NORMAN — On Wednesday, Kyle Allison, general manager of Andy Alligator’s Fun Park in Norman, announced that the family entertainment facility will expand to include a water park.

The fun park opened at Interstate 35 and Indian Hills Road in November 2007 and has been growing each year. The water park is a significant expansion for the family-operated and family-oriented business.

Allison’s announcement came in the form of a special presentation at the Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau board meeting and luncheon.

The $4.5 million expansion will include four and a half acres located west of the fun park and within Norman city limits. Allison said a feasibility study described it as a “great site” for a water park. The study indicated what people have been talking about for some time — that a water park is badly needed in this area.

The Allison family hopes the expansion will draw tourist dollars and more sales tax into Norman.

“We pull guests all the way from Ardmore,” Allison said.

Often visitors wanting to avoid the traffic in Dallas will select Norman as a destination spot. Andy Alligator’s partnered this summer with Embassy Suites for a tourist package that was very successful, he said.

The water park will be smaller in scale than White Water Bay, but it will have many unique features. The lower maintenance cost of the smaller site means lower entry fees for the family-friendly venue.

One of the most important features is that this water park will be geared toward families with children. Larger water parks are geared toward older children and teens. The water park at Andy’s Alligators will have more venues for younger children.

Cabanas, unique water features not available elsewhere in the state and other amenities will make it a premier destination for families locally and regionally.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Oct. 12. The public is invited. The park will open in May 2012.

Andy’s Alligator’s is locally owned and operated by the Allision family.

Kyle Allison was named to Norman’s “15 Under 40” this year. He has worked in the family business most of his life. Allison said his family takes pride in living and reinvesting in Norman. He owns a home in Norman, volunteers through Norman Next and dreams of running a philanthropic organization to benefit the youth of central Oklahoma who want to be future business leaders.

Read more details of the coming water park in The Transcript’s Sunday Business section.

Joy Hampton 366-3539 jhampton@ normantranscript.com

This summer a new business is bouncing its way into Cutler Bay.

Jump A Roos, an 11,000-square-foot play center featuring seven inflatable obstacle courses, slides and bounce-house-like jumping games, hopes to open in Southland Mall in early July.

“It’s about having a good time with your kids at a relatively low price,” said Gregory Fefferman, owner of Jump A Roos. “At a movie you have to pay for the adult to get in too; here adults are free.”

Fefferman came up with the idea for Jump A Roos after attending numerous birthday parties with his three small children and sitting through activities and events that weren’t a lot of fun for adults.

“Most of the birthday parties we go to are fun because my children have fun, but they aren’t that enjoyable for parents,” Fefferman said.

His goal was to create a family entertainment center that wouldn’t leave parents pulling out their hair.

“You mention Chuck E. Cheese and parents shudder at the idea of going there,” he said. “I want parents to be comfortable and have options.”

In addition to the inflatable equipment where toddlers and kids up to age 12 can hop away the hours, Jump A Roos will offer perks that Fefferman says will really make a difference to parents.

They plan to partner with Sal’s, a nearby restaurant and pizzeria in the mall, to offer more dining options than just a slice of pizza, like chicken parmesan or a caesar salad. Fefferman also said there will be clean comfortable seating for parents, free wireless Internet access and TVs, so dads don’t have to miss the big game.

In addition to being Miami’s largest indoor inflatable play center, Jump A Roos will have four private rooms available for parties and playgroups. They also hope to offer classes like mommy and me yoga and to partner with occupational therapists, who could use their facility for therapy sessions with mentally and physically disabled children.

“The equipment is challenging, but forgiving,” Fefferman said. “If a child is trying to climb up a wall and they don’t accomplish it the first time it’s a soft landing.”

Jump A Roos is truly a family business. Fefferman based his market research on trips to other indoor inflatable play centers with his kids. Fefferman’s wife, an artist, created their kangaroo mascot, “Jumpin’ Joey” and his father, a part-owner, is his creative consultant.

“He’s a great partner,” Fefferman said. “It’s nice to have someone to share ideas with and to commiserate and celebrate with.”

Fefferman’s father, Glenn, first suggested opening a business together in 2008, after Fefferman lost his banking job during the recession. Glenn Fefferman, who owned batting cages in Tropical Park for years, suggested an indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf course.

Fefferman, familiar with backyard bounce houses and other indoor play facilities, figured there had to be a better way for kids to bounce. The family has been working on the idea for the past two years, searching for the perfect location and working to get the proper approval from the town of Cutler Bay.

Jump A Roos initially faced zoning issues because the mall was not approved for family entertainment use. But after working with the mall manager and the mayor of Cutler Bay, the Town Council voted to change the zoning code.

“Disallowing family entertainment didn’t make any sense,” said Edward MacDougall, mayor of Cutler Bay. “I’m in favor of assisting businesses overall, businesses should know that this government is approachable and we are willing to work with them.”

Jump A Roos still has a few hoops left to clear, permits to get and construction to finish, but they hope to be open for birthday parties and walk-in business mid-summer. Fefferman plans to hire about 25 employees who will be trained to clean the equipment regularly, interact with the children, initiate games and encourage safety.

Outdoor bounce houses have been known to become safety issues in bad weather, but Fefferman said it will be easier to monitor the equipment and the kids at his indoor facility. He hopes parents will have more interaction with their kids at Jump A Roos than at other play centers.

“One thing we plan to do differently than those crazy open playhouses is create memories,” Fefferman said. “Ultimately it goes back to the parents. I want them to experience it with their children, to share that moment of joy when their kid makes it down the slide.”

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/09/2255655/jumping-soon-to-a-mall-near-you.html

Lehigh County accepts theme park’s bid for valuable tract near Cedarbrook

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom may be expanding on nearly 7 acres of adjacent land currently owned by Lehigh County.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which owns the South Whitehall Township amusement park, said Thursday Lehigh County has accepted its bid of $2.75 million for the land. The acquisition now depends on a vote by the Lehigh County Commissioners.

Dorney Park hasn’t outlined specific plans for the tract at Dorney Park and Hillview roads, near the county’s Cedarbrook nursing home. But Cedar Fair said in a news release Thursday it may use it for rides, other attractions or parking.

In January, Tom Muller, county administration director, has said the property was assessed at $2.4 million to $2.8 million.

“This is one of the most valuable properties owned by Lehigh County,” Commissioner Percy Dougherty said at the time.

Six years ago, the county had other plans for the tract. Ashley Development planned to put a medical building with retail and restaurant space on the site. But the plan languished as the economy soured and the county, which had planned to lease the land to Ashley, looked to sell.

“We appreciate the opportunity provided by the Lehigh County Commissioners to bid on this property,” Kinzel said. “And would like to thank them for their ongoing strong support of regional economic development and tourism.”

Dorney Park had more than 100 rides and attractions, including eight roller coasters, as well as a water park. The park’s newest attraction is Planet Snoopy, a kids’ theme-park that opened this season.

—Christine Schiavo

After going through a brief family phase, the Strip is back to being an adult Disneyland.

But the people in New York-New York’s arcade on a recent Saturday didn’t get that memo. They danced furiously to music on the “In the Groove” game, tested their reflexes on “Time Crisis 2,” played basketball and rode the roller coaster.

The scene is much the same at the other end of the Strip, where visitors and locals alike spend entire afternoons in the midway at Circus Circus or the Adventuredome, acting like kids. And many of them are kids.

Indeed, overall visitorship has been down and gaming revenue has declined for the past few years, but the arcade/theme park business has remained fairly steady.

“The good news is, we were flat, but now the (guest count) is actually up 3 (percent) to 4 percent since the same time last year,” says Tom Nolan, vice president of theme park operations for Adventuredome at Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South. He also oversees the midway. Both areas have arcades featuring a variety of games.

Last year, 3.7 million people visited the theme park, Nolan says. That’s not bad compared to 2005, their most successful year, when 4.5 million guests visited. Many visitors include families with young children. While it’s difficult to say how many of those visitors actually played in the arcade, it remains a popular attraction for guests, Nolan says. Management makes sure to bring in hot games, such as “Dance Dance Revolution,” while offering retro arcade games, such as “PacMan.”

“Air hockey is … a big revenue generator,” Nolan says, adding that whole families have been known to take over a table and play each other for hours.

In 2003, one of the original family-friendly resorts, Treasure Island, reduced its arcade to roll out a sexy new look and name. Now, a few games sit in a small area next to the hotel’s pool entrance. It doesn’t see much action, says a hotel worker who asked to remain anonymous.

Several Strip resorts, including Luxor and MGM Grand, reduced or eliminated their arcades in recent years. But others, such as Excalibur, New York-New York and Circus Circus, continue to maintain theirs as a bona fide amenity.

Excalibur’s arcade, the Fun Dungeon, has dozens of carnival-style and arcade games with a medieval flair. There also are several 4-D rides, including “SpongeBob SquarePants 4D.”

“Even though Las Vegas has shifted away from some of the family attractions, there’s always a niche market for the arcade,” says Greg Goll, spokesman for New York-New York, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

The Coney Island Emporium features about 160 arcade games, most of them electronic. Emporium management maintains a warehouse with dozens of games that are rotated regularly, Goll says.

The arcade remains popular with families who have young children, teens and adults, he says.

“They come because it’s a unique attraction on our property,” Goll says. “You may have families that come in that don’t want to experience the casino … there’s quite a few experiences for them to have up in (the arcade) .”

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@review journal.com or 702-380-4564.

Updated: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 10:04

(Photo by Chris Caldwell)

Almost five children die every day as a result of child abuse, and over 75 percent of those are under the age of 4.

These statistics come from the Childhelp Foundation at www.childhelp.org. Many prevention programs are there to help, but the Family Support Center of Washington County, 310 W. 200 North, is a local center, and the employees are there to help prevent child abuse and neglect, Director Christine Nelson said.

The Family Support Center is holding a miniature golf fundraiser at Fiesta Family Fun Center, 171 E. 1160 South, on Saturday, April 30. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. All of the proceeds will be used to purchase the current facility used by the Family Support Center and, hopefully, to provide more employees so the center can stay open during the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

“Right now the center closes for those hours because we cannot afford to stay open,” Nelson said.

The miniature golf tournament is for all ages and is $5 for singles and $15 for a family of four. Registration is now open online at http://familysupportceter.squarespace.com/mini-golf-form/. Registration forms can be dropped off at the Family Support Center; HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors, 63 S. 300 East, Suite 100; Courtyard by Marriott,185 S. 1470 East; Far West Bank, 308 W. Tabernacle St.; or Wilkinson’s House of Lighting, 88 E. 1160 South. Participants can also register for the tournament at the door.

The event is being held at Fiesta Family Fun Center.

“Since Fiesta Family Fun Center is usually closed, they were willing to let us come in for the fundraiser,” said Laura Bartschi, who is the Family Support Center Assistant Director.

The Family Support Center has many sponsors for the event, and it is planning on having one sponsor for each of the 18 holes in the miniature golf course. It also has sponsors who have donated prizes for the winners of the competition. Prizes include an iPod Touch, a skateboard from Lip Trix Boardshop, an overnight stay at the Courtyard by Marriott, and gift cards to Orchids Restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, The Sweet Tooth Fairy and many others.

The competition will be split into categories, and everyone could win a prize. Each hole in the course will have a judge so the competition is fair, Nelson said.

The Family Support Center is a facility that is operated by about 10 employees. The center offers a crisis center, respite care, visitation exchanges and parenting classes.

The respite care is the most popular of the services offered. Respite care is offered to parents of children up to 11 years old and foster parents. Respite care is the most popular of the services offered at the center and is similar to babysitting. The respite care is to help parents that need a break, so they can take care of things they need to do. Parents can leave children at the center for up to 72 hours, Bartschi said.

“It is for parents’ mental health, and so they can get into a better place,” Nelson said. “When they are able to get things done they need to, then they can have more quality time for their children.”

The employees of the center sometimes have to turn children away from respite care because usually only two people are on staff, and they can only have four children to every one adult or two babies for every adult. With more funding they would be able to provide services to more children in the community, Nelson said.

Other services the facility offers is a crisis center, a place where children can come if a crisis occurs, and parenting classes. Visitation exchanges are also available for divorced parents that do not want to see each other. One parent drops off the child, and 10 minutes later, the other parent can pick the child up.

The center survives on money from fundraisers and grants, and it is able to keep the place running with the help of volunteers and sponsors, Bartschi said.

She said her favorite part about working at the center is to give parents the break they want, need and deserve.

“Parenting is our greatest and most important service to ourselves,” Barschi said. “To be a better parent —well nothing is better to me.”

The Family Support Center is a preventive service, not a rescue facility. Parents can take their children when parenting gets to be too much to prevent child abuse. The miniature golf tournament is to support these efforts.

Along with the miniature golf, in the Fiesta Family Fun Center parking lot there will be a bake sale to help with the fund-raising efforts until 11 a.m.