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Archive for July, 2009

Save Coney Island volunteer collecting signatures on Mermaid Parade Day in Coney Island. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Save Coney Island volunteer collecting signatures on Mermaid Parade Day in Coney Island. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

The grassroots group Save Coney Island says this is your final chance to make your voice heard prior to the City Council’s vote on the City’s rezoning plan. You can sign the group’s petition here and learn about the group’s position here.

ATZ received an email from Save Coney Island that they would be winding up their online petition drive this week. Organizers plan to submit the results of the online and paper petitions to City Council by the middle of next week.

Our online petition will complement the thousands of signatures that we’ve collected on the ground (somehow, the interweb has proven a poor substitute for the old boots on the ground approach). As we prepare to deliver our signatures to Council members, we have had to switch our petition from the old site to a new one that collects the information necessary for us to sort signatures by Council district.

Please take a moment to transfer your signature to our new petition (even if you already signed the old one). In the next couple of days, we will sort the signatures by council district and deliver them to the appropriate representatives, asking them to fix the City’s plan or, barring that, kill it mercilessly.

As previously reported, the group rallied on the steps of City Hall asking the City to expand the acreage for outdoor rides and amusements, keep high-rises out of the central amusement district, protect small businesses, create amusement jobs and preserve Coney Island’s historic structures such as Nathan’s and the Shore Theater.

UPDATE: When I signed the online petition, a window appeared requesting a PayPal donation to the site that hosts the petition. But you do NOT have to donate to sign. I closed the window and that was the end of it.

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Michael Jackson tribute posters on front of Neverlands Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster in Coney Island. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Michael Jackson tribute posters on front of Neverland's Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster in Coney Island. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

On Tuesday ATZ had the scoop that the Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster from Michael Jackson’s private amusement park at Neverland Ranch was in Coney Island for the summer. After news of the ride’s history spread, the park’s operators set up a tribute to Jackson. On the eve of Fourth of July, a DJ was playing the King of Pop’s greatest hits and memorial posters were attached to the front of the ride.

Meanwhile, over at Stillwell and Surf, “Thriller” was blaring from the giant speakers that were set up on Friday night in preparation for Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.

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July 3: George Shea of Major League Eating doing sound check for Nathans 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

July 3: George Shea of Major League Eating doing sound check for Nathan's 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Will former hot dog champ Takeru Kobayashi of Japan win back the Mustard Belt from California’s Joey Chestnut? Last July Fourth, the contest ended with a 5 wiener eat-off after a 59-59 tie. In May, Kobayashi bested Chestnut by a fraction of a P’Zone in an eating contest sponsored by Pizza Hut. The score was 5-3/4 to 5-1/2.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, Saturday, July 4th, 12 noon, Stillwell & Surf Aves, Coney Island. Broadcast on ESPN 12 noon- 1 pm.

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