"THE EUCLID BEACH BOYS"

This letter was sent to me recently: Feb. 27, 2010, and by the way Tom, we do have some major surprises for the coming years. Watch our website for future news!

I had a few minutes to kill while waiting for a file to load at work, and ended up spending over a hour going down memory lane with your web site. What a thrill it was to remember some of my earliest memories as a child going to Euclid Beach Park, spending the day at the beach, riding all the great rides and at the end of the day, stopping at the Humphrey booth for some popcorn balls and candy kisses.

I remember going to other places like Geauga Lake Park, Kiddieland, the Cleveland Zoo, the Clifton Club, all places of my childhood that no longer exist except in the shared memories with my siblings and old photographs.

Thanks for the smile on my face.

HN 12/18/2009

P.S. I had forgotten about laughing Sal, but one look at her and the sounds that came out of that woman came flooding right back :)

You just totally make my party every year!!! OMG! I have everyone calling me the next day and telling me how awesome that Rocket Ship car is!!! I had someone who was interested in having it themselves so hopefully you will get some calls…….hopefully you had your cards with you and you gave some out. I cant thank you enough ………so go ahead and put me down for next year for the 1^st sat. in Aug. and I think that falls on Sat. Aug. 7…….thank you, thank you , thank you!!!!

Joe,

Thank you so much for being with us in the parade! Your Rocket Ship was a hit! We had a blast!!!!! As soon as I find out the dates for next year I will contact you! If you could mail me some of your cards I will put them on our counter for our patients. I have been asked for them.
Thank you!
Amber

I went to the event on Sun. the 28th, it was great!! I shut my eyes and heard all the noises of the park back then, the happiest times of my life! Euclid Beach will forever be magical!! THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Diane

Dear Joe,
Thanks so much for providing such a great time for the Willoughby Workshop adults with disabilities! As you know, they all really enjoyed the Thriller Car rides! Thanks for your patience and thoughtfulness in ensuring that everyone who wanted to ride had that opportunity. You are a true asset to our community. Thanks again from all of us at the Lake County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities!

Sincerely,

Ken and the Willoughby Workshop staff

Joe, I got your card today.

Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness and generosity. The event wouldn’t have been the same without the Rocket and the Thriller! J

Take care,

Jenee

Dear Joe,

I can't thank you enough for bringing back such fond memories for all of us. Your professional and caring ways made our first experience so much fun. I have already given your web site to many of the staff and customers at the restaurant, ladies who took the trip, and friends. You have a wonderful treasure, and we thank you for sharing it with our community. Keep up the wonderful work.

Evey

Joe -

Our thanks for bringing the Thriller Car to Cedar Lee and sharing some of the nostalgia from Euclid Beach Park with us. Everyone enjoyed the ride and it is perfect for families with small children! As I mentioned, it is challenging to have a street festival when the city will not block off the major traffic route. Thanks for being a considerate, patient and safe driver. Much success with your endeavors.

Regards,

Kelley

Hi Joe, I wanted to send you a few photos of your trip to Amherst from our Old Time
Jamboree. The Rocket Ship Car was unquestionably the hit of the Jamboree.
Looking forward to seeing you again next year.

Ted

PS: Thanks for sending my granddaughter's sunglasses back.

Joe,

Thank you so much for making our party a hit! The Thriller was thrilling! I
had my heart set on the Rocket Ship so I was so surprised by how much fun the
Thriller was! Frank treated the kids and everyone to wonderful rides!!!! The
money spent was worth every penny for the lifetime memories it brought back
and created!!! I'm sure you will be getting future bookings from the party!

Trudy

Hello Joe,

Thank you for coming to our party on Saturday night. Your ride was the main event and was loved by all. I have received several calls from our guests all commenting on how much fun they had on your ride. Many saying they have not laughed that hard in months. Thank you for making it a party to remember.

Joan

Joe-

Thanks for a great night. Everyone loved it... We will see you at the Cindy's on Sept. 1st.

Janna

I received a very nice "Thank You" card from Sue who had come out to the Cuyahoga County Fair, and just recently attended the Stat Park event at Euclid Beach State Park. She doesn't have the ability to send emails but did take the time to send us a card that shares her thoughts about Euclid Beach Park. Here is what she wrote:

Dear Joe and John,

Just wanted to say "Thank You" for giving me and others the fun of going back to one of our favorite childhood places where we were able to enjoy the roller coasters, Thriller, Racing Coaster, Merry-Go- Round, the Great American Racing Derby, Flying Turns, the Bug, Over the Falls, Laughing Sal, the Surprise House, a walk on the pier, salt water taffy, Humphrey popcorn balls, the Frozen Whip, the Rocket Ship Car in the air and on wheels for a ride around the park. It sure did bring back many memories! Come early and stay late for many hours of fun until the park closed in 1969. The Arch will always be the landmark and a reminder of where the park is, and I will never forget. It will always stay in my thoughts and dreams.

Again "Thank You"! Your friend and Euclid Beach new member.

Sue

Dear Joe,

You guys made the "Salute"! I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks for your very active involvement at our 16th Annual Salute to Orange Village on September 2, 2007. The success of this event was made possible by the "dedicated efforts" of so many willing participants. Your support in our celebration demonstrates your caring spirit and represents an investment in the future of our village. I hope to see you again next year.

Sincerely, Valerie

First and foremost, I would like to commend you on your presentation at the Cuyahoga Fair this past summer. I visited your display after work (5 am to 3 PM) and was impressed by your collection and by the ever present circulating number of people that were attracted to it. You were both busy with people for the whole time I was there, so I didn't have the opportunity to ask any questions. I took numerous pictures and took several trips down memory lane as I saw memorabilia that I hadn't seen since my childhood. One of the most vivid memories from my childhood was when I was finally big enough to reach the gas pedal and drive by myself on the turnpike car exactly like the one you have. Two days ago my family was at Cedar Point and my 9 year old son drove the same course in the newer cars and I stood there watching, lost in time as the generations mixed together.

We seem to have a common interest and kindred spirit. I collect much smaller memorabilia. My budget won't allow for rocket cars, but I am happy with collecting park maps, ceramics, glassware, coins and other small memories of the past that in some cases don't exist anymore and in other cases are still going strong and have a wonderful variety of historical items.

Ironically, on the same Saturday that the news broke about Geauga Lake closing I saw your rocket car go by the Eat'n Park that I work at on Snow Road. I was so bummed out and melancholy about the closing until I saw the rocket ship car and I said to myself, "That is a sign, that is good karma. You are not alone." Your simple act of driving by my workplace cheered me up enough to get through the rest of the day and I thank you for that.

I am still stewing at Cedar Fair for pulling out of this market. If they really wanted it to succeed, they would have invested more in the ride side than a paint job the first year. They had a plan in place from the beginning, I believe and it just took time to work through it. I was hired by Six Flags the year of the sale to work at the hotel although I really wanted to work in the park and be where the action was. Then Cedar Fair bought the park and everything changed. Working at the hotel, I got to meet most of the management including Bill Spehn and Dave (?) the head of security for the park. Dave and I became friends. CF reduced my pay by $3.75/hour and took away my management position. Yet I stayed for a while to see what would happen. Of course what happened was the removal of the animals from the Sea World side and that was a very surreal day. I went to lunch at the KFC across the street from the park and the slow parade of trucks bearing passed by and you could hear the sea lions barking sadly as they left their home of many years.

I wonder about the future of some of the more historic items from the park. The Illions carousel needs to be preserved. I rode it this summer and was thinking that it really needed cleaned up and restored. I work part time at Fun'n Stuff, a family owned amusement park in Macedonia and I keep telling the GM to look into auctions for the smaller kiddy rides to add to their park. I would rather see these rides be used than sold for scrap. And more recently, CF has announced that they will close a park in San Francisco to make room for the 49'ers new stadium. Deja vu?

Bill was in the Halloween Parade on Sunday, so he really is back at the Point. The Euclid Beach Band sang "There's no surf in Cleveland" and I have the vinyl to prove it. But there's certainly a lot of pride and respect for the past and I appreciate you guys for your leadership in this cause. If I won the Mega tomorrow, I would build a place for birthday celebrations that would embrace the fun of the amusement park with a museum of the past that would be affordable to all and memorable to many. But that's just a dream, but it's a good dream, much like the description by James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams where the memories of the past are so thick you have to brush them away.

I apologize for being so long winded, but I thank you for letting me vent on certain subjects. Good luck with your future endeavors and please help keep the memories alive!

Brian

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