The video above is someone's idea of what the coaster in Electropolis might be like, based solely on their study of the concept art.  It looks to match pretty well, but I don't think we can always take concept art and our own assumptions that seriously.  It doesn't hurt to speculate, though.

I have long understood that the days of the original Fire in the Hole rollercoaster at ​Silver Dollar City, in the Missouri Ozarks, was on borrowed time.  The building and the ride itself have withstood the test of time, but that is to be no more.  Unable to combat the mildew and rot inside this enclosed ride any longer, the park decided to shutter the ride at the end of the 2023 season.  Thankfully, there is enough wisdom still in charge at Silver Dollar City that they understand the nostalgia that this attraction holds for many.

It is my favorite ride in the park - mostly because it tells the local history of the vigilante Bald Knobbers and their burning of the town of Marmaros, or Marble City, that sat at the top of Marvel Cave where Silver Dollar City now resides.  It is said to be the world's first indoor roller coaster, and surprisingly enough, it was designed and developed in-house.  The ride's statistics are as follows:

Remember those stats as I'll write about Fire in the Hole's replacement in another article soon.

For more details, here is what the park website says about it:

I've come to really enjoy theme park concept art and models, so this original concept art from Fire in the Hole is interesting to me.  Of course, so is the art that depicts the replacement attraction that will take over when this one is shuttered.  The new rollercoaster, located in the Fire District area of the park, will bear the name (as we've really known for months) Fire in the Hole.  Stay tuned for my introduction of the new $30 million ride that will carry on the legacy of this iconic feature.

In my mind, I see a salty dog character to tell stories along the pathway.  As far as attractions, there seems to be a lot of space in this land.  The lighthouse is touted as a dark ride/show with guests entering to sit in vehicles that might move or seats arranged in a circle around a smaller lighthouse.  This could reside either underneath the lighthouse itself or housed deceptively across the path in a larger building.

If you're going to have a museum based on crime and dedicated to the display of infamous criminals, it goes without saying that the idea of law enforcement is also going to be on display.  Through history, there have been some horrendous instruments of torture and punishment.  The methods of torture have been about as inhumane as possible in order to deter future offensive acts.  Methods of capital punishment have also run the gamut.

On display at Alcatraz East in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, are a few tools of capital punishment - here represented in photos of a beheading axe, a replica guillotine, and one of Tennessee's electric chairs.  Across the way (and not photographed) was a gas chamber, as well.

​Once again, they are interesting to see, but make invoke nightmares to some visitors.

While many flumes are little more than fiberglass channels that don't bear any resemblance to a theme, this one goes around and into a mountain.  The big drop even looks like one of a few waterfalls coming out of said mountain.

There are other structures in the area, but it's impossible to discern their functions.  It might be a good area to serve barbecue meals or sandwiches, and I can hear the musical styles that would fit in with the theme.

​This seems like the smallest of the lands in the park (I hope it's not landlocked, as that would make it difficult to expand in the future if needed.). One might notice there is a smallish show venue where visitors can watch log rolling and perhaps other lumberjack feats.  This is also an are that looks to have a nature interpreter with a bald eagle mingling with guests.  Maybe this is a simple nature encounter, or maybe it hints of a bird show that can also take place in the area.

To help illustrate archaeology, I placed skeletons on the floor in the following poses.

Participants in the activity were the adults and high school students in our Wednesday evening class at church. They were given the instructions to make objective observations of each of the six burials, withholding their inferences until we returned to class and shared.  The differences between observing and inferring are glaring, but an understanding of such is crucial to comprehend modern archaeological methods.

Our class members got to be out of their regular seats for this "hands-on" activity, and it felt good to get them out of the classroom.  We're not used to activity in the adult class, but we're trying to do something to keep them engaged in the lessons and make things more meaningful and memorable for them.  Why should the kids have all the fun?

A short film introduces museum visitors to the 9/11 terror attacks on our country.  Nearby, the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, displays some of the debris from the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center.  The museum also has a discreet acknowledgement of the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995.  These are crimes, but on a completely different scale than in the rest of the museum.

One place is labeled as a "Swamp Thrill Ride".  Is this an airboat ride through alligator-infested bottomland?  There is a water path on the map that winds back and forth through the ride area, and one theme park commenter says it will be reminiscent of the Jungle Cruise at Disney. 

Still another label on the map heralds "Voodoo House".  I'm not sure if that's a show, a dark ride, or a store area. I'm hoping for a dark ride, but I don't want people to take it too seriously.  It does look like there will be an attraction that searches for a bog monster.  What may be the concept art for this reminds me of the old Diving Bell simulator ride at Silver Dollar City.  That may be too much to hope for as many aficionados have longed for a return of Rube Dugan's Diving Bell​ there.

Boats in the trees and "rotting" on the shoreline help the ambience, but the promise of zydeco music should round out the feel.  I see climbing structures and treehouses in the area for the kids, as well as water features.  This is the place where "Critter Tales" show up.  The explanation mentions cute critters.  Are those costumed characters or actual animals?  Fingers crossed for the latter.  It's only natural that there will be Cajun food wafting through the park emanating from this land.

Will boats load here to make a short cut across the lake to a different land?  If things happen according to plan, we will see.

I definitely see this as being a terrific area at night.  Lots of LED and fiber optic fireflies and luminescent glowing things in the trees, in the air, and on the ground would make this a place to see after dark.

The fall semester at Pittsburg State University is getting closer.  This semester, I will supervise six student teachers in their schools.  Subsequently, I will meet principals and cooperating teachers along the way.  We'll have conversations about how to assist the students in their efforts to teach elementary students to the best of their abilities.

Kickstart is only a couple of days away, but I've been ready for weeks.  Last semester, I wasn't aware that I could take as much as an hour in a room by myself with my students, but I was really happy with the way I approached it.  Even in an impromptu state, I wanted to emphasize my abilities and wisdom - not to brag or intimidate the new crop, but to assure them that I could help them...and that I am willing to help them.  I want them to listen to me, but I also want to hear what they have to say in self-evaluation.  It is very important to me that teachers of all experiences be up front and vulnerable with each other.  If one has a need, s/he should be able to express the need (i.e., a deficiency) to a confidante who is willing to listen and assist.

This year, I'm bringing with me my tried-and-true Believe It or Not! list of my own experiences.  Through the years, this list has become pretty long, and I am constantly consolidating and adding to it.  In fact, I've reduce it to a 6.5 points; I may have to start passing out magnifying glasses to read it.  On this list are educational achievements and milestones, but also things that might sound unbelievable. However, everything on the list is true.

Students are always welcome to question me about anything that's on this list.  It's a great way for them to get to know my personality on day one.  Then, when I visit them in their assigned classrooms, perhaps they can be more at ease.  At the same time, I hope to gain their respect for my experience and achievements and make them comfortable enough to let me know their own strengths and weaknesses during their professional semester at PSU.

On the back, I have briefly explained these things (which will accompany my in-person presentation at Kickstart). I've also included my phone number, email address, and instructions to get to this website, which I plan to utilize and refer to in our conversations.

It's part of our history:  the undeniable mistreatment of one people by another.  It is not pleasant to see an actual noose that, in the hands of a mob, was used to murder.  It is a shame that racism so easily developed into racism that we've never been able to completely shake.

The robe on the right is one that was worn by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, a hateful group that still meets and intimidates black citizens.  The death mask on the left is from Martin Luther King Jr., cast following his death at the hands of an assassin in Memphis, Tennessee.

Farther along are giant airplane hangars, boasting of Oklahoma Aviation.  This is the Barnstormer attraction, which looks like an oversized simulator ride - like Disney's Soarin' or Flight of Passage from Avatar (also a Disney creation).  This ride is close to a big wooden roller coaster they are calling Jackalope.

Finally, there is a chance to include an entertaining, historical telling of the Indian relocation to Oklahoma.  This or a presentation of tribal culture and tradition will be a part of a high-tech theater presentation.  Are there holograms involved?  A digital screen?  All kinds of special effects could be employed.  One thing we know: the concept art looks incredible.  Another:  the team is working with local tribes and hopefully receiving guidance on getting the right balance to the story.

Next week, I will present a full day of professional development for teachers at Neosho Christian School (pre-kindergarten to 12th grade) in Neosho, Missouri.  While I'm not reproducing the training here, this is a basic outline for our complete morning and afternoon.  This puts our video and web links in an easy-to-access location.

The next link will provide teachers with a bank of Preferred Activities from Fred Jones' website.  Use the same link to explore other things that Jones offers for Positive Classroom Instruction and Discipline.