Help Conneaut open this year.

^^^ Which is the main reason I think it would be a good idea to wait a year and then reopen. Get the park in the best shape possible and then get people out there. By showing them that the park doesn't resemble the decaying corpse that some people assume it to be, maybe they'd stand a chance of getting some repeat business.

^Closing for a year scares me. Mechanicals and electricals sitting idle is bad enough, getting the rides re-certified *from scratch* is another issue. Plus there's the issue of "out-of-sight, out-of-mind".

Honestly, if there's one thing I've noticed from Waldameer to DelGrosso's to CLP, it's the the first two had BOOMING waterpark businesses during the good weather. As a matter of fact, I'd almost say that those waterparks are THE main reason why both Waldy and DelG's are capable of affording the new rollie-coasties... ;)

Why I would LIKE to believe it's not too late for Connie (and all her Otter friends), I can't help but think her time is running out.

I found this article from 05/14/2003 and thought I'd post a link for it.

http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030514conneaut0514p3.asp

Token count: 4678 as of yesterday. Too bad they didn't start this fund raiser last fall. *** Edited 5/15/2007 12:31:29 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

This is from yesterday. (Not 4 years ago..had me going for a minute there.) The park is on life support, but they are hanging in there as best they can.Conneaut park woes making for memorable holidayThursday, May 17, 2007

By Milan Simonich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CONNEAUT LAKE, Pa. -- There's nothing fun about a 115-year-old amusement park that is so broke it cannot open its rides and restaurants.

Nonetheless, managers of Conneaut Lake Park have gambled what little money they have by booking five bands and renting out all 120 rooms of the complex's hotel for Memorial Day weekend.

Customers who have reserved rooms for what is being billed as "Do Wopp, Car Cruise Weekend" telephone the park each day to ask if it will be open by May 26, as advertised.

George Deshner, Conneaut Lake Park's director of operations, tells them he hopes so. But, he said yesterday, he cannot offer any guarantees, given the park's shaky financial standing.

He estimated the park needs a gift of at least $100,000 to open a portion of its rides and attractions on Memorial Day weekend, its traditional kickoff date.

Mr. Deshner previously said the park needed $300,000 to carry it through its 12-week season. He revised his goal downward after a rich donor did not step forward.

Because it is about $2 million in debt, the park cannot borrow money. After three bankruptcies under private owners, the park became a nonprofit community enterprise whose business operations are overseen by Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Vardaro.

Earlier this spring, Judge Vardaro rejected the park's plan to sell 3.3 acres on its lakefront for $1.7 million. The money would have enabled the park to pay down some debt and open for the season.

Mr. Deshner's office is about the only sign of life in the park in Crawford County, 95 miles north of Pittsburgh. Nine people remain on staff. The park should have 40 to 60 working now, Mr. Deshner said.

So poor is the park that it cannot afford to fix the Blue Streak Roller Coaster, its best-known attraction. The 69-year-old coaster needs repairs on its timber and tracks. It will not be operable until at least the Fourth of July, even if the park opens sooner, Mr. Deshner said.

The park's century-old hotel is essentially ready for business, but the hotel restaurant is not, he said. Neither is the Beach Club, a night spot in the park where food and drink are supposed to be plentiful.

Mr. Deshner said he needs $30,000 just to staff and stock the restaurant and club. Conneaut Lake recently collected about $18,000 by selling commemorative $5 tokens in a campaign called "Keep the Park Open."

That amounts to about all the money the park has. Even so, LeRoy Stearns, court-appointed overseer of the park, and Mr. Deshner decided to spend $6,500 as a partial booking fee for the bands that are to perform on Memorial Day weekend.

They signed The Vogues and The Reflections as the featured acts for the Do Wopp celebration. Now the park is on the hook for the rest of the bands' fees.

Mr. Deshner admits the holiday will not be festive unless somebody who loves the old park showers it with a six-figure donation.

"We know we might alienate customers if we can't get it open," he said. "But we can't set it back any more than some of the people who left this place a disaster."

Conneaut Lake Park was closed in 1995 and part of 1996 after a private operator went bankrupt.

Mr. Deshner said the park has a few more days to try to collect the $100,000 it needs to open on Memorial Day weekend. If the money does not come in by the middle of next week, he said, he probably will have to revise his plan and try to open by the Fourth of July.

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Camp said:

After three bankruptcies under private owners...

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And people still insist that a great portion of the park's problems can't be attributed to mistakes by the previous ownership? I know there were circumstances leading up to those bankruptcies, but still...

^While I am not totally disagreeing with you, it is difficult to assume that all three different owners made the same mistakes.

When each different owner purchased the park, they knew what they were in for. It is easy to believe that each knew of the prior owner's successes and failures and they would not make the same mistakes.

I think the difference now is that the park is being operated almost like a non-profit. There are no illusions of grandure just a desire to keep the tradition going.

^^ I thought it was the same owner that went bankrupt three times, but I could be wrong.

If I remember correctly, a lot of money has and is being spent on improving infrastructure...NOT cheap!

Something else they're doing I don't recall reading is that they took all operations in-house again this year. All restaurants, snack bars, games, etc. will yield 100% revenue to CLP. Of course that also means 100% expense responsibility as well.

Again, the few people that are working there seem very optimistic and enthusiastic. They just want and need the community and media support.

I still think they should be applauded for even attempting an opening without the cash influx they wanted. Hopefully, they will open and operate with safety and quality in mind.

^The (the park) ran the Restaurant last year, and it lost 198,000 (approx). Previous years, the Beach club, Camperland and a few other things were leased out.

Camperland, the last year it was leased, 2005, was leased by the people that own and operate The Parkside Hotel(formerly Adams Mckinley). They raised the camping rates because they hadn't been raised in years. They went from 10.00 to 15.00 a night for a primative site. They had no problems with the increase and heard no complaints. With that 5.00 increase, you got two to three bucks off a ride-all-day band.

Last year, the park opted to run it.

I'm optimistic, but they shouldn't open the restaurant, or if they open it, shut it down when it starts losing money.

It would probably make sense to lease the Beach Club to a company that knows how to combine a restaurant with entertainment. The place has a great setting and is absolutely huge- there is more than enough room for tables, a stage for some kind of band and a dance floor. It seems to me the previous operator half-heartedly approached the Beach Club's potential. Maybe Conneaut needs to find someone to take it all the way.

According to a post on a CLP website all the Kiddie rides, but 4, were assembled last weekend and at least it looks like Kiddieland will be open for Memorial Weekend. Not firsthand reporting, but it looks like a sliver of hope exists if support keeps coming.

More news:

May 21, 2007 —

CONNEAUT LAKE PARK — Conneaut Lake Park’s future remains up in the air at this point.

Officials had called a late-morning press conference for today to discuss what will be the next step if $100,000 the 115-year-old amusement park expects to receive doesn’t materialize. The money would allow the park to launch a limited opening, such as Hotel Conneaut, the Beach Club, Dreamland Ballroom and other attractions.

However, the announcement was been postponed after park officials received a last-minute phone call from a local business person apparently offering financial assistance. Negotiations are continuing this afternoon with the unnamed local business person.

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Rob Ascough said:
It would probably make sense to lease the Beach Club to a company that knows how to combine a restaurant with entertainment. The place has a great setting and is absolutely huge- there is more than enough room for tables, a stage for some kind of band and a dance floor. It seems to me the previous operator half-heartedly approached the Beach Club's potential. Maybe Conneaut needs to find someone to take it all the way.

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Rob,

CLP shot themselves in the foot with the Beach Club for 2007. The busiest business near the lake was The Beach Club in 2007, and the park forgo the $70k lease fee, which could be used to open other stuff at the park, in favor of running "The Beach Club" themselves for 2007, if that even happens. There was nothing half-rate about 'The Beach Club'. The building next door to the club is already where bands play and local dances are held. The guys that leased 'The Beach Club' the last few years put their hearts into that restaurant, and were rewarded for their hard work with an letter of eviction, even though they personally own some of the equipment and the remaining time on the liquor license.

There are alot of folks that have have worked and/or volunteered for the park during the last 10 years, and alot of them are now being given 'the shaft', or are tired themselves of 'charity work' with no solution in sight for the park land and businesses.

*** Edited 5/22/2007 5:47:33 AM UTC by MidwavePC***

Last year, the Beach Club was packed when we went. The music, food, and overall experience was good. Nothing like being on Vacation, standing on an elevated deck watching the sunset while downing some good drinks and not having to worry about driving anywhere.

They use to allow people to carry beer and drinks onto the beach as long as they weren't in glass containers. that stopped about mid-summer. The Beach club usually draws enough people that I'm surprised it hasn't been run more months out of the year.

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/breakingnews/local_story_141140009.html

Looks like 11:00am today will be the final word.

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/breakingnews/local_story_142112941.html

Here's the latest. Somewhat sad but not surprising. As I said before, I'd rather see the park get on better footing and make a strong attempt to open completely for the 2008 season and win some people back.

So now do we start speculating on whether the park will ever open again?

Most unfortunate. Perhaps with the proper time and focus the land sale can be worked out and 2008 could be the start of solvency. It would also be an opportunity to work on the state politicians to get some funding in place.

In an article I read this morning (darn if I can find it, though), apparently Stearns is going to request liquidation.

The future of the park is looking rather bleak.