Lost Cat Near Stillwell & Mermaid Avenues in Coney Island 11224
Name: Cookie Puss
Age: 1-2 years old
Color/Characteristics: Neutered, White with black markings. Mostly white face with black forehead (bang) moving down around left eye. White chest and front paws and ears and whiskers. Rear 2/3 of upper back and tail are black. Big light green eyes.
Last seen Friday night, October 1st. He got into the trunk of a neighbor’s car who drove to Stillwell Ave, off Mermaid. When he opened the trunk (in front of On The Run Pizza) Cookie Puss jumped out and walked toward the corner (across from Nathan’s) and made a right.
If you have any information about this cat, please contact:
In a presentation at last week’s “What’s Next for Coney Island?” panel at CUNY, Valerio Ferrari, President and CEO of Zamperla USA/CAI gave the public its first look at renderings of the four rides set to open at Luna Park’s new Scream Zone in Spring 2011. Two of the rides are Zamperla coasters: a Steeplechase Cavalry-themed MotoCoaster and an American Eagle-themed Volare flying coaster.
Here’s the original commercial for Zamperla’s horseback “Pony Express” launch coaster at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., where it opened on Memorial Day Weekend in 2008. The prototype- a MotoCoaster with motorcycle seats–opened at Darien Lake in upstate New York, also in 2008.
Last February, ATZ posted “Steeplechase Express: Will Zamperla MotoCoaster Pony Up for Coney Island?” In reply to our query, Ferrari confided that they were then considering having the public decide which type of MotoCoaster seats–motorcycles or horses- would be used. As it turns out, there’s no need for a poll. The Coney Island theming is just the ticket for the new Luna Park. The crescent moons and pinwheel logos on Surf Avenue’s magnificent entrance pay homage to the whimsical gate of the original Luna Park. At the same time, the logo on the Spinning Mouse Coaster, renamed the Tickler in honor of Coney’s William F Mangels pioneering ride, is the Steeplechase Funny Face. A more manic version of the grinning face is also the logo for Scream Zone.
Inspired by Steeplechase Park’s signature horse race ride that made a circuit around the park, Zamperla is bringing in the cavalry! The Zamperla Steeplechase Cavalry Coaster takes its inspiration from the Steeplechase ride, but it does differ quite a bit in design. Most notably, the horses are part of a single train instead of racing against each other on multiple tracks. Another big difference: The ride’s seating design and restraint system was designed to comply with current-day safety standards.
Vintage postcard of George C Tilyou's Steeplechase Ride, which closed in 1964. The Coney Island History Project has an original Steeplechase horse on display.
The Pony Express comes with two trains, each accommodating up to 16 riders in an innovative pedestal seating design that maximizes safety, comfort and ride freedom. Using the time tested flywheel and clutch launch system, the PONY EXPRESS delivers a high energy ride with low energy costs. Seated two abreast on their own horses, 16 riders are treated to an exhilarating launch from 0–60 km/h (0-37 mph) in 2.5 seconds. The horses then race to the finish line along a 450 meter (1476 ft) track reaching heights of 14.7mt (48 ft.) through a breathtaking series of exciting 65 degree banked turns. Like the MotoCoaster, the PONY EXPRESS can be adapted to any theme. Let Zamperla design a custom layout and specialized theme for your venue.
Additional rides planned for the new Scream Zone include Zamperla’s Turbo Force and a SlingShot high thrill ride from Funtime. The newly re-themed American Eagle made its debut as the Volare, which means “to fly” in Italian, at Denver’s Elitch Gardens in 2002. Zamperla/CAI has a ten-year lease to operate amusements on the 6.9 acres the City bought for $95.6 million from Thor Equities. Zamperla’s Scream Zone will be located on “Parcels B & C, ” the City-owned property at Stillwell and the Boardwalk. The thrill park is expected to open in 2011.
On Saturday morning ATZ tweeted: Hope to see some KAP – Kite Aerial Photography – of Coney Island from this weekend’s Kite Flying Festival! We got our wish: flickr member “Ron’s KAP” uploaded this splendid aerial view of Coney’s amusement area from West 12th Street to West 10th. You can see Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, the new Luna Park, and the Cyclone Roller Coaster. We have a total of 59 rides now in Coney, including 19 in the new park. The rides of 12th Street Amusements and McCullough’s Kiddie Park can also be seen on 12th St.
According to the photographer, “The wind was out of the NNW to WNW from 4-8 (maybe 9) MPH and some gentle gusts throughout that range. The only thing that would lift my rig is the ITW Triton.”
Which one of these elegant rigs did Ron’s KAP send into the sky over Coney? Perhaps he’ll return tomorrow and show us! Sunday’s forecast: Breezy with highs in the mid 60s. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph. In the photo below, American Kitefliers Association (AKA) members can be seen on the beach. Kite festival organizer Leucio Parrella’s red kite is aloft on the right.
The Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) pool on flickr has noteworthy aerial shots of Coney Island dating back to 2006, including shots of the Polar Bear Club.
Amusing the Zillion 