By MARGIE TRAX PAGE
Staff Writer
mtrax@starbeacon.com
GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE - - The screams and laughter of happy children echo down Lake Road as many take their last spin in The Spider.
Olivia Pinney, 6, of Wadsworth, isn't afraid of The Spider, and she was enjoying her last spins and twirls on The Salt 'n Pepper Shaker Sunday afternoon.
Olivia, along with hundreds of little visitors to the lakeside Erieview Amusement Park in Geneva-on-the-Lake, will be disappointed next year when the carousel, Ferris wheel and Tilt-o-Whirl are replaced by a new development.
The last day to ride the 18 amusement rides is Sept. 9.
Owner Donald Woodward said he is sad to see the rides go, but the village - - and Erieview Park - - must change with the tourists' tastes.
"The Erieview rides are a sentimental, nostalgic favorite. But parks of this size are a challenge to run for many reasons. (The expenses) have grown more than the income and the space can be better used in other ways," he said.
Park memorabilia and the rides will be auctioned off at the end of the season, and Melissa Carrocce of Canfield said her family would love to own "a piece of Erieview" for sons Corey, 5, and Cody, 8.
"We would love to buy a ride and put it in our backyard. The kids love this place," Carrocce said.
Woodward said many of the park's nostalgic rides will be well out of the price range of the casual buyer.
"The carousel alone can bring $35,000 to $45,000. The other rides will bring $3,000 to $8,000 each," he said.
The spooky-themed Fright Zone ride might be sold off piece by piece to amusement park enthusiasts or as a lot to a single buyer, Woodward said.
The auction is scheduled for Oct. 3 at Erieview Park. Souvenir t-shirts and even used employee t-shirts will be sold on the park's last day of operation.
"We are expecting a heck of a crowd (Sept. 9)," Woodward said.
Woodward will not reveal his plans for the park, saying only that he has three possibilities lined up for the property and hopes to have some portion of the redevelopment open at the beginning of the next summer season. The rest of the redevelopment will be constructed over two to three years in "logical stages," he said.
Sarah Thompson, 6, has high hopes for the new development.
"I will miss the Salt n' Pepper Shaker (ride) so much, but if it has to go I hope they get a roller coaster," she said.
Carrocce said she hopes the new development will retain the kid-friendly atmosphere of Erieview Park.
"It's great that there is going to be something new here, but I hope it is as oriented to small children and families as this park has always been. It is rare to find a place for all ages like this," she said.
The decision to close the park weighed heavily on Woodward. His family has owned the property since 1920 and operated Erieview since 1945.
"I am sad to see (the park) go. I rode these rides when I was in elementary school. My first job was to operate the rides," Woodward said. "This wasn't an easy decision but it is by far what is best for Geneva-on-the-Lake, which is changing every year. We have to change with it," he said.
Originally printed: 9/4/2006
