Trip of fame began with county park: Native inducted into Amusement Hall in New England
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Special to the OBSERVER
NASHUA, N.H. -- Chautauqua County native Ron Gustafson was recently inducted into the New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame during the organization's 110th Anniversary Education Conference and Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Nashua Hotel. NEAAPA is the Northeast's entertainment association.
Gustafson, most recently at Quassy Amusement and Waterpark in Middlebury, Conn., announced his retirement last October as the park's director of marketing and public relations.
Growing up in Western New York, he would visit Midway Amusement Park on Chautauqua Lake with his family where he developed an interest in the workings of amusement rides.
"Then I would go home and build rides out of Tinker Toys and other things that I could use," said Gustafson.
In the early 1970s he was named assistant sports editor at The Post-Journal in Jamestown, where he covered high school and college sports and would also write articles about the amusement industry.
It was during that time he received his first writing award from The Associated Press for a feature about skydiving.
Gustafson also volunteered for the Chautauqua County Volunteer Fireman's Gala Days, promoting what was one of the largest volunteer fireman's carnivals in the country.
In 1980, he became the marketing manager for the newly-formed Amusements of Rochester, now Powers Great American Midways, while still working in journalism as the full-time editor of the Dunkirk Evening Observer.
By 1990, he became the full-time marketing director for Midway Amusement Park, as well as the ride superintendent. It was then he started freelance writing for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions' FUNWORLD magazine.
Gustafson was named Outstanding Tourism Employee of the Year in 1997 by the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association for getting attraction signage on major highways throughout the state.
In 1999 he produced a laser light show at Midway Park which was named IAAPA's Best Promotion Of The Year,
In Labor Day 2002, he began working for Quassy Amusement Park as the marketing and public relations director. During his 20-year tenure, he created a number of educational programs to bolster school outings and created community service special events.
He then became involved with NEAAPA, serving as editor of the hard-copy newsletter for more than a decade. Ron has also published three books about the industry's history.
Gustafson has been honored with numerous journalism and amusement industry awards throughout his career and is the author of three books.
He and his wife, Nancy, reside in North Carolina and have two grown children and two grandsons.
Though retired, he continues to write about the amusement industry for trade publications. Long-time friend Gary Slade, publisher of Amusement Today magazine, was also inducted into the NEAAPA Hall of Fame during the gala event.