Latest news with #RavineFlyerII
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Waldameer & Water World officially open for season Saturday, debuts new attractions
The fifth oldest continuously operating amusement park in the country has opened its doors once again for the season. Waldameer Park & Water World is filled with over 100 attractions for anyone in the family to enjoy. President Steve Gorman said they have been working hard to get everything prepared for the summer. 'We do a lot of maintenance work on the rides all year long, so when we reassemble them and then we just have to test them and check it all out,' said Gorman. Line spills out the door on Erie Crumbl Cookie opening day As the park reaches its 129th year, the family-owned business continues to evolve and update. They have added a new thrill ride called Time Twister this year. It's placed at the former spider location, which operated from 1977 until 2024. What people will notice the most is that the entrance to Water World has been reconstructed. Their goal is to create smoother entry and exit, reducing lines and congestion on busy days. The plaza that was formerly home to the well-known Potato Patch stand that operated for about 40 years has been replaced by a new food and beverage location called Tasty Tater. 'Which will offer the same products but also some new things like some fish and some sausage, and some shrimp,' said Gorman. Despite the rain, many people still came out to enjoy the rides. 'Sometimes it's worth the bad weather,' said Arianna Milton, who was enjoying Waldameer's first day of the season. 'We had this whole plan for a bunch of people to come, and then no one really showed up, so we're just trying to have fun.' Meteorologist Tom Atkins hosts bi-annual spring SKYWARN class Milton, along with her best friends Mary and Olivia, gets season passes every summer and looks forward to opening day all year long. They plan to ride their favorites, which include Thunder River and Ravine Flyer II, which has recently been ranked number four in USA Today's Choice Awards for best roller coaster in the United States. 'Come out, have fun. It's something to do,' said Mary Skladanowski, who was enjoying Waldameer's first day of the season. 'Summer will come and we will be ready for you,' said Gorman. Gorman said they are almost fully staffed, but they are still in need of ride operators. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Splash Lagoon ranks 2nd on list of best indoor water parks nationwide
A popular indoor water park in Erie County has been ranked second in the nation. Splash Lagoon has welcomed 8 million guests since it opened in 2003. It's been nominated as part of USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards eight times. This year, it landed its highest ranking of number 2, just behind Kalahari Resorts. Waldameer's Ravine Flyer II ranks 4th among best coasters in US In addition to slides, Splash Lagoon features the biggest wave pool east of the Mississippi. Scott Enterprises' CEO Nick Scott Sr. said he's proud to help put Erie on the map for tourists. 'I always thought that somewhere between Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo, they're all equidistant. Erie was a great destination. It's such a big part of Erie's destination tourism, so we're really proud that we reached the number two in the entire country,' said Scott. Scott said Splash Lagoon also draws visitors from Rochester, Syracuse and Canada. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Line painting jobs in NWPA counties kick off
(WJET/WFXP)– PennDOT crews have once again started their work to repaint the lines on more than 8,000 miles of state roadways across all six northwest Pennsylvania counties. PennDOT's two crews will be repainting the lines in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren Counties, and they're asking drivers to stay back and stay patient. Photos being accepted for 2026 City of Erie Calendar Photo Contest While no exact date has been set for when the painting will be done, PennDOT said they expect it to be done in the coming months, with weather permitting. Should you come across painters, PennDOT said drivers should stay back at least 500 feet, not to drive on the wet paint or pass the truck or shadow vehicle and to stay patient as trucks will occasionally pull over to let traffic pass. Waldameer's Ravine Flyer II ranks 4th among best coasters in US They also said that as evening temperatures increase, line painting on the interstate will be done overnight. With ideal conditions, road paint tends to dry in about 90 to 120 seconds but could take longer depending on weather conditions and could take up to several more minutes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Millcreek, Red Cross installing free smoke alarms amid fatal fires
Already this year, Millcreek Township has had four fatal fires that took the lives of five people. Township officials said even one death is one too many, and now, they're taking steps to make sure township residents are better protected. Erie Insurance announces new $100 million charitable foundation Millcreek Township is working alongside the Red Cross to ensure that everyone in the township has working smoke alarms. Smoke detectors save lives. It's a proven fact and can seriously be the difference in you or your loved ones making it out of a burning home. 'Fires do evolve very quickly. First, you have that generation of smoke, and that's usually what will kill people, is smoke inhalation,' said Millcreek Township Supervisor Dan Ouellet. Since January, five people in Millcreek Township have died in four fires and smoke alarms have been a common denominator in several of these recent tragedies. Waldameer's Ravine Flyer II ranks 4th among best coasters in US In three of the four fatal fires so far in Millcreek, there has either been a smoke alarm that didn't work, or no smoke alarm all together. 'After the first fire, we started looking into opportunities for grants and funding to make a significant impact for getting smoke detectors into people's hands,' said Michael Cliff, chief of the Millcreek Township Fire Department. When a fire breaks out, you only have two to three minutes to get out of the house before you're trapped. And if you're not being woken up by a smoke alarm, that time is cut significantly leaving seconds for you to escape. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now In response to these findings, the fire department, along with the Red Cross, will be going to people's homes and installing smoke detectors in people's homes free of charge. 'It's unique because of the frequency of how many fatal fires we've had in this first quarter. Pennsylvania, unfortunately, has the highest fire fatality rate in the United States. This program came about as a Red Cross initiative to try to reduce that by 20%, and we've been doing this since 2015,' said Red Cross community disaster program manager Geoffrey Domowicz. It's part of the 'Sound the Alarm Campaign,' which not only provides people with the alarms but also a thorough education on home fire safety. 'We are going on about five to six thousand calls per year now that we have the paid staff implemented. We really plan to have fliers made up for advertisement for the partnership with the Red Cross. We plan on distributing those when we're out on calls, out in the community. We're going to do some public campaigns as well and I do foresee us going into some of our higher-risk areas to pass them out,' Chief Cliff went on to say. ECGRA gives out nearly $200K to local organizations through Special Events Grants You can sign up for the program by calling 814-240-7667 or online here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Waldameer's Ravine Flyer II ranks 4th among best coasters in US
(WJET/WFXP) – A beloved Erie roller coaster is receiving national recognition. Waldameer & Water World's Ravine Flyer II has been ranked the #4 roller coaster in the country, according to USA Today's 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards. Splash Lagoon offering free admission for firefighters on May 4 Thrill seekers and coaster fanatics were able to vote on coasters based on nominations from a panel of amusement park experts. According to voters, Ravine Flyer II's combination of modern and classic features contributed to its high placement on the list. Fans also enjoyed the coaster's fast-paced thrills and one-of-a-kind bridge. Poverty Knob hosts celebrity bartending night for Autism Society of NWPA Ravine Flyer II is no stranger to awards. The coaster won Amusement Today magazine's Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride in a Park for 2008, the year of the coaster's inception. It is also consistently listed among their top wooden coasters. 'We are incredibly honored to have our premier coaster named one of the top roller coasters in the country,' said Steve Gorman, CEO of Waldameer. For more information about park hours, tickets, and attractions, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
