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December 23, 2001

• Today, Sunday, December 23rd, 2001 is the LAST DAY of Surf Avenue's RAINBOW FLEA MARKET (the one closest to the Stillwell Ave. Terminal). Louie's flea market, which is what, twenty years old(?), will close down forever starting on Monday!
  

• Those of us who care about Coney Island history and potential landmarks need to shed a tear or two today since a truck delivering food to Nathan's Famous hotdogs smashed into the 1920's neon sign on the side of the restaurant and the sign suffered extensive and severe damage. The sign has no landmark status and neither does Nathan's in general so who knows if they will be willing to restore it.... Also, we're sad to report that on Thanksgiving day there was a minor fire in the dancehall of the old Henderson's Restaurant building on Stillwell Avenue between Surf and the Bowery. Both Henderson's and Nathan's are on the list of building we think should be landmarked.
  

• MELVIN BURKHART passed away Thursday, November 8th, down in Florida. Melvin was probably the most famous sideshow performer of all during most of the 20th century. He was the originator of the Human Blockhead act as well as the Anatomical Wonder and the Two Faced Man. Melvin was a famed sideshow magician and as an inside talker on the electric chair, blade box, etc. his jokes and lines have influenced other talkers and are still in use on stage to this day. For many years Melvin performed with the sideshow touring with the James E. Straits show. His last full-time job was with our own Sideshows by the Seashore when we were located up on the Coney Island Boardwalk. I think Melvin worked with us from 1987 through 1990. His very last performance was at the wedding of Todd and Krista Robbins and he was terrific! We love you, Melvin! R.I.P.
  

• Coney Island is seeking video footage of this year's Mermaid Parade- either footage of television broadcasts of the event or footage that you may have shot. We are hoping to prepare a package containing this footage to help us better promote and organize next year's event. If you can help, please contact us!
  

• Friends of the B & B Carousell thought it was unusual this morning of the 4th of July when owner/operator Mike Saltstein did not roll up his gates and open the carousel early as usual. When friends went to his apartment they found Mike in bed, apparently he died peacefully in his sleep; rest in peace, Mike. Mike was more or less 60 years old and seemingly in good health and very, very dedicated to his carousel. Co-owner Jimmy McCullogh has announced funeral arrangements: Friday 9 AM at Yabalrolf Chapel, 1978 Coney Island Avenue between Avenue P and Quentin Road. As far as I know Michael Saltstein spent his entire life working in Coney Island on carousels. He was one of a kind and will be missed by all.

May 31, 2001

• Jerry Klein passed away last Sunday, r.i.p.  Klein was Fred Moran's partner at the Thunderbolt rollercoaster.
• Nathan's has erected scaffolding around the old scooter building across the alley known at Schweikert's Walk.  The building is one of the oldest remaining clapboard structures in Coney Island but it will be demolished within a week or two.
• The MTA is moving along with preliminary demolition of the Stillwell Avenue subway terminal.  The historic terra-cotta facade, however, is being carefully disassembled, piece by piece and as each piece is lowered to the ground it is tagged and carefully wrapped. The terra-cotta facade will be repaired and reglazed and reinstalled on the new station.
• Last weekend the Mayor Task Force again visited the flea markets on the north side of Surf Avenue.  All the flea market vendors and also the furniture stores were issued summonses saying that they were in violation of the C-7 zoning designating Coney Island as an amusement park.

May 9, 2001

• NYPD's Brooklyn South Task Force conducted a major raid today on all of the vendors at the Surf Avenue flea market.  All vendors were inspected for licenses, stolen merchandise, etc. and many vendors were arrested and taken away in handcuffs.

March 28, 2001

• Today's DAILY NEWS has a boxing column by Tim Smith in the sports section headlined "HBO Suits Think Coney Perfect for Jirov-Toney". He writes "For the first time in 70 years, boxing could return to Coney Island with a 12 round bout between IBF cruiserweight champion Vassiliy Jirov and James Toney on HBO's BOXING AFTER DARK on July 7. The undercard could include a bout featuring junior welterweight contender Hector Camacho Jr. or one of the heavyweight Klitschko brothers. There will also be a fireworks show."

March 24, 2001

• Today's DAILY NEWS has an article by reporter Frank Lombardi headlined "Robinson, Reese Statue To Stand At Coney Island". Yesterday, Mayor Giuliani announced that the statue, which was to be erected at the old Ebbets Field site, will instead come to Coney Island. "Planners of the privately funded statue - which could cost up to $600,000 with landscaping, lights and maintenance - said they haven't selected the artist and design. They hope to have the statue installed by the end of the year". If any of you don't know your baseball history, Jackie Robinson broke the race barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and Pee Wee Reese was a southern born shortstop who put his arm around Robinson when he was being booed by a jeering crowd after he fumbled an easy play..

March 22, 2001

• ASTROLAND removed their Music Express ride at the Surf Avenue entrance to their park this past winter so as to make room for a new free fall tower. The tower deal fell through and now they are running an ad in the March 12th issue of the trade publication called AMUSEMENT BUSINESS. The ad reads: "Wanted: Sensational ride for Coney Island's Astroland Amusement Park located 100 feet next to the Cyclone Roller Coaster in a million dollar prime location. Will consider rent, buy or lease. From March 15th - September 15th."

March 21, 2001

• A new ride has been delivered today for Deno's Wonderwheel Park. It is called the FREE FALL and it is a child's version of the popular new tower free fall rides appearing across the country. The ride is being erected by a large crane which is parked at the end of West 12th Street and hoisting the parts directly onto the Boardwalk frontage of Deno's.
• Astroland has already made room for new ride(s) by removing both the Music Express and Electric Go-Karts. However, it does not seem like they will have anything new in place by their April 1st opening.
• Today's DAILY NEWS has an article by Bob Liff about the rehab of our Stillwell Avenue subway terminal. A $220 million project will replace the rotting 85 year old station with "...new platforms, lighting, mezzanine and rest rooms...". The best details of the MTA plan include restoration of the terra cotta facade on Surf Avenue and solar energy panels. On the downside, the construction will knock out three of our four subway lines in 2003. Liff writes: "Tentative plans call for runnning a shuttle train on what is now the D line from Brighton Beach to West 8th Street...riders on the F train, which will end at Avenue X, and the N, which will end at 86th Street, will have to take either regularly scheduled city buses or bus shuttles that may be operating."

March 19, 2001

• Spring has arrived in Coney Island and there are signs of life and spring cleaning all over the place. Three things in particular are noteworthy today:
  • The cars have been placed back on the Wonderwheel.
  • Painters have erected scaffolding on the Shore Theater building across the street
    from Nathan's. They have painted the balcony on the upper floor and they are also putting a fresh coat of paint on the huge neon sign that says "SHORE". Although the sign has no working neon this is its first paintjob in decades and what a difference it makes!
  • An new business called "Luigi's Real Italian Ices" is setting up on the south side of Surf Avenue directly across the street from the B&B Carousel..

March 13, 2001

• The Coney Island Circus Sideshow opens SAT & SUN April 14 & 15 AT 1 pm.
• This year's Mermaid Parade is Saturday, June 30, 2001,Subject to final confirmation.

February 13, 2001

• The NYC Department of Sanitation cleaned up Murray Handwerker's property behind Nathan's bordering West 15th Street, Bowery and Riegelmann Boardwalk. This was a operation of their lot clean-up program. Most recently this property has been used for parking cars.
• The NY City Council has passed a measure to rename West 12th Street between Surf Ave and Boardwalk, DENOS D. VOURDERIS WAY. Speaking of Deno who loved the Wonderwheel so much, we note that Disneyland in California has opened a new ride section called California Adventures. They have built an exact copy of the Wonderwheel that they call the Sunwheel and they did it without asking permission of the Vourderis Family!
• 73 year old attorney Sanford Silver was found murdered and his body dumped near the Coney Island Creek in the vicinity of Belt Parkway Exit 6 ramp by the ballfield. His body was stuffed in plastic trash bags and dumped in a reedy area close to the creek.
• The Brooklyn Cylones named Edgar Alfonso as their first manager. His brother is the Mets 2nd baseman. Former Mets Howard Johnson and Bob Ojeda have been named coaches. Their stadium will be named KeySpan Park.
  

• There is a big budget film getting ready to shoot in Coney Island on Wednesday and Thursday. The movie is directed by Danny Devito and stars Robin Williams and Ed Norton. They are only filming one scene which takes place in a fictional methadone clinic at Bowery and Henderson's Walk. They have created lots of new signage, storefronts and have sprayed fake snow all over the place.
  

• THE BAY NEWS has a bizarre-but-true story by reporter Gary Buiso called: "FEATHERS FLY AS AQUARIUM HUNTS DOWN PENGUIN-STALKING CATS".  It is the Coney Island version of "man bites dog" and puts animal lovers on the spot forcing them to take sides!  Apparently  a colony of over two dozen stray or feral cats have been living in the area where the Cyclone Rollercoaster meets the NY Aquarium parking lot.  They have been there for years, I have seen them often myself and several animal lovers feed these cats; the paper estimates that animal lovers leave up to 32 cans of catfood a day and this has been going on for five years.  Recently, however, officials at the Aquarium have spotted some cats inside  exhibits stalking black-footed penguins.  The Aquarium hired AN EXTERMINATOR to trap the cats and critics claim that  at least two cats ended up not at an animal shelter but "improperly disposed of". The Aquarium fired the exterminator  and is currently looking to hire a different trapper. The stray cat colony has apparently been reduced to five or six now.  The full article is worth a read. I loved the rumor that cats were being dropped into the shark tanks! P.S. - the otherwise fine fishy institution recently changed its name from NY Aquarium to Aquarim for "wildlife preservation"...go figure!
  
  
• Crime in Coney Island was down 2.37% in year 2000*. The following are
  stastistics from the 60th Police Precinct:
  CATEGORY       2000     1999              %CHANGE
  Murder                  8           6                   33.3
  Rape                   27          31                -12.9
  Robbery              509        500                  1.8
  Assault                386       445                -13.3
  Burglary               452       398                 13.6
  Grand Larceny      568        550                  3.3
  Auto Theft           394        471                -16.3
  ____________________________________
  TOTALS:          2,344    2,401                 -2.37
  
  *Note that this includes Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, and Coney Island. Actual incidents of crime in the amusement park area are actually very low.
  
  
• The Liquor Store on Stillwell Avenue near Mermaid has closed.  It will be replaced by a new Kennedy Fried Chicken restaurant which itself was replaced by Popeye's Chicken on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues.
  

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