by Brent Hovey
Reporter
Aurora -- An announcement about plans for the former Geauga Lake Park's Big Dipper roller coaster is expected by the end of the week, according to a source.
Tom Woosnam of APEX Western Machinery Movers, the firm that bought the coaster June 17 for $5,000, provided that information July 7.
He was the successful bidder for the eighth oldest coaster in North America at an auction conducted by Norton Auctioneers.
After buying the coaster for what he said was another company, Woosnam said it would not go to another amusement park, but likely would be rebuilt elsewhere.
After the sale, he said the Big Dipper could be re-erected as a nostalgia piece, but probably would not be operated again.
The fate of other coasters at Geauga Lake Park is not so rosy. A handful of the buyers said after the June 17 auction that they would tear them down for their scrap metal. Included in that category is the Skyscaper (space tower), which sold for $12,500.
Check the Advocate's Web site at www.auroraadvocate.com for the announcement about the Big Dipper's fate.
E-mail: bhovey@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3115