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4 Page 4 of43 THAT DESTROYED JOHNSTOWN. IN 1936 AFTERHEAVY SNOW AND A SUDDEN WARM UP AND LOTS OF RAIN, IT CLOGGED UP AND FLOODED JOHNSTOWN AGAIN. IN 1977 A SERlES OF THUNDERSTORMS CONVERGED ON JOHNSTOWN AND THE BRIDGE CLOGGED UP WITH DEBRIS AGAIN AND FLOODED JOHNSTOWN. THE GOVERNMENT HAS SPENT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TRYING TO MAKE JOHNSTOWN FLOODPROOF AND THEY COULDN'T DO IT. SUDDENLY, I KNEW THAT I COULD. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I FELT LIKE I COULD GET RICH DOING IT IF I COULD SUCESSFULLY SUE! THE BUILDER OR THE OWNER OF THE OLD STONE BRIDGE FOR NEGLIGENT HOMICI DE. THEY KNEW THAT IT CLOGGED UP WITH DEBRIS AND FLOODED THE TOWN, AND THEY DID NOTHING. TIffiY HAVB PICTIJRES HANGING ON THE WALL OF THE FLOOD MUSEUM AND IT CLEARLY SHOWS THE FACTS. 1HOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE DIED AND IT HAS DESTROYED OUR TOWN ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT IT CLOGGED UP AND FLOODED THE TOWN SIX TIMES IN TIffi SEVEN YEARS IT TOOK TO BUILD IT. POWERFUL STEEL COMPANIES BUILT IT AND OWNED IT OVER THE YEARS AND TIffiY WENT UNCHALLENGED BY THE:MEDIA WHO WAS IN BED WITH THOSE GUYS ANYWAY. NEXT, I LOOKED AT THE "INCLINED PLANE" IN JOHNSTOWN. IT LOOKS LIKE A RAILROAD TRACK RUNNING UP THE SIDE OF A STEEP MOUNTAIN VERTICALLY. IT WAS BUILT AS A FLOOD EVACUATION DEVICE AND AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTING STEEL MILL WORKERS TO AND FROM WORK. I THOUGHT II HOW CAN WE CAPITALIZE OR IMPROVE ON THIS ASSET? BY NOW IT WAS SPRING AND THE VIEW WAS BEAUTIFUL ACROSS THE VALLEY. I WENT TO THE EAST HILLS TO GIVE IT A LOOK FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. AT THE GALLERIA I LOOKED ACROSS THE VALLEY AND NOTICED THAT THE VIEW WAS SPECTACULAR. HOW CAN WE MARKET TIllS? SUDDENLY IT HIT ME: AN AERIAL TRAMWAY! I SAW THAT AN AERIAL 1RAMWAY FROM THE INCLINE PLANE IN THE EAST HILLS TO THE GALLERIA IN THE WEST HILLS WOULD BE A WORLD CLASS ATIRACTION. WHEN YOU COME OUT OVER THE HILL AT THE INCLINE YOU ARE 1000 FT. ABOVE DOWNTOWN JOHNSTOWN. THE INCLINE PLANE IS THRILLING ENOUGH, BUT AN AERIAL TRAM WOULD BE HEARTSTOPPING EVERY TIME.! PLANEED A TRAM STATION DOWNTOWN, AND THEN THE '!RAM WOULD CONTIN! UE TO THE GALLERIA A FEW:MILES AWAY. IT WOULD ONLY BE TREETOP HIGH SO YOU COULD ENJOY THE DEER IN THE WOODS AND THE SQUIRELLS AND RABBITS, BEARS AND BIRDS, RACCOONS AND TURKEYS. THERE WAS LITERALLY NOTHING IN THE WAY. IT COULD BE DONE EASILY. THE MORE I LOOKED AT IT, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. IT WAS LIKE THE TOWN WAS LAID OUT JUST WAIUNG FOR THIS TO BE BUJLT. THIS COULD PUT US ON TIffi MAP AND TURN TIlE TOWNS FORTUNES AROUND, NOT TO MENTION MAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR FOR THE OWNER. A FEW DAYS LATER I NOTICED A HELICOPTER PARKED ON THE ROOF OF OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL; CONEMAUGH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. I THOUGHT" WHAT A GREAT PLACE FOR A TRAM STATION. THE HOSPITAL IS BUILT ON A STEEP HILLSIDE. THE EIv:lPLOYEES HAVE TO PARK THEIR. CARS UP ON TOP OF THE HILL AND SHUTTLE DOWN IN A BUS. I 1HOUGHT II WHY NOT BUILD A AERIAL TRAM FROM THE ROOFTOP, TO THE EMPLOYEE PARK AND RIDE UP ON THEHILLTOP. AT THE PARK AND RIDE I NOTICED TIIAT IT WAS ON ANOTHER HILLSIDE THAT WAS FALLING DOWN ONTO THE ROADWAY. I REALIZED THAT IF WE TOOK OFF TIffi TOP 75 FT. OR SO OF THAT HILL IT WOULD LEVEL OUT TO A DEGREE THAT IT WOULD STOP FALLING DOWN AND WE COULD CREATE A BIG PLATEAU OF ABOUT 150 ACRES THAT WE COULD USE FOR A HUGE PARK AND RIDE. FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT I COULD SEE THE INCLINE PLANE ALONG THE RIDGE;INE ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY. I THOUGHT WHY NOT. EXTENT IT TO THE INCLINE PLANE AND USE THIS AS THE MAIN PARK AND RIDE. IT WOULD RUN ALONG THE VERY BACK EDGE OF THE CEMETAR! Y. THE PLATEAU WOULD AFFORD A MOST 5/11/2004