Great Adventure put Jackson on the map

[GAcoaster]

From the Asbury Park Press:

 

Great Adventure put Jackson on the map

By CHELSEA MICHELS

STAFF WRITER

 

Ocean County's geographically largest township is known for many things, but being the home of Six Flags Great Adventure really puts it on the map within the Tri-State area.

 

"Great Adventure has been for a long time (the biggest thing) to put Jackson in the limelight," Mayor Mark A. Seda said. "They've always been a good neighbor. They are the highest taxpayers and they've done an incredible job in changing the face of the park. It used to be geared to young teens and now it's more family-oriented."

 

Great Adventure and Wild Safari opened July 4, 1974. The site was developed by Great Adventure Inc. of New York, according to previous reports in the Asbury Park Press. Six Flags took ownership of the complex in 1977 from the First National Bank of Chicago.

 

Six Flags' parent company has changed hands over the years, with Premier Parks buying Six Flags in 1998 and Premier changing its name to Six Flags Inc.

 

The Six Flags complex sits on 2,200 acres, with about 635 acres, or half of the developable land, in use, according to previous reports.

 

According to Mark A. Kane, park president, Great Adventure pays $4.3 million annually in property taxes, and employs between 650 and 700 residents from the township each season.

 

"Great Adventure has had multiple layers of impact," Kane said. "It's a town of its own, in its own right. We helped put them on the map. I'd like to think we've made a positive impact on Jackson."

 

Angel Aristone, the park's manager of public relations, said that the park donates $500,000 in tickets annually to organizations around the country, gives monthly donations, and has a strong relationship with the town's schools.

 

"We've been aggressively working on our image as a family-friendly park," Kane said, describing how they enforce a code of conduct, which includes "No Smoking," "No Line Cutting," and "No Profanity."

 

Seda said the transformation into a family-friendly park has been wonderful.

 

"They are more involved in family events and have been sharing what they do in the park with the town. I attribute that to their leadership," said Seda, whose favorite aspects of the park are the roller coaster Kingda Ka and their daily parades. "I think they're an excellent employer and they reach out to employ more Jackson residents on a weekly basis."

 

Seda said that the continuous development of the town may be parallel to the expansion and rehabilitation of the park, with Great Adventure "trying to stay on top of the times, trying to maintain their image."

 

"Jackson is a beautiful place to live," said Seda. "With its homey atmosphere, and large parcels of land, it's always been known for its country style of living and its central location to Philadelphia and New York. You're close enough to visit those areas without being affected by the elements."

[29yrswithaGApass]

That's a very nice article and it's great to hear how Great Adventure and Jackson have mutual respect for each other.

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

Stumbled upon this article on here today and I agree it is beautifully written. It really is great to see how much Jackson and Great Adventure appreciate one another and work together so well. So many times you hear about large attractions like a theme park or something being opposed by township residents, or completely changing the surrounding are in a negative way. It is nice to hear that the park is so active with the town and that the town has so many residents and groups that interact with the park itself. Hopefully this relationship stays strong for a long time, and with the continued building up of the park's image it is a good possibility.