The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania • 62

D2 THE MORNING CALL, FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2000 Dorney Park opens Saturday with a few new twists and turns J0dnnuetn0pcS 1 iV'fiZ3Sfca i i LEV yyew1 131 iCiMiGCf-: BOTTOM tb S-mT mm Continued From Rage D1 of mischievous-looking cats. It is at least the third Wild Mouse-style ride that has stood in the park. The Flying Dutchman was at Dorney from 1977 to 1988 and an earlier Wild Mouse was removed in 1965, according to Mark Sosnowsky, the park's public relations director. Behind the Mouse is two-acre Camp Snoopy, which features nine rides. Parents can go on all but two of them with their children.

One of Camp Snoopy's highlights is Woodstock's Express, the park's third roller coaster for children. Riders 54 inches or taller must be accompanied by a child. Another favorite will be Woodstock's Airmail, a kid-sized version of Dominator, the tower ride that opened last year at Dorney. Camp Snoopy's two children-only attractions are Snoopy Bounce, an air mattress inside a giant inflated Snoopy, and Whirly Birds, which was moved from another section of the park and now features Woodstock and his feathered friends. Other Camp Snoopy rides include Flying Ace swinging airplane; Charlie Brown's Swing; a vLjijt? AlIenTOWn Art Museum Mote's to Jozz Bunch, i Some interactive play features of Berenstain Bear Country remain in Camp Snoopy, but the pretend fossilized dinosaur was dug out of the digging pit to make way for the new coaster.

While Skyscraper had not yet been erected last Monday, Sosnowsky said installation began Tuesday and park officials hope to have it finished for opening day. Skyscraper is an 80-foot-tall tower supporting a 150-foot arm. Two-passenger cars at both ends of the arm whirl through the air at up to 60 mph. Skyscraper will stand near the Laser coaster. Sosnowsky described it as an "extra admission, low-capacity ride." That extra admission will be $23 per rider.

He said potential riders would be "waiting in line all night" if Skyscraper was included in park admissions. Other Dorney attractions also charge extra fees: Bumper Boats, Indy Cars and Thunder Creek Speedway. Skyscraper is being added instead of RipCord, a bungee-jump-type ride park officials originally planned for this year. Progress always comes with a price at Dorney. Gone are the Water Scooters, the little red and white boats that generations of children carefully steered under the park's pedestrian bridge, not knowing the boats followed an underwater track in Cedar Creek; That ride was a fixture in the park since the mid-1950s.

The Water Scooters were removed from Cedar Creek because the ride's track was damaged during Hurricane Floyd last fall, said Sosnowsky. Gone also is an entire tributary of Cedar Creek, now enclosed in a tunnel beneath a widened midway to remove a pedestrian bottleneck. The Monster stands where that stream used to flow. Gone too are the old french fry stand that stood next to Cedar Creek, the hot dog stand that was next to the french fry stand arid the cotton candy and candy apple stand that was across from the hot dog stand. A new food building has been erected where visitors rested on benches to watch free stage shows.

The outdoor stage remains and will offer shows this summer, but its seating area has been cut in half by the new structure. Sosnowsky said the outdoor theater will be reconfigured in a few years to offer more seating and a better viewing area. Park officials also plan to add an indoor theater within three years. At the southwestern end of the by Peggy Cone and Her Gentlemen Bond and catering by Karen Hunter. Tickets are $27 for Museum members and $30 for non-members.

Sunday, May 14, 2000, Seolings Noon dnd 2 P.M. 610432-4333, Erf. 10. wvw.allentownortmuseum.org Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra (LVC0) Concert MuringlVCO and pianist Orfi Staham. Baker Cents for fhe Arts Muhlenberg College.

Orchestra conceit featuring works by Mozart, Stravinsky and Krouss. Tickets are $1 2 to $25. Pre-conct talk al 7 p.m. friday and Saturday, Moy 5 and 6, 2000 at 8:00 p.m. 610-266-8555.

w.mivco.org, I Allentown Art Museum Creativity Festival on Fifth: By RANDY KRAFT Of The Morning Call Dorney Park's admission prices continue to climb like a slowly ascending roller coaster. Mid-season admissions have gone up $1.50, to $31 for anyone between ages 4 and 59. It's the fourth year in a row that the price has increased. But Dorney's general admission still is lower than most other major amusement parks in this region, said park spokesman Mark Sosnowsky, and it includes both the amusement and water parks. By comparison, daily general admission is $32.95 at Hersheypark in Hershey and $42.39 at Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in Jackson, N.J.

(That price does not include Great Adventure's new water park.) And general admission is $48.76 for one theme park at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Juniorsenior admissions at Dorney have gone up $1, but still are a good deal: $7 for adults ages 60 and older and for children ages four and older who are under 48 inches tall in shoes. Automobile parking fees also have gone up $1, to $6 Sosnowsky indicated price increases help pay for new attractions and other improvements in the park. While Dorney opens Saturday, Wildwater Kingdom, its water park, won't open until May 27. If you don't mind not doing Wildwater Kingdom, you can enjoy Dorney for just $18 the next three weekends, on May 26 and again on some dates in late September and early October.

The park's last day will be Oct. 15. Admission will be $23.50 from May 27 through June 23, Aug. 21-24, Aug. 28-31 arid Sept.

4, 10, 16 and 17. Another way to save is with starlight admissions: $8.50 after 4 p.m. when the park closes no later than 7:30 p.m., or $13.25 after 5 p.m. when it closes at 10 p.m. or later.

Dorney will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through May 21, with daily operation beginning May 26. Dorney Park Wildwater King dom then will be open every day through Sept. 4. Both also will be open Sept. 10, 16 and 17.

Two-day admissions and season passes are available. For information, call Dorney Park at 610-395-3724. Or check www.dorneypark.com on the Internet. ROBERT BOLT'S PA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PROFESSIONAL THEATRE AT ALLENTOWN COLLEGE 610.282.3192 Festival 2000 Sponsor Aetna U.S. Healthcare Auoclita Fulinl Sponsor Summit Financial Somen Broun Production Sponsor Alvin H.

(utz. Inc. few Hamilton. Wlentownt Cultural organizations join forces to bring families FREE fin-filled day of visuaf arts, theatre, music, dance and activities galore. Sunday, May 7, 2fJ00.

610432-4333, ext. 10. www.oliertovrKirfmuseumofg Theatre Outlet To2 Second Stage' 'Fronkie Johnny sn the Gtoif De Theatre Outlet 29 North 9th St. In Allentown. Two people's very different world's collide one unforgettable night this wonderfully funny, romantic, -and nbald ploy by terrence McNolty.

$10; $7 studentsenkt Fri Sat. 8 p.m. Sun, 3 p.m. Moy 4-Moy 14, 2000. 610-820-9270.

nwateoAol.com vvww.rheatreoulletorg Lehigh Volley Arts Council Teaching Reaching Children: The Arts as Springboard far Student Success. tipkm Theatre. Northampton Community College. Judith Burton, noted educator, will present the keynote speech at the tehigh Volley Arts Councils omual arts-ifwducotion conference on Moy 1 8, 6-9 p.m. $8 registration fee.

Qoti 61f 437-591 5l)ate Moy 610-437-591 5. fvartsot.com Lehigh Valley Arts Council 61 0-437-591 5 I irlr- DENISE SANCHEZ The Morning Call final coat of paint on the new Wild been added in Wildwater Kingdom, Dorney's water park, which will open May 27. Dorney did not release individual costs of this year's rides and attractions. But the Wild Mouse cost about $2.2 million, according to a spokesman for Maurer Sonne, its German manufacturer. Nothing new in the park this year is as dramatic as landmark rides regularly added in the recent past.

Dorney has developed a pattern of adding a high-profile ride every other year. Last year, it opened Dominator, which rockets some passengers 160 feet straight up and blasts others 175 feet straight down. Dorney did not reveal the cost of Dominator. In 1997, the park opened Steel Force, its largest coaster, which cost more than $10 million. In September, Dorney will begin construction of a $15 million inverted roller coaster that will be completed for the 2001 season.

The highest hill on that suspended coaster will be 135 feet. It will stand between the park entrance and Wildwater Kingdom. Randy Kraft is The Morning Call's travel writer. Jimmy Lawrence I st vmcago vnri (Blues Jazz) Fit, May 5, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Jake Kaligis Band (Sort Rock) Sat, May 6, 10 p.m.-1 a.m WoodGriUBridiOvaiRzza (rnmrnmrnm vertically rotating Camp Bus; a miniature Ferris wheel with chuck-wagon cars named Wagon Wheel, and Little Convoy, a monster truck ride.

Dorney is being promoted as the only place on the East Coast where visitors can meet beloved "Peanuts" characters created by the late Charles Schulz. Every day costumed employees will portray Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally and Schroeder. Camp Snoopy's Inventor's Workshop, an interactive area developed by students and faculty at Kutztown University, promises to bring science to life for children. Camp Snoopy Outfitters sells "Peanuts" merchandise. Weeks before the park opened, said Sosnowsky, people already were calling for "Peanuts" items.

A Camp Snoopy with some of the same rides opened last summer at Cedar Point, Dorney's big sister park in Sandusky, Ohio. Dorney's Camp Snoopy is on what had been the Berenstain Bear Country children's area, which opened in 1995. Smiling "Peanuts" characters now look out from the bears' walk-through "Spooky Old Tree." it? mgfr ,0 Ce fifth and Court Streels. A)lentown. Featufina iutiroin' to Joiwnesa Stvte Sortnal fifth Street twtosn I Mm nt 3 May 7 Water Quality Activities presented by Lehigh Valley Water Suppliers Group fumcre place to shop, a festival: Saturday, May 6 Sunday, May 7 Craftspeople Nurseries Live Entertainment Environmental Groups Plus Strawberries, Strawberries, and more Strawberries! June 3 4 Fine Arts a SOUTHS 1 IT i BETHLEHEM'S Cine dc iyJ-l-'l 1 Donald Ellis of Whitehall puts Mouse ride at Dorney Park.

park, Chester Cheetah's Playland also is gone. It opened in 1991 with the latest in interactive children's play equipmentThat tip of the park is empty. "I don't know what they have planned in here for the future," said Sosnowsky. He noted the park has kept one of the Chester Cheetah "ball crawl" play sets. Among the old rides still in the park are the Whip, the oldest, which opened in 1920, and ThunderHawk, Dorney's original wooden coaster, which opened in 1924.

The venerable Zephyr train also remains, but the building that housed food and game stands that anchored the train station has been torn down. A section of the train's tracks has been relocated, because it no longer runs along the bank of the now-vanished branch of Cedar Creek after leaving the station. And the train no longer will stop at the far end of its looping circuit, where Chester Cheetah's Playland used to be. To celebrate the International Year of the Carousel, wooden animals are being restored and repainted to their original colors on the 79-year-old Antique Dentzel Carousel, which came from Cedar Point six years ago and stands just inside Dorney Park's entrance. No new rides or attractions have Mayo DESIGNS I 24 THIRD ST.

7-10 PM On the balcony, Jazz saxophonist Tom Charles from On the Inside, featuring new line of painted furniture and summer rattan. Light refreshments. Comedy Magic of Joe Keppel 6-9 PM 4TH NEW STREETS BETHLEHEM 610-868-1313 TT'SSkriv' 26 E. THIRD ST. HOME Bethlehem RTCfWln 610-866-7370 msiiiiiiaj 7-10 pm "Outsider Art Show" Garden art by untrained in the store and outside in our Courtyard.

refreshments. Music Department UL jSou-tlijSidc Way Activities FREE with paid admission jADMISSION i r) I A. "511 E. Third Street, Bethlehem Call 610-865-5010 www.discovery-center.org MurderIMysxei hH8ggag re inner Theater "AND THEN THERE WERE NUNS!" May 19th $32 p.p. tax A gratuity.

1o win, Peg. Reservation Required. UddlerM mm mm EFiirstf POsy Forging a Bright First Friday celebrates the dynamic remaking of Southside Bethlehem. 7-tOpWt 2t S. Stoeet 211 PLB101TH ST.

BANANA FACTORY Opening reception: "Young Artists" and "SoutliSidc Bethlehem Photography" exhibitions. Featured artists: Ceramic sculptor Scott Atiyeh and painter William Christine will be showcased. THIS WEEKEND! CHORAL ARTS 15TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CONCERT fLEASE RESERVE NOW FOR FAMILY STYLE 3)fCotfiers GFmj inner beautiful dine and enjoy 4 un ia9i vnimren o.UU, Children 1-3 $4.00 mm WtDPINCS PARTIES MOm ROOMS If CI I JL WH, I p)ffiaS3JXl0am 111 1 1 LULU ..4.,, Department of Theatre TONIGHT LAST PERFORMANCE! Enter a raffle to win a subscription to 2000-2001 Choral Arts season. Fill out this form and bring to Zoellner Arts Center Ticket Services by May E. Winner drawn at May 6 concert and need not be present to win.

The Importance of Beiwj Earnest A trivial comedy for serious people. Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece of highly improbable circumstances, delightful deceptions and impeccable appearances is a tour de force of wit and language. 8 PM Diamond Theater, Reserved Seating: (10 inn LU1 Rtes. Li Name Address. I Phone! I I Email Address.

season! Call Zoellner Arts Center Met Contemporary Crafts Show Friday Saturday, May 5 at PM -Choral Arts celebrates its anniversary with an engaging evening of favorite choral works by Beethoven, Vaughan Williams, Rossini and Sametz. Steven Sametz, director. Baker Hall, Reserved Seating: $15 Performance Sponsor: Offset Impressions, Inc. I I I I July 15 16 Teddy Bear's Picnic At Our Gallery Judy Chicago and DonaJdWoodman: Holocaust Project From Darkness Into Light Now through June 11 Gallery How Wed Sat 1 1 AM 5PM: Sun 1PM 5PM ii. Subscriptions on sale now for the 2D00-26Q1 Services for detailt 202 263 Lahaska, PA (215) 794-4000 www.peddlersvillage.com 2i Lr.