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^That is obviously just a giant lie. Kind of scary that the news would print that without even checking up to see if she was telling the truth.

Of course it is. How could she have secured a large amount of money...and yet not paid the down payment? The whole thing is just really sketchy.

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January 13, 2011 | Author stbdadmin

 

Some appear to think it’s a fun game to send donations of a dollar just to force me to refund them.

 

Any additional donations sent from this date forward will not be refunded. They will be immediately forwarded on to the Conneaut Lake Park Trust fund for the restoration of Blue Streak. I will not play childish games with those that find such things amusing.

Wait, so why the hell don't you just change your whole objective altogether then? If saving a stupid coaster (any coaster) seems to be so friggin' important to you, then why can't you just man up, admit trying to "Save the Big Dipper" was a stupid idea, and refocus on blowing whatever money you still have in the direction of Blue Streak and CLP, and leave complete strangers out of this!

 

Instead, you're still claiming to the news,

"If (Woosnam) still wants to sell the coaster, I am more than willing to negotiate a new, reasonable payment arrangement, within the safety of signed legal paperwork."

 

So what if, by the beard of Zues, that actually happens? Does that mean the magical "Donations" button is once again relevant and important to you? Make up your damn mind.

Edited by BeemerBoy
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At this point, it doesn't matter what she says. CF wants the Dipper gone by this summer, right? I wonder who's going to get stuck with the demolition bill?

 

I guess that if the mystery owner doesn't take care of it, the owner of the land it sits on has the right to evict the tenant coaster by tearing it up. I guess then CF would bill the owner for it.

 

Other than contributing to the general eyesore and disappointment that is the remnants of the main park, I don't see what the rush is. I guess they would rather have a controlled demolition than just let it collapse until the economy stops drowning and they can sell off and develop the land.

 

I wish I could take GLT's fleet of pickup trucks and ram the coaster apart. I'm so sick of hearing about the Big Dipper, mostly because I feel like the enthusiast community as a whole will lose loads of credibility if this situation persists.

 

It's not like we have to save Boulder Dash. Hell, I'd almost be in line to save XLR-8 before this coaster. If it was something special or remotely economically viable, Cedar Fair would have kept it.

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  • 6 months later...

http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/198157/45/Geauga-Lakes-Big-Dipper-has-buyers-lined-up

 

Geauga Lake Big Dipper roller coaster enthusiasts have been fearing its demolition since Geauga Lake amusement park closed on Sept. 21, 2007.

 

Channel 3 has learned that, despite nearly four years of ups and downs, the current owner is still fielding offers from others to buy the historic roller coaster from him, move it and save it from demolition.

 

The owner, whose name has never been disclosed, is still negotiating with buyers, said Tom Woosnam, the local agent who has been handling all the offers for the Big Dipper for the current owner. Woosnam told Channel 3 Sunday -- exactly three years and one month since his winning bid of $5,000 at Cedar Fair's auction of the rides and attractions secured the ride -- that he is negotiating with two potential buyers right now. He declined to name them but did talk about another recent potential buyer. He has stated in the past that the original $5,000 bid was subject to park owner Cedar Fair's approval and that the Big Dipper was not purchased for just the $5,000 offered at the auction. Cedar Fair and Norton Auctioneers confirmed Woosnam's statement. Woosnam was the sole bidder for the Big Dipper at the auction and has declined to say what the final purchase price from Cedar Fair was.

 

The Big Dipper was built and opened in 1925 at Geauga Lake. The John Miller-designed coaster celebrates its 86th anniversary this year. It is the seventh oldest coaster still in existence in the United States.

 

On Sunday, Woosnam said Brothers Vending, based in Puerto Rico, wanted to buy the Big Dipper and negotiations continued until as recently as a month ago. Woosnam said they really wanted the Big Dipper but, in the end, couldn't pay to erect and operate it on-site in Puerto Rico. "It would have been the only roller coaster (on the island of Puerto Rico)," Woosnam said.

 

Woosnam has never stated what the selling price of the Big Dipper is but, in December 2009, the current owner offered the Big Dipper on the Internet on the Mr. Midway website and amusementtrader.com for $150,000.

 

In April 2010, the owner also had Medina County resident Jeff Shimko offer the Big Dipper for $65,000. Shinko had no idea why the owner dropped the price.

 

Woosnam shared emails between himself and Brothers Vending with Channel 3. In one email dated June 7, the Brothers Vending representative stated "...do not want to break corarzon (sic), offend or somehow hurt the feelings of the people who love the big dipper..." But another email on June 7 shows that Brothers Vending "...only we carry trains, motor and chain mechanisms, controls, brake system, its history, design and its history, photo images and videos of the big dipper.." That means that they would leave the wood and tracks from the Big Dipper behind in Bainbridge if they bought the Big Dipper. Woosnam said that Brothers Vending was buying the design, name and history and that anything left behind on the site in Bainbridge would be cleared at the current owner's expense.

 

In September 2009, New Zealander Harold Garmonsway and Ohio college student Kat Jones sent a down payment for the coaster but that deal fell through. The two had plans to relocate the Big Dipper to an amusement park either somewhere in Ohio or in Pennsylvania, Jones told Channel 3 at the time.

 

In November 2009, the American Coaster Enthusiasts, a 6,000-member organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of wooden and stell roller coasters, designated the Big Dipper as an "ACE Roller Coaster landmark."

 

Sandusky-based Cedar Fair owns the former Geauga Lake, the adjacent Wildwater Kingdom that is still in operation, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Kings Island in Cincinnati, and other amusement parks and water parks in North America.

 

The Big Dipper is the only ride left standing in the park. Cedar Fair has been trying to sell all or part of the 550-acre property that straddles Bainbridge and Aurora since 2008. Cedar Fair has declined to discuss the status of its sale attempts.

 

After the park closed, Cedar Fair hired Collier's International's Cleveland office to handle the property's sale. In April 2010, Cedar Fair's Stacy Frole, director of investor relations, said Collier's was no longer involved. "Anyone interested in purchasing the Geauga Lake land may contact Cedar Fair directly," Frole said. "We do not have a 'listed price' for this property."

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This just doesn't want to die...

 

Woosnam is the laughing stock of our area. Gets it for $5K and tries to sell it for 50 times it's worth. And the rolling stock has been sitting out in the elements rotting despite they were supposedly being stored inside. He doesn't seem to get it that nobody wants it.

 

I drove by the park today on my way to the Aurora outlets. Very sad sight to behold. It would be much cheaper to get the blueprints and rebuild from scratch than to try to save the ride in its current state.

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This just doesn't want to die...

 

Woosnam is the laughing stock of our area. Gets it for $5K and tries to sell it for 50 times it's worth. And the rolling stock has been sitting out in the elements rotting despite they were supposedly being stored inside. He doesn't seem to get it that nobody wants it.

 

I drove by the park today on my way to the Aurora outlets. Very sad sight to behold. It would be much cheaper to get the blueprints and rebuild from scratch than to try to save the ride in its current state.

 

Built from scratch AND at least use the rolling stock!

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This just doesn't want to die...

 

Woosnam is the laughing stock of our area. Gets it for $5K and tries to sell it for 50 times it's worth. And the rolling stock has been sitting out in the elements rotting despite they were supposedly being stored inside. He doesn't seem to get it that nobody wants it.

 

I drove by the park today on my way to the Aurora outlets. Very sad sight to behold. It would be much cheaper to get the blueprints and rebuild from scratch than to try to save the ride in its current state.

 

And as was pointed out before, he has a criminal record. Crooks doing business with other crooks.

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I drove by the park on Sunday when out and about and first and foremost was incredibly depressed. It looks so sad and lonely. Big Dipper and Raging Wolf Bobs both rotting away is sad as both could be great rides for some smaller parks but the chances of this happening are essentially zero.

 

I had a question though regarding the park. The old rides side parking lot was hosting some sort of race event. There were cars and a course set up. Does anyone know what exactly this is or if it was just a one time thing?

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I had a question though regarding the park. The old rides side parking lot was hosting some sort of race event. There were cars and a course set up. Does anyone know what exactly this is or if it was just a one time thing?

It's likely that they are just trying to make a bit of money leasing use of the space for small events like that one. If they are going to sit on it they might as well try and get a lite bit of income from it.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...
If nothing is done the Big Dipper can not be saved because of the wood. The last major update to the Big Dipper was in 1980

 

Actually, a good portion of it was rebuilt again in 1995. If this ride was ever moved or reopened (just being hopeful), they would have to replace 95% of the wood anyways.

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^Very true. It is sad though. Even when the park opened 3 new big coasters in one year (or was it more?), Big Dipper was still the most popular ride. When my friends and I worked at Cedar Point, we would take trips to Geauga to ride Big Dipper, and to Americana to ride Screechin' Eagle. Easily the best woodies in the state (not for everyone of course).

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