Anyone else going to boycott the new Catawissa Recreation Area? (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Aug 19, 2006
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Location
Central City, PA
16 years after the State forces Paragon to close so developers could build an airport that no airline wanted, they buy the land to open an off road park.

"DCNR Director of Outdoor Recreation Nathan Reigner said the area will be a boon for the local economy (the same economy that came out in droves against Paragon). He explained that motorized outdoor recreation contributes more than $350 million to Pennsylvania’s economy annually (and the state wants their share) through small businesses, such as vehicle dealers and repair shops, restaurants, gas stations and hotels (the same businesses that told Paragon to pound sand in 2007)."

Now the taxpayers can foot the bill instead of the clubs that maintained Paragon.

Now, I haven't been wheeling with the club at Rausch or Anthracite in a few years. Life got in the way and there's a small ORV area just a few miles away from me. But this story was in my local paper and it woke up the disappointment I had when Paragon was screwed over. I just wanted to vent. Have a nice day!
 
I agree with you. It was the beginning of the Karen’s of the world when the townskarens came out against Paragon. Now they are hurting and want us to bail out the government in their failed airport. Asshats
 
I've attached a clipping from my local paper.

Here are some other links I've found:
 

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  • Pages from DA 8-17-2022.pdf
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I think eminent domain was threatened at some point but the owner wanted to sell. They just needed a way to break Paragon's 25-year lease.
I even remember Gov. Ed Rendell being involved with his cronies in Phil.

There are a lot of details on this site: Paragon Adventure Park Closed The Final Days Closing Weekend | jeepfan.com - https://www.jeepfan.com/offroad/paragon-adventure-park-closed-the-final-days/

A little here: Paragon Adventure Park closing? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/paragon-adventure-park-closing.132129/

Good write up here too: the Paragon Adventure Park in Hazleton Pennsylvania is closing - https://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=31548.0
 
Bill, great to hear from you after a long absence!!! Your name was brought up around our campfire at Coal Mine in July. Do you still have the 40?

The new info about Paragon reopening has been around for a month or so, maybe a little longer. I'd heard rumblings about it at least a year but then it was quiet for awhile.

Will I boycott Paragon against the state reopening it? No. Here's why. In my opinion the closing back in when 2007 or so, came about for what have proven to be bad reasons. I don't think the state itself was really involved with the closing, as I remember and from what I have read it was a collaboration of local (monetary) interests and local government that allowed it to happen. From what I have seen the state wasn't involved at all.
Build a non-passenger freight airport on the land Paragon leased? Never happened. Most of us figured it probably never would because of the topography of the land. I've been in there a few times since it closed and there was very little development anywhere that would suggest that serious efforts to build an airport were ever initiated.

Frankly I'll be thrilled to see Paragon reopen especially with serious state government money involved. All of us who wheel at both Rausch and AOAA appreciate what a great wheeling facility government money can provide for us. When the cost per vehicle and passenger for a day at AOAA is compared to that at Rausch it's easy to see why we have been gravitating toward AOAA. Better facilities, constant improvement, and lower prices make the decision about where to wheel real easy to make.
We're blessed here in my area with place to wheel. Not only do we have Rausch and AOAA withing 40 minutes of me, but Famous Reading Anthracite is even closer- fifteen minutes to my house. From my place to the old entrance at Paragon is about twenty minutes.

Others are free to disagree with me but there's my two cents. Bill I hope to see you again one of these days at one of the eastern PA off-road facilities!!!!
 
Hey Gary! Good to hear from you.

As I haven't been wheeling out East ways for quite a few years, my threats of boycott carry no weight what so ever. I hear what you're saying and you have a better handle on the local area than I ever will. I've never wheeled at AOAA or a non-privately owned park. My experience is the few areas we tried to open down this way were squashed by the PA DEP.

As for Paragon, I remember Rob Powell of Powell Law Group (involved with Gladstone Partners) was a friend and contributor of then Gov. Ed Rendell. I remember in an interview Ed saying it would be a good investment that the state would be willing to back if the roadblocks were listed (by roadblocks, I assumed the lawsuit with Paragon). It was a lot of years ago, so my recollection could be a bit rusty. That was the State involvement I remembered.

I don't wheel a whole lot anymore, but I do still have my 40. I get out 6 or 8 times over the summer. Mainly Rock Run up in Patton (an hour north) and Doe Valley (10 minutes away). I also have an ATV park right out my back yard (Mountain Ridge ATV Park). I have an ATV, but I use it more for work around the homestead than play.

20220818_162902.jpg

I was happy to see the Keystone Cruisers were still around. Maybe I'll head down for CMCC next year.
 
Hey Bill!

Good to see that 40 again! Dad and I were just talking about you and couldn't remember the town you were from, but knew it was west of here!
My brother bought a farm out toward Bedford, not sure how far that is from you.

Would be great to catch up, my 40 is in pieces at the moment doing a complete rebuild, see the thread here on it.
Busy at work as the Fall semester begins, but hope to get everything going so I can start putting the pieces together. I need to rebuild my front harness, so want to start and finish that quickly so I don't forget what I am running wires for.

Would love to catch up!
Craig
 
Bill, great to hear from you after a long absence!!! Your name was brought up around our campfire at Coal Mine in July. Do you still have the 40?

The new info about Paragon reopening has been around for a month or so, maybe a little longer. I'd heard rumblings about it at least a year but then it was quiet for awhile.

Will I boycott Paragon against the state reopening it? No. Here's why. In my opinion the closing back in when 2007 or so, came about for what have proven to be bad reasons. I don't think the state itself was really involved with the closing, as I remember and from what I have read it was a collaboration of local (monetary) interests and local government that allowed it to happen. From what I have seen the state wasn't involved at all.
Build a non-passenger freight airport on the land Paragon leased? Never happened. Most of us figured it probably never would because of the topography of the land. I've been in there a few times since it closed and there was very little development anywhere that would suggest that serious efforts to build an airport were ever initiated.

Frankly I'll be thrilled to see Paragon reopen especially with serious state government money involved. All of us who wheel at both Rausch and AOAA appreciate what a great wheeling facility government money can provide for us. When the cost per vehicle and passenger for a day at AOAA is compared to that at Rausch it's easy to see why we have been gravitating toward AOAA. Better facilities, constant improvement, and lower prices make the decision about where to wheel real easy to make.
We're blessed here in my area with place to wheel. Not only do we have Rausch and AOAA withing 40 minutes of me, but Famous Reading Anthracite is even closer- fifteen minutes to my house. From my place to the old entrance at Paragon is about twenty minutes.

Others are free to disagree with me but there's my two cents. Bill I hope to see you again one of these days at one of the eastern PA off-road facilities!!!!
Yup, the county & city fathers & mothers of the Hazelton region thought that an airport would be a cash cow for them. When the airport idea went away so too did those local politicians. There musta been a lot of grease involved. I remember the debates going on about AOAA. The old guard local politicians were against it. I spoke with a guy once that was complaining about the “element” that such a park would bring to their county. “ you do realize that our vehicles are worth more than the average home in your county don’t you?” He accused me of initiating a class war & the conversation went down hill fast. Fortunately brighter minds prevailed and we have AOAA. With more state off road parks opening up I’m hoping it will provide a bit of relief for places like BESF which has just recently become inundated with vehicles & people.
 
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An oldie but goodie.
Why would you boycott one of the best places to wheel on the east coast? If anything, this type of development should be encouraged.

Paragon Trail Map.jpg
 
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