“The community needs the park to survive and the park needs the community,” Wanda Ramaley told a crowd of about 75 people Sunday referring to the closed Conneaut Lake Park amusement park. Ramaley is one of the organizers of “The Friends of Conneaut Lake P... Read More »

The fire that destroyed Conneaut Lake Park’s historic Dreamland Ballroom this morning is under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire at the 115-year-old amusement park was discovered about 2 a.m. by emergency medic... Read More »

The Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park plan to open — at minimum — Camperland, the boat docks and the Beach Club this year. However, Chairman Jack Moyers cautions, there can be no guarantee that will happen.... Read More »

A variety of office equipment and other related items belonging to Conneaut Lake Park will be sold at a sheriff sale Jan. 3 at 2 p.m. to pay for a bill owed to Sysco Food Services of Philadelphia. Among items to be sold are a surveillance camera system, a... Read More »

Conneaut Lake Park's new board of directors might find themselves dealing with more bare patches of pavement when the time comes to consider the future of the amusement park portion of the facility. Three of the park's 16 adult rides and one of the dozen... Read More »

Conneaut Lake Park will soon have new leaders. Whether they will be able to open the troubled amusement park and resort this summer remains to be seen.... Read More »

A Crawford County judge faces a lot of choices in choosing new leaders for Conneaut Lake Park. The choices will become clearer on Friday, when Crawford County Judge Anthony Vardaro will hold a 1:30 p.m. hearing to act on park custodian H. LeRoy Stearns's... Read More »

Historic Conneaut Lake Park needs $300,000, or the 115-year-old amusement park won't open this year, an official said Thursday. Conneaut Lake Park officials had banked on a plan to sell more than 3 acres for $1.7 million to a developer to build condominiu... Read More »

The second public meeting regarding the future of Conneaut Lake Park and the entire Conneaut Lake area is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at the Stable Pit & Pub (Cow Shed) Complex, 11417 state Highway 18 here. About 200 people attended the first meeting Jan. 28. The partial agenda for the March meeting includes the final report of the master plan for the amusement park and a summation of the first meeting's survey results.

Riding the Tumble Bug on Saturday was like graduating from Kiddie Land all over again for Nancy Manning. As a kid, the Tumble Bug gave Manning her first taste of the "bigger" rides at Conneaut Lake Park. "And there was no going back for me," she said. "Once I rode the Tumble Bug I was done with Kiddie Land for good. I was ready to ride with the big kids." Manning, 58, of Meadville, Pa., said her trip on Saturday was just as thrilling as that initial ride, only for a different reason. Manning was one of 24 area amusement park enthusiasts to ride the Tumble Bug back into action. The ride had been out of service since 2002. To mark the reopening of the ride, the park auctioned off seats and allowed the 24 high bidders to fill the ride's 24 spaces. At noon Saturday, with a small crowd to cheer it on, the Tumble Bug carried folks along its circular track for nearly three minutes. Bids, which opened Monday and closed at 7 p.m. Wednesday, started at $50. Park officials said the high bid came in at $150.

After about 24 hours of crossed fingers, it looks like Conneaut Lake Park will open for the season. The park appears likely to have secured a loan to open the amusement park as scheduled Memorial Day weekend. A bank came forward Tuesday and offered a lending arrangement That has given park officials the confidence to call back all of the employees who were laid off Monday.

Just 15 more bricks at $100 each must be sold to order the materials necessary to get Conneaut Lake Park’s miniature train back on track this year. As of Monday afternoon, the fundraiser had reached $12,950, or 23 percent of the total $56,00 needed for materials and labor, according to Carol West, treasurer of the Conneaut Lake Institute, which is heading the effort.

As part of a $2.5 million tourism-boosting initiative, Pennsylvania governor Edward Rendell announced Conneaut Lake Park will receive a $175,000 planning grant.