The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 16

08 THE COURiER-JOURNAL, MONDAY, WAY 11, 1998 3 ft? i I fit 'U ILZI I II A page made possible by Ashland Inc. and The Courier-Journal Newspaper in Education I liiL MM! Have you ever had to spend any time without Learning cr.J Imsshfng will rids slds by $Mz entertainment and took the idea home. As the concept was improved, the coaster was built to gain enough speed going down the first ramp that it could climb up another hill. Although the French made many improve- electricity? mmm hum ascnicRt psdi doss 3 Bspensss By GAIL TUCKER Special to The Courier-Journal to this ride, they lost interest after awhile and Americans took the lead in developing the potential of this exciting ride. The first roller coaster in our country was an abandoned mine train YES.

It was fun. We used candles and flashlights because the HOLIDAY CLD Holiday World Splashin' Safari, located in Santa Claus, will begin its 198 season in early May on the weekends, and its daily schedule will begin May 21. The park always opens at 10 a.m. (Central time) but the'closing hours vary. Admission costs $21 children under 54 inches tall or visitors over 60 years old get in for $15.95.

Children 2 and under are admitted free of charge. Parking is also free. The Indiana park's new attraction, opening Saturday, will be Monsoon Lagoon. The 12 levels of interactive play area will offer 60 different ways to get wet including giant water guns and a 1 ,000 gallon bucket that will dump water on he guests. "Stark Raven Mad" has been held annually since the Raven opened in 1995.

This event is open only to members of the roller-coaster enthusiasts associations, who take over the park for which was converted qhts went out. We went without to passenger use TV tor awhile until the power 1870 in came back on. It was kind of like Amish people always are." B.Z, Louisville There are a lot of important lessons to be learned at an amusement park: Will you get wetter if you sit in the front or back car on Mile High Falls? What is the probability that the game-booth worker can guess your weight within three pounds? If the ferns wheel ran continuously for 10 hours, what distance Would each gondola travel? These are the kinds of questions more than 60,000 students will try to answer this month during The Outdoor Classroom at Louisville's Kentucky Kingdom The Thrill Park. It's a program that shows students "that YES. "It was fun, because I like I If I 1 Pennsylvania.

Coaster wars broke out in the 1920s when companies tried to out-do each other with loops, faster speeds and higher drops. being in the dark." BLUES BROTHERS 2800 A MOVIE REVIEW BY DANIEL SOLZMAN GRADE 7, KAMMERER MIDDLE The Blues are back (and so are Dart Aykroyd and the Blues Brothers Band). Elwood and the Blues Brothers are back. When the first "Blues Brothers" hit theaters 18 years ago, it starred Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. However, when the new one hit theaters, it was much of the same plot.

Just like the first one, it starts with a release from prison and ends with a super concert. This one stars Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman. They co-star with J. Evan Bonifant, Joe Morton, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, and the Blues Brothers band.

Evan Bonifant is the youngest new Brother. He Dlays Buster, a troubled orphan whom Elwood 3lues (Aykroyd) decides to help while trying to get lis old blues band together. Through their adven-ures, they hook up with fellow blues guy Might Mack McTeer (Goodman). Joe Morton, who plays Elwood's semi-surrogate brother, finds that at least in this case, music is a powerful motivator. The three new ingredients aren't enough to overcome one major loss John Belushi (Jake Blues in the first film), the intensely funny comedian who co-created the concept with Aykroyd for "Saturday Night Live." The character died when he did.

The film features a killer new version of Aretha Franklin's "Respect." At the end of the film, there is a new rendition of "Please, Please, Please." This film is rated PG-13. The soundtrack is available in stores now. The first film, "The Blues Brothers," is currently available on video, digitally mastered in Lucasfilm THX. This film is a hit! J.L., boshen YES. Ididnl like it because it non-stop riding of the Raven roller coaster through the woods in the dark.

was really dark." things they are learn- Holiday World also oilers a spe- N.S., boshen it WWW cial I day for middle-and high- ir-, Hlg IllSiUC till. cassroom school students and YES. "It was fun because if 1i 1 1 I i f. 1. i 4 made me feel I was in a 16th can be century cathedral because of all their studies Friday.

It's called "Physics Day." he candles. E.M., Hickman YES. "I had to go three days without electricity in my kitchen. thought I would be verything was out. You never know how much you depend on ectncity until you donthave L.F., Corydon, YES.

"During the 1937 flood, I ZK Till-. rura was without electricity for a eng. longtime. I 4 ft! "WW j'iv fSX 7 ST. "..1 A.B., Louisville YES.

"And if you ask me, it's Jeff Pike, who just completed studies at the University of Louisville, built this roller-coaster model as a high-school student. not much fun. M.G, Scottsburg, Ind. One in Canada was so terrifying that a registered nurse was on duty at all times The first roller coasters Mere wooden, then YES. "When there was a big snowstorm, we had no electrici xilh have steel ones were introduced! Today ty for six hours.

I had to read a book or something. W.M., Lebanon YES. "It turned out to be the best night of our lives. With my small children, we all snuggled in bed, sang songs, stories and got to know THE BFG A BOOK REVIEW BY MAGGIE MORGAN HIGHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL LOUISVILLE Riveting! That's how I would describe this book, "The BFG" by Roald DahT. It goes at a mod- erate pace, but slow enough that you can fully digest everything that is written.

I find the setting, plot, climax and finale all very exciting! It's like riding a roller coaster; you never know what's going to happen next. One of the strong points are the character sketches. Each character seems to be real and very vivid in your imagination because of the detailed descriptions. The "Big Friendly Giant" is a funny person, but says way too many made-up words like "bogrot-ting," "trogglehumper" and "bogsmashing." The list goes on forever. I guess it could make you laugh, but to others it becomes annoying.

That was the only weakness I noticed throughout the whole book. There were a lot of illustrations, which seem to distract me, but they help you visualize the text more clearly. The story is very effective, and there are moments when you have no clue what is going to happen. You feel as if you are right there watching the whole thing inaction, live! Roald Dahl is a scrumdiddlyumptious writer and has the abilities to create any character or story he wants. I agree with Dahl's point of view: No matter how small or big you are, you can always be heroic and accomplish great feats.

Get to the library or nearest bookstore and pick up a copy to "The each other better, ft was a mem orable night," More information is available at Group Sales at 1-800-Gp-SANTA. ext. 220 or on the park's websiteut vww.hoti(ay.com. KSNTkCKY KINGDOM Th Thrill Park had 1.23 million visitors in 1997, flaking it the No. 1 paid family attraction in the jTer Twisted Sisters, the dueling roller coasters; Hook's Lagoon, an interactive tree house with water activities; and five new family rides will open this season.

Kentucky Kingdom also holds special events for members of ride enthusiasts associations. What's the top attraction at The Thrill Park? Vonderhite thinks Chang probably gets the prize. People have traveled from as far away as Australia to ride it! It also holds the record for being the fastest (63 miles per hour) and therefore "the scariest," in her opinion. Kentucky Kingdom is now open on weekends and will begin its daily schedule May 23. General admission is $26; children under 54 inches tall and visitors over 55 years old can enter for $15.

Children 3 and under get in free. Teen-agers at least 15 years old can also apply for a job at the park. For more information, call 366-2231 or, outside Kentucky, 1-800-SCREAMS. Primary sources: "Roller Coasters" by Todd H. Throgmorton, 1993; http:faq.rollercoaster.com; http:www.napha.org E.K.W., Louisville mi mines osssnoeic applied outside the classroom in real life situations and while they are having lots of fun," said park marketing director Debbie Vonderhite.

The Outdoor Classroom program, sponsored by Energy Corp. and the Jefferson County Public Schools, began in 1991 and provides teachers with worksheet assignments for virtually every ride in the park. This year Kentucky Kingdom will draw students from as far away as Nashville, for the classroom. Students attend the park on days when it's closed to: regular visitors. They exer.ci.se their skills and knowledge in math, science and other academic areas to answer the problems.

Arrangements for taking part in the Outdoor Classroom must go through school teachers. It's too late to sign up for this year, but if you're interested in the program, ask your teacher to participate in 1999. COASTING THROUGH HISTORY Perhaps the most popular ride in amusement parks is the roller coaster. There are even associations of enthusiasts who travel the world just to ride on unique coasters. The idea for fun and scary rides probably started with a ride built in the Soviet Union in the late 16th century with the development of ice slides.

A sled would leave a wooden tower, carrying an experienced guide and a passenger, and would plunge down a ramp covered with ice. At the bottom, the passengers would climb up to another 70 foot tower and make a return trip A French traveler became fascinated with this their fans. In designing these heart-stopping rides today, engineering and computer skills are essential, and often physicians fre consulted about the biomechanics of a rie. Good rides are designed toXicate a greater sensation of danger; however, thank to built-in safety devices, regular maintenance and periodic inspections, there are few accidents. AMUSEMENT PARKS The forerunners of the amusement park industry had their start in Europe in the 1500s with the creation of pleasure gardens.

They had fireworks, live entertainment, games and rides. While most of those original parks have closed, Bakken in Denmark has been in operation since 1583 and enjoys the status of the world's oldest operating amusement park. At first, amusement parks in this country were called trolley parks. They were located at the end of trolley routes to encourage the weekend use of trolleys. These parks were built for the enjoyment of adults, not kids.

By 1919, there were more than 1 ,500 amusement parks in operation but that big success didn't last long. Hundreds closed during the Depression. Santa Claus Land (now Holiday World Splashin' Safari) in Indiana opened in 1946, making it the nation's first theme park. The opening of Disneyland a few years later added to the popularity of this type of park. Do you enjoy riding scary rides? In Louisville call 582-4948.

Elsewhere, call toll-free 1-800-765-4011. Ask for the "4 Your Infa" line Deadline for calls: 8 p.m Wednesday. CaH us row! mm Please write and tell us what you think about an issue in the news or about a book, movie, game or TV show you think other young people would like. Give it to your teacher or send it to: 4 Your Info The Courier-Journal Public ServiceNIE 525 W. Broadway P.O.

Box 740031 Louisville, Ky. 40201-7431 Write Umt by riders as they reach the bottom of a hill and begin to climb again. Fighter pilots can tolerate up to 11-Gs before blacking out. Some roller coasters have 6.5 Gs. lift hill: typically the tallest part of a roller coaster and often the first hill.

nesative s-force: the floating-like sensation a rider feels wtien the train flies over a hill. woodie: the name used for wooden roller coasters airtimc: the exhilarating feeling of floating out of your seat while riding a roller coaster. ERT: Exclusive Ride Time the period when a park shuts down a roller coaster or other ride to the general public and lets enthusiasts ride it. S-force or the pressure felt Lots of play time has paid off for Jeff Pike, who just completed his mechanical-engineering studies at the University of Louisville's Speed Engineering School. His life-long hobby of riding roller coasters has turned into a job as a design engineer for a wooden roller coaster firm in California.

Pike has spent most his life consumed by the world of roller coasters. The 20-year-old from Edgewood, near Cincinnati, Ohio, began his passion for coasters when he was 8. He started writing and calling companies asking what he needed to do to become a designer of his favorite ride. While most of his attempts to communicate went unanswered, he would occasionally get a reply saying he needed to be good in math and become a mechanical engineer. While he waited long years to begin college, he rode roller coasters every weekend while parks were open, studied math, joined the American Coaster Enthusiasts organiza tion, and designed and built a model of a roller coaster called "Panic." He estimates that he has ridden both "The Beast" at King's Island and "Thunder Run" at Kentucky Kingdom about 2,500 times each.

When he got to Speed, he was pleased that many of his homework and test examples in dynamics and physics were about amusement parks and roller coasters. He learned all about speed, gravity, inertia, centrifugal force and the strength of different construction materials under various loads. He also had a chance to work with two different roller-coaster design companies as part of his student assignments. What makes a good roller coaster for this enthusiastic fan? He likes a sustained speed, lots of directional changes (side to side and up and down) and twisting drops, with no straight lines. Now he's going to get to design his own unique and scary rides.

ROCKETMAN A MOVIE REVIEW BY ALEX GARDNER GRADE 4, HAWTHORNE ELEMENTARY LOUISVILLE When you go to see a movie, do you want to laugh? Well, if you do, I suggest the movie, "Rocketman." It's a movie about a space mission to Mars. Out of the three people who are chosen for the mission, one gets hurt in training. Because they need three people and they have only two now, the head of NASA finds two guys to try out for the position. One is a computer genius (but in real life is an idiot.) The other is a guy who almost made the Mars team originally, and is very intelligent. The first test they have is to spend 24 hours locked up in a metal room with no contact with anyone.

The idiot has the best time of his life, singing songs and making sock puppets. Unfortunately, the songs go through a vent and echo in the smart guy's cell. That drives him insane, as it would any other normal person. Well, that's all I can tell you about 'Rocketman," so if you want to laugh your pants off, see it. Ashland This week and every week, you can read 4 Your Info on the Internet.

Use our World Wide Web page to review past articles with a simple point and click. Visit The Courier-Journal's homepage! www.courier- journal.com You'll find a link to 4 Your Info in the Newspaper In Education section. Newspaper in Education Ashland Inc. delivers quality products through Valvoline, Eagle One, Pyroil, Zerex, Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Ashland Chemical and APAC, the nations largest highway contractor..