ACE New England Region News and Updates

SPECIAL DEAL ON HAMPTON INN, SACO FOR FUNTOWN FEST ATTENDEES

Haven’t booked a room for Funtown Fest yet? Want to stay at a nicer place than you booked but don’t want to pay a bundle? As a "pilot program," we’re pleased to announce that the ACE New England Region has negotiated a discounted rate for ACEers and guests attending Funtown Fest. We have set aside a small block of rooms. If this service is popular, we’ll try to replicate it again at future regional events. Our group rate is $115 per room, valid on the night of August 9 ONLY. The total with tax for this rate is $123.05. All rooms are listed as featuring two queen beds and the rate includes complimentary breakfast on the 10th. You must call the Hampton Inn directly at 203-282-7222 and mention the rate code “ACE” in order to qualify for this rate. You must reserve by August 8 in order to take advantage of this deal. Rooms will remain available until the 8th or when the block of rooms sells out, whichever comes first. The Hampton Inn features a coffee maker, iron and ironing board, data port, and free in-room movie channel standard in all rooms. Local phone calls are free, with no surcharge for using a calling card. Check-in time is 3pm, checkout is Noon. The Hampton Inn is located at 48 Industrial Park Rd., Saco, ME. According to their web site, to get there, take I-95 (the Maine Turnpike) to Exit 5 (I-195 East). Follow I-195 East to Exit 1 (Industrial Park Road). Go Southwest on Industrial Park Road to the Hampton Inn. To get to Funtown from the Hampton Inn, there are two options: 1) Follow Industrial Park Road Northwest to Route 1. Take a right on Route 1 and follow it South to the park, which will be on your right or 2) Follow Industrial Park Road Southeast to I-195. Take I-195 East to Route 1 North. Follow Route 1 North to the park, which will be on your left.

BOO-LDER DASH BASH PLANNING UNDERWAY

Peg and I have begun planning Boo-lder Dash Bash, our regional event at Lake Compounce. The date hasn't been set yet, but either: A.) It will be posted as soon as we've made a decision, or B.) Several dates will be offered for a vote by New England members on the email list (in which case, the date will be posted here soon after voting has ended). Keep checking back for news and such about this and other happenings as it develops.

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SAVE WHALOM PARK UPDATE

In case you missed it, the folks at Save Whalom Park updated their web site last month. Not much new information, it appears, but at least the effort continues. Bookmark www.savewhalompark.com and check back occasionally for the latest news.

FUNTOWN FEST NAME BADGES

Planning to attend Funtown Fest August 9-10? If so, you can get yourself a super cool collectible pre-printed name badge instead a wimpy, lame hand-written one by sending your RSVP to noreasterrsvp@yahoo.com (yes, I know that seems counterintuitive) ASAP. Please be sure to include the phrase "Funtown Badge" in the subject line of your request. Also be sure to include the name of each member of your party as well as the city and state of residence. I'll try to honor all requests, but the sooner the better, as they will be processed in the order in which they are received. Try to get them all in by August 6. After that date, the odds definitely diminish of being able to process your request. This service is available to all: members and non-members, those from outside New England and those from our region, alike--so long as you're reasonably certain that you will attend (see information originally posted on Thu Jul 10, 04:17:19 AM). Hope to see you there!

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UPCOMING EVENT IN THE UPSTATE NEW YORK REGION

Note: The following information is an update to what was originally posted on Tue Jul 08, 10:29:11 PM.

Please join us for ACE Day at The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom. This regional event is sponsored by the American Coaster Enthusiasts Region 3 - New York State (excluding metropolitan NYC).

When: Saturday, August 23, 2003
Where: The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom (Lake George, NY)
Cost: Six Flags Season pass holders: $16.00, Non-Season pass holders: $35.00

Who Can Attend: You must be a current ACE member or the guest of a member. We do ask that ACE members limit the number of guests to 3 per member. Note: This limit does not apply to members of your immediate family.

The event flyer will be available on the ACE web site http://www.ACEonline.org/events. If you'd like, you can print and use the form on that flyer to register.

If you don't want to print the PDF, here's the information you need to register:

1. Send a piece of paper with the following information for each member of your party:

Name
City, State
Season pass holder or not
ACE member number (or indicate non-member)
Amount due ($16 or $35)

At the bottom of the sheet, please show the total amount due for your party and the name and phone number of the person writing the check or money order.

2. Make out a check or money order to Francis Ferro. Include on the check or money order "ACE DAY at TGE 8/23/03."

3. Mail the form and check or money order to:

Frank Ferro
PO Box 11
Clarksville, NY 12041-0011

Details:

* Advance Registration is required.
* We cannot accept Walk-Ins.
* NO refunds will be issued.
* All registrations must be received by August 15.
* At least one member of the party needs to be an ACE member and prepared to show their ACE membership card.
* If you pay the season pass holder rate, you must present your valid Six Flags season pass for entry to the park.

See the Six Flags web site for information on height restrictions for specific rides.

ACE members are expected to follow park rules at all times - including during ERT.

Tentative Schedule of Events:

8:00 AM - Parking Lot Opens for ACE members & guests. Parking is free. Pick up your Event Badge at this time.

8:30 AM - 10:00 AM - ERT on The Comet and the new Canyon Blaster. You'll need to wear your Event Badge to participate in ERT.

10:00 AM - 10:00 PM - Enjoy the Park along with the general public. Your admission to the event includes general admission for the day.

Noon - 1:00 PM - Lunch. Join your fellow ACEers for lunch, including barbeque chicken, 1/4 pound char grilled hamburgers, char grilled hot dogs, potato salad, tossed green salad, vegetable platter with dip, potato chips, assorted beverages, and ice cream for dessert.

If you have questions, contact either:

Frank Ferro: fferro@ACEonline.org or 518-768-2960
Andy Delaney: adelaney@ACEonline.org or 845-338-5267

NEWSLETTER IS IN THE MAIL

All copies of the July 2003 issue of The New England Dispatch are in the mail as of today. For convenience, the Funtown Fest flyer is stapled to the back of the newsletter. Feel free to detach it if this is an inconvenience for you. Many of you may have your copies by as soon as Friday. I suspect everyone will have their copy by Monday or Tuesday, assuming the USPS moves with some alacrity. If you do not have your copy by the 19th, feel free to e-mail me and I'll try to figure out what's gone wrong.

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FUNTOWN FEST DETAILS

Until the actual flyer can be posted to ACE's web site, here are the relevant details of Funtown Fest, reformatted for (relatively) easy Blog viewing:

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, August 9, 2003

6:00 pm to 9:00 pm or Closing (whichever comes FIRST) – Registration at the designated area outside the park entrance.

6:00 pm to 10:00 pm – Funtown open and available to the public and you.

10:00 pm to 11:30 pm – ERT on Excalibur

Sunday, August 10, 2003

8:30 am to 10:00 am – Registration at the designated area for those attending only today’s portion of the event. Check-in for those who also attended yesterday.

9:00 am to 10:00 am – ERT on Excalibur and Dragon’s Descent

10:00 am to 10:00 pm – Funtown open and available to the public and you.

10:00 am to 6:00 pm – Splashtown open and available to the public and you.

PRICING STRUCTURE:

ACE Member (Must show current valid ACE membership card to register): $23.00
ACE Member Funtown Season Pass Holder (Must show current valid ACE membership card AND Funtown Season Pass to register): $2.00
Non-Member (Must show the official flyer (or photocopy, printout, etc.) OR a printout of this Blog entry, making sure NOT to delete the following code phrase: "Fire on High," to register): $28.00
Non-Member Funtown Season Pass Holder (Must show the official flyer (or photocopy, printout, etc.) OR a printout of this Blog entry, making sure NOT to delete the following code phrase: "Fire on High," AND Funtown Season Pass to register): $7.00

All registration is on-site outside of Funtown’s main entrance (exact location(s) to be announced, but should be easy for all to find). Members must present a valid ACE membership card to attend at the applicable member rate. Non-members must pay the applicable non-member rate in CASH ONLY (i.e. no credit cards, etc. will be accepted from non-members), whether or not attending as a guest of ACE members (note this carefully, as it is a change from policy in the past). Credit cards will be accepted from ACE members for most of the registration fee ($2.00 of it per attendee must be paid in cash or check) and are welcome from all for all other Funtown purchases. Attendees will be given a special wristband, which will allow them admission to the ERT. If attending both days, you and the names of the people in your party will be put on a list on Saturday. On Sunday, all you’ll have to do is check in at the registration area, pick up your wristband, and get checked off the list. Please note that the schedule of events is subject to change (for reasons including, but not limited to, inclement weather and mechanical difficulties). Registration on Saturday will end at 9 pm or when the park closes, whichever comes first. This means that if the park closes earlier than 9 pm for any reason, the registration period will also end at that time. To avoid disappointment, early arrival is recommended, especially if the weather conditions for Saco look threatening. You may attend only one day if you wish, but there is no discount for partial attendance. Hope to see you there! Visit www.funtownsplashtownusa.com or call 800-878-2900 for directions and general information about Funtown.

The Payment of registration fees by, for or on behalf of participants releases and holds harmless the American Coaster Enthusiasts Worldwide, Inc., its Officers, Directors, Executive Committee members and representatives, as well as Funtown/Splashtown U.S.A. from any and all liabilities related to those activities.

NOTE: Please DO NOT cut/copy/paste the information contained in this entry to any newsgroups, message boards etc. Anyone wishing to spread the word about this event should mention that the details for Funtown Fest are available and post a link to this Blog (http://www.aceneregion.blogspot.com/) or to the ACE web site (www.aceonline.org) if/when the flyer is posted there. Thanks for your cooperation!

CURRENT E-MAIL ADDRESSES (specifically, which ones to use and when)

As it stands, several of my e-mail accounts are very close to their storage limit. Please note that when you send an e-mail to jpytka@aceonline.org, it is exactly the same as sending an e-mail to whalom@webtv.net AND harrycalder@webtv.net. Both of these accounts are very taxed right now, so until I can make some changes, I want to restrict use of these addresses to e-mail list related matters (because the e-mail subscriptions are maintained in these WebTV accounts) and prospective members, media, etc. referred to these addresses by ACE's web site. Please send all other inquires, including event questions, mailing/renewal snafus, Blog questions, etc. to noreasterrsvp@yahoo.com. Once this situation changes, the information you'll need for properly contacting me will be posted here, included on the e-mail distribution list, and printed in the following issue of The New England Dispatch. Thanks for your cooperation!

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ATTENTION E-MAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS

From now on, I plan to publish “trouble” e-mail addresses in the newsletter and on the Blog that have either been deleted from the e-mail list or that I would like to delete but cannot due to technical difficulties. The aim is to let the owner(s) know that they have been removed and must contact me from a valid e-mail account if they wish to rejoin the e-mail list. In all cases, such removed e-mail addresses have “bounced” at least twice, usually more. The following e-mail addresses were removed from my “address book” on or about May 12, 2003: msfranck@hotmail.com, nunu@prodigy.net, reebek@aol.com, msmith5749980@cs.com, teotwawki7@aol.com, and williamj.buckley@verizon.net. Additionally, the following e-mail addresses were removed from my “address book” on or about July 5, 2003: cornytopps@hotmail.com and wgmen@aol.com. If any of these accounts belong to you, you’ll have to e-mail me letting me know that either your address is valid again or that you now have a new valid account with which you’d like to receive ACE New England Region e-mail. Additionally, there is one address that continues to “bounce,” but does not exist in my address book: fluckoff@hotmail.com. I suspect that I have an address on my list that forwards to or from this account—if it’s yours, please contact me so that I can delete or modify the appropriate account and cease getting these mystery bounce notices.

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EVENT IN THE PLANNING STAGES IN UPSTATE NY REGION

August 23, Lake George, NY (Note: Obviously, the listing in the newsletter as Lake Placid is a typo.)

Probable regional event at The Great Escape. The park has expressed an interest in getting ACE there on August 23, complete with ERT on both The Comet and Canyon Blaster (their new coaster for this year). This is not a firm date yet. For more information on this event (when it becomes available) contact New York ACE Regional Rep Andy Delaney at adelaney@ACEonline.org or New York ACE Assistant Regional Rep Frank Ferro at fferro@ACEonline.org.

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UPCOMING EVENT IN THE NEW JERSEY REGION

July 26, Wildwood, NJ

ACE Day at Morey’s Piers in Wildwood. Enjoy two hours of morning ERT, from 10am to Noon, on Great White, located on Wild Wheels Pier. Registration is onsite from 9am to 11am. ACE members with current, valid membership cards and their guests will have their choice of a discounted Pier Passport (which includes unlimited admission to all non-waterpark rides at the three piers) for $28.00 (an $11.00 savings) or a discounted Splash and Ride Ticket (Pier Passport plus three hours in one of the water parks) for $30.00 (a $14.00 savings). There is NO advance registration for this event. All registration will be onsite at a table at the entrance to Wild Wheels Pier (make sure to go to the correct pier…it can be a long walk down the boardwalk when in a rush!). There is NO rain date for this event. Rides will not operate during electrical storms (i.e. thunder and lightning). Be sure to keep an eye on the weather if you’re planning to attend. Directions (from New England): Take your best route to the Garden State Parkway South. Follow the Parkway all the way to Wildwood to Exit 4B. Take Exit 4B and follow into Wildwood. Wild Wheels is located at Spencer Ave. and the Boardwalk, with the other piers in the Morey’s family located to the north. For more information about Morey’s Piers and area lodging, visit http://moreyspiers.com/. For more information about this event, contact New Jersey ACE Regional Rep Dana Schwartz at dschwartz@ACEonline.org or New Jersey Assistant ACE Regional Rep Joe Krapf at jkrapf@ACEonline.org.

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UPCOMING EVENT IN THE METRO NEW YORK REGION

July 12, Coney Island, New York

Mark your calendars for ACE Day at Coney Island which will take place on Saturday, July 12. Weather permitting, meet Colleen Whyte at 11:45am at the Astroland Group Ticket booth across from the Cyclone. Show your valid ACE membership card and receive Pay-One-Price wristbands for just $9.00 per person, including unlimited rides on the spectacular Cyclone from Noon to 4pm. The regular price is normally $17.99 per person, without the Cyclone included. In addition, Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park has generously offered our group Pay-One-Price wristbands at $8.50 each, good for unlimited rides on ANY ride at Deno's during the afternoon of June 12th. This includes the landmark Wonder Wheel! Again, you must show your valid ACE membership card to qualify. If you have any questions, contact Metro NY ACE Regional Rep Colleen Whyte at cwhyte@ACEonline.org or visit the Metro NY ACE web site.

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FUNTOWN FEST ANNOUNCED!

Yes folks, after a one-year hiatus to make room for last year’s national ACE Preservation Conference, Funtown Fest (not to be confused with Phunfest, which is held at Knoebels in Pennsylvania each October) is returning to the regional event line-up this year. Funtown Fest happens August 9-10 at Funtown/Splashtown USA, Saco, ME. The event flyer is in the upcoming mailing for New England Region ACE members. I hope to have it posted to www.ACEonline.org in the not-too-distant future for the benefit of everyone else, but I can't make any promises. For additional information, directions, etc. about Funtown/Splashtown USA, visit them on the web at www.funtownsplashtownusa.com or call 800-878-2900.

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NEWSLETTER DUE OUT SHORTLY

The July 2003 edition of the New England Dispatch is finishing up production. It should be in the mail by July 10 and in the hands of current New England ACE members by July 14. Keep an eye on your mailbox for it!

Welcome to the update board for the New England Region of the American Coaster Enthusiasts. News, updates, and other information that we want to distribute freely will be posted here as it becomes available. This medium will be used as our primary web-based format of distribution of information until Bruce Turner and I have finished developing the ACE New England Region web site, and perhaps even after. This update list is maintained by ACE New England Regional Rep Jason Pytka. Questions, comments, etc. should be e-mailed to noreasterrsvp@yahoo.com. Thanks for stopping by.