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This section is dedicated to our special four legged K-9 friends that also
enjoy riding in our cars! (see links below) The best friend, companion,
and traveling partner I've ever had will be forever remembered by
hundreds of people she had met in her lifetime. Those of you that
had the pleasure of knowing her have sent me numerous cards and letters
after her passing. To me she was known as Radar...."The World's
Greatest Dog".







www.pawsareprecious.com
Links:
www.rocketshipcar.com
www.humphreycompany.com
www.christmasmovieland.com
www.learpromotions.com
www.crabbybills.com
www.euclidbeach.com
www.achristmasstoryhouse.com
www.sainatos.com
www.oldfirehousewinery.com
www.brandtscandies.com
www.debonne.com
www.grandrivercellars.com
www.geaugalaketoday.com
&

Gladly accepted for all event registrations!
Contact us at:

rocketshipcar@aol.com
or
euclidbeachboys@aol.com
The Euclid Beach Boys 533 Bishop Rd. Highland Hts., Ohio 44143
Phone:
440-460-0565
(Ohio)
727-216-3770 (Florida)
Webmaster:
Designs by Tomaro
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WELCOME TO OUR WEB SITE!
Well it's about time we got around to updating
everyone about all of
the new and exciting things that have happened
over the past four years. New acquisitions have been, and are being made,
along with that, a new car was built. We are now
taking reservations for the "Rocket Ship Car"®
in Florida. Florida residents may now reserve the car
by email at
rocketshipcar@aol.com,
or by phone at 727-216-3770 in Florida, or
440-460-0565 in Ohio.
Our unique cars are designed to carry up to 10
adults, and/or 15 children, and rent by the hour. Please contact
us
for
up to date availability, and pricing. Visit our "Calendar
of
Events" page, and our "Ride
& Dine® " page
for one of a kind ideas when reserving our vehicles.
"The Happiest
Ride's On Earth"®
History:
On our history page you will find out the real stories about how
we acquired some of the parks most recognizable pieces that, in
fact, the amusement park industry was built on. We
currently own the largest and most complete collection of Euclid
Beach Park®
memorabilia in existence.
So
take a few moments to enjoy a trip back in time to a place that was very special to Northeastern Ohio, a place that was just
plain fun, and inexpensive to attend. Euclid Beach Park®
set the standard that to this day no
other amusement park has come close to duplicating for the
same price.
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Calendar
of Events: Our calendar of events
page will inform you of current and future schedules of Laughing
Sal®, the Thriller Car®, the Rocket Ship Car®, and any event
that we are currently involved with.
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Section:
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Some people get tears in their eyes when they see things
they remember from Geauga Lake Amusement Park.
For that reason, Euclid Beach Boys Joe Tomaro and John Frato
jump at the chance to show their collections in public.
"It's a step back in time," Tomaro said, also referring to
the duo's memorabilia from Euclid Beach Park, which closed
40 years ago. "People close their eyes and they hear the
music and they can just hear the ride."
Anyone who's not yet experienced such a flashback, but loved
Geauga Lake — which operated from 1888 to 2007 in Aurora and
Bainbridge Township — is now invited to the first ever
Geauga Lake Memorabilia Show and Employee Reunion.
The event, which is not affiliated with Cedar Fair
Entertainment Co. or Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom, will
be from 7 to 10:30 p.m. March 6 at Roller Hutt Skate & Fun
Center, 10268 Hewins Road, Route 88, Garrettsville.
The event will feature a slew of collectors of Geauga Lake
memorabilia, and organizer Jason Dlugokecki hopes to create
the ambiance of the amusement park where he worked from the
summers of 1994 to 1998; tunes and tasty scents that once
drifted over the park will fill this festival, too, care of
a DJ and a carnival food concession stand.
Fellow employees of Geauga Lake, Six Flags Ohio and Sea
World Ohio also might take this opportunity to reconnect, he
said.
"I met my wife there, pretty much all of my friends are from
there, and you troll the Internet boards and there are Web
sites all over still dedicated to the park," he said.
"I consider it my generation's version of Euclid Beach; we
thought it would be there forever and all of a sudden it's
gone."
One Aurora exhibitor will be looking to sell items he bought
during the June 2008 auction of its outbuildings, rides and
equipment. Another man will sell paper weights made from
wood salvaged from the Big Dipper's disassembly.
But most of the memorabilia that day will be for amusement
purposes only, Dlugokecki said. Euclid Beach Boys will bring
a log flume boat from the former Log Ride in which visitors
will be able to sit and take photographs, and possibly a
Musik Express car.
Others will show items from the Turtle Beach children's
area, home videos, employee training videos, and footage of
the park's auction and tear down on a few large projection
screens.
Dlugokecki said his own display will include the head of
park mascot Geauga Dog, uniforms from his employment, signs,
posters and banners, and pictures of rides being constructed
during the off season.
Admission is $5 to cover the facility's operating costs for
a nonskating event, but exhibitors and event volunteers get
in free.
"People just have fond memories of parks," Tomaro said, "and
it's a whole 'nother generation coming up for Geauga Lake."
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It's not too early to start reserving your favorite car for the
2010 summer!
We are
now taking reservations in Ohio for the cars in 2010!
Don't be left out...
Reserve now! (No deposit required).
The
Happiest Ride's On Earth"® |
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Rocket Ship
Car®
Returns
Our Rocket Ship Car®
will be returning to Ohio by May 10, 2010 for the summer!
Reservations are coming in fast so book now to secure the car
for your event! Contact us at
rocketshipcar@aol.com or by phone at 440-460-0565.
Remember our Rocket Ship Car®
is:
"The Happiest
Ride On Earth"®
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"Thank
You"
John and I want to thank everyone for a great season this
past summer. Even though we are heading to Florida with
the Rocket Ship Car®
for the winter we will be thinking of all the old and new
friends and customers we met over the past 5 months. If
any of you are going to visit the Clearwater Beach area be sure
to look for our Rocket Ship
Car®
shining brightly in the Florida sunshine! It is always
great for us to see friends from Cleveland, the Home of our
Euclid Beach
Rocket Ship Car®!
We also want to wish all of you
"Happy Holidays", and we will see everyone
in May 2010 with some great new
Ride & Dine®
packages for next year. Keep in mind our Rocket Ship Car®
is:
"The Happiest
Ride On Earth"®
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The Rocket
Ship Car®
will be arriving in the Clearwater Beach/St. Petersburg/Tampa
area by mid-October, and
is a GREAT
addition to any birthday,
holiday, beach, block party,
wedding, school function, prom,
Holiday Light Tour, or
any other event that you want to step up a few notches!
For reservations, or questions, email us at:
rocketshipcar@aol.com, or contact us by phone at
727-216-3770.
"The Happiest
Ride On Earth"®
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The Euclid
Beach Boys® are very excited to announce our newest
Ride & Dine®
package, and it is the sweetest one yet! We call it
"Death by Desert".
This Ride and Dine® includes a tour of Lakeview Cemetery and
then a stop at Corbo's
Bakery in
Little Italy.
Click here
for a quick link to our
Ride & Dine®
page for more information! Once you do you will be
"dying" to partake in
this one!!!!
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THE NEW
"WINERY TOUR"
RIDE &
DINE Package's
HAVE JUST BEEN
ADDED!!! CHECK THEM, AND OUR
OTHER NEW PACKAGE'S OUT NOW!
FOR A QUICK LINK CLICK HERE
RIDE & DINE. DO IT NOW!!!!!
DON'T
WAIT!!! |
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BULLETIN,
BULLETIN, BULLETIN
CHECK OUT THE
LATEST PRESS RELEASE ON THE ROCKET SHIP CAR®!
"The Happiest
Ride On Earth"®
Rocket Ship Car gives real
back-to-the-future rides in Largo - St. Petersburg Times
The above article
has been picked up by the following newspapers:
Chicago Sun
Times
Dayton Daily News
Star Tribune: Minneapolis-St.Paul Minnesota
Gadling Travel
Columbus Dispatch
The News Herald-Lake County Ohio
Feedback from Euclid
Beach Park®
patrons!
Chicago Sun Times reader sent:
I
could not believe it. When I saw the pic of the rocket
ship on the front page I immediately told my husband. I
know that ride That was at Euclid Beach Park.
I remember riding that. Yes it went around slow but to
an eight year old it went awfully fast. The other ride
that really sticks in my mind and I thought
was soooo much fun was the racing horses. Never forget
my grandparents talking about the dances that were
there. They lived in Euclid not to far from the lake.
Thanks for the trip back to my childhood.!!!! Brought
back things I have not thought about in a very long
time.!
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Ride the
"Thriller" one more time!
For those of us lucky enough
to have ridden the "Thriller" at Euclid Beach Park®
here is a chance to ride it again "virtually"! Just click
on this link and hold on! Keep in mind that you can still
ride the infamous wooden coaster from the park by contacting us
and reserving our "Thriller Car"®
for your next event big or small! Here is the link:
One Last Ride on the Thriller! |
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Our "Thriller Car" on FOX 8's
"That's Life" with Robin Swoboda.
Check out the video at:http://www.fox8.com/lifestyle/thatslife/
and click on April 16, 2009 then
click on the "Roller Coaster"
video. Enjoy the ride! |
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Help us
support Geauga Lake Park®
In our effort to help preserve the history of the old family
run amusement parks that used to dot the landscape of
northeastern Ohio we,
"The Euclid
Beach Boys"®,
will be doing what we can to support the group "Geauga Lake
Today" with their effort to salvage some of the history of the
recently closed "Geauga Lake
Park"®.
Click here for information about their upcoming meeting.
http://www.geaugalaketoday.com pdf flyer
Although John and I will be in Florida wrapping
things up for this year, and will not be able to attend
this first public meeting, we will be attending future meetings.
We encourage anyone that can attend do
so. Thanks so much for all of the support everyone has
give us with Euclid Beach Park®, and hope
to keep some of Geauga Lake Park® alive
too!
Our collection of Geauga Lake
memorabilia is quite considerable, and we are excited to be
bringing these things out for public viewing soon!
Thanks again, and have an amusing day!
Sincerely,
Joe & John
"The
Euclid Beach Boys"®
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*****ATTENTION SMALL BUSINESSES*****
This could
be for you!!
As everyone knows, the economy has been very tough on all of
us these days - especially small businesses. We,
"The Euclid
Beach Boys"®,
have been self employed for almost 30 years and understand
problems that small business owner's face with less and less
money available for advertising their business. About three
years ago we came up with a plan that has proven to help promote
most restaurant retail businesses, and in most instances free,
with us.
What you put into our plan is what you can get out of it. For
details contact us by email at
advertizfree@aol.com, or by phone at
440-460-0565 (Ohio), or 727-216-3770 (Florida).
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Check out the video's from some of our
customers that have enjoyed our cars, and other props from:
"The Euclid
Beach Boys"®!!
Rocket Ship Car®
State Park Event 08
Thriller Car®
Thriller Car®
State Park Event 08
Laughing Sal™
State Park Event 08
Cleveland Plain Dealer interview July 2009 |
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GIFT CERTIFICATES NOW AVAILABLE
What a
great idea for your family and friends for the coming season.
Our "Gift
Certificates"
are available in 1 hour increments. What a great way to spend time with
family, friends, and loved ones then to
"Take a
Trip Back in Time"
with them. Call, or email us now at
theeucldibeachboysgiftcertificates
for any upcoming special
occasion!
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"Flags
Across America
Truck"
To honor all of the
men and women that have served, or are currently serving in the
United States armed services we
(The Euclid Beach Boys®)
have decided to transform one of our parade vehicles to a
patriotic themed float. We will be debuting
Our
"Flags
Across America
Truck"®
in the South Euclid Memorial Day Parade on May 26, 2008.
This new float will honor all 50 states in America.
Our vehicle is designed to remind us all of what makes being
an American so special. It not only proudly displays the United
States Flag, but also those of the U.S. Military and all fifty
states. The Military Flags serve as a solemn reminder that we
are free because of all the men and women who died and gave that
right to us all. The United States has always been referred to
as a “melting pot” of diverse nationalities and customs. No
where is that diversity better represented, than on the uniquely
different state flags. Each of these flags visually portrays
what is uniquely special about each of the fifty states that
make up this great Union. Every square inch of the truck’s
exterior is emblazoned with patriotic symbols and sayings.
Patriotic music and a
“fireworks style”
bubble display round out this truck’s “PROUD TO
BE AN AMERICAN” theme.
Great
Job you guys!!!! I was just as impressed with the vehicle.
I got very emotional the day we saw it because my Dad was a
Marine and had a military funeral. When I watched you and Dave
fold the flag I could only think of the day they took the flag
off of my Dad's coffin to fold it and present it to my Mom.
Wow!!!!! You slightly Zany guys did good!! As usual.
Linda
Click
on the link below for an article that was recently printed in
the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Cleveland Plain Dealer Article link.
For
more information about this uniquely designed vehicle, and
rental information please contact us at
440-460-0565,
or by email at:
euclidbeachboys@aol.com.
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***NEW***
acquisitions have been made!
Stay tuned here for further
details! You will never be able to guess what they are!
First Hint:
Our finds have something to do with "Music & a non-produced ride
car design! (sort of)
Second Hint:
This ride vehicle could be seen and heard throughout the park.
(if the wind blew just right)
Third Hint:
When our restorers are finished with this piece this piece will
be music to your ears!
Fourth Hint:
Although this new motorized ride car will look slightly
different it will still hold up to 10 rider's!
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Rocket Car
or
Rocket Ship Car
FYI
One of the
most frequently asked questions we receive is
"Does your
Rocket Car have a rocket engine in it"?
First of all the car is named after the ride that
operated at Euclid Beach Park®
from the mid 1930's until it closed in 1969.
The ride was called the
"Rocket
Ships".
Our car is powered by a bored and stroked big block
Chevrolet gas engine. The cubic inch is 502, and
is producing around 500 horsepower. Because of the
weight of the car a large cubic inch engine is
needed to create enough torque to adequately move the
Rocket Ship Car®
down the highway. The car runs on regular pump
gas, usually 87 octane, (not rocket fuel) without a
problem. So technically our car is really not a
rocket car, but it is a car that looks like a Rocket
Ship! |
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Cuyahoga
County Fair summary!
Our display at this year's
fair turned out to be a BIG crowd pleaser!! People came
from several states just to see the display we put together
with the help of Ron Newell, and our sponsor NATIONAL CITY.
Titled "A Tribute to Ohio Amusement Parks"
contained memorabilia from numerous parks that at one time, and in
a some cases, still grace our state. The largest part
of the display was made up of items from the most famous park
ever...Euclid Beach Park®.
Laughing Sal®
was on hand greeting and even scaring guests that arrived to
view never before seen artifacts from now defunct parks, such as
Chippewa Lake Park, Erieview Park, the old Geauga Lake Park®,
Idora Park, Coney Island near Cincinnati, photographs from
Puritas Springs, Gordon Gardens, and others. To view pictures of
our display click here to go to our
Photo Page.
Thanks for taking the time to visit our site, and for those of
you that missed our display at the Fair I hate to say it, but
you missed an AWESOME opportunity to see a once in a life time
event. Thanks to everyone who attended it and for all your kind, heartfelt words of thanks to us for keeping their
memories alive. You are all very welcome.
Sincerely,
Joe & John
"The Euclid
Beach Boys"®
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Comments from
the public:
In this section we
will publish comments from some of our customers.
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!

Dear Euclid Beach Boys,
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 :)
Joe,
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
1st sat. in Aug. and I think that falls on Sat. Aug.
7…….thank you, thank you , thank you!!!!
Just wanted
to say how much I enjoyed
your website. I have a ton
of great memories of going
to Euclid Beach when I was a
child! I have known for a
long time that Laughing Sal
was still around, but have
always wondered whatever
happened to her "old man".
Are there any still
existing? And what was HIS
name? I've wracked my brain
trying to remember, but I
cannot.....can you help?
Oh (and I'm
sure you hear this
frequently)....Laughing Sal
STILL creeps me out! LOL
.
Thanks again for preserving
Euclid Beach!
Thanks for the great review of my
website! "Sal's" mate was known as Laughing Sam. He
was removed from the park in the late 50's to a private
owner, who sold him to a traveling carnival. I heard
Sam was destroyed by a heavy rain storm while being
transported back to the carnival site. The rain and
hail took out the paper mache' that he was made of.
Be sure and try to attend the stat park
event in September. You will really enjoy it!
Joe
Good morning Joe!
Thank you so much
for your reply to my email. Now I
can finally quiet my brain re Sal's
mate's name.....Sam! That was
driving me crazy, trying to
remember. Sorry to hear about his
demise! What a shame. I hadn't
remembered that he left Euclid
Beach. I was around 10 years old in
the late 50's, and only remember
BOTH of them outside the "fun house"
at the Beach (I think it was called
The Surprise House, wasn't it?) All
I remember from those great days was
being really afraid of Laughing Sal,
and not so scared of Sam. But not
scared enough to stay away from the
attraction---that one and "Laugh in
the Dark" were my favorites.
Thanks for the
memories, and I will try to be there
in September!
Joe & John:
Thanks again for an incredibly memorable evening. Everyone
had a great time and really enjoyed both the presentation
and the rides.
I really appreciate your help in making last night a party
to remember!
Carolyn
8/3/2009
JOE,
WHAT A GREAT WEB PAGE,
IT SURE BROUGHT BACK SO MANY MEMORIES. I
LIVED IN COLLINWOOD FOR MANY YEARS AND CAN REMEMBER MY FOLKS
TAKING ME TO EUCLID BEACH, AND THEN OF COURSE THE TEEN AGE
YEARS.
I EVEN WORKED IN
"KIDDIE LAND" FOR THREE YEARS,
WORKED ON ALL THE RIDES AND
MOSTLY THE FIRE ENGINE.
Thanks for the great review of my website!
FYI we have 1 of the kiddie rocket ships, 8 kiddie rodeo
ponies, and some of the large building block letters that
were used throughout the colonnade.
I hope you can make the State Park event in
September.....you will really enjoy it!
Thank you so much
for bringing the Rocket Ship out to our resident
Luau. Some of the residents had tears in their
eyes when they saw it but were not mobile enough
to ride in it. Even though it rained, no one
let it dampen the party.
Hope we can use your services again.
Arlene 7/22/2009
What you just told me is
the main reason we do it! Just the sincere
appreciation that we receive from numerous
people makes us work that much harder
towards our ultimate goal of getting our
collection, and the cars out there for
everyone to enjoy.
Thanks for the
encouraging email.
Joe
"Have an amusing day"!
Hi, I came upon your site
while trying to locate a poster of the park. I was a
resident of Collinwood and my dad used to take my brother
and I to the park often, his company had their picnics
there, The only memorabilia I have is a photo of my brother
and myself in front of the entrance when we were probably 5
and 6 and a charm that a boy in high school gave me and I
cherish both along with all those wonderful memories. Of
course I loved the Thriller but I think my favorite were the
rocket ships. Congratulations on all of your treasures, I
am seriously envious!
Thanks again for the good
time, Joe. Everyone really enjoyed the rides.
Bob
I want to sincerely thank you for providing
the "Rocket Ship Car"®
for my wife's birthday celebration. She has been
talking about getting a ride in the car for the past year
and needless to say she was totally surprised when
you arrived and thoroughly enjoyed the ride especially the
music. She was still talking about it this morning. She
brought the post card you gave her to show her
colleagues at Beaumont. I kept kidding her that it was the
first time she has acknowledged that she was turning 60. We
also had many positive comments from the other guests who
said they had a ball taking the ride. Many thought that the
car would just be there to look at and had no idea that they
could actually go for a ride.
Again many thanks especially for taking the
time on a holiday.
In closing, as you say "Have An Amusing
Day"
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
Hi Joe!
I just wanted to thank you again for the
Rocket Ship last night for my mother's 60th birthday. She
had an absolute blast, as we all did! What a great night
for it and it's a memory we won't easily forget. Thank you
again and we'll make sure to refer your services on to our
friends and family.
AP.
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
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
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!
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