Man dies after riding Goliath at SFOG

Disney World deaths on Rock 'n Roller Coaster and Mission Space.

Mishaps at Kings Island and Kings Dominion.

Man dies after riding Gwazi at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL).

Several other injuries/mishaps.

Now a death on the new Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Cobb County authorities say a 45-year-old man died of an apparent heart attack after becoming unconscious during a roller coaster ride at Six Flags amusement park.

Fire Lt. Dan Dupree said authorities were called to the park about noon Thursday after the man lost consciousness while on the park's newest roller coaster — Goliath.

Dupree said firefighters arrived to see Emergency Medical Services workers and employees of the park treating a man who was suffering from cardiac arrest. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have not released his name.

So far, not a great year for amusement parks - especially since many of these weren't necessarily due to rider misconduct - nor operator error.

MVRPC director Robinette retires early

A surprising move at MVRPC in Dayton, where I was a planning co-op in 2002 and 2003:

DAYTON — As a cost-saving measure last October, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission Director Mike Robinette recommended an early retirement incentive plan to the agency's board.

Last week, Robinette surprised the board when he took advantage of the retirement plan and announced he was leaving the agency.

Although the early retirement plan will save the agency money, the terms and the late notice of Robinette's retirement rankled some top officers.

Miami County Commissioner Ron Widener, chairman of the agency board when the early retirement plan was proposed and approved, said he was "very uncomfortable" with the terms of Robinette's retirement.

More of the article at Dayton Daily News - Registration required, free of charge

OH Supreme Ct: Norwood Abused Eminent Domain

Enquirer - Eminent Domain Abused

The city of Norwood cannot take property by eminent domain to give to a private developer, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled today.

In holding parts of Ohio’s eminent domain law unconstitutional, the state’s highest court set a different course than the U.S. Supreme Court did in its landmark Kelo v. New London decision last year.

There, the Supreme Court ruled that a Connecticut city’s taking of property for economic development was constitutional – but made clear that state constitutions could set different standards for property rights.

The Norwood case is expected to be closely watched around the country. It was the first major eminent domain case to reach a state Supreme Court since Kelo.

The case was brought by property owners Joseph Horney, Carl and Joy Gamble and Matthew F. Burton, who argued that the city should not be able to take their properties and deed them over to Rookwood Partners for a $125 million shopping and office complex.

Honestly, I understand both sides. The homeowners, whose homes are standing in an urban desert, should not lose their property just so someone else could build a "better development for the community." If the City of Norwood and developers had their way, there would be severe implications on private property across America - low to mid-income residents, churches and other religious buildings, and "less desirable" yet successful businesses, would become fair game.

On the other hand, Norwood, like other first-ring suburbs, as well as the City of Cincinnati, are facing great challenges. Many residents and businesses have left the older areas - moving to newer suburbs, creating sprawl. In order to keep the region healthy, the "heart" must too, remain healthy. Therefore, the inner city and its brownfields and depressed areas must redevelop. As someone schooled in urban planning, I know that we can't just ignore what's there and keep going outward.

Personally, I wish the three property owners would take the big money, and find a better place in a more stable neighborhood. The ever-increasing traffic and the closeness to I-71 is a sign to bail. The long awaited, appealing Rookwood Exchange could finally move forward as planned, and it would help turn a corner for Norwood. Ethically, I side with the property owners - they are exercising their rights as Americans. If the owners decide to keep their properties, then if the developers want to move forward, they'll have to make some big changes, and co-exist with the out-of-place houses - that are still home to others.

Slow News Day: Lance is Gay

Lance Bass, former member of boy band *NSYNC, has revealed that he is gay.

Let's see. A boy band member. Named Lance. Coming out. Who didn't see that coming?

Local connection: Lance has a relationship with Reichen Lemkuhl, who was born in Cincinnati. Lemkuhl won the Amazing Race a couple years ago with then-partner Chip Arndt. Reichen and Chip have since separated.

Winterfest: It's time to move on.

On Monday, folks at Kings Island and Cedar Fair finally confirmed the on-going rumors: Winterfest has been cancelled for 2006.

Of course, in January, people for PKI, then owned by CBS Corporation, were touting the success of the 2005 return. Then, in April, when the park opened for the regular season, they began to sell tickets for Winterfest for the great low price of $9.95. There was little chance that Winterfest would go back into the history books.

Then came "the announcement" about "the sale" in May. People were questioning, "What changes is Cedar Fair gonna make this season." The acquisition press release and conferences gave no solid answer, but tickets were still being sold, but quietly. Then again, "quietly" is how the winter holiday event's life for 2006 would seem to end. Soon, around when the keys to the park were given to Dick Kinzel and his guys, the in-park ads and brochure ads were taken out. Winterfest bears appeared as game prizes. Then ticket sales were pulled...

I, for one, was disappointed that Winterfest faded away for the second time. The opportunity to skate on that great Royal Fountain. Heartwarming songs and scenes on the KI & MV Railroad. Scrooge's hilarious bathroom jokes. One of the best live shows I've ever seen in the park, Santa's Toy Factory. And one of the tallest structures in the region transformed into a Christmas tree. Sadly, I'm going to have to wait at least a year to see these things again.

However, somebody dropped the ball. And I won't name Cedar Fair as one of the guilty parties.
First and foremost, the pricing. $25 at the gate? Season Passes were not accepted for entry, and sometimes, no discount for passholders? Specific-day tickets? $5 parking? $7 skating rink fee?
This is compared to 1982-92. Gate admission closer to $10. Season Passholders got in free. Free parking. Translation: successful.

However, compared to 1992, more area holiday events have popped up, and/or gotten better since then. The Beach Waterpark offered 4 admissions for $40 to their Holiday Fest. Holiday in Lights at Sharon Woods, where you don't have to get out of the car. Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo was relatively affordable.
Also, peoples' views of Kings Island, as well as the makeup of the park itself, have changed. In the early 1990s, live shows were all around the park. There was a great collection of shopping and dining, more gentle rides for those of the youngest and oldest ages.
Now I know how PKI promotes itself as a family park, but sometimes, "family" does include 50, 60 and up. Have any of you ridden Runaway Reptar? Hint: it's a VEKOMA!

So, it seems they marketed it as "Winterfest is back by popular demand!' And again, like I said earlier, it was good! However, it wasn't the same Kings Island. I don't think they drove home enough that was filled with live entertainment - superior to that of other area winter attractions.

The people's response: As warm as the temperatures. I don't think many wanted to pay $30 or so to go to a cold Kings Island without thrill rides. Carowinds, another Paramount park, held their own Winterfest. At least they had the opportunity to run their B&M inverted coaster, Top Gun. Still, a Charlotte paper captioned one scene: "Waliking in an Empty Wonderland."

In defense of Winterfest, Kings Island was located in an area that was very accessible to many. Its layout was that of a theme park: great for a winter village event. This is compared to when Cedar Point held its first and only Christmas in the Park in 1994. Can you say a winter desert? Add horrible winds and temps along Lake Erie, and the smaller town that is Sandusky - just wasn't going to work. I think that if Cedar Fair were to price Winterfest right, it would have been a hit this year.

But here is the meat of this entry: At least for 2006, Cedar Fair's decision is final. No looking back. Any attempt to try to get Cedar Fair executives to reverse course will be futile (I feel like I'm quoting a Carowinds coaster's slogan). Rather than try to tweak a shaky winter event, I believe that it will be best for new ownership to spend the time to get the park up to Cedar Fair standards. My bet is that once early to mid-April 2007 comes, Kings Island will be a better park than it has in several years. A cleaner, friendlier, more efficient park.

There are some that wish that Cedar Fair will bring back KI to its pre-Paramount glory days. But for some of the mis-steps I believe that previous owners made, the park is still very successful. While I believe that things will be more consistent, some of the old charm the park had has faded away, and may likely never come back.
Now, I would love for them to bring back the old 1972-92 logo - very beautiful and sorta resembles Cincinnati's German heritage (yes, I took a class at UC related to that). This is one roll-back I hope Cedar Fair does, they can't go wrong with a classic.

But when all is said and done here, Winterfest isn't coming back this year. And I'm OK with that. Let's move on, and look forward to the rest of the operating season, and of course, 2007.

No Winterfest for 2006.

The speculation is over:

NEWS RELEASE

Paramount's Kings Island TM Cancels WinterFest for 2006 Season

Company makes business decision to table WinterFest.

KINGS ISLAND, Ohio - Paramount's Kings Island announced today that WinterFest will not take place during the 2006 season.

The business decision comes at a time when the organization is focused on providing a world-class experience during its core season, which includes the spring, summer and fall months.

Guests who have pre-purchased WinterFest tickets have automatically been refunded.

Cedar Fair, L.P. (NYSE: "FUN") is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Partnership, which owns and operates twelve amusement parks, five outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and six hotels, is one of the largest regional amusement park operators in the world. Its parks are located in Ohio, California, Toronto, North Carolina, Virginia / District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri and Michigan.

Also: Dayton Daily News (regisration is required but free of charge)

St. Louis storms: 500,000 lose power, dozens injured at Busch Stadium

Almost 500,000 without power in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Powerful storms with rain and strong winds left nearly half a million homes and businesses without power early Thursday as the region braced for another day of 100-degree heat. Power officials said it could take five days to restore electricity.

The summer storm that tore through the Midwest on Wednesday ripped off a section of airport roof and dumped it on an interstate, blew windows out of a hotel restaurant and baseball stadium press box and injured more than 30 people. At least three St. Louis-area buildings partially collapsed.

The city's light rail system, down for several hours, was running again by the Thursday morning rush hour, but at least 450,000 customers were still without power, according to utility company AmerenUE.

"This is one of the worst storms we can all remember to hit the city of St. Louis in recent years," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said.

It could take three to five days to fully restore power to St. Louis, officials with AmerenUE said Thursday morning.

A test for the new baseball stadium:

Many of the injuries were to baseball fans waiting for a St. Louis Cardinals-Atlanta Braves game at the new Busch Stadium.

Winds near 80 mph blew out press box windows and ripped the tarp, injuring at least 30 people, five of whom were taken to hospitals, said Norm Corley, a supervisor with Accu-Care, which handles medical issues at the stadium.

I knew one of the biggest complaints about the old Busch Stadium was the lack of wind circulation. Now this...

Patrons were evacuated at the rooftop restaurant at the downtown Millennium Hotel after winds blew out windows in the restaurant, which sits near the Gateway Arch.

This happened just after the singing of the national anthem. Hopefully Roseanne Barr wasn't singing...

I guess the good news out of this is that the Cardinals won 8-3, avoiding a sweep by the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals continue to lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over the Reds.

Has the last Winterfest already been held... again?

There is great speculation that Kings Island's classic Christmas holiday event, brought back last year after a decade's-plus hiatus, won't be held in 2006 and in future years.

After great promotion and great reviews, Kings Island's revival of Winterfest in 2005 was considered a success by the park, then owned by Viacom.

Then, at the beginning of the 2006 season, the park is owned by CBS Corporation (Viacom split into two, and a new Viacom was created, CBS being the new name of the old corporation). PKI starts selling advance tickets to the 2006 Winterfest for only $9.99. The event is advertised in park brochures, and by posters throughout the park.

Then, on June 30, Kings Island has yet another owner. Cedar Fair, L.P. completes its acquisition of Paramount Parks. Shortly after:

- The park is no longer selling Winterfest tickets.
- All in-park advertising of Winterfest has been removed.
- Plush bears with the Winterfest logo are being given away as prizes at the "Age & Weight" game on Coney Mall.

There are many conflicting theories, answers, and statements going on now, such as the thread on PKI Central.

For the return of Winterfest:
- Good reviews from those who went
- Cedar Fair has the opportunity to improve upon the event, make it better, bring in more guests than 2005.
- Stopping ticket sales may be a publicity stunt to get guests to demand the event happens.
- The last time it was held, prior to the hiatus: Paramount acquired Kings Island in 1992, prior to November, when the event began that year. They were good enough to honor a prior commitment, so why wouldn't Cedar Fair do the same?
- One of the most frequently asked questions the park recieved was "When are you bringing back Winterfest?" Why drop it again?
- CF may be dropping the "Paramount's" prefix from the park prior to Winterfest. They may even include the event as part of 2007 season passes.

Against Winterfest's return:
- Low attendance, especially due to season passes not being included, and high admission price ($25). In the beginning, passholders got discounts, but they weren't substantial enough.
- The event, especially now, is by no means sold out!
- Not only did they pull ticket sales, they pulled all promotion of Winterfest!
- Cedar Fair's flagship park, Cedar Point, tried a Christmas event in 1994. I won't go into details, but it was the last "Christmas in the Park" CP held. Why risk it again with KI (and Carowinds, who had the event in '05 as well)?
- If so many wanted Winterfest back, why didn't they come in droves?

As one park spokesperson said, "Stay tuned."

The Lost Bronson Arroyo Commercial

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
I live in the greater Cincinnati area, and have seen many commercials from the Champion Auto Group, which has dealerships throughout Northern Kentucky. How come I never saw this one, starring Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, around Memorial Day? Watch, listen, and find out!

Information regarding Sunday's Son of Beast incident.

I apologize for a lack of updates on what happened Sunday at Kings Island, regarding the Son of Beast roller coaster. As listed on PKICentral.com:



From the desk of Maureen Kaiser:

Son of Beast FAQ
7/11/2006


There seems to be a great deal of speculation in the online communities as well as in the media about where, when and how Sunday’s incident took place. Please take a look at the following questions and answers, and feel free to contact me directly (maureen.kaiser@paramountparks.com) with any additional questions or concerns. As more information is released or known, I will be sure to share it with you. Please know that I would never share anything with you or the news media that wasn’t the 100% truth as I know it.

Thanks!!!!


Q: What happened? When? What were early reports?
A: On Sunday, July 9, at 4:45 p.m., a Son of Beast train rolled into the station after completing a full cycle. Some guests complained of discomfort. The Kings Island safety team, as well as Mason Fire and Safety immediately responded. 27 guests were transported to area hospitals. 25 were treated and released that evening. 2 were admitted to the hospital.

Q: Other reports say there were more guests at the hospital. What’s the deal?
A: We transported 27 guests from PKI. I don’t know about the number of guests who may have walked in on their own.

Q: Who is inspecting the ride?
A: On Monday, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and OSHA ride inspectors, as well as industry experts, arrived at the park to begin their inspection process.

Q: How is PKI assisting with the inspection?
A: We are cooperating fully with the Department of Agriculture. In addition, engineers and safety managers from Cedar Fair and PKI, as well as PKI ride maintenance technicians are assisting with the inspection.

Q: What have you learned from the inspection?
A: Preliminary evidence indicates there is a cracked vertical wooden post. Preliminary reports also indicate that this would not have been found by our pre-opening inspections and likely happened just before or right as the incident occurred.

Q: How long will the inspection take?
A: It could take weeks.

Q: When will the ride reopen?
A: The ride will remain closed until we are completely satisfied that the ride is safe.

Q: Where is the cracked wooden post?
A: In the rosebowl.

Q: Is the loop separating?
A: No.

Q: Is the loop dangerous?
A: No.

Q: Why is a train stopped on the tracks?
A: Two trains can’t be in the station at the same time. Therefore, to get the guests out of one train, another must leave the station.

Q: Were guests in the stopped train? Did they have to walk down the hill?
A: No. The train was empty.

Q: Why is it still there?
A: The inspection is in its early stages and we don’t want to jeopardize it by sending a train through a complete cycle.

Q: Why were empty cars sent out of the station before this incident occurred?
A: We had a biohazard incident earlier, and our park protocol for this insists that checks must be conducted before we can load guests again.

Q: How many board feet of lumber will the Department of Agriculture inspect?
A: 2.5 million board feet of lumber will be inspected.

Q: What is the daily maintenance done on Son of Beast?
A:
1) Mechanical (PKI Maintenance)
2) Electrical (PKI Maintenance)
3) Operational (PKI Rides Operations)

Park maintenance technicians walk every inch of wooden track to complete the daily inspection.

During daily inspections, workers look for anything unusual including loose fasteners, deteriorating wood, misalignment of steel and wood connections. They will also test all safety systems and thoroughly review the trains to insure they are operating correctly.

All inspection processes are based on master check lists, developed specifically for Son of Beast.

A boom lift is used by the park for the sole purpose of inspecting the loop on Son of Beast every day.

Q: Didn’t PKI file suit against the manufacturer of Son of Beast?
A: Yes

Q: Wasn’t a part of the suit regarding sub grade wood?
A: Yes. However, all lumber determined to be sub grade was replaced or reinforced before the ride opened in 2000.

Q: Was any of the wood mentioned above in the area we’re focused on now?
A: No.

Q: Did PKI get a hefty sum of money when the lawsuit was finished? Some $20 million? Why wasn’t this reinvested in the ride?
A: We have received a judgment on this case, and we are in the process of recovering a portion of the money promised. At this time, we have received no money as a result of this lawsuit.

Q: How many guests does each train hold?
A: Thirty guests. Five cars to a train.

Q: How many guests have ridden this attraction since it opened?
A: We have provided nearly 6 million safe rides since the ride opened in 2000.

Q: Why didn’t the ride open with the park on Sunday?
A: As mentioned above, wood coasters require extensive inspection before they can open. If irregularities are found, we tend to them immediately. This can take time. There was work down in a different area of the ride than the area in question.

Q: Does maintenance happen daily?
A: Yes. Safety is our top priority at PKI, there is no doubt about that. We will never open a ride to our guests unless we are completely confident that the ride is safe.

Q: What about the work done over the winter?
A: We did an extensive amount of work during the off season to improve the comfort of the ride experience.

Q: When was the ride certified by the state?
A: May 19

Q: Is there wood hanging from the track?
A: No.

Q: Did Cedar Fair voluntarily close the ride Sunday?
A: Yes. Our ride operators were fantastic. They recognized the issue and took steps to ensure safety. This set the wheels in motion at PKI. We responded immediately and continue to respond to guest needs.

Q: Have you talked directly with the media at all? Or are you just releasing statements and stonewalling them?
A: We held a press conference on Sunday night. I did interviews with news crews all day yesterday. My job is to keep people informed and I will do that until this story is complete. We utilize a variety of methods to do this – statements, press conferences, one-on-one interviews.

Q: Am I safe on roller coasters?
A: YES

"NOT SO FAST!" or "Paramount's Kings Island, a Cedar Fair, L.P. Park"

So as to not confuse people, Cedar Fair revised the front page of their website. On the map, they added the "Paramount" to the five Paramount parks that they just acquired.

Does this mean that they're going to keep the Paramount names altogether?

Not necessarily.

If you go to the parks, it's still business as usual, for the most part.
Staffing has improved on rides, especially The Beast.

It's Official: Cedar Fair acquires Paramount Parks!

In case you missed it:


On Friday, June 30, the agreement was finalized for CBS Corporation to sell its Paramount Parks to Cedar Fair, L.P. for $1.24 billion. Having acquired five parks that Paramount/CBS owned, including Kings Island, Cedar Fair now owns twelve parks across North America, now including also, Canada's Wonderland, the Partnership's first property located outside the United States. This agreement gives full and immediate control and management of the five Paramount Parks to Cedar Fair.

It is however, unknown, what concrete and/or visual changes will take place, and when. For now, and most likely until the end of the regular operating season, the five parks will operate as normal under their Paramount moniker. Also, the current season pass programs will be maintained: meaning that Paramount passes will not be accepted at existing Cedar Fair parks, and vice versa. When 2007 passes go on sale, and/or the system of pass validity across the expanded Cedar Fair chain is not known, but it is likely that one season pass will grant its holder the option to access all three of Ohio's major parks (Kings Island, Geauga Lake, and Cedar Point).

Licensing for Nickelodeon for four years, and ten years of Paramount licensing, were included in the acquisition. It is expected that Nickelodeon Universe will be maintained here, but the name of the park will go back to simply Kings Island - even if Paramount ride names and theming was to remain.

Press Release and more Acquisition information