Published: 21 Sep 2023

From The Previous Chapter:

Later in the Study, Mr. Wayne reminded Phillip he would see Doctor Doug tomorrow, Matthew would see him on Wednesday and Bill would see him Thursday. He then told Bill and Robert that they would see the dentist tomorrow and anyone with a cavity would be scheduled to go back. He told Matthew he would go back on Wednesday, since he was seeing Doctor Doug on Thursday.

The boys were disappointed that their ‘dad’ didn’t call them that Monday night, while they sat in the Study. Mr. Wayne reminded them that their ‘dad’ said he wouldn’t call, because he would probably be extremely busy talking about what needed to be done with Jason and Ben. So, he told them they needed to get over it and just go up to their rooms and relax before going to bed. He told them he’d be up shortly.

The Covers slept well, even though they knew their ‘dad’ was not at home.

Ken Thomas, Ben Walthers and Jason Zimms all arrived at Edgewood about the same time that Tuesday morning. That morning, though, Ken Thomas and Ben Walthers both took the time to partake in more of the breakfast bar that the hotel offered, at which they were staying, before heading to the park to start their day.

Before he went to talk to the maintenance men, Mr. Ken asked Jason to accompany him out to the Development, Enhancement, Repair, and Restoration (DERR) Work Center where the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, carpentry and landscaping sections could be found. Ben Walthers said he was going to go out to get the lone employees started on raking, sweeping and picking up trash as he waited for the ride inspection and repair (I&R) contractors to arrive.

The men were gathered together out in the DERR Work Center and loudly talking about the new owner and operations manager and they didn’t see when Mr. Ken and Jason entered the area.

One man, in particular, was extremely vocal and he was heard saying, “None of us like the changes going on, do we? And, we all wished that the previous owners hadn’t bowed to all … to all those lawyers and sold the place. If they hadn’t … if they hadn’t sold the park, we could all have continued working as we were and we … and we wouldn’t have to put up with all this … this bullshit and have to clean and rake and pick up the trash and whatever else they have in mind for us to do.”

It was then one of the men motioned to the speaker that the owner and the new ops manager were there.

“By all means, continue,” offered Mr. Ken. “It is good to know what the workers think about the new owner, and his key personnel that he is bringing in to transform Edgewood back into the once proud amusement park it once was.

“If sir … if you are so displeased that you will now have to work for your pay … you can join your friend from yesterday … and you, too, can clean out your locker and we’ll gladly send you your final paycheck. And that goes for any man here!

“I saw the pathetic attempts most of you made yesterday … when I sent you all out to do what you were being well paid to do. But obviously … but obviously the previous owners … they didn’t care much about taking pride in Edgewood, and allowed you to do what you pleased and only then the minimum to keep the park opened.

“Well … your minimum … it wasn’t good enough, was it? Because the Rocket … because the Rocket … it careened off its tracks … and it injured all those people, and it was that … it was THAT accident … that caused the park to fail. And you can all thank your pitiful work ethic and irresponsible attention to detail for the situation you find yourselves in right now.

“I came out here this morning to give you this one and only word of advice. And that is … if you do not work at your potential … you WILL be gone! I have all of your personnel files, so I know at what level you were hired at and we, Jason, Ben and I … we expect you to work at that level and nothing less.

“We will soon be contracting out all of your trades to local business. They will be hired to come in to take care of some major projects we want done, because they will have the manpower, the equipment and materials to get it done in the short amount of time we have before we open on the first of July.

“But that won’t mean that you won’t be kept busy. There are so many ancillary jobs here that we will give you a list. When one item is done you will be expected to go on to the next one. And … there will be no more of what I saw yesterday. You will work to your ability … or you will be gone! I sure hope you understand what I am saying.

“Now … you all have a choice to make. Stay here and get to work on what we assign you, or … or clean out your locker … and turn in your park ID, and we’ll send you your final pay check.

“And don’t think we can’t replace you. There are applications sitting in Braxton’s, well Jason’s desk now, for all of the sections here. We will lose no sleep replacing you. Your choice. And remember … your next employer … they will be asking us for references,” finished the new owner of Edgewood Amusement Park.

Big mouth laughed, and said, “So, you think you can replace us. Go ahead and try. We know everybody in the trades around here. And we’ll tell them … and you can bet we’ll tell them what kind of slave driver employer you are and no one … no one I tell will want to work here,” laughed the big mouthed man.

“You sir … you can clean out your locker. I will not tolerate anyone … anyone working in this park who has such a superior attitude that you have. And anyone else … if you believe as he does … you, too, can clean out your locker, as well!

“Jason, go get security to escort Mr. Big Mouth, here, and anyone else who wishes to be on the unemployment line tomorrow,” directed Mr. Ken, the owner of Edgewood.

The Cover boys ate their breakfast without their ‘dad’ again that Tuesday morning. Matthew was still moaning about Mr. Ken being gone, and Charles told Matthew that he had to learn to deal with it. The teen told his younger ‘brother’ that their ‘dad’ will be gone even more as the properties he bought around all of his amusement parks start to be developed.

Phillip didn’t know what Charles meant, so the teenager told his youngest ‘brother’ how his dad bought lots of vacant properties next to, or near, the parks. The teen told Phillip that his dad wanted to build hotels, restaurants, fast-food places and other venues that he could use to entice people to come to his parks by offering what he called a ‘Drive-Stay-Fun’ plan.

Phillip told his older ‘brother’ that it all sounded confusing to him. Charles told him that once he sees all of the parks it might start to make sense to him. The boys finished their breakfast, thanked Momma for fixing it for them, then they all headed off to catch their school bus.

As Phillip headed out the Foyer Door, Mr. Wayne reminded him that he or Mr. Dennis would be by later to take him to his Doctor Doug appointment.

Robert and Billy talked during breakfast about what they thought their ‘dad’ was doing at Edgewood. Robert figured his dad was deciding on the park’s new name and was bossing everybody around. The two teens laughed.

Billy said he’d bet that Mr. Ken was inspecting all of the rides and determining which ones needed to be inspected and repaired first. Then he was having the employees washing, polishing and painting the rides to make them look good for opening day. Robert told Billy that he forgot he would have them pressure wash the restrooms and in front of all of the food stands. Then both teenagers laughed.

Mr. Wayne listened to the two teenagers talk about what they thought was happening back at Edgewood, and he too wondered what was going on back east. The Estate Master did remind both teens, before they left for school, that they would visit the dentist after they returned from school today. Billy and Robert both said they understood.

Phillip’s friends all asked him if he heard anything from his foster dad. Phillip told them that Mr. Wayne told all of them that Mr. Ken wouldn’t call because he would be busy working well into the night with Mr. Walthers and Mr. Zimms. The Cover’s friends all wondered what Mr. Ken would do to get his new amusement park ready to open in July.

Phillip told them that Charles was telling him some stuff that morning that Mr. Ken had bought lots of properties next to and around the parks, and that he would eventually build hotels and fast-food restaurants, so he could offer some sort of package deal to bring people to the parks. Phillip said he didn’t understand any of it, but his big ‘brother’ told him that after he visits all of the parks he’d probably begin to understand. He friends again told him to take lots of pictures.

While Mr. Ken and Jason were talking to the men in the Work Center, Ben was out in the main area between the operations building and the park itself. He asked which employees had assigned tasks and who didn’t.

Those who Jason had assigned jobs to, were told to head there. He asked which men were working the pressure washers. He talked to them and after learning what areas they attacked yesterday; he told them to split up and make sure all of the restrooms and their outsides were spotless. He told them that after that, they were to focus on the outside areas of the food stands.

A few of the ones left, he told to head over to the main entrance and begin sweeping and raking the trash and cutting down the high weeds, bag it all and throw it in the big dumpster. Some of the others, he told them to start by sweeping the areas around the security checkpoints and ticket booths, then get the cleaning supplies and begin by wiping down everything inside. From there, they were to head to the entrance turnstiles and sweep and start cleaning there.

Security escorted the big mouthed guy to administration to turn-in his Edgewood credentials and then they watched as he drove off the property. The man hadn’t been gone very long when the word had gotten out to the employees.

None of the other DERR Work Center men took Mr. Ken up on his offer to join Mr. Big Mouth. The owner of the park and Jason then began giving out their assignments.

The landscaping/gardening crew were told to start cutting the grass and weeds around and under all the rides. Mr. Ken told them that The Wooden Coaster needed the most attention, but they could split up and attack the other rides as well. He told them that if there was a lot of debris they were to rake and bag it. After they finished, they were given a list of rides in the priority they were to work on next and told to do the same with the excess debris.

The plumbers were told to check all of the park’s restrooms and not just to see if the water worked. They were told to make sure the hot water heaters were working, there were no leaks, in any of the faucets, toilets, sink drains, urinals and floor drains. They were also told to note any doors that needed to be fixed, so the carpenters could go in next and fix them.

The electricians were told to pair up and start with the Kiddie Rides and thoroughly check out the electrical systems including the ride controls and the lights and replace any light bulbs that were out. They were also to fix any electrical problems they found and notate everything in the rides folder.

The carpenters were told to go to the main entrance and begin repairing everything associated with it, starting with the security checkpoints, ticket booths, gates, the turnstile enclosures and also note what electrical problems they see and report them to the electricians to have fixed. They were also told to note any needed repairs in the folders.

The ride mechanics were told to work on the Kiddie Rides the electricians weren’t checking out and to start inspecting the rides top to bottom including the nuts, bolts, cotter pins, springs, wheels, the works. They were to grease and oil what needed to be and wipe off the excess. They were also told to annotate in the ride folders and shut down any ride that needed parts and order them overnight if necessary.

When all the men had their assignments, they were told to find one of them when they have everything finished.

The last three 30-yard dumpsters arrived soon thereafter and Jason showed the drivers where to place them. Soon after Jason’s order of 2-55-gallon industrial sized drums of cleaning solutions, 48-24 oz. spray bottles and 5-50 lb. boxes of bulk recycled white rags also arrived and he had them placed out inside the park, so the workers wouldn’t have to go very far for their supplies.

The food service workers were still getting the cafeteria and its associated kitchen, serving line and seating areas sparkling clean. They wanted the place to pass inspection, so they could begin cooking and serving meals again. They knew that once that happened that would free up some of them to start cleaning the other food concession stands.

The food services team all knew that the new owner was replacing all of the food stand equipment, which made them all extremely happy. The equipment being replaced needed to have been done many years ago and they were always afraid of an electrical or grease hood fire.

Now when they went to the outlying food stands, they would be cleaning the floors, walls and sinks and everything else, knowing the serving counter, storage racks, grills, fryers, warming trays, etc. would eventually be brand new.

The women couldn’t wait for that day, as they all knew that the new equipment would ensure the food stands would pass the state health inspections. They also told one another they would also be happy for the teenagers who would be working those stands, as they would have all brand-new equipment to start the season off with, and have no excuse not to keep the place clean.

With everyone given something to work on that morning. Mr. Ken began searching for a restoration company who could work on old rides and come and restore the Hey-Day back to as close to its original configuration as they could.

When the new owner of the Edgewood Amusement Park found such a company, he told them he wanted a total motor rewire, the eight ride vehicles refurbished, the spindles with their connector rods and wheels refinished, the floor replaced with period wood, and for them to paint the inside and out to resemble as close to its original scheme as possible. They agreed on a one-year restoration time-frame.

At lunch, the three key men at Edgewood talked about what was being accomplished at the park and Mr. Ken said he didn’t think it was going fast enough. Ben quickly spoke up and said they didn’t have the manpower yet and probably wouldn’t until Thursday or Friday. He added that once the teenagers begin working, he felt the actual cleaning of the rides and the other buildings would speed up.

Jason said that after lunch he would be calling electrical, plumbing, painting and landscaping companies to see if they were available to work out at the park. He had projects for them they could start working on right now, even though they had the Work Center men also working on some things.

Mr. Ken said those out there in the Work Center needed a Wake-Up Call and he told Jason to keep them busy doing something, anything and to replace them at the drop of a hat if they begin to grumble about anything. The Park’s owner was still miffed at their work ethic and their attitude to do as little as possible, and he still blamed them in his mind for the Rocket’s accident.

The three men talked about the necessity of speeding up the transformation process as the days were passing by. Mr. Ken stressed that on Jason, as he and Ben would be leaving late on Wednesday and from then on it would be all in his hands. Jason said he understood and with Braxton and Tucker handling the administrative side of things, he knew he could handle his part.

Eventually the three men got around to talking some more about changing the name of Edgewood. The names that remained were: Forest Glen, Adventure Forest, Forest Mountain or Mountain Forest, Twisted Forest and Forest Ridge. They spoke the names out loud and this time they added the words Amusement Park at the end. And when they were done, they decided on Forest Glen Amusement Park, Adventure Forest Amusement Park and Forest Ridge Amusement Park as the three finalists for the new name. They agreed to sleep on the three names and talk again tomorrow.

When the three men arrived back at the park after lunch, the advance teams of the two companies of the ride inspection and repair (I&R) companies who indicated they would be on-site that day had arrived. The supervisors sat down with the three Edgewood men in the conference room and discussed what was expected of them.

The owner of the park, Ken Thomas, was particularly interested in talking to the company which was going to work on The Wooden Coaster. He told them he knew that the coaster was in good shape, but he wanted it in great shape for their Opening Day.

The park’s owner told them to correct any problems they find in the next 50 days with the main support structure, the track crossties, walkway, handrails, track base, the steel track, braking runs, and the control panel. He even told them, if they had the time, and they saw an advantage to doing so, they could even improve the track design.

Mr. Ken told them he wanted them to do everything and anything that needed to be done as long as the coaster passed its inspection, so it was ready for Opening Day. He told them that anything they could put off to the off-season they could, because he would want them to return and complete the job including a much-needed track redesign.

The company supervisor told the three men that they would be sending one of the coaster trains back to Pennsylvania for total refurbishment. He explained they would bring in a crane and a flatbed truck and offload the worst of the two trains and keep the other in order to run tests. He then explained that they would then change out the trains when the refurbished one came back.

The men also talked about the Twister Coaster, which is a Wild Mouse type steel coaster, and what was needed there. Mr. Ken said that besides checking the steel supports for cracks and loose bolts they needed to check the track thoroughly, as well. He asked them to check the motor, chain and the braking system, as well as the control panel and that the block sections are working correctly.

The men then addressed the other company which was there and would begin its focus on the flat rides, or the non-coaster type rides. Mr. Ken asked them to focus on The Whip first, since that one had the centrifugal forces that put much of the stress on the springs and the bars as well as the back of the ride car that the riders push against.

Ben added that the electrical system and control panel should be completely checked and everything that needed to be greased and oiled should be and the excess wiped off. He explained that their own electricians will inspect the lighting, so they could move onto another flat ride when they were finished. They reminded them to note everything for their ride folder.

It was while the group were talking that the Public Relations person came in and told Mr. Thomas that the news media were outside and they wanted to talk to them about Edgewood and their plans to open the park.

Mr. Ken asked the two company representatives to go ahead and get their teams set up and start as soon as they could and to coordinate with Jason Zimms, who was the operations manager of the park, as he and Ben Walthers would be leaving late tomorrow. The three key park personnel then went outside to talk to the media.

“I am Ken Thomas, the new owner of Edgewood Amusement Park and beside me are Ben Walthers, President of Three Finger Entertainment, and Jason Zimms, the new Operations Manager for Edgewood. I understand you have some questions for us,” was how Mr. Ken addressed the news media, who were waiting outside the operations building.

The first reporter asked, “Mr. Thomas, what are your future plans for the amusement park, and are you going to change the name?”

“Well, I bought the park to revitalize it. Over the coming years, we will transform it into a vacation destination, but for now, we are going to put the park back to the way it should have always been ….”

But he was interrupted by another reporter’s question, “How do you intend to accomplish that and when should the public expect the park to be open?”

“I’m going to let the President of Three Finger Entertainment, who is responsible for all five of my amusement parks, Ben Walthers, answer those questions. Ben,” responded Ken Thomas.

“Thank you, Mr. Thomas,” began Ben. “Right now … the full-time employees … they are working in their respective areas to clean up the park. First of all, … we are going to replace all of the food service equipment throughout the entire park. Secondly … to ensure the safety of our guests on Opening Day and into the future … we have contracted out … with the nation’s leading amusement ride inspection and repair companies … to come in and do what they do best. And that is inspect and repair … whatever is needed with all of our rides.”

“Is there enough time to do all that?” asked another reporter.

“The companies are going to focus first on the major rides … the ones the public loves to ride. They will do a thorough inspection and they will repair any discrepancies that they find. Two companies have already arrived and they will start on The Wooden Coaster, the Twister Coaster and The Whip.

“The other I&R companies are due here by the end of Thursday and all the rides will have a team go over them. With these outside companies coming in, the riding public can rest assured that we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety when they ride any of the rides inside our park when we open,” offered Ben Walthers, while he avoided the main questions of when they will open, and will there be a name change.

“Mr. Walthers … you never answered the questions as to when we can expect the park to reopen. So, can you tell us your time-frame to have the park open?” asked a reporter.

“We hope to have our Opening Day on, or about, the first of July,” was all Ben replied.

“Mr. Walthers … do you have enough manpower to get the job done in that short amount of time?” asked another reporter.

“What a great question. You see Mr. Thomas … he only received word that he won his bid to own the park just last Monday … and it wasn’t until Wednesday that the Bankruptcy judge approved his bid, after an open court hearing. It then took us a few days to satisfy the Bankruptcy Trustee’s requirement of the transfer of funds, before we could get the keys.

“Lucky for us our new Operations Manager, Jason Zimms, was able to drive here from his position as contract administrator at Crystal Lake. So, as soon as he arrived, he started the rehiring process of all of the full-time employees,” finished the President of TFE.

“Why was an administrator … why was he made the Operations Manager?” quickly asked a reporter.

“Mr. Zimms … he has fourteen years’ experience as an assistant operations manager at our Fantasy Fun Amusement Park, and he was administering our contract to buy Crystal Lake Amusement Park and was available to come and be our ops manager here.

“Believe me … he knows the operations of an amusement park inside and out. He worked in all of the departments at Fantasy Fun Park for many years before he was even considered for training into the assistant operations managers position there, which, as I told you, he then held for fourteen years,” finished Ben.

“Let me ask Mr. Thomas this question then,” spoke up someone in the back. “It was said that you fired … you fired a number of employees during your first two days of being on site. At this rate, will you have enough employees left to open on the first of July?”

Mr. Ken stepped forward to address the question. “This is obviously a planted question. But I will address it, anyway. Yesterday, when I addressed all of the full-time employees … there was one employee … who openly voiced his problem with having to work for anyone other than the previous operations manager.

“I told him and the other employees … that as the new owner … that I will choose the key personnel who will work here at Edgewood, and if they can’t work for them … then they should clean out their locker, turn in their identification badge and that I’d have security escort them off the premises.

“Then today … I had an employee … who was very vocal about saying something to the effect … that none of them liked the changes going on, and that they all wished that the previous owners hadn’t bowed to all the lawyers and sold the place.

“He was saying that he wanted to continue working, as they were, and they wouldn’t have to put up with all this B.S. and having to clean and rake and pick up trash and whatever else I had in mind for them to do.

“I told him … that if he was displeased that he will now have to actually work for his pay … he could join his friend from yesterday and clean out his locker, and that I’d gladly send him his final paycheck. Then, I asked if there was anyone else there that felt as he did. None of them did.

“He, too, was told to clean out his locker and security escorted him off the park’s grounds, as well,” was the end of Mr. Thomas’ answer.

“But didn’t you blame the men for the Rocket’s accident?” asked the same reporter.

“Let me ask you a question, first. … Do any of you other news media people … do you know this person as being a reporter … of any kind?” was Ken Thomas’ question.

The news media reporters looked around and asked one another if they knew who that person was. And in the end, none of them spoke up saying that they knew who that person was.

“That’s just what I thought. You, young lady, are a plant. You’re probably his wife, or better yet … maybe the girlfriend of the man who was fired this morning. You’re probably here wanting to cause trouble by claiming to be a reporter … by asking your inflammatory questions … and hoping … hoping the other news media would run with them and cause me trouble with the public. How about I get security to escort you out of here too, unless you can present me with your media credentials.”

Jason radioed for security who showed up within thirty seconds.

“Alright, alright … I’m not a reporter … but you had no right to fire my boyfriend!” claimed the woman.

“I had every right. He was a blow hard … and he was a slacker. I watched him yesterday … doing as little as possible. This Park … it no longer has a place for anyone who doesn’t give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay,” responded Ken Thomas.

Jason then had the security men escort the woman off the Edgewood’s property.

“Mr. Thomas … did you … do you actually blame the men for the Rocket’s accident?” Now asked anther reporter.

“See … that’s what that woman was hoping for. For you to take an off-the-wall question, that has nothing to do with my buying the park, and trying to transform it back into the wonderful amusement park it once was, and hope to find a Watergate Pulitzer prize type back story to write about.

“You all know that the State Investigators … that they haven’t released its final report yet on the Rocket’s accident, so my answering that question … that it would be out of line right now. So, let my President of Three Finger Entertainment, Ben Walthers, finish answering your questions on how we intend to get the park ready to open by the first of July,” replied Ken Thomas.

The first thing the reporters asked, once Mr. Ken stepped away, was if they intended to replace the Rocket. Ben told them that it is too late in the year to replace the Rocket, or any of the rides that the investigators shuttered, which they are, by-the-way, going to dismantle and remove, hopefully before they open. He told them that he would be searching for an appropriate ride to replace each of those rides, and they would make an announcement when they make their decisions.

The reporters continued to ask their questions and Ben answered them. He told them that the teenagers who usually worked at the park were being recalled, and they would be working any hours they could, including over the weekends. He added that their Public Relations person was now advertising for part-time positions to supplement the full-time staff, and that a few of those could turn into full-time positions.

Ben told the reporters that everyone would be cleaning and polishing the rides and painting where necessary. He told the reporters the park grounds would also receive a landscape makeover.

The President said that Jason Zimms was going to be hiring local electrical, plumbing, painting and landscaping contractors to accomplish many of the major projects that required their expertise. Ben said that before the park opens that Three Finger Entertainment would probably infuse upwards of $3 million, if not more, not counting what they are spending on the I&R companies, into the local economy.

Then, before the news conference was over, a news reporter asked the question that was asked first, but hasn’t been answered. “Mr. Walthers … it was asked, at the beginning, if you had intended to change the name of the park. Have you decided to do that?”

Ben looked over to Mr. Ken who came over and whispered to him to say it has been discussed, but that no decision has been made. But that when a decision was made, they would call a news conference and tell them. And that was how Ben ended the news conference.

There was still a lot to be done, besides getting the rides ready. The three men needed to create a food menu and then find a supplier from which to buy the food stuffs, wrapping papers, foil wraps, serving containers, utensils, napkins, cups, lids, straws; essentially everything they would need at the concession stands.

The previous food supplier for Edgewood was owed a considerable amount of money and Jason wasn’t sure if he would consider working with them. The same went for the dry goods supplier and Jason told his two bosses that hopefully once the state food inspector gives them the go ahead tomorrow, with the remaining frozen foods in the freezers, he had planned to contact them both to see if they would consider supplying them under a new contract.

The three men went around the entire park, with what was left of the afternoon, to double check what they wanted accomplished before Opening Day. Jason knew he had a lot on his plate for the next fifty plus days.

As they talked, the operations manager told his bosses that with the I&R companies focused on the rides, he could focus the additional manpower to work on cleaning up the grounds, the rides not being worked on, the gaming booths, and the outsides of the other building. Jason added that he would also paint what definitely needed to be painted, and that they should be in great shape for the first of July.

Phillip had his appointment with Doctor Doug that Tuesday afternoon, and he liked he had someone other than Mr. Ken he could talk with. He told Doctor Doug about his mother and what he was feeling inside about her not getting better. He told him that he was enjoying having so many ‘brothers’ and Chief to play with, and he had good friends that some played instruments like him. The young Cover then asked if he was a bad son for not really wanting to go back to living with his mom too soon.

The good doctor knew what Phillip was saying. Doctor Doug calmly reassured the young Cover that thinking those thoughts didn’t make him a bad son, it only said that he was experiencing things that he didn’t have before. The doctor told him he was in a good home where he was receiving the attention, he probably didn’t receive before, was eating wonderful hot Momma Maria meals, had good friends and he just wasn’t ready to give that life up yet.

Phillip began to cry at hearing what he was thinking put back on him, and the doctor let him cry. But Doctor Doug told Phillip that as long as his mom is being cared for, there was nothing that he could do. The doctor told him to continue to enjoy what Mr. Ken was giving him, and not to feel like he was deserting his mother.

Doug Jennings told the young Cover that it wasn’t his fault that he was where he was. He further told the boy that he knew that one day they would be reunited, and until then he should appreciate what he has, and to never look back. That put a smile on the boy’s face.

When Phillip returned to The Cove, he had extra time to do his homework and then practice on his guitar. He was down in the Great Room and Momma went over to the MRS Room to listen, to see how well the youngster did play. She was pleasantly surprised at what she heard.

Mr. Wayne came out of the Study, as he was going to remind Momma Maria that Robert and Bill would be going to the dentist, when they got off the bus, so they probably wouldn’t have time for their afterschool snack. The Estate Master found her standing back and listening to Phillip play his guitar.

“He plays very well … for being self-taught, don’t you think?” asked a smiling Wayne Mitchell.

“Ohs, yes, sirs,” replied an equally smiling Momma Maria. “I’ss didn’ts knows hesis plays sos wells.”

“You should hear him play with his friends,” commented Wayne.

When Billy and Robert returned from school, Mr. Wayne took them right to the dentist. They’d been there before and they liked the dentist their ‘dad’ had chosen for them. When they returned, Robert was a bit dismayed that he had to return to have one cavity taken care of. Mr. Wayne scheduled him for Thursday to have that cavity filled.

The men at Edgewood had a working dinner that Tuesday night. With Ken Thomas and Ben Walthers leaving the following day, the two wanted Jason Zimms, their operations manager, to have a clear roadmap to Opening Day.

One of the major problems they knew they had was in the spare parts department for the rides. Ben told Jason to get the warehouse-men to start ordering all the parts there was a shortage in for all the rides, but in particular the coasters. They then discussed the potential for finding a distributor for the concession foods and paper, or dry goods, products.

Ben told Jason to go local at first if the original Edgewood suppliers didn’t want to work with them. The President of TFE told the ops manger he’d have his Food and Beverage Manager try to get a supplier to support him. Ben said that for next year all five parks would be supported by the same distribution network.

Jason then asked the men if they had decided on which soft drink they were going to serve at the park. Ben coughed knowing that Mr. Ken wanted to try to serve both major drink brands.

“Ahh, Jason … what would you say to us serving both Coke and Pepsi?” asked Mr. Ken.

‘Both? You got to be kidding me! Do you know the logistics of having both types of service cups just in our warehouse?” immediately asked a disbelieving Jason Zimms, to the question of having both major soft drink brands on the park.

“Sure,” laughed Mr. Ken. “What do you say to us offering the soft drinks … at every other food stand in the park … and then we let our guests pick which brand they want served from now on. We haven’t decided on a large refillable plastic drink bottle, so we could just go by the number of cups, or the volume of mix we go through to decide,” qualified the park’s owner.

“But will the distributors go for something like that?” asked Jason. “The winner could laud it over the other, and that would not be good for their business and peace in the area. And I was thinking that … that we could honor last year’s plastic refillable bottles and sell off the remaining ones, at a low but reasonable price, especially if we are going to change the name of the park,” added the new ops manager.

“That’s not a bad idea, Jason,” spoke up Ben. “We can charge $1.00 for the refill and sell off the remaining bottle for something like $6.95 as they usually sell for at least $9.95. What do you think Mr. Ken?”

“Yes, I have no problem with that. Then we can use the volume of product we sell as the indicator of which soft drink we will chose to sell next year,” replied Mr. Ken.

Ben spoke up and said that if they did it right, they could use that as a public relations ploy to get more people to the park, as they’ve already lost half the season and this could help make up for that lost revenue.

“And in wanting to try this,” began Ken Thomas, “we might … maybe we can get one of them to give us a sweetheart deal for … let’s say … five years. That alone would let us save in one area as we build up the park in the long run. What do you think?”

The three men talked about that idea, but in the end, Jason said he needed to know soon, so they could have the correct cups in stock. Ben said he’d call the two main distributors tomorrow when he arrived at the park.

Jason then asked about the park’s name change. He then asked if the park’s name was going to be changed, he also wanted to know if they would also have a mascot. The two bosses looked to one another and then laughed.

The three men then talked about which of the three final names they’d chosen for the park they would like to rename the park. The Park was originally at the edge of a forest, which was why they named it Edgewood, because it was at the edge of the woods, or forest.

But, now, it was more out in the open as much of the forest had been cleared for its lumber. So, the men had to choose between the three names they had narrowed it down to: Forest Glen Amusement Park, Adventure Forest Amusement Park and Forest Ridge Amusement Park.

After they decided on a name, the men had to decide on what colors they would use for the park’s employees. They thought about light green short or long sleeve shirts with a dark brown short or long pants, or tan short or long sleeve shirts with a dark green short or long pants. They also thought a medium green colored shirt for the supervisors would be a good choice with a tan or brown shorts or pants. Ben was put in charge of coming up with the correct color combinations.

Mr. Ken then asked Ben about the special shirt he wanted him to design for him when he visited and walked around the parks. Ben said he thought about a white polo shirt with the Three Finger Entertainment logo on the left breast and the words owner underneath all in gold lettering. He also said a gold-colored shirt with red or blue lettering might be a good contrast. The President of TFE said he had renditions on his computer at the office, and that he’d show him when they were back there.

It was late when the three finished up their dinner meeting, so they each headed to their own rooms. They had decided to meet at the operations building by eight the next morning.

The Cover boys were disappointed that their ‘dad’ hadn’t called again, but Mr. Wayne reminded them that their ‘dad’ was extremely busy and they’d see him tomorrow night. Disappointed, they all headed to their rooms and eventuality the Estate Master talked to them all before they all went to bed.

Tomorrow, Chief would have her veterinarian appointment to see if she was healthy enough to have a litter of pups. The resident pet was looking forward to it, as she was looking forward to having her first litter of pups.

The Covers, including Chief, all slept well that night.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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