hope for CLP. Better than nothing. Plus Lakemont gets a relatively inexpensive (compared to new rides or building major stuff) way to fill in some gaps that we spoke about on the Lakemont thread. (Gotta re-open and neonize some of those games booths down that end, though... wink, wink! )

Sigh... I just had a giant flashback about the games mall and flying scooters area of West View on that one.....

Only thing that stinks horribly is who, if anyone, would be willing to pull a "Pheonix" move on the beloved Blue Streak? Sadly, probably no one. Someone had better rescue those restored trains at least!

The Blue Streak, at least, will be saved. Come on guys, where's the positive energy? Things do happen, you know...

Pessimism will get you nowhere in life.

Well, I changed what I first wrote to "stinks horribly"... my positive energy must have all been channeled into minding my manners :(

That Blue Streak is the closest thing to my beloved West View Park Dips. And the way you couldn't see a blessed thing at night made the whole night ride. Dang, come to think about it, that was another great park to see lit at night. Dang, Dang , Dang.......(bangs head)

Its about the closest anyone will ever get to the Dips(the Blue Streak)...too bad it dont have the same turnaround. :(

Even though I think the Dips was a better ride,Id hate to see the Blue Streak go.

*** Edited 7/17/2007 3:35:49 AM UTC by Ex_Westview and KW_worker***

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J7G3 said:
Pessimism will get you nowhere in life.

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Sunshine, lollipops and all the good intentions in the world often get you even less.

I find that realism gets you everywhere. :)

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J7G3 said:

Pessimism will get you nowhere in life.

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Being pessimistic would have been giving the park zero chance of success 10+ years ago when the talk of the park closing started.

There is just a reality factor that some just refuse to face.

I really can't blame Joe Preshack for wanting to move the rides from CLP to Lake Erie Speedway. He needs more people to get down there before the track fails as well. Moving some of the rides will get the positive media attention that the track needs. *** Edited 7/17/2007 5:49:13 AM UTC by browntggrr***

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Lord Gonchar said:

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J7G3 said:
Pessimism will get you nowhere in life.

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Sunshine, lollipops and all the good intentions in the world often get you even less.

I find that realism gets you everywhere.

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Whatever works for you :)

When you think something will happen to you or in your life, it usually does.

You can be optimistic, complete with lollipops and ballons, and still be realistic ;)

I don't understand why someone can't be optimistic and realistic, as if the two things were mutually exclusive. Being an optimist doesn't mean sunshine and lollipops just as being a pessimist doesn't mean doom and gloom.

Now that I've returned to the Coasterbuzz community with one of my wonderful rants, I will say that the future doesn't look good for Conneaut. I definitely don't see the park reopening this year, and I'm beginning to question whether it will open in 2008 or 2009. Then again, I've never really disputed that fact. All I've been doing is making clear my wishes for the park to get back on the right track so we can enjoy the place in all its quirkiness.

I'm no pessimest! BTW, sunshine causes skin cancer, and lollipops rot your teeth :(