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The roller coaster that was swept right-side up into the Atlantic Ocean as Hurricane Sandy slammed the Jersey Shore may not be torn down, according to Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers.
The picture of the ride, which looks more like a water slide these days, has become an iconic image of the damage Sandy wreaked up and down the coast just over three weeks ago.
But Mayor Akers, in an exclusive interview with NBC 4 New York, said he is working with the Coast Guard to see if it is stable enough to leave it alone.
If it is, Akers said it would make "a great tourist attraction."
Meanwhile, demolition crews have already finished removing all of the damaged boardwalk that was the heart and soul of this seaside resort.
Businessmen like Mike Mergott of Mad Mike's Amusements said he is rebuilding because he is "one hundred per cent sure" families want to come back.
And Jim Loundy, who owned several buildings wiped away by the surge is confident he won't see another storm like this for "another fifty or sixty years."
Mayor Akers said construction on a new boardwalk should begin in January, and be ready by Memorial Day.
Julio Cortez / AP file
A rollercoaster that once sat on a pier in Seaside Heights, N.J., rests in the ocean after the pier was washed away by Superstorm Sandy,Oct. 31, 2012.
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New Jersey is the best, I don't care what you States that arrived after us think!
Lou for President! And he can have the mayorship in Seaside too if he wants! lol (Don't like the idea of leaving the dead coaster in the water, that's stupid). I grew up on Long Beach Island and in Manahawkin, and very special dates were taken in Seaside Heights. The rollercoaster sitting in the water is the first big one I ever went on in my life, and some of the other rides there were my first and best. First bumper cars, first Matterhorn (it was called the Swiss Bob but pretty much same ride), first Ferris Wheel and also had the best Halloween fun too. I am heartbroken about the devastation of my wonderful home, but I'll tell everyone here, if anyone can come back tougher, smarter and better it's Jersey and her people.
Jersey sucks, mainly because of the show "The Jersey Shore", how disgusting can people be?! Nothing but a bunch of sluts and meatheads on steroids wearing Tapout shirts getting arrested. I cant believe the people of New Jersey even allow that show to air; it gives your state SUCH a bad name. Yeah the rollercaoster idea sucks too; pull that scrap metal out of the ocean and turn it into something usefull and productive.
Ebenezer for President! I agree 100%. EVERYONE I've ever met from NJ EXCEPT ONE PERSON - have been jewish snobs. Noses up in the air like their chit don't stink and always RUDE!
Okay, so stereotype an entire state over one stupid TV show even though all of the people who star in it are from New York...because that's mature and everything. Most people from Jersey can't stand that show. Lol, grow up.
and Pork Chops, Ive lived here my entire life and don't really know any "Jewish Snobs". Some of you people really need to stop talking out of your ass.
I have lived in New Jersey for fifteen years. We are native New Yorkers and have found a wonderful home here. Yes, there are problems but, our experience here has been a good one. Pork Chops, you can add two more people living in New Jersey to your list who ARE NOT nasty or snobbish. Incidently, the Jersey Shore miscreants are from Brooklyn. They came here to pollute our reputation. Please, stop paying so much attention to television. Come to Sayreville, I'll show you the REAL New Jersey..
oops
The "Jersey Shore" crowd is a bunch of spoiled NYC borough kids, not New Jersey residents. The seaside bar areas attract them every summer. Instead of hating NJ have sympathy for what the residents have to deal with.
And as far as the Roller Coaster goes, time will tell, but I feel it will get old quick. But for a year or so it will probably draw people to go see. And people are money, and to a town that has lost so much any boost in revenue would be welcome.
Great tourist attraction! After New Jersey I'm going to Gaza.
Won't take long for it to become a mass of rusting metal to jab children's feet.
Move the pile of junk. The salt water will rust it quicker than they can imagine.
Wrong. Its a whole new ballgame.
"Destroyed roller coaster could be Jersey Shore tourist attraction, mayor says"
I wonder who the tourists will be, Pre-schoolers maybe?
They dont call it "Joisy" for nothing...
I think the tourists might be tweekers collecting a bit of metal to sell.
Leave it for an attraction?
Seriously?
Guess I'll pull my son's wrecked truck out onto the front lawn with a sign "Remember the tree" on it.
If it's good enough for Jersey, it's gotta be OK for the rest of the Nation too.
To leave the thing there would be an idiotic move. Not only would it become a rusted out eyesore in very short order, it would turn into a major hazard. Too many people would be tempted to climb on and pay around the thing. This would no doubt lead to many injuries and hazardous rescue situation for lifeguards and other emergency personnel. The idea of leaving it there is just plain stupid and asking for trouble.
I was thinking the same thing. Salt water will rust that junk to nothing really quickly. Being right there in the waves, it will undoubtedly fall quickly as well. The idea of actually leaving it there is as stupid as it gets. Especially for a mayor to even suggest. And I can't think of anyone who lost family during that storm that would like to see a reminder of their loss every time they take the kids to the beach.
Real boneheaded move as politicians go.
The way it works in NJ, the mayor is waiting for the governor to invest with him in a hazard removal company so both can laud the great work they're doing in the cleanup and score points for the next election, while cleaning up for themselves. That's the repub/tparty way.
Hopefully this is just about optimistic rhetoric on the Mayors part and will not come to pass as a "tourist attraction".
There is no way anyone with any credibility could insure the structural integrity of this mess in the surf and would be safe to leave it where it is. Especially if another hurricane hit. Apparently it wasn't in a safe location when the last hurricane hit. How could they guarantee anything about what could happen the next time?
I'd buy one if a perfect replica was inside a 'snow globe' though.
It looks like something from one of the "Planet of the Apes" movies!
I may be wrong but not tearing it down and removing it (ie: not polluting the shore line) smacks of avoiding the cost of the clean-up.
Leaving that wreckage in the water is a very stupid idea. It is an obstacle and an eyesore. Who wants to be reminded to the devastation wreaked by Frankenstorm Sandy. Honestly, I can't think of a worse idea. Take pix, put tem in the archives but for heavens sake, clean up this mess and help everyone get on with their lives... This was a tragedy...
I live near here and I don't think the mayor is as Machiavellian as some have suggested. He's all about making money in the short run without thinking about long term consequences. This is the same mayor who thought "Jersey Shore" was a good idea. True it made a lot of money for the town, but also sullied it's reputation and damaged the brand for years to come. I'm sure he really does think it will draw folks to SSH instead of other towns. He probably believes this because of all the gawkers who have been trying to get over to the islands since it happened to see the destruction. I think it's a dumb idea fro an even dumber mayor.
Akers said it would make a great tourist attraction. It would make a great Death Trap for dumb people. Just one person dieing will be to high of a price of enmeshment to pay. Besides salt water will rust that into nothing real quickly.
If people who lost family or loved ones wouldn't want a reminder of the horrible day they died, why is there a huge memorial at Ground Zero? Why are they building a memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania? Why are there 168 empty chairs in a field in Oklahoma City? Simply put, people DO like to remember those they love, even as a result of a tragedy like these I mentioned and not just a hurricane, but I have to admit, leaving that junk in the water just waiting so that lifeguards will have to try to keep people away from it is idiotic. I think they should elect a new mayor.
Interesting thing is that the huge memorial at Ground Zero actually does not include any actual authentic reminders of 9/11 like the iconic steel remnants of the Towers and the damaged Sphere. They have all been banned from a memorial designed NOT to remind visitors of the attacks; just commemorate "loss" and "absence" while ignoring the why and how of that "loss" and "absence." And family members and survivors have called for the return of those artifacts to testify directly to the attacks but have been repeatedly denied by the "National Sept. 11 Memorial Foundation" chaired by Mayor Bloomberg. See facebook under causes, "save the sphere." Or just google Save the Sphere. So, here we a NJ mayor trying to preserve this roller coaster remnants and at GZ we have Bloomberg disposing of 9/11. Could not make this stuff up.
This is one of the more nonsensical ideas I've heard proposed in a while. Any one hear of Attractive nuisance, eyesore,or pollution?Why not just dump all the refrigerators and appliances that are laying around while your at it.Let's use some common sense and make improvements.
Tear down and clean up this wreck and mess. Build a bronze memorial to the roller coaster. Hire some wacko artist to create an "interpretation" of the disaster in rusty copper. Sell T-shirts that say "I rode it into the sea." Build a new virtual ride which simulates riding a roller coaster during a hurricane - with misting sprays to make sure everyone gets a bitter/joyful experience. TAX THE LIFE out of anyone who rides this new "attraction" to pay for the cleanup of the old one.
Perhaps, the Mayor guarantees that NJ would not have any storm . . .
The suggestion is naive and ignorant.
Did you actually pay attention? The mayor said nothing about future storms, it was one of the business owners who talked about 50 or 60 years for the next big storm. Talk aout ignorant.....
For residents and business owners to defiantly insist on rebuilding on the same shoreline in spite of the reality of rising ocean levels shows how stupid and arrogant people can be. As if Nature "wouldn't dare to do that again" within 50 or 60 years is typical human hubris. These idiots live in denial. The smart thing would be to abandon the low-level coastline and barrier islands, returning them to nature (the original landlord) and educate themselves on climate change. Fifty-sixty years from now, most of that area will be under water permanently.
Facisthater...what is it like to be smarter than everyone else? I bet it's mega cool. I have a question, though. To a lesser being like me, it seems odd that one would go off on people, calling them idiots and then mock them for their hubris. Or are you insinuating by your disdain for "typical human hubris", that you're NOT human? That would explain your super powers, I suppose. All hail Klaatu!
It's not that you don't have a point, by the way. You might be able to sway some people to your views were you not such a fascist hater.
That is the Jet Star, correct?
No, I think it's the Fish Hilton...
They should get rid of the eye sore. Silver linings cant always be found. Or perhaps you need to look deeper for them, and find the hidden meaning.
I suggest a new purpose built water coaster, that actually works. The featured attraction at a new Oceanside resort park. Call it "The Hurricane".
Document and Remove. It is a danger and a liability to NJ.
Yeah, nothing screams litigation like leaving a piece of twisted metal in the water for all the daredevils to climb over and fall from. As Freedom4Everyone suggests, rebuilding is a much better idea. I would also suggest using the (rebuilt) boardwalk as a commemorative piece for those lost to Sandy's fury.
Looks like a good prop for the next Planet Of The Apes movie
Been there, done that, sort of...if you remember the 1979 made-for-TV movie "The Death Of Ocean View Park": http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079036/
The Skyrocket was also featured in the movie Rollercoaster (you may not remember that movie as it came out the same year Star Wars did!), not long before filming began on "Death". I've BEEN to Ocean View Park. I also was here to watch that "rickety old rollercoaster" fall. In reality, even though they set blasts at key points and even weakened the structure by sawing through the supports, they blasted it TWICE with enough dynamite to blow a fully loaded 18 wheeler over 100 feet in the air and it STILL wouldn't fall. They actually had to have a bulldozer pull the thing down because they couldn't afford the pyrotechnics to keep trying to blow it up. Rickety... sheesh!!!
Well that has to be right up there with the stupidest things proposed this week. One man's trash is another man's treasure I guess.
I think the mayor needs to think again, never mind checking the coast guard, check the city's insurance agent. Duh
Only in NJ could they turn garbage into a tourist attraction. They're #2 in book.
Way to go Mayor Akers!!!
You have just made it to the top 10 DA list, right below our blabber mouth president.
Your incredibly bad judgement is not a good reflection on the citizens of Seaside Heights in electing you.
Jysus, you're just full of angry whiteman spew this morning. Hopefully it's not a big deal to get back on your meds.
Way to go "Dang" call people names toTRY and make a point.
Is this guy for real,it should be removed by the end of this year,just like the poor homeowners that have to remove their homes that were damage beyond repair.He wants a tourist attraction, he should do something about those beach and parking fees,how about cleaning up the hotels,perhaps some nice clean sheets,beds and clean hotel bathrooms. Nothing like going on a nice vacation to be reminded of such a great devastation.:(:(
The roller coaster needs to be removed from the ocean. I am not a big environmentalist, but there is more than enough junk polluting the world's oceans. The mayor needs to use his head for something other than a hat rack.
The local salvage companies should be interested in this project. I'm not sure what the coaster is made of, but suspect since it's old, the wood and steel could be especially valuable.
And there will be those that market pieces of it on ebay. The Mayor should be getting bids for the salvage and not thinking about leaving it where it is.
It's a complicated issue though, as it's probably not clear who is going to have to pay for what, as related to the hurricane damage.
It's a death trap for anyone who attempts to play around or on it. Only NJ would want to show this junk off their shores. It will then turn into a tackle shop of fishing gear getting hung up... Maybe they can then get an artist to paint it...Maybe tow it to the mayors house....
I completely agree. This Mayor is in La La land if he thinks that leaving this coaster in the surf is a good idea. I think his real goal is to not have to foot the bill to remove it. But rather than trying to ignore the problem, he should be seeking financial help to remove it.
SNL should do a skit on this Mayor. "The new tourist attractions of the Jersey Shore". You can come and wade for pieces of the boardwalk...etc. Only problem is, it's so sad in real life, it may be difficult to be funny without offending a lot of people.
But that is where this Mayor is coming from, a real clown on the issue of dealing with the horrific damage.
And Jim Loundy, who owned several buildings wiped away by the surge is confident he won't see another storm like this for "another fifty or sixty years."................guess he hasn't heard about glomal warming
Yes, let's leave another piece of trash in the water for little kids to play with when it rusts and washes up on the beach not to mntion what it does to marine life that we eat as it slowly disintergrates. Did someone actually vote for this guy?
@Mayor Akers: You sir, are an idiot.
If this was said by a ordinary person you'd take it as a joke, but being a politician he means it. Just goes to show the quality of leadership today in the USA.
They should bury a seawall under the reconstructed boardwalk. To have it ready by Memorial Day, they will have to rebuild the existing boardwalk and just hope another storm doesn't hit. I hope for the best, I love walking the boardwalk at Seaside.
Put it in the Meadowlands! NYJets Suck! Their Gonna Need an ATTRACTION! A New Mascot!
The mayor can blast rhetoric propaganda, and if people believe it, they're idiots. They've stopped construction on a $15million dollar road project over a bug they thought was extinct in Texas. TEXAS!
Environmentally motivated people, and anyone with any common sense has to understand this will eventually turn into an environmental, health, and physical danger for miles up and down the shoreline.
The mayor is thinking out his ass, opening the town up to lawsuits. There was so many rescues this past year from people who got in over their head now add this obstacle , people swimming and climbing on it for a dare...get some body-bags