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Gunkey Monkey Site Admin User is Offline Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 869 Location: Cleveland, Ohio	Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:22 pm    Post subject: Cuyahoga County Fair Exhibit Features Laughing Sal, Other Am · Quote http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1186303081252800.xml&coll=2 Cuyahoga County Fair exhibit features Laughing Sal, other amusement park items Sunday, August 05, 2007 Dan X. McGraw Plain Dealer Reporter Laughing Sal still has the power to captivate after all these years. The 6-foot-tall, gap-tooth matron, whose cackle greeted visitors to old Euclid Beach amusement park for years, is back this week at the Cuyahoga County Fair in Berea. The robust mannequin is part of the fair's exhibit on Ohio amusement parks. The exhibit will feature items from Cedar Point, Euclid Beach, Geauga Lake and Chippewa Lake parks. Many of the pieces were found in warehouses or bought at antique stores by Joe Tomaro, 50, of Highland Hills, and his partner, John Frato, 54, of Mayfield Heights. "Most of this stuff is totally one of a kind," Tomaro said. "They were designed and built at the parks. It is just timeless." Diane Francis, who has written 11 books on amusement parks with her husband, Bill, said many of the parks in Ohio truly are timeless and were important in the development of the industry. In 1912, the state boasted 54 amusement parks and dozens of picnic groves. While not the most in the nation, Ohio was close behind New York and Pennsylvania. Those states had more than 60 each, she said. Inside the fair's exhibit, visitors will get a chance to see cars from the Flying Turns rides and vintage bumper cars, which have been replaced by bigger and more thrilling rides in modern parks. The sight of classic rides of Ohio still spurs on memories for residents such as Ron Newell, 77, of Cleveland. "This is where they fell in love or where they met their girlfriend or boyfriend," he said. "It wasn't just about the rides. It was also about the socializing." Tomaro said he spent up to five days a week at Euclid Park as a youngster. When his parents picked him up, it was always at Laughing Sal. "Even little kids today are mesmerized by her," he said. "They are just not sure what way to take her." On Friday, Laughing Sal was getting ready for her big appearance. "She's getting outfitted right now with a new dress for the event," Tomaro said.
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kevster Big Dipper User is Offline Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 899	Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:08 pm    Post subject: · Quote Yeah, I saw that on the news, it looks really neat.
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