Always Cedar Point


Book Description

Forty Years of Stories from the World's Greatest Amusement Park.




Cedar Point


Book Description

In 1870, Louis Zistel began ferrying passengers from Sandusky to the Cedar Point Peninsula's beer garden and sandy beaches. In 1888, the Grand Pavilion was built, housing a massive theatre, bowling alley, photographic studio, and kitchen, and shortly thereafter, the resort's first roller coaster was installed. George Boeckling transformed the resort into a self-sufficient city and amusement park, but the park suffered badly in the 1930s economic depression. However, after Cedar Point changed hands several times in the 1950s, it became one of America's leading amusement parks. Today, the park is best known as the world's largest amusement park and the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World."




Rolling Through the Years


Book Description

If you mention Cedar Point today to someone, their first thought is probably of the roller coasters. Cedar Point is called the Roller Coaster Capital of the World for a reason. The park has set more world records, holds more world records, and has set the standard for amusement parks across the world.But it hasn't always been like that.If you go back in time a hundred years ago, the roller coasters were an afterthought. Cedar Point in the early days was all about getting away to the beach, catching a live show in the Ballroom, socializing on the Hotel Breakers porch, or having a fine picnic with your co-workers. Sure, the resort had roller coasters. And Ferris wheels. And haunted houses. And carousels. But these weren't the focus. Rolling Through The Years is a look back across time at the development and changes at the Worlds' Greatest Amusement Park. Author Ken Miller has spent the last seven years exploring the history of the resort. Magazine articles, museum archives, and over 100,000 newspaper articles spanning 200 years were examined for this detailed history of Cedar Point. Over 75 historical maps of the peninsula and over 1200 images are included in this coffee table book.




Sharks in Lake Erie


Book Description

"Mr. Visidi, you realize there is no credible account of a shark attack in the roughly 4,000 year-life of Lake Erie. There are no sharks in Lake Erie," pronounces Officer James Mylett of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Frankie Visidi has a slightly different point of view-that afternoon, his beloved black lab, Priscilla, was killed by a huge bull shark while they were swimming off his boat, anchored on Kelleys Island Shoal. Director of the Museum of Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, and Master Gardener, Susan Massimino has been called in by her police chief cousin to help identify the flowers present at the murder scene of William Krupp, a prominent local farmer. Could the sudden presence of bull sharks (equally at home in fresh water or salt water) and the murder of Krupp be related? Author John Hildebrandt knows his beloved Lake Erie. His descriptions and reflections of life in what's known as the "western basin," ring true. In a 40 year-long career with Cedar Point, retiring as general manager, he saw the lake every day. He knows the history, the plant and animal life, the weather, and especially the people who choose to live here. At the center of the story is Paul Gutten, aka Z, a German-Swiss businessman who also directs an Eco-terrorist organization secretly funded by stolen Nazi gold, now hidden in a cave in Bavaria. Z is fascinated by sharks and believes their sudden presence in western Lake Erie will focus attention on Lake Erie and its many environmental problems. He secretly arranges for six adult bull sharks to be introduced to Lake Erie. The sharks, of course, will be sharks and they leave a trail of blood and death in and around the Lake Erie Islands. The standard refrain: "There are no sharks in Lake Erie" is stood on its head when several bull sharks attack a group of kayakers in plain view of tourists aboard the Jet Express ferry. The news goes world-wide. Z and Susan move quickly toward romance until Susan discovers evidence that Z may well be the killer of William Krupp? This story is constant action, moving from lake to farm and from Bavaria to Ohio. The characters are vivid and compelling. Sharks in Lake Erie is part thriller, part police procedural, part introduction to life on Lake Erie. In the end, the sharks call the shots.




The Warrior Heir


Book Description

A teen from Ohio discovers he's the last in a long line of magical warriors chosen to fight to the death. Before he knew about the Roses, sixteen-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small town of Trinity, Ohio. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great—until he loses control and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts. Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: He is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people living among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game: a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. As if his bizarre magical heritage wasn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind—he's one of the last of the warriors, at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Can he learn to control his magic and fight off the Wizards who would claim him? Find out in the first book in the epic Heir Chronicles series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima!




Lake Erie's Shores and Islands


Book Description

For 150 years, people have come to rest, relax, and recharge in the area from Vermilion to Port Clinton, south to Milan, Bellevue, and Fremont, and north to Sandusky, Cedar Point, the Marblehead Peninsula, and the Lake Erie Islands. Lake Erie is the constant in this fascinating story, the natural resource that gives the region its character and charm. Quaint wineries, world-class roller coasters, amusement parks, water toboggans, indoor and outdoor water parks, lake steamers and jet boats, cottage communities, sportfishing, swimming, sailing, boating, camping, historical sites, caverns, museums, beaches, Civil War history, resort hotels, religious retreats, and natural wonders--Lake Erie's shores and islands have a rich tourism and recreation history.




The Twilight of Steam Locomotives


Book Description

Story and illustrations of the demise of the steam locomotive.




Cleveland's Little Italy


Book Description

Developed in the late 19th century, ClevelandÃ's Little Italy neighborhood, on the cityÃ's east side, was peopled with Italian artisans and craftsmen, many of whom were drawn to jobs carving monuments for the nearby Lake View Cemetery. The compact area relied on the local parish, Holy Rosary; charitable institutions, such as Alta House; and the cohesiveness of the neighborhood to sustain itself. It also produced a number of interesting favorite sons, including Angelo Vitantonio, the inventor of the pasta machine; championship boxer Tony Brush; and Anthony Celebrezze, Cleveland mayor, federal judge, and secretary of health, education, and welfare under Pres. John F. Kennedy and Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson. The area continued to grow until after World War II, when residents graduated from the old neighborhood to ClevelandÃ's eastern suburbs. During the last 20 years, however, Little Italy has experienced a rebirth, and today the area combines Old World charm with a vibrant art scene, new housing, and a host of popular restaurants.




Mermaid: A Memoir of Resilience


Book Description

Cronin, born without legs, describes her life growing up as one of eleven children in a large Catholic family, wearing prosthetics, going to school, facing bullies, and searching for love and happiness. She felt most comfortable and happiest relaxing and skinny dipping with her girlfriends, imagining herself "an elusive mermaid." As her mother battled mental illness, Cronin tried to get her to say whether she took thalidomide during her 1960 pregnancy. Eventually she found the strength to set out on her own, volunteering at hospitals, earning a PhD in clinical psychology, and developing her capacity to forgive and accept life as a journey of self-discovery and transformation.