What can you learn from an amusement park?

I spent many summer vacations and long weekends with family and friends at Conneaut Lake Park.  It was truly a unique place.  Homes were intermixed with rides and the residents welcomed everyone.   The park sits on a lake which is a glorious place for a summer swim or jaunt around the lake while water skiing.  Many of the residents were retired and worked at the park during the summer to supplement income and for the love of seeing the joy that people experienced.  I regularly visited the park until 1983 when I moved away from the Pittsburgh area.  I returned for a visit in 2006 and was disappointed to see that the park had fallen into disrepair, many of the homes were abandoned and the lake was about empty of visitors.  As the recession of 2008 struck the park fell into a further state of neglect, ownership changed hands, property taxes were not paid and ultimately a bankruptcy was filed.  

For the last several years the park was run by a group of trustees appointed by the Bankruptcy Court.  A contingent of volunteers worked tirelessly to maintain the grounds and improve the rides etc.  Tourists returned, the park liquidated debt through park profits and the sale of pieces of the property, then, Covid19 hit and there was no 2020 season placing another obstacle to success.  Thankfully, a buyer made an offer through the court (No other bids were received.) and demolition of many of the attractions and other buildings began this week.  It is a bittersweet story as many of these held sweet memories for many of us, but as I well know, life changes and this is a story of a resurrection, love and volunteers.  

The new owner has declared a commitment to make the park an amusement and entertainment venue and it seems that he is moving ahead with alacrity.  This will create a new place for thousands of families to build their own memories and serving as an economic engine for Crawford County.  The volunteers kept this park afloat and turned it into a vibrant place with attendance growing every year of their efforts.  The passion that they displayed, the long hours and daunting challenges that they overcame and their dedication was remarkable and put the park into a position to attract a buyer with a vision to restore and improve it.  

I have long been a volunteer in the community that I live and have always found satisfaction in the accomplishments within the community.  If you are not actively involved in the community, it is easier to start than you may think.  Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis Clubs and more are all service clubs that have active projects and always seek members.  You will not only serve your community, but you will make lifetime friends as well.