Dolphins moved from hotel swimming pools to Panhandle marine park
"Six bottlenose dolphins evacuated to swimming pools at two Mississippi hotels when Hurricane Katrina threatened a marine park there have been moved to a similar facility in the Florida Panhandle. The dolphins from Marine Life Park in Gulfport, Miss., were safely delivered Tuesday night to The Gulfarium here for temporary housing, rescuers said in a news release. Nine sea lions from the Mississippi park also initially were brought here, and then were sent to Sea World." From The Gainesville Sun. Marine Life Park was severely damaged by the storm and lost its roof. Six Flags New Orleans appears to have suffered flooding and is also currently closed.

Teen-ager killed while operating kiddie roller coaster
"A teen-aged worker was struck and killed while operating a kiddie roller-coaster on Long Island -- the third fatal accident at an amusement park in New York this month, police said Wednesday. Stephen Gary, 18, of North Babylon, died at about 5 a.m. Wednesday at Nassau University Medical Center from internal injuries after being struck by the Lady Bug Roller Coaster the night before, said Paul Gentile, the general manager of the Adventureland Amusement Park. The accident happened at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday while the roller-coaster was operating without passengers, Gentile said. Gary suffered bruises to his body and was taken to the hospital, where he died." From Newsday.

Dolphins spend hurricane in Gulfport hotel pool
"GULFPORT, Miss. - Three dolphins from the beachside Marine Life park were moved to a local hotel pool to weather Hurricane Katrina. The dolphins - Katelin, Cayenne and Jonah - usually live in a shallow water tank. They were moved to the Best Western in Gulfport because they needed to be at a higher elevation, said one of their keepers, Dr. Moby Solangi." From The Sun Herald.

Court reinstates verdict against WHAS-TV on coaster report
"The Kentucky Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated a nearly $3 million judgment against WHAS-TV in Louisville for a defamatory report about a roller coaster accident at the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park in June 1994. A trial court had found for the park and levied $3.975 million in damages against the television station and its owner, Belo Kentucky Inc." AP Story on Kentucky.com.

Six Flags puts itself up for sale
"Six Flags Inc. is putting itself up for sale at auction, one week after Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder bid to raise his stake in the amusement-park operator and oust Kieran Burke as chairman and CEO. Its shares rose nearly 10 percent. Six Flags, the world's second biggest theme-park operator after The Walt Disney Co., said Thursday it would invite dissident shareholder Red Zone LLC -- an investment firm controlled by Snyder -- to participate in the auction. But it also said it opposed Snyder's attempt to gain control of the company through a tender offer for that would boost its stake in Six Flags to just under 35 percent. Details of the board-authorized auction were not spelled out. Six Flags did not offer a timetable, saying only that it would be thorough and prompt." From BusinessWeek.

Playland cited for lapses in boy's death
"The 7-year-old Norwalk, Conn., boy who died at Playland Amusement Park [Rye, NY] on Aug. 3 slipped through a 14-inch-wide gap in the floor of the Ye Old Mill ride and then became wedged under the conveyor belts below the ride, investigators said yesterday. The investigators for the state Labor Department also found that two of the four operators assigned to the ride were not present when the boy was climbing aboard, leaving it understaffed. Robert Lillpopp, a spokesman for the department, said the investigation into how Jon-Kely Cassara died is not complete and stopped short of saying Playland was negligent in the death or that the gap in the ride's floor and the absent attendants were factors in the death. He noted that no design manual exists for the 76-year-old ride, which is unique to Playland, and that state inspectors found no violations when they reissued Playland a permit to operate the ride a week before the park opened May 14." From The Journal News.

Cedar Point cuts prices, lands on CBS News
"Cedar Point [OH], facing a 4% year-over-year decline in attendance, has slashed ticket prices in an effort to reverse the trend and offset skyrocketing fuel costs. The impact of gas prices on the park's fortunes was also the subject of a piece on CBS News." From Amusement Business.

Church buys Hamel's Park
"Hymns, sermons and traditional family entertainment soon will be showcased at Hamel's Amusement Park in Shreveport [LA]. Riverpark, a nondenominational Christian congregation, signed the paperwork to lease and eventually buy the former amusement park Tuesday. The agreed-upon price for the 57 acres is $2.6 million... plans call for the kiddie barn to become the worship center. Some of the rides might be revived. And Briggs hopes to include a wedding chapel, skate park, prayer garden and concert venue... The log ride's skeletal remains are one of the only signs of the amusement park that entertained families for 30 years. Hamel's closed after the 1999 season; most of the rides were sold at auction." From The Shreveport Times.

New theme park planned
"Cavendish [P.E.I., Canada] is abuzz with anticipation about a proposed multi-million dollar family theme park for the area and the province announced yesterday it was putting in millions of dollars. Just what the development will be is, officially, a deep secret until a community meeting to be held on Aug. 31 at the Cavendish United Church. At that time, Matthew Jelley is expected to unveil plans for what the province hopes will be a replacement for Rainbow Valley. 'There is not a whole lot I can do prior to that,' said Jelley when contacted yesterday. The Jelley family owns Magic Mountain in Moncton and The Sandspit in Cavendish." From The Times & Transcript.

Snyder Has Formidable Opponent In Six Flags
"Redskins owner Daniel Snyder made his fortune as a relentless ad salesman. But his gambit to gain control of debt-ridden theme park company Six Flags Inc. could be his toughest sell yet. Snyder's Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission was just the first step in what is likely to be an extended battle as Snyder tries to persuade Six Flags shareholders to turn their company over to his handpicked team. The current management could fight back with a variety of tactics, and experts said yesterday that the matter is likely to end up in court." From The Washington Post.

Six Flags stock up on shareholder move
"Six Flags Inc. stock rose Thursday after the amusement-park company's largest shareholder moved to increase its stake, oust top management and make a series of changes. Shares of Six Flags rose 98 cents, or 18 percent, to $6.47 on the New York Stock Market. Shares traded as high as $6.61, above the 52-week high of $6.15 set Sept. 1. Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins football team, made a tender offer through his Red Zone LLC investment firm to buy up to 34.9 percent of the company's stock. To increase Red Zone's stake from a current 11.7 percent, it is offering to pay $6.50 a share for the larger stake." From BusinessWeek.

Man sues Dollywood for $20M, says roller coaster caused brain damage
"A Mississippi electrician who brought his family to singer Dolly Parton's namesake amusement park for a vacation says his Smoky Mountain adventure ended in severe brain damage. Arthur Miller, who visited the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., theme park in 2000, is seeking $20 million in damages from Dollywood and Dolly Parton Productions stemming from his ill-fated jaunt on the Blazing Fury, an indoor roller coaster that takes passengers through an Old West town 'with great speed,' according to Dollywood's Web site." From Court TV.

Cedar Point to Sell Thrill Ride
"Cedar Point [OH] is putting one of its thrill rides up for sale. The amusement park is trying to sell Demon Drop -- a 131-foot tall ride that drops riders at speeds up to 55 mph. Selling the ride would give the park more room for future projects, park spokesman Bryan Edwards said Monday. 'If we can sell it, we will sell,' he said. 'If not, we will keep it.'" From WTOL-TV.

Blackstone gets antitrust OK for Legoland purchase
"Private equity firm Blackstone has received U.S. antitrust approval to acquire the four Legoland theme parks from Danish toymaker Lego, U.S. officials said on Monday." From Amusement Business.

Report: Snyder invites Shapiro to Six Flags
"Daniel Snyder has offered ABC Sports/ESPN titan Mark Shapiro millions of dollars to leave the networks and help gain control of Six Flags the New York Post reported, citing network executives." From Amusement Business.

Online voters select Six Flags Marine World sea lion's name
"A California sea lion born at Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo has been named Kenobi, which was the most popular name during online voting that captured 10,000 entries, officials said Thursday." From The Vallejo Times Herald. Obviously, the force was with him.

Safety Procedures Ignored in Okla. Water Park Death
"Okla. Commissioner of Labor Brenda Reneau released the 'Final Investigatory Report' of the recent fatality incident at Sun & Fun Water Park, Ponca City. A park employee, 17-year-old Alan J. Bray, died from injuries he sustained after falling from a water slide during an after-hours party. Bray fell over the side of the park's popular Twister water slide as he and other employees rode it in a manner that violated posted safety signs, according to the report." From Insurance Journal.

Fun For Sale
"In the hulking shadow of Hersheypark, tiny Williams Grove Amusement Park in Cumberland County [PA] has offered visitors a chance to travel back in time to 1850 for the price of $1. Now, owner Morgan Hughes said he hopes to sell the 155-year-old fun park to a larger amusement park operator. He said he would sell the park to the highest bidder... 'It's not for sale to a developer -- it is only for sale to somebody who would keep it as an amusement park.'" From The Patriot-News.

City buys Coney Island carousel for $1.8 mil, vows revitalization
"New York City will acquire a historic Coney Island carousel for $1.8 million, it was announced Tuesday. The agreement averted the carousel's sale at auction and the possibility of it being relocated, probably piece-meal, to other parts of the United States. The city agreed to purchase the 50-horse Bishoff & Brienstein Carousel from the McCullough family and to return it to Coney Island for public use after restoration." From Amusement Business.

City's roller coaster query surprises EP park's owner
"Last week, two of [El Paso, TX] Mayor John Cook's aides were in Cleveland checking out the state-of-the-art Cedar Point amusement park -- and a roller coaster that's for sale there... Serna 'wanted to do it because he thinks El Paso needs a major tourist venue and an amusement park,' Cook said. That was surprising news to Western Playland Amusement Park's president and co-owner Pat Thomson, who intends to move most of the rides now at Western Playland's Ascarate Park site to Sunland Park and open there next spring." From The El Paso Times.

Plans revealed for ocean theme park at Ko Olina
"Pending approval of its application for a conditional use permit, West Honolulu Attractions LLC — an entity managed by Ko Olina master developer Jeff Stone — plans to begin construction in December of an interactive marine amusement park on 3.7 acres with hopes of opening the facility in late 2008." From The Honolulu Advertiser.

Wild West theme park set to break ground
"Half the commercial property in Wild West World has been sold and financing is in place for the Wild West World Theme Park, owner Thomas Etheredge said today. Etheredge said that commercial partners, including a major all-suites hotel and several restaurants, will be announced next Monday at a groundbreaking ceremony for the development... Etheredge said construction on the theme park will begin in October and everything is on schedule for a planned grand opening in May 2007. Wild West World is located at 77th and I-135 in Park City [KS] imediately south of the Wichita Greyhound Park." From The Wichita Eagle.

Decades of amusement
"As Indiana's largest theme park celebrates its 80th anniversary season this summer, many Hoosiers have reminisced about past days working or playing at Indiana Beach, and many have returned to 'The Beach' to create new memories. The owners of the theme park have turned a little nostalgic as well, producing a 54-minute video on the resort's history, working with Coca-Cola to create an 80th anniversary commemorative bottle, and digging through old posters, photographs and other knickknacks in theme park attics. Last month, they opened a small museum called 'The Crow's Nest' in a small metal storage shed underneath two rickety roller-coaster tracks and across from the cackling haunted house." From The South Bend Tribune.

Tulsa Waterpark May Be Link In Boys' Deaths
"Health officials believe a Tulsa [OK] water park may be a link between two Tulsa boys who died Friday from a rare, waterborne disease. The Health Department is testing stagnant water in a drainage area near a "splash pad" in Mohawk Park. The two boys had apparently played at the water park about two days apart within the last two weeks, health officials said...The water park and playground adjacent to the Tulsa Zoo opened in July 2003. From KOCO.

Disney altered crash ride
"Last week's collision on the California Screamin' roller coaster occurred three months after Disney made major modifications to the braking system without consulting the ride's manufacturer. State records show Disney changed two brakes in April -- in the areas where a purple train passed through without stopping before colliding with a red train and sending 15 people to the hospital. The modifications were found to be safe by state investigators during a June 2 inspection. But the ride's Swiss manufacturer, Intamin AG, says Disney didn't talk to the company about the changes, which is considered a good safety practice industrywide." From The OC Register. Link may require registration.

After closure, Kingda Ka rides again at Great Adventure
"Six Flags Great Adventure's record-breaking Kingda Ka coaster is back in operation after being closed for much of the summer. Repairs on the world's tallest, fastest coaster, located at the Jackson, N.J., park's new Golden Kingdom area, took almost two months." From Amusement Business.

Girl Dies After Collapsing at Water Park
"A 12-year-old girl collapsed at a Disney World water park Thursday and later died, authorities said. The girl was in the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon at about 6 p.m. when lifeguards noticed her lying on a ledge, out of the water, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said. Lifeguards asked her if she was OK, and the girl told them she was, but then passed out when she stood up. The lifeguards performed CPR until paramedics arrived. She was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later." From The Washington Post.

Boy Dies On Playland Water Ride
"A boy died Wednesday on a water ride at the Playland amusement park in Westchester [NY], the county executive's office said. The death, the park's second in 15 months, occurred in late afternoon on Ye Old Mill, a boat-in-the-dark amusement beneath the Dragon Coaster on the midway. The ride is tamer than many others at the 77-year-old park. The boy's name was not made public. He was described as 6 to 8 years old." From WNBC.

Despite Ads, World's Fastest, Tallest Roller-Coaster Still Not Running
"Even though the commercials are running, the world's fastest and tallest roller-coaster isn't at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson [NJ]. Much of the advertising was pulled when Kingda Ka broke down almost two months ago. But the amusement park has started to promote the coaster again. A Great Adventure spokeswoman said the new ads are designed to build excitement for the ride in anticipation of a reopening that she said is coming "soon." Once the ride is operational, the spokeswoman said the park will launch another campaign to let people know it's open. The heavily hyped ride opened in May only to close weeks later after a malfunction during a test run. No one was on it at the time." From WNBC.

Four hurt in rollercoaster crash in Rhyl
"Four people were hurt in a rollercoaster crash at one of Wales' most popular seaside resorts yesterday. The rollercoaster came off its tracks at an amusement park in Rhyl and two of the people were taken to hospital." From icWales.