pilotank

The reason RD is staying open is for the possibility of video slot machines VST's to be allowed at Ohio race tracks. Govenor Strickland allowed for VST's last year, but the Supreme Court overruled the Govenor's decision: Supreme Court says slots at racetracks subject to referendum: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/09/21/aslots.html?sid=101 The test will come this November when it will be placed on the ballot. It's in the hands of the voters now. Vote Yes for VST's if you want to save RD! pilotank

Fess Parker, Who as Davy Crockett Set Off Coonskin Cap Craze, Dies at 85 Was he the sole reason Coney Island closed and KI was built? What say you. From CI Central: 1968 - Davy Crocket actor Fess Parker announced plans to build a frontier theme park, named Frontier Worlds at the intersection of Interstates 71 and 75 in Northern Kentucky. This announcement would lead to the eventual sale of Coney Island. Facing competition from the proposed park, Ralph Wachs began looking to build a new park. A log flume from Arrow Development debuted on the mall. Also, the park introduced “POP Days” for the first time. Guests could ride all the rides all day for the low price of $3.50 on select days. In July, Taft Broadcasting bought Coney Island for $6.5 million. They had the deep pockets to finance the new theme park. From NYC Times: Published: March 19, 2010 Fess Parker, whose television portrayal of the American frontiersman Davy Crockett catapulted him to stardom in the mid-1950s and inspired millions of children to wear coonskin caps in one of America’s greatest merchandising fads, died on Thursday at his home in the Santa Ynez Valley in California, where he ran a successful winery. He was 85. A family spokeswoman, Sao Anash, said Mr. Parker died of natural causes. Mr. Parker went rustic once again in the 1960s to play Daniel Boone for a new wave of young television watchers, but by the mid-1970s he had largely given up acting and become a successful businessman and real estate developer. In 1987, he and his son, Eli, purchased a 714-acre ranch and established the Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard. Mr. Parker was a genial, handsome, imposingly tall but somewhat obscure Hollywood actor when he was discovered by Walt Disney, whose company was about to produce a series of Davy Crockett episodes for “Disneyland,” his new ABC television show. Disney had been searching for a quintessential American type to play the rough-hewn hero of the Alamo and had considered established stars like Glenn Ford, Sterling Hayden and Ronald Reagan before deciding against them. When someone suggested James Arness, Disney went to see “Them!,” a well-regarded 1954 science-fiction movie in which Mr. Arness — who later went on to TV stardom on “Gunsmoke” — had a major role. Mr. Parker had a small but visible part in the film, and when Disney saw him — rugged-looking and well over 6 feet tall — he was said to have exclaimed, “There’s our Davy Crockett!” The scriptwriter for the series, Tom W. Blackburn, and the head staff composer for the Disney organization, George Bruns, came up with a title song, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” and it was introduced on the first episode of “Disneyland” on Oct. 27, 1954, to publicize the coming Crockett episodes. The song, with multiple choruses, began: Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee Greenest state in the land of the free Raised in the woods so’s he knew ev’ry tree Kilt him a b’ar when he was only 3 Davy, Davy Crockett King of the wild frontier “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” would become stamped in the memories of a generation of young viewers. A number of artists, including Mr. Parker himself, recorded the song, and it sold in the millions. Bill Hayes’s version reached No. 1 on the pop charts. Tennessee Ernie Ford, Eddy Arnold, Burl Ives and Mitch Miller were among the others to come out with recordings. The first episode of the Davy Crockett trilogy, “Davy Crockett: Indian Fighter,” with Buddy Ebsen as Mr. Parker’s sidekick, George, was shown on Dec. 15, 1954. “Davy Crockett Goes to Congress” appeared on Jan. 26, 1955. By the time the last episode, “Davy Crockett at the Alamo,” was broadcast, on Feb. 23, 1955, the country was in a Crockett frenzy. Children wore coonskin caps to school and wore them to bed. They wore them with their Davy Crockett plastic fringe frontier costumes while they played with their Crockett trading cards, their Crockett board games and puzzles, their Crockett color slide sets and their Crockett powder horns. They pestered their parents for Crockett toy muskets and Crockett bubble gum and Crockett rings and comic books. By the end of 1955, The New York Times reported, American children had their choice of more than 3,000 different Davy Crockett toys, lunch boxes, thermoses and coloring books. The Disney studio also turned episodes from the series into two feature films — “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier” in 1955 and “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates” the following year. If the Disney scripts stretched the truth about Crockett, the final episode remained faithful to at least one historical fact. The real-life Crockett died at the Alamo in 1836 at the age of 49, and Mr. Parker’s Crockett fell there, too. But Disney, responding to a public outcry, brought him back for episodes in the 1955-56 season, including “Davy Crockett’s Keelboat Race.” “Take off those black armbands, kids,” the gossip columnist Hedda Hopper wrote, “and put on your coonskin caps, for Davy Crockett will hit the trail again.” But not for long. By early 1956 interest had begun to flag, and as suddenly as it had begun, the craze ended. Mr. Parker had brought a quiet, manly dignity to his portrayal of Davy Crockett. Paul Andrew Hutton, a historian at the University of New Mexico, said the character had given young children “an appreciation not only of history but of a kind of patriotism and self-sacrifice.” Years later, Mr. Parker said, Vietnam veterans told him that watching his Crockett deal with fear when they were young had influenced their conduct in battle. Mr. Parker continued to star for Disney in films like “The Great Locomotive Chase” (1956), “Westward Ho the Wagons!” (1956), “Old Yeller” (1957) and “The Light in the Forest” (1958). But he began to chafe at the roles the Disney organization was offering him, and when he refused to appear in “Tonka,” the studio suspended him. He was unhappy, too, that Walt Disney had discouraged his being cast in “The Searchers,” the John Ford classic starring John Wayne, and “Bus Stop,” with Marilyn Monroe. In 1963, Mr. Parker took to the stage as Curly in a touring production of “Oklahoma!” But the movie roles he wanted didn’t come his way. In 1964 he put on buckskin again in the title role of “Daniel Boone.” That series ran for six years, but it didn’t capture the public’s imagination the way “Davy Crockett” had. Fess Elisha Parker II was born in Fort Worth on Aug. 16, 1924, and grew up in San Angelo, where his family raised watermelons, peanuts and cattle. He attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Tex., before joining the Navy in World War II and participating in mopping-up operations in the Philippines. Afterward he attended the University of Texas and the University of Southern California. He began acting professionally in 1951, in the national company of “Mister Roberts.” Shortly afterward, he made his film debut in “Untamed Frontier” (1952), with Joseph Cotten and Shelley Winters, and appeared in small roles in other films. Over the years Mr. Parker made many guest appearances on television variety shows. He also had a short-lived series in 1962 called “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” based on the 1939 Frank Capra movie that starred James Stewart. Mr. Parker married Marcella Rinehart in 1960 and died on her 84th birthday, Ms. Anash, the family spokeswoman, told The Associated Press. Besides his wife, he is survived by his son, Fess Elisha Parker III; his daughter, Ashley Parker Snider; and 11 grandchildren. As a developer and entrepreneur, Mr. Parker had interests in luxury hotels and a mobile home park in addition to his winery, which had its first harvest in 1989. He also acquired a reputation for being sure of himself and determined to get his way. Playing Davy Crockett, he said, had made him that way. And if Crockett had a shrewd side, so did the businessman in Mr. Parker, who understood the character’s continuing marketing power long after the ’50s craze had become a memory. At his winery visitors almost invariably asked him about Crockett, and he was sure to direct them to the gift shop, where coonskin caps were for sale. And though he politely but consistently refused to wear one for their cameras, he was always happy to sign a Fess Parker wine label, bearing its familiar trademark: a tiny picture of a coonskin cap. This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: March 24, 2010 An obituary on Friday about the actor Fess Parker included several errors. Mr. Parker’s daughter is Ashley Parker Snider, not Parker-Snyder. Eddy Arnold — not Eddie — was the singer who recorded one of many versions of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” the theme from a series of episodes of the television show “Disneyland” in which Mr. Parker starred in the 1950s. And a line from that song should have read: “Raised in the woods so’s he knew ev’ry tree” — not “Raised in the woods so he knew every tree.”

If you add subway to the web-site: http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/subway.html you can see the history and photo's of Cincinnati's Abandoned Subway. pilotank

That was his final performance before he died. Elvis's 2nd last performance was also at Cincinnati. His last, Indianapolis!

The best thing that could happen is to make Coney Mall what it was originally intended. A tribute to Coney Island. They could make it similar to Coney's Midway back in the late 60's or early 70's. Including similar rides: The Whip Cuddle-Up Flying Eagles Tumblebug etc. and pilotank

I know what you mean, I meant to come over and say howdy but never got the chance. pilotank

On Friday July 10th, one of Coney's oldest company picnic's took place. Kroger, a Fortune 500 Company, and one of the largest employers in the greater Cincinnati region has been bringing it's employees to Coney for over 100 years. It was extremely crowded, however all of Coney's staff worked very hard and everything ran exceptionally well. All rides had long lines, but the wait for the rides were kept minimal by the ride staff. I was also surprised that Coney actually provided the food for the picnic. The fried chicken was great, and they kept the food lines down to a minimun also. Not to forget the exceptional workers at the pool. It had to be one of their busiest days. Kudo's to all the hard working staff members at Coney Island! No wonder Kroger keeps coming back to CI. pilotank

It was June 30th, right before the 4th of July weekend. The problem with FP is that there was a 5 hour time frame by noon and all FP were distributed for the day by 2:30. The good thing about EHP is that FP started fresh for the guests at 11:00PM. pilotank

I believe you mean, stay at a resort "On Property." Remember it's the Haunted Mansion, not the Haunted House . Also all the rides at use Fast Passes during the extra magic hours, they simply run out very quickly. If you're getting a Fast pass that would be used during the extra magic hour window, the cast member will require you to show your room key before obtaining the Fast pass Also, not to be rude, but I think we differ pretty severely on what our opinion of "all of Magic Kingdom." There are quite a few attractions that are well worth experiencing that you did not experience. Also rushing your way through the Magic Kingdom simply to accomplish everything as fast as possible greatly goes against how Walt Disney would have wanted you to experience his parks. Same with EPCOT and the Animal Kingdom. Both EPCOT and Animal Kingdom have SO MUCH to offer outside the realm of major rides. Did you go to the Hollywood Studios? Also did you only go to the parks at night during EMH? What about the rest of the days? Actually, not to be rude but you missed the whole point of the posting.. We started Disney at 10:00 AM and enjoyed the total ambiance of the park. However, the park was extremely crowded with an average wait of two hours for most rides and over a 3 hour wait for Peter Pan in Flight! People were alredy lining up for the 9:00 SpectroMagic Parade at 7:30. And of course the fireworks display Wishes was so packed, you were stuck at the place you were located at 9:30 with no place to move. So the whole point of this, in 12 hours we were able to get on 3 rides and see two shows. With the extended hours, you can enjoy the whole park in a timely fashion. And I wanted to convey this to people who are planning a trip in the near future. Especially those who may have kids and don't want to wait hours on end in 90+ degree heat. While waitng two hours for Dumbo, they had three children in line pass out. So this is a very good option. pilotank

Just back from 3 days at Walt Disney World. Not to bore you with specifics, but if your planning a trip, you can do all of Magic Kingdom in less than 3 hours. The secret, stay at a resort inside the Park. They have extended hours on certain days for all 4 parks, for the guests staying in the resorts. The Magic Kingdom utilizes Fast Pass for the extended hours. The Magic Kingdom was on a Sunday night and started at 11:00. We started at the Haunted House, then went and got Fast Passes for the major rides. We then went to Splash Mountain, by that time we then used our first FP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Next it was Pirates of the Caribean, Jungle Cruise and Magic Carpet of Aladdin. Then it was off to Astro Orbit and Tomorrowland Speedway. Space Mountain would have been next, but it is closed until Winter 2009. After that, it was Petrer Pan's Flight, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh and finally It's a Small World. We were done by 1:15 AM and did some repeat rides. The next night was The Animal Kingdom from 8-11PM. They don't use the FP and only had time for 3 rides: Expedition Everest, Dinosaur & Primevil Whirl. The final night, Epcot from 9-12PM. No FP and only time for 3 rides: Mission Space, Test Track & Soarin. One more piece of advice, purchase the Dining Plan! You don't have to worry about meals and it pays for itself in one day. Also take rain gear! pilotank

CI still has the original building that housed The Whip, Cuddle Up and Dodgems! pilotank

Before Disneyland opened, he actually spent time at Coney Island and got several visions for his Disneyland. From CI History: In fact, the park had such a stellar reputation in the industry, that a gentleman by the name of Walt Disney visited Coney Island in the early 1950's to get ideas for Disneyland. He presented the park a check for $1.00; signed by Disney, for consulting services that remains in the park's archives. So definitely, Coney Island in the 50's through 71.

If you love homemade ice cream, then check out Young's: http://www.youngsdairy.com/home.html I like it better than Graeter's. pilotank

That's great! Definitely a blast from the past! No pun intended. Coney use to end every night with fireworks launched from the island of Lake Como. pilotank

I agree totally! This manner of behavior is similar to The Broken Window Theory: Although we are talking gum and graffiti, it still fits. Graffiti study bolsters 'broken windows' theory Dutch researchers find that in the presence of graffiti and litter, people are more likely to commit small crimes. By Karen Kaplan November 21, 2008 In a series of real-world experiments, people exposed to graffiti, litter and other cues of lawlessness were more likely to commit small crimes, according to a study published today that bolsters the controversial "broken windows" theory of policing. The idea is that low-level offenses like vandalism and panhandling create an environment that breeds bigger crimes. Dutch researchers tested the psychological underpinnings of the theory and found that signs of social disorder damped people's impulse to act for the good of the community, allowing selfish and greedy instincts to take over. The results appear in the journal Science. Community policing strategies based on the "broken windows" theory have taken root in cities across the U.S. and around the world since it was proposed in 1982. Kees Keizer, a graduate student in the department of behavioral and social sciences at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, thought psychology and sociology could add to the debate. Human behavior is influenced by three competing instincts: to act in a socially appropriate manner, to do what feels good in the moment and to maximize one's resources. Keizer predicted that when there's less motivation to be socially appropriate, the other two impulses would take over. To test this, he attached fliers for a fake sportswear store to the handlebars of bicycles parked in a shopping area. With no trash can nearby, shoppers returning to their bikes could either take the fliers with them or litter. A wall near the bicycles had a sign indicating that graffiti was forbidden. When the wall was indeed graffiti-free, 33% of people left the fliers on the ground or attached them to other bikes. After Keizer painted graffiti on the wall, the percentage of people who littered rose to 69%. pilotank

I visited River Downs yesterday after they closed Coney due to a thunderstorm. After talking to several workers there, including jockey's, nothing is planned but closure after the Craddle Stakes. The crowds are dismal, only one consession stand was open and only three workers at the wagering booth. The purses are small and the quality of thoroughbreds are at an all-time low. RD just can't compete with Indiana & West Virginia. It's dis-heartening to see an icon as RD on it's last leg. pilotank

I agree, it was a sad day when KI auctioned off the stage coaches, horse drawn wagons and other antiques dedicated to the train ride. My sister's husband has one of the wagons. It is in mint condition and alledgedly came from Coney Island. pilotank

Morgan's Canoe Livery is close by. http://www.morganscanoe.com/ftancient/ They have a campground and cabins. They also have running water, flushing toilets and a showerhouse. It is also kept very clean! pilotank

I read in the Forest Hills Journal that The Cincinnati Flower Show was leaving Coney for a park in Symmes Township. That is a huge disappointment! CI seemed to be the perfect place for the show. Fun for everyone, including rides for the kids. On the other hand, it was getting too expensive for a flower show. Maybe a blessing in disguise? pilotank

The 1938 Horse of the Year, Seabiscuit raced at River Downs: http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/seabiscuit.html After running out of the money in the De La Salle Handicap, Seabiscuit ran one more time in Detroit, winning the Hendrie handicap by four lengths. Then it was on to River Downs in Ohio. Seabiscuit turned in a pair of third place efforts, closing fast both times before running out of ground, and then won the Scarsdale Handicap at Empire City in a photo finish. He was third again when he ran out of ground in the Yorktown Handicap, then went to Bay Meadows and won the Bay Bridge Handicap by five lengths. In his final start of the season, Seabiscuit led from wire to wire to win the World's Fair handicap by five lengths. Having broken two track records in a row, he had earned some time off.

This happened right up the road during the construction of Little Miami High School: Staying Sensitive As schools pay more attention to how schools affect the environment, many architects and educators have tried to create more sensitivity. That applies not only to the building, but also to the land that surrounds it. At Little Miami High School in Morrow, Ohio, the firm reconfigured the design after it unearthed Indian artifacts during construction. Now, students are able to go on archaelogical digs outside the school. “There is a lot of educational value in the environment,” says Fernandez. http://asumag.com/mag/university_design/ pilotank

Does anyone else have trouble opening this web site? pilotank

Uh, any actual proof of that? In the old 'ghost story' topic, folks kept claiming there were indian burial grounds all over the park, from Nick Universe to The Beast, to the Wiild Animal Habitat. I've never seen or heard of any official record or mention of one. It may be possible, there were several Indian Groups that lived in the area for over 15,000 years: The most prominent from A.D. 1000 to 1650 The Fort Ancient culture thrived in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Villages were made up of a number of circular or rectangular houses surrounding an open plaza. The Fort Ancient people continued to build small burial mounds, but gradually shifted to burials in a cemetery area with no mounds. There is evidence that the Fort Ancient culture built Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio. They also may have built the "Alligator" Mound of Licking County, but that effigy is not likely a sculpture of an alligator. It is more likely an effigy of a panther, opossum, or a salamander. There was the Adena, Hopewell and Late woodland Indians that occupied the Little Miami Valley, part of which now is Kings Island. http://www.shakerwssg.org/fort_ancient_hop..._native_ame.htm Never say never... pilotank

That video shows all the novelty push-up ice cream Ginko trees that came from Coney Island at Coney Mall. Along with the Sky Ride, Tumblebug and the Flying Scooters. pilotank