by Martin Palicki
One of the most tragic by-products of our cell phone culture is the near elimination of public pay phones. Growing up, I learned that every pay phone possibly held a hidden treasure within. It was almost automatic that, as an adolescent, my index finger would press into the curved coin return, causing that familiar clink of the swinging metal cover, hoping to find the monetary remnant of a call gone awry. Where else are kids supposed to learn the value of a quarter? Thank goodness coin-op newspaper racks haven’t been replaced!
As an adult, I have a broader concept of what value means, and I think this issue reflects that diversity. One cause that is gaining momentum in our industry is valuing our older parks that are continuing to disappear. Due in no small part to the efforts of organizations such as ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts) and NAPHA (National Amusement Park Historical Association) awareness is being brought to these “hidden treasures.” Our News Editor contributed an important perspective on this issue as he reflects on his time at Whalom Park in Massachusetts and reviews a new documentary on the now-defunct park.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have a wonderful opinion piece written by Holiday Worldʼs resident blogger, Paula Werne. She reveals ways industry professionals can increase the value they provide to guests, their parks, and one another. She also shared with us some more information on Holiday Worldʼs exciting 2006 capital investment.
Both Holiday World and our cover story park, Mount Olympus, are perfect examples of parks that are not backed by mega-corporations, but through good management, a little bit of luck, and offerings of enormous value, have stayed on our radar and continue to flourish.
I’m not sure if Will Koch or Nick Laskaris ever checked coin returns for quarters, but they both certainly learned how to provide a valuable product that has stood the test of time. Pay phones or not, I hope we can all learn from them.
