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Archive for July, 2009

Video: A Friendly but Urgent PSA from Coney Island’s ‘Mayor’

Posted in Redevelopment, tagged City Council, Coney Island, Dick Zigun, rezoning, Save Coney Island on July 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

In the video, Dick Zigun, founder and artistic director of Coney Island USA and the permanently unelected “Mayor” of Coney, asks YOU to contact your City Councilmembers to deliver the message “Don’t Kill Coney! Fix the Plan!”

“The City came up with an acceptable master plan, but at the same time, a private developer, Thor Equities, came in and purchased most of the property on the south side of Surf Avenue,” Zigun says in the video. “Thor Equities started lobbying and pressuring the city, and suddenly, the plan changed…there are some things in there that are frankly no good, and that’s the plan that’s going to be voted on at the end of July.”

Zigun’s recommendations include moving the 27-story high rises north of Surf Avenue, a change endorsed by the Borough President and Community Board; expanding the acreage for outdoor rides and amusements; and protecting Coney Island’s historic structures instead of creating financial incentives for tearing them down.

“Politicians DO listen to the public. Make some noise; July is the month,” says Zigun, who rallied on the steps of City Hall last month with the grassroots group Save Coney Island.“The future of Coney Island is being decided now. It’s an American treasure; let’s develop it the right way, the good way.”

To find your City Councilmember, type in your street address and borough on the City Council’s About page.

An email blast posted on Coney Island USA’s website urges people to make three phone calls by Monday, July 13, the City Council’s deadline for requests for changes to the City’s plan.

Call #1:
If you want to help save Coney Island, PLEASE CALL your City Council member TODAY (the sooner the better!).

Call #2:
Call your friends. If everyone forwards this to three friends and the chain continues, we can affect change to this plan!

Call #3:
If you REALLY want to Save Coney Island, also call Speaker Christine Quinn and deliver the same message.
Christine Quinn’s legislative office: (212) 788-7210.

PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS. WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET!

If you are not a New York City resident, ATZ suggests that you phone and leave a comment for Christine Quinn, the Speaker of the City Council. Legislative Office Phone (212) 788-7210. We also recommend calling 311 (1- 212-NEWYORK outside of NYC) and leaving a “Don’t Kill Coney! Fix the Plan” comment for the Mayor.

Coney Island Wish List: Michael Jackson’s Bumper Car Ride for Sale on eBay

Posted in Auction, tagged Amusement ride, Bumper Car, Butler Amusements, Coney Island, eBay, Michael Jackson, Neverland on July 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

eBay Find: The control panel of a one-of-a-kind ride from Neverland Ranch: Current Bid $46,100. Reserve Not Met

Michael Jackson’s Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster was brought to Coney Island for the summer by Butler Amusements, but now there’s an opportunity to acquire a Neverland ride on a permanent basis. Last week carnival owner Earl “Butch” Butler told ATZ of his plans to put the bumper cars designed for and by Michael Jackson up for sale on eBay. The one-of-a-kind ride has been on our watch and wish list for the past few days. Butler says the auction has hundreds of watchers and generated inquiries from all over the world, including a bidder who wants to recreate Jackson’s amusement park.

The ride includes a 20 foot long Neverland sign and fencing with Michael Jackson's logo

The popular interest in the Neverland rides since Jackson’s death is what got us dreaming about putting together a consortium of people to buy Jackson’s bumper cars for the People’s Playground. Where’d we put it? How about Steeplechase Plaza, where the City has plans to build a skateboard park? We think an amusement ride, especially one designed for and by the King of Pop, is a much better idea. It could be a gold mine for Coney Island. The celebrity ride would draw tourists to the amusement park. Its neighbors would be the iconic Parachute Jump and the restored B & B Carousell. Or maybe the ride could be situated on Joe Sitt’s property. After Sitt sells to the City, of course. His Stillwell lot, which is zoned for amusements, is currently being misused as a flea market. And we couldn’t afford Thor Equities skyhigh rent in the so-called Dreamland Park.

In fact, the bidding on the Neverland bumper cars –$46,100, Reserve Not Met– has climbed beyond our consortium’s budget. What is the reserve? Butler’s not saying. When I asked him today if it’s $1 million dollars, he said no. Perhaps it’s a dollar less or quite a bit more! We’re secretly dreaming Mayor Bloomberg will set a snipe and win the auction for the people of New York. Don’t worry, Mayor Mike: The user ID is kept private. Nobody will know you are the buyer except the seller. You can donate the ride to the City of New York, just as you did with the B & B Carousell. The auction ends on July 10 at 12:34:29 PDT.

Bumper car tent at Neverland Ranch. Butler Amusements bought 5 rides from Neverland, but only this one is for sale

From the auction description:

This is a large ride and comes with fence that goes around the ride which also has the picture of Michael Jackson’s logo. Another main part of this ride is the dominant opening sign that says Neverland which is approximately 20 feet long. This ride was designed especially for and by Michael Jackson by Majestic Manufacturing in 1992. Michael Jackson put in an amazing sound system along with black lights and disco balls. The ride comes with the 16 custom made bumper cars with Michael Jackson logo on them. The model is a MJ 2700 with a length of 96 feet 6 inches by a width of 44 feet 6 inches. The floor size is 32 feet by 84 feet, 2688 square feet. The pit size is 32 feet 3 inches by 84 feet 3 inches, 2717 square feet. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity that no one should pass up. This piece would make any Michael Jackson collection the Greatest Michael Jackson collection.

Perhaps the bumper cars will be reunited with the original Zierer Wave Swinger ride from Neverland, which is also up for auction on eBay. That ride is owned by Helm & Sons Amusements of Colton, California. Starting bid is $850,000.

Michael Jackson's logo of little boy sitting on the moon is emblazoned on the bumper cars

Update, December 26, 2011…

The Neverland Bumper cars were permanently installed at Cal Expo in Sacramento for which Butler Amusements provides the carnival for the California State fair. The other rides from Neverland Ranch–Lolli Swings, Jeeps, Dinos, Balloon Samba and Dragon Wagon– travel with the carnival’s different units, which play events in seven states in the West.

The Neverland Bumper Cars, owned by Butler Amusements, were first installed at Cal Expo for the California State Fair in July 2011. Photo courtesy of Butler Amusements.

Q & A with Zoltar: Coney Island Mermaid Parade’s Best Fortunetelling Float!

Posted in Coney Island, Interviews, tagged Coney Island, first prize, float, Jonathan Gleich, Mermaid Parade, Segway, winner, Zoltar on July 6, 2009| 2 Comments »

Zoltar Speaks, First Prize for Motorized Float in the 2009 Mermaid Parade. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

From the reviewing stand at the Mermaid Parade, I snapped this photo of an amazing one-man float inspired by the fortune telling machine in the movie Big. After reading the post-parade discussion on the Coney Island message board, I realized that “Zoltar Speaks” was the same guy who created the popular “Pirate on the Segway” for the 2008 parade.

Last June, Jonathan Gleich won third place for motorized float (with no bribe because “I was new and didn’t know the rules LOL,” he says). He got hooked. A few weeks after last year’s parade, Jonathan started working on a Segway powered float for the 2009 event. Advance planning, hard work and an exquisite bribe–two bottles of Crystal Head vodka packed in shredded cash– paid off. Zoltar won first place in the Mermaid Parade’s motorized float category. Congrats to Jonathan and his alter egos for winning two years in a row!

After discovering Jonathan’s fabulous Zoltar Speaks website and flickr set documenting the project, which included an elaborate “dress rehearsal” in Coney Island a few weeks before the parade, we asked Jonathan/Zoltar to do a Q & A. How could we resist? The website drew us in: “Welcome Traveler, Zoltar Knows Why You Are Here. You Seek More Information…”

Zoltar says: "This is my 'publicity' picture. Photo © Phil Yee via jonathan_gleich @ flickr

Q: How did you get the idea to do a Zoltar float for the Mermaid Parade?

A: I am a Segway enthusiast and use my Segway to commute to my office in midtown Manhattan most nice days and have made friends with other Segway people across the country. One of those people is Chris Johnson in Ashland, Oregon. He is the one who came up with the idea of putting a Zoltar on a Segway (I have a picture of him on my website in the thank you section). He knew about my pirate Segway and was teasing me how I would top it, and I said “Hey I’m gonna steal YOUR idea. A fortune teller is PERFECT for Coney island” and as they say, That’s how it Started!

Zoltar in front of Stillwell Station on Mermaid Parade Day in Coney Island. Photo © Phil Yee via jonathan_gleich @ flickr

Q: How long have you been working on it? I seem to remember you saying (on the CIUSA board) that you started as soon as the 2008 parade was over!

A: They say idle hands are the devil’s work, so I must be an angel! I started on Zoltar just about a month after the Mermaid Parade. I had such a great time at the parade, and had such good response to my Pirate costume, that I was really enthused.

Here is a ‘log’ of progress. Chris recommended I track both the cost and the time…

History:
7/20/08 – Ordered base Plates
7/23/08 – Plates done – First Rev added Posts
7/23/08 – Started tracking expenses
1/17/09 – Wiring done – disassembled waiting on material
1/25/09 – Front of Zoltar completed
2/8/09 – Zoltar work continues
3/15/09 – 98% complete last 12 things left to do
4/12/09 – First outside test with Phil, windy, minor problems
5/2/09 – Fixed most of the problems found on the outside test
5/15/09 – Completed all exterior work on Zoltar (moldings / etc)
6/1/09 – down to the last 6 items, test 2 today.
6/7/09 – Boardwalk test – dress rehearsal

And before you ask… I spent $4000 total on Zoltar (from soup to nuts)

"Zoltar: This is a Before and After Shot of the Pieces that Make Up Zoltar." Photo © Phil Yee via jonathan_gleich @ flickr

Q: What is the history of the Zoltar machine? Where was it located in Coney Island?

Zoltar is a Fortune telling machine from the movie “BIG” – it actually is based on a ‘Zoltan’ machine, a 1940’s mechanical fortune telling machine. A company in Nevada produces a Zoltar machine now and they’re all over the country. I grew up in Brighton Beach and spent many many, many days in Coney Island at Faber’s and at the Skee Ball place on Mermaid Ave (long gone) right next to the carousal (long gone). Coney Island has always been arcade and carnivals and scary rides (and sometimes scary people).

An original Zoltar machine. Photo by jonathan_gleich @ flickr

Q: What is your background? Are you an artist or woodworker? It looks like an incredible piece of craftsmanship.

A: THANK YOU! – I am a computer geek by trade (I am the IT director for a children’s clothing manufacturer). But the fact is i have little experience or knowledge in making and designing and woodworking. Electronics and tech is my real talent. BUT I love a challenge and that’s what Zoltar was to me. Give me 1000 problems, and let me solve them! – That is why it took so long and so much money. Chris built his in 2 days with the help of a Hollywood prop guy. He sent me pictures and dimensions of his Zoltar and that gave me the foundation to work from.

Zoltars Trial Run on the Boardwalk a few weeks before the Mermaid Parade. Photo © Phil Yee via jonathan_gleich @ flickr

Q: I notice in the photos that you did a trial run in Coney on June 7th. How did it go?

A: The dress rehearsal went great, but nothing like taking your show before a live audience. I discovered problems–say design flaws— that I never even thought about. It also was a great opportunity to see what I look like. You always have a image in your mind. But the camera sees a whole different image!

Q: Did you tell fortunes? Any anecdotes from that day?

A: I consider myself to be a funny person with a quick wit, and looked forward to the challenge of being asked to tell a fortune, or to flirt using Zoltar as my ploy – my best retort was a kid ran up to me and yelled “I WANNA BE BIG” – I replied (in my Zoltar booming voice) YOUR WISH IS GRANTED. His mother looked at me, and I said in a slightly lower voice “BUT IT WILL TAKE 15 YEARS FOR YOUR WISH TO BE GRANTED.” Everyone laughed.

Zoltar at Nathans on Mermaid Parade Day. Photo © Phil Yee via jonathan_gleich @ flickr

The weirdest reaction was that people wanted their fortunes told, seriously wanted them. I said “I’m not friggin miss cleo” that really shocked me, that some people took my get up seriously!

The other thing was the nastiness of some people, a woman tried to knock me over. She thought I was standing and pushing it on a dolly and it would be a laugh. The Segway compensated for the sudden lurch, but I and others could have been been hurt badly and that never came into her consideration. I added a “spotter” with me for the parade.

Q; What are your plans for Zoltar now that the parade is over?

A: I try and use the costumes for two parades— The Mermaid Parade and the Village Halloween Parade. Zoltar has lights and electronics that weren’t even seen during the day, so the Zoltar at night is a whole different experience.

Zoltar at Night on Coney Islands Boardwalk. Photo © Phil Yee via jonathan_gleich @ flickr

Q: Where do you store it?

A: I live in a house and have a basement full of old projects. But I think that Zoltar will end up in my living room with a mannequin wearing my costume and being my own personal fortune teller

Q: Are you available for appearances?

A; I have been already approached by a professional photographer to do a studio session with Zoltar. A zoo in Staten Island has a haunted week during Halloween and asked me to be there. So what’s next for Zoltar? Who knows? Maybe Jimmy Kimmel? Maybe America’s Most Wanted!