:( Conneaut Lake Park Dreamland Ballroom and Rides Parts Fire

[GADVwow]

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/NEWS02/344707526/-1/RSS01

....The building consisted of a second-floor ballroom and a first-floor maintenance area, storage area and food and game booths.

Park General Manager George Deshner said the maintenance area contained the motors and other components for most of the park’s rides. They were lost in the fire.

The building was not insured, Deshner said.

I suppose that is the veritable end for any hope of reopening the park and its rides.  Sigh...

See also:

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/breakingnews/local_story_032041409.html

[GADVwow]

http://static.cnhi.zope.net/flashpromo/meadvilletribune/flashpromo/video/dreamlandfire/index.html

[GADVwow]

CONNEAUT LAKE -- It was an albatross, really. A faded paint relic of a time when travel was by steam locomotive, and a sleeping room could be had for the coins jingling in one's pocket.

But the Conneaut Lake Park's Dreamland Ballroom, a ridiculously oversized and wheelchair-inaccessible gathering spot that stretched over nearly half of the old amusement park's midway, was still seen as a valuable asset by those working to breathe new life into the troubled resort.....

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080202/NEWS02/802020376

Community mourns loss (includes some history of the park):

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080202/NEWS05/802020377/-1/NEWS02

[Bubba Z]

^^ That slide show pretty much sums up the fate of the park.

[GADVwow]

Fire Clouds Amusement Park's Future:

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080203/NEWS02/802030415/-1/NEWS

Other Conneaut Lake Park Fires over the years:

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080203/NEWS05/802030423/-1/NEWS02

[GADVwow]

Fire cause is ruled undetermined:

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/breakingnews/local_story_035111557.html

[GADVwow]

Fire Marshall: No Evidence of Arson:

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_035205752.html

[GADVwow]

Still no clue to fire's cause:

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080208/NEWS02/802080372/-1/NEWS02

[GADVwow]

Majority of Rides' Motors Not Destroyed In Fire:

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_038231512.html

[GADVwow]

Meeting to address future of Conneaut Lake:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_551514.html

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080209/NEWS02/802090350/-1/NEWS02

EDITED TO CORRECT NON-WORKING LINK

[GADVwow]

Park faces deficit of $2.7 million after blaze:

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_048180732.html

[GADVwow]

Donations Collected For Park Fire Insurance:

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080220/NEWS05/802200372/-1/NEWS

[GADVwow]

3-20 years, $1.7 mil restitution:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/s_599680.html

[WadeJ]

GOOD.  But somehow I doubt this dude can come up with 1.7mil