Geauga Lake: Former employee buys 'Geauga Dog' mascot costume

Tag : plastic dipper

BAINBRIDGE -- Jason Dlugokecki knew he had to be here this weekwhen Cedar Fair auctioned off what was left of Geauga Lakeamusement park. That's because they were auctioning off part of hislife, the part of his life filled with memories that are priceless.

He came with a video camera, a digital camera and some money in hispocket.
He left late Monday with "Geauga Dog," or at least what waspresumed left of the famous Geauga Lake mascot's costume -- theheadpiece.
His pocket was more than a little lighter as well, as the headpiecewas priced at $400 in the Carriage House gift shop, a "buy it now"memorabilia clearinghouse during the auction that was loaded withT-shirts, key chains, cups, posters and the head of Geauga Dog.
It wasn't until late Tuesday, as Jason and his mother Lindafinished up a second day of walking the park and recordingmemories, that Jason made another "find."
"Jason found the rest of the Geauga Dog costume," Linda said. "Itwas in the attic of the "Palace Theater" ... and the people thatbought the theater (The Burton Historical Society) are from Burton,Ohio."
The theater was where Geauga Lake had its magic show and, beforethat, it was the fun house, with the spinning barrel, the air walkand the revolving disc you tried to stay seated upon.
Linda said Jason showed the theatre's new owner where some of thesound equipment was inside and then asked the societyrepresentative if he would be willing to sell the other half of thecostume.
"They got to talking and Jason has some old pictures of Geauga Lakeand he is willing to help them dismantle what they want out of thetheater, so maybe they will give it to him at no cost, and if not,sell it to him for good price. What's a head without a body?" Lindasaid.
Jason has lots of photos of Geauga Dog and planned to have someonemake a replica of the rest of the costume.
Jason, now 30, worked at Geauga Lake from 1994 to 1999. He was only16 when he started working there.
"I started in Kiddieland and worked my way up," he said. Jason andhis wife, Dawn, a dental hygienist, now live in Garrettsville.
Linda and her husband Craig own the Roller Hutt Skate Center, onstate Route 88 in Garrettsville. It's a skate and fun center forfamilies and teenagers and you can find memorabilia from otheramusement parks there.
Jason's brother Justin, now 25, also worked at Geauga Lake. Jasongot him the job and he would have been here for the auction as wellbut was unable to get off work.
"My mother originally brought me here as a kid so we came backtogether to the auction," Jason said.
The first picture Linda took was of Jason outside the door of asmall office inside the main entrance.
"That was my office when I was section manager. I was in charge ofthe plaza, from the fountain to the Ferris Wheel," Jason said.
Jason walked the park and recounted his days running ridesthroughout the midway, from the Double Loop to the Texas Twister.
He was puzzled when he came upon the landmark 1926 Marcus Illionscarousel, covered in plastic. "That's not supposed to be here. It'ssupposed to be in storage," he said.
A quick check revealed that the carousel horses and benches, allmade entirely of wood, were in near-perfect condition.
"That's how we used to cover the carousel for the winter, coveringit with plastic," he said.
The carousel and the Americana Ferris Wheel are now scheduled to bemoved to other Cedar Fair parks.
As he walked the midways, taking side trips into the nooks andcrannies of the park with Linda right behind him, Jason toldstories of where employees would gather when it was pouring rainand few parkgoers came to the park.
He talked about how the JukeBox Cafe was built over the closed,Olympic-sized swimming pool, originally built in 1927 and closed inthe 1960s.
Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmueller set a record in the pool in the1920s.
Weissmueller, who died in 1984, won five Olympic gold medals, onebronze medal, fifty-two U.S. National Championships and setsixty-seven world records.
He never lost a race and retired from his amateur swimming careerundefeated. Linda knew who Weissmueller was but Jason only said"Who?"
"I remember bringing his lunch up to him here at work. He justloved working here, he was in heaven. How many of us can't wait toget work every morning?" Linda said.
Linda said that Jason's dream is to run a small amusement park.
As Jason walked the park this week, he also commented on thesilence and the lack of "smells" in the air.
"There's no smell of French fries, no smell of asphalt, or chlorinefrom the waters in the attractions," he said.
Looking at the open spaces where rides had been removed yearsearlier, leaving cement pylons overgrown with weeds, he said it"looked like a cemetery."
"I don't think the impact will really sink in until the bulldozerscome in. When people see the chains pulling down (the rides),that's when it will hit people," he said. © 2008 WKYC-TV