Geauga Lake closing

Last May when I heard that Geauga Lake had removed two of it's best coasters from the park and placed one at Kings Island , which was bought by Cedar Fair who owns Geauga Lake. The thought that Geauga Lake would be closed for good crossed my mind but I figured that they would take a couple rides away every year and we would have another few seasons. I couldn't have been more wrong. My first indicator was when we went to Kings Island and one of their employees told Michael that they were going to get another couple of coasters and that Geauga Lake was going to solely be a water park. I thought this was just hear say and forgot about it , but sure enough the news was released last week. Geauga Lake as we knew it is gone. The water park will remain open next year( for how long is any one's guess) but all of the rides will be removed. This is so sad as ,though it is no Cedar Point, the park holds so many memories. I remember going the one and only time with my patents when I was in second grade. We went with some family friends and their extended family which included a girl that I went to school with but never knew that she was related to our friends. I remember that the highlight of the trip for me was being able to push this girl's twin brother and sister in their strollers. I got a hat which I kept for many years after and we rode the " needle " Not much of a trip by today's standards, but the chance of a lifetime back then. My most special memory of Geauga Lake is Mike taking me when we just started dating. We rode every ride, visited every water slide ( when the water park was nothing but a couple water slides squeezed into the ride side in the corner) and had a great time. He even won me a teddy bear. This very date was the one where I realized that he wanted a future with me . How can they close a park when all of these memories are there? Don't they realize? I guess that they are not as sappy as I am ! Anyway It saddens me that I will never take my grand kids there and tell my story. Luckily our kids have had season passes for the last five or so years and have some great memories of this park from the past. It is where they each rode their first coasters after ten trips through the line and changing their minds as it was loading time. I remember celebrating when each one of them finally boarded and went for their first ride. I guess that as the song says, for everything there is a season. I just hate to see this season end. On a happier note though our Amusement park days are not near over. We will still buy Cedar Fair passes and visit Cedar Point ,Kings island and probably Wild water Kingdom ( still open at Geauga Lake). You just can't keep Amusement park people down !