TR: Conneaut Lake Park Cleanup Weekend

[andy_e219]

I arrived today at the park for the volunteer cleanup weekend. I was given the assignment to weed-wack Kiddieland. So I week-waked around all of the little rides, which were actually in pretty good shape. I also cut down a bunch of little trees that were growing in the track of the Little Dipper. After Kiddieland was finished, I walked around the park to see all of the rides in good shape, even the Blue Streak. It looked bad, but it has always looked bad, at least it is in good shape. Next I weed-waked around the Trabant. After that we ate lunch in the Beach Club and I spent the afternoon cleaning the mini golf course and looking around the park.

 

Here are a few things I noticed:

 

- new security lights were installed in key areas all around the park.

 

- they really need to lock their doors better, I saw a door in Kiddieland that was 'locked' with a bent nail.

 

- the ride tickets building was broken into and the Tumble Bug sign was missing and a bunch of plastic darts from a game that were stored in there were stolen and thrown at things all throughout the park.

 

- the park has been maintained.

 

- the remains of Dreamland were cleaned up and there is almost no evidence that it was ever there.

 

Here is some of the upcoming plans the park has:

 

The Beach Club is going to try to be open by the 4th of July. It will cost between $40,000 and $50,000, which is going to be hard because the park has no money. The old dropped ceiling in the Beach Club has to be replaced because it is caving in in some areas.

 

As for the Hotel Conneaut, they are awaiting bids from 2 companies to fix the old wing's fire escape. A new problem has arose however, they are having problems with the foundation in the old wing. That wing was is actually older than the Hotel itself, it originally was another building in the park (Probably the park's original convention hall) and it was moved across the park and was attached to the Exposition Hotel, which was the hotel that the Hotel Conneaut evolved into. This wing was used in the construction of the Hotel Conneaut in 1903. This wing has a series of piers in the foundation and some of the 100+ year old piers are shifting and crumbling. So they will have to get that, the fire escape, and anything else that is wrong fixed before it can open. I don't see that happening this season.

 

That is all I can remember, pictures will come soon.