Davenport Ferris Wheel Damaged in High Winds

High winds made their mark late last week in the QC.

Baseball season in the Quad Cities is just around the corner. I can't wait for the season with our River Bandits to begin! There is nothing like hearing the crack of the bat, the smell of the dirt on the diamond and the ambiance of the stadium, including the amusement rides.

As soon as I had heard about damage to the Ferris Wheel at Modern Woodmen Park, I called my friend, Andrew Chesser, GM of the Quad Cities River Bandits. He gave me the lowdown and it isn't too pretty.

Friday, with the higher winds, they noticed irregular movement of the tarped gondolas. unfortunately, by then, it was too late. One of the gondolas had come loose and actually fell. They called the manufacturer in Indianapolis and he drove immediately to the ballpark to see what in the world happened.

Wind gusts made it up to 63 mph on Friday. By Saturday, the winds had died down enough for workers to safely get up in the air but the recent thaw made it nearly impossible for trucks and equipment to get on the muddy grounds.

"All together, 12 of the 20 gondolas on the ferris wheel were damaged" said Andrew Chesser. "The manufacturer is looking into how this happened and the staff at Modern Woodmen Park are working with state and city officials to ensure all safety standards necessary in the repair process."

The good news is, there will be no delay when opening day May 1, 2016 (opening day  for the amusements). One note to make about riding the ferris wheel. If the winds hit 30 mph, it isn't safe to operate, so there will be no rides. Safety first is always the rule of thumb at Modern Woodmen Park.

The other great news is that no one got hurt or injured during the 'flying gondola' incident! Join The Hawk again this year for a great baseball season in the Quad Cities with the River Bandits. I can't wait! Less than 50 days till opening day at Modern Woodmen Park!