Help save the Golden Nugget...

[Al Alven]

Below is an excerpt from an e-mail I recently received from Dino Fazio, Director of Operations for Morey’s Piers/Raging Waters.

I had previously inquired about the status of the Golden Nugget Mine Ride on the old Hunt’s Pier.

Take a look at the information provided, but pay special attention to the last part of the message…<br>
We continue to investigate the feasibility of moving the Golden Nugget and putting this once great attraction back into service. This is a very large project. As such, we have not yet made any firm commitments, but we hope to have a final decision in the near future.

Please feel free to email additional questions or comments in the future. We love to hear from our guests! In addition, the more guests that want the Golden Nugget back in operation, the greater the chance we will be able to make this goal a reality. So tell your friends!

Sounds like a call to action to me!

Here's the e-mail address: [e-mail].

[Tim W]

I LOVE that ride! I will e-mail "Morey's Piers" to tell them to renovate the ride, and to run it like it was before. We were just looking at our old pictures from the early 90's from inside that ride, it was one of the very few rides my then-girlfriend (now wife) would go on. Memories Galore!

[DooWopper]

Whats the E-Mail adress? Id love for it to be saved, even though I think it was gone before my time, I still love old rides.

[Al Alven]

DooWopper, thanks for reminding me to actually provide the e-mail address to Morey's Piers Operations.

I just modified the opening post to display it.

[DEVIL]

It is so stupid to move an asbestos filled ride. Morey should keep it on the pier it is presently on. And put more rides on the old Hunts pier. No on needs that much storage. It is a waste of perfectly good amusement real estate.

[FlyinGN]

ill be sure to write:)

Frank

[Doowopper]

I wrote.

[jms]

i wrote to this morning. hope it does help. I have been going to wildwood for 40 years and would love to see this cool ride saved. I have great memories of the old hunts pier and to see something saved from this pier would be great!

[Moreys Golden Nugget]

Thursday February, 17 yet another engineer was inside the golden nugget. This could be progress in moving the ride.

AC

[Al Alven]

Thanks for the update, AC!

Let's continue to keep our fingers crossed...

(And, please, write a letter to the Moreys if you haven't already. Trust me, they do listen, and it WILL help make a difference!)

[DooWopper]

Heres the E-Mail Morey's Piers sent back to me!
----------------------------------------------------------------


Thank you for your comments! We are studying the feasibility and hoping to find a way to achieve a relocation and a rehab of this once great attraction. We have made no commitments at this time. This is an extraordinarily difficult project, but one that we hope can be achieved in the near future. Thanks again and have a great day!
Sincerely,
Dino


Dino Fazio
Director of Operations
Morey's Piers/Raging Waters
3501 Boardwalk
Wildwood, NJ 08260

www.moreyspiers.com

[MrBoardwalk]

[glow=red,2,300]The asbestos in the Golden Nugget is only in the stucco walls that make up the exterior and it harmless unless it is disturbed. Asbestos would make tearing down the Golden Nugget harder and more expensive then tearing down other structures and that is what might have saved it all these years. The ride opened in 1997-98 and asbestos didn’t stop that. This ride can live again if it gets a face lift and renovation. Simply put, there just isn’t anything else like it.[/glow]

AC

[momto2]

I emailed them just now... I also let another board on wildwood know to write as well.. The more the better right!!!
Great job AL!
Here is the other board
www.nj.com/forums/shore
most of you may know it already
Janet

[MMM]

I just sent the following letter to the Morey organization:

Hello Mr. Fazio (and all),

I had read with great interest the news I'd seen noted in various places of the restoration/move/documentary/re-opening of the great Golden Nugget Mine Ride, once a big, important part of the old Hunt's Pier on the Wildwood Boardwalk, and a well-known, renowned piece of Wildwood's history. This news was something of a dream come true for me, and I was anxious to read of any updates on the progress of all this. I had also planned on being there on the opening day of your piers for the reopening of the Golden Nugget (I've never been to the Boardwalk that early in the year), in addition to riding on the Nugget on my more regular visits to the Wildwoods. I was disappointed when I later read that there would be a delay in all this, but realized that it would all be worth the wait for another year or two.

It has now come to my attention that the Morey organization is now debating whether or not to go through with these plans for the Golden Nugget. This has me concerned. The Golden Nugget, besides being a wonderful, important part of Wildwood's history, and one of the few things to survive after all these years from the old Hunt's Pier, can also be a vital part of Wildwood's future, if allowed to live again. It is a very unique, special ride that is capable of being a standout attraction.

I understand that one of the concerns with going through with the restoration/reopening of the Golden Nugget is its planned move across the beach to the Schellenger Avenue Pier. If it is found that for some reason the Golden Nugget cannot be moved without damage, would it be possible to restore it and make it an active ride where it sits currently? I have read that the Morey Organization didn't have plans on activating that pier again, but has anyone ever considered the possibility of turning the old Hunt's Pier into a kind of speciality pier containing so-called "Dark Rides", with the Golden Nugget being the centerpiece to build such a pier around? I would think that turning this pier into something as I described above, as long as its scope is not too limiting, but at the same time keeps to the theme, would make it possible for an additional pier to be viable on the Wildwood Boardwalk, as it would be quite different from the others you already have in operation. I realize there is a Go-Kart track active on part of the pier (in addition to storage), but you already have a (nicer, IMO) Go-Kart track underground, but you do not have another Golden Nugget (which, in my opinion, could never have a replacement). However, if reopening the pier is not a possibility, my biggest concern is for the Golden Nugget to live again on the Wildwood Boardwalk, regardless of its location.

As the owners/caretakers of this magical ride, I truly hope that you all realize and understand the significance of the Golden Nugget, and the grand role it can play in Wildwood's future.

Best,
Martin Melucci

[DEVIL]

HMMM....THATS NOT WHAT I OVERHEARD....READ THIS FROM WWW.SCREAMSCAPE.COM

Morey’s Piers (Wildwood)
The overall Morey’s complex currently includes: Morey's Pier, Mariner's Landing, Wild Wheels Pier and the old Dinosaur Beach Pier.

Park News - (1/19/05) Lots of rides are moving around this season: The Gravitron is being moved to make way for AtmosFear and will be replaced where the Tornado sat last summer. The Tornado will be moved to Wild Wheels. The RC-48 and Break Dance have been removed totally, and the Doo Whopper from Wild Wheels will take the RC-48’s place. The Flitzer will also be moved from the center of the pier to the south side of Morey’s Pier. The Sea Dragon is moving to Mariners Landing where Fire Ball was last summer.

2005 - AtmosFEAR - (2/11/05) The park has confirmed that the new AtmosFEAR drop tower ride will be designed and built by Larson International and A.R.M. Inc. It will stand 140 feet tall, dropping rides in excess of 45mph at up to 3 Gs. As the riders are lifted, they will experience lightning flashes, storm sound effects and fog will fill the air before they are launched at the ground.
(12/20/04) The Morey’s website is showing off a little teaser animation promoting something called AtmosFEAR coming in 2005 along with the message “Rise through the clouds and feel the thunder”. Given the name and message I’m going to guess that it could be some kind of drop tower.

2006 - Golden Nugget - Delayed - (1/10/05) Screamscape sources tell us that the Golden Nugget will not be moved at all this year and the whole project to move it at all is being held off due to concerns over the stability of the attraction. Our spy tells us that over the year they will attempt to strengthen and fix any problems with it if possible and hopefully be able to move it in 2006.
2007/2008 - Hunt’s Pier Renovation - Rumor - (1/10/05) If our spy is correct, Morey’s has big plans to do something with the former Hunt’s Pier in the next 2-3 years