The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania • 7

THE MORNING CALL MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011 NEWS 7 I FATHER'S DAY Could Hersheypark be eying expansion? A beautiful day to spend with dad Adding 31 acres could take a "5- JSSd i im irr i in Course, which is already owned by Hershey Entertainment Resorts. Hersheypark would then be able to absorb a portion roughly 31 acres of the former golf course. While the ball has started rolling, township and Hershey officials said they are still discussing how the project would be funded. The federal government will likely pick up most of the tab using highway infrastructure dollars, but the township is looking for assistance with the locally funded portion. Nothing has been set in stone.

It could be more than five years before the first shovel hits the dirt. Even if the project moves forward, an expansion could be more than a decade away More tangibly, last week the first structural components of the park's new roller coaster started arriving in Hershey and work appears to be under way in the Comet Hollow section of the park. "I think they got more going on than just this Matthew Meckley, keystonethrills.com 1 decade. Meanwhile, new roller coaster arriving. By Mick Malawskey OF THE PATRIOT NEWS HERSHEY, Dauphin County Few roller coasters feature more twists and turns than the story of Hersheypark's current top secret project, Attraction 2012.

Even as the first pieces of the new ride arrive, the park still won't say much about its new roller coaster, but a few facts have leaked out Among them is that the ride is being built in a section of the park called Comet Hollow and incorporates a section that will twist and turn over Spring Creek. Zooming over the creek will add thrills to the ride, but it's also a necessity the park is simply running out of room. For all intents and purposes, Hersheypark is bound on each side by township and state roads. That could change. Even as the park continues to drop hints about its new attraction and a possible second project to begin in 2012 in the background are talks among Deny Township, local transportation planners and the Hershey entities regarding a potential $2L5 million road project, which could allow for a 31-acre expansion of the park.

If completed, it would be the first major expansion of the park's borders in more than a decade. Those discussions, between the township and the Hershey entities, have picked up in recent months, but any actual construction is likely years away "It is an interesting project," said Garrett Gallia, associate vice president of public affairs for Hershey Entertainment Resorts. "But there are a lot of hurdles that need to be cleared before it could move forward." At the core of the project is a bridge on Park Boulevard that needs to be replaced. Built in 1950, the 60-odd-foot bridge crosses Spring Creek behind Hershey's Chocolate World. In recent years, state Inspections have determined it to be structurally deficient, meaning it's outlived its intended lifespan.

Rather than replace the bridge at its current location, the Deny Township Board of Supervisors voted this month to begin preliminary engineering for the relocation of Park Boulevard, which bounds Hersheypark on its southwest side. The project would replace the bridge, but would also partially remove a barrier Park Boulevard that exists between Hersheypark and the former Parkview Golf ii PHOTOS BY HARRY FISHERTHE MORNING CALL Stephen Hlllegas of Macungie plays with son, Stephen, 2, of Emmaus, during a Father's Day outing Sunday at the Cedar Creek Park playground In Allentown. 1 Fans, including Matthew Meckley one of the founders ofwww.keystonethrills.com, a roller coaster news site, have been busy comparing the recently arrived parts with other roller coasters around the world. Most bets are being set on a roller coaster designed by the Swiss firm Intamin, the same group that designed two of Hersheypark's other steel coasters, Fahrenheit and Storm Runner. Meckley said he's expecting a ride similar to the Intimidator 305, a NASCAR-theme roller coaster in Kings Dominion, that reaches speeds of 93 miles-per-hour.

No one will know for sure, however, until the park makes its official announcement, which is expected to come in early August That hasn't stopped me park from trying to whet fans' appetites. At the same time that the park is using its Ride Institute of Technology website to drop hints, a second website has appeared, purportedly the property of the LaMarcus Brothers, a "mid-air excavation firm." It includes details of previous projects by the company including the roller coasters Fahrenheit and Storm Runner But what has Meckley and other fans interested is a reference to a "Kangaroo Bridge" project in New Zealand, scheduled to begin in 2012. "We're thinking this might be for a monorail expansion viral site," Meckley said. "Like the Attraction 2012 campaigns just the beginning." "I think they got more going on than just this coaster," Meckley said. Madeline Rivera, Tl, of Allentown gets a hug from her father, Eddie Rivera.

The father-child combos at the park and other outdoor spots In the Lehigh Valley were treated to beautiful weather, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s. II KJ HI i I A simple way to sell your stuff. onnecx mm us. i award YoiirseSf Ml. X- 1 TRY IT FOR YOURSELF! Go to themomingcall.com to place your ad in-print and online.

Easy to use templates make it simple to see exactly how your ad will appear. Just click and create! v. .,1. to wm TICKETS TO THE MORNING CALL ttMfnornlnciLcofn at www.themorningcail.comrewards AT THE GREAT a i 1 Put a 24 hour newsroom in your inbox 1 Become a Registered User Full Access Free Newsletters Breaking News Alerts Easy Commenting on Stories 1 IlrN IllllHIlnlH 11 Hj(tiagatHi themorningcall.comjoinus.