My husband encouraged me to use my maiden name, Jankowiak, when I first published Crystal Memories so people who had known me with that last name would realize it was my book.  I have been an avid Crystal Beach fan since I was a small child. My most pleasant memories are of the sunny, summer days my family spent at the park, picnicking in the grove, riding the rides on tickets earned from our report cards, eating suckers on the way home. The suckers were a way of stretching out the visit which didn't really end until we drove across the Peace Bridge to get back to Buffalo. Until that moment, in my mind, there was always a chance that we would turn around and return to the park. As an adult, I had the means to spend more time at Crystal Beach, including sunbathing on the beach itself. Once the Comet started running, however, I was off the sand, leaving my no-coaster-riding friends behind as I headed for the rides.

Crystal Beach nurtured my love of amusement parks, roller coasters and carousels. That love is often reflected in my art and craft work.  Although I have visited numerous parks and ridden hundreds of roller coasters in my adulthood, none can ever compare to Crystal Beach. I still miss it. I actually began researching my book in early 1989, before I knew the park was closing. I quickly discovered that uncovering information about the park's history was going to be an enormous undertaking. Undaunted, I spent all my spare time researching and then writing the book. This took years. After submitting the completed manuscript to hundreds of publishers and having it rejected by each one, my husband suggested we self-publish. This was a great expense for us, but well worth it for the preservation of the park's memory. I hope the result is a source of comfort and joy for all who remember Crystal Beach.

I am also the author of Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks. I first experienced these whimsical parks because of the Comet. When Charlie Wood at last got the Comet up and running at Great Escape in 1994, my friends and I were there to welcome it back. We quickly came to learn of the other parks in that region and enjoyed them for their charm and wonder. We also met wonderful people through our visits. The Great Escape is now owned by Six Flags, but the Comet is still a fast, smooth ride: the coaster by which I judge all others.

My creative talents were first recognized by my parents when I was a 5 years-old regaling my family with my  own stories accompanied by my own drawings. I hold Associates Degrees in Commercial Art and Creative Writing. My art and craft work can be found on this website and numerous craft shows throughout Western New York. I have published articles in several magazines such as Disney Adventures, Hi-lights For Children and Western New York Heritage Magazine.

I am currently working on my next book, Kiddie Parks of Western New York. If anyone has any information on those parks, and/or photos, please contact me through this website. Thank you.

Photo of Rose Ann Hirsch and her niece, Colleen Ruchalski, on the train at Crystal Beach, 1985.

Crystal Beach has many fond memories for me, a native Buffalonian. As a filmmaker, I've had the opportunity to document that very special place in my heart, and even better, share those visual memories with others. Between 1981 and 1991, I shot over 5 hours of Super 8mm film at Crystal Beach. I only knew Crystal Beach in its later days, the 1960's till the end, but my family and friends shared with me their wonderful memories of the park's glory days and the Canadiana.

Most people don't realize that a park's sounds and smells are just as unique as their sights. Fortunately, I'm different from most people. In 1984, I spent a day recording the sounds unique to Crystal Beach: the air jets on the Magic Palace, Laughing Sal, Charming Charlie, an on-board ride of the Laff in the Dark, the sounds of the Comet and Giant Coaster, Leo the Paper Eating Lion and a variety of others. What I couldn't capture were the rich scents that Crystal Beach had to offer: cinnamon suckers, freshly made caramel corn, sugar waffles, bumper cars, Jungle Land, the Hey Dey and roller coaster grease. It's a great misfortune that we cannot record such unique fragrances.

When I was child my family made an annual drive to Crystal Beach. I would get butterflies in my stomach as we approached, becoming excited at the first glimpse of the "yellow roller coaster" and colorful spires of the Magic Carpet. I recall the unique sounds of Jungle Land; the waterwheel splashing and the figure wailing as he was continually dunked. I can still see the really neat wooden conveyor belts that brought the boats with their sleek animal heads up out of the water. I remember the buzzing chain drive of the Laff in the Dark cars, the seemingly endless spirals of track on the inside and outside Laughing Sal jiggling with her endless laughter while Charming Charlie plunked out-of-tune melodies on his piano.

I remember the joy of putting trash into the gaping maw of Leo the Lion with his endless appetite for paper plates, paper napkins, chewing gum wrappers and cigarette butts. My nose can still smell the Hey Dey, my ears still hear its rumbling sound and my body still remembers the dizzying whirl in the back corner if the car hit it just right. I remember the tight turns of the Wild Mouse and flying out of my seat on those dips! I remember the scariness and exhilaration of my first Comet ride, the delicious taste of sugar waffles and the sad feeling as we left the park at night. I stared out the back window as we drove away, not wanting to lose sight of such a magical place.

Photo above: Tim Wagner shows off his Crystal Beach collection at the Crystal Beach Community Days held at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in 1999, the 10th anniversary of the park's closing.