Six Flags park closures continue with California site on the line
'Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park's last year without that extension would be after the '27 season,' he said, according to People . The potential closure means roller coasters could take their final loops after Halloween 2027 — and the move is part of a larger shakeup in the theme park world.
It comes soon after the company announced in May it would close a Maryland park for good in November . For Bay Area residents, the potential closure isn't a huge shock. 'If they decide to close it rather than sell it off or make some kind of other arrangement, that's understandable,' one local said on Reddit. 'It seems like they are just counting the days until the end.'
Back in 2020, Cedar Fair — the corporation that used to own the park — sold the land beneath it to Prologis, San Francisco-based real estate firm for $310 million. The deal helped bring in cash while the park was shut down during the pandemic. As part of that deal, Prologis included a stipulation that it could boot the amusement park with just two years' notice.
The theme park sits on 112 acres next to Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers play. Prologis is reportedly planning to redevelop the land into real estate and retail spaces designed to serve game-day crowds hunting for a Brock Purdy win. 'We're focused on identifying and partnering with planning and design experts to help us create a master plan for the property,' Jennifer Nelson, a spokesperson for the real estate company, said during an interview with the LA Times .
Inside, the park has reportedly seen better days. Attractions now include a series of twirling rides that lack the adrenaline-inducing thrill many guests expect, according to SFGate . The publication also found that, like many other amusement parks, California's Great America also charges steep prices for food and drinks .
The looming shutdown comes amid a wave of changes for Six Flags. In 2024, the company finalized an $8 billion merger with Cedar Fair, forming a theme park powerhouse that now operates 42 amusement parks across the US.
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Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Celebrities you WON'T believe are the same age in these shocking pictures - from a fresh-faced Tom Selleck to Sean Connery as 007
Looks can be deceiving, it's sometimes hard to discern exactly how old an actor, athlete or musician is just by watching them on the television. Over the years many people have been left bemused after learning the surprising age of their favourite stars, but what's more striking is just how different A-listers have appeared at the very same age. Just a couple of weeks ago, thousands were stunned after casting their eye upon a comparison between former Bond actor Sean Connery and the baby-faced Thomas Brodie-Jones at 34. And there are a host of photos of stars who it's almost implausible are the same age still yet to be unearthed, until now. So, from a fresh-faced Tom Holland to Tom Selleck without his iconic bushy moustache, let's take a look at some of the best. Tom Holland and Tom Selleck (29) One actor with a striking baby-face is Zendaya 's boyfriend Tom Holland. The much-loved British movie star, 29, rose to fame playing Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far from Home. In a shocking development this week he was touted for the part of James Bond, according to Variety, in a update which left many supporters bemused. The fresh-faced star was dubbed too 'adorable' for the role - 'Tom Holland as James Bond is like making a James Bond kids movie', one fan quipped. Indeed, it is almost impressive that Tom 'could still pass for a high school senior,' as one fan wrote, at the age of 29 when you compare him to A-listers of years gone by. Take iconic American actor Tom Selleck, now 80, for example, who even before he grew his iconic bushy moustache looked far older at the same age. Prior to his days as the curly-haired Thomas Magnum PI or Richard Burke in Friends, a clean-shaven Tom appeared in a host of television shows and movies in the 1970s. But the lack of beard didn't make Selleck look any younger, as even in a fresh-faced photo of him at the age of 29 Tom had the rugged appearance of a man much older. Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo (38) Rooney looked a far-cry from his playing days as he lined up for a charity game at Old Trafford last summer at the aged after Ronaldo netted a whopping 44 goals in a season for Al Nassr at the same age At 22 and 23, Rooney and Ronaldo were arguably at the peak of their powers as they led Manchester United to European glory in 2008. But some 17 years later and the physical differences between the pair are stark. While Ronaldo continues to defy the odds at the age of 40 playing for both Portugal and Saudi League club Al Nassr, his old teammate Rooney is appearing in charity games having called time on his career in 2021. After seemingly enjoying his first couple years of retirement, the former England striker lined up for a Man United Legends XI at Old Trafford last summer sporting some grey hairs and a slightly more out-of-shape physique than during his playing days. It came the summer after Cristiano had just netted a whopping 44 goals for his new club Al Nassr, despite being a year older than Wayne. And it seems even Ronaldo himself noticed the difference between him and his old teammate as they neared 40, telling Piers Morgan in a bombshell interview that Rooney is 'jealous of him'. Asked about Rooney's criticism of him following his return to Manchester United, Ronaldo told Piers: 'Probably (it's jealousy). Probably - because he finished his career in his 30s. I'm still playing at a high level, I'm not going to say that I'm better looking than him, which is true!' And Just Like That and The Golden Girls (50s) Following the death of Betty White at the age of 99 in 2021, discussions began about the ages of the cast of The Golden Girls. In particular, fans were left shocked after comparing the ages of Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan) and Dorothy (Bea Arthur) to the leading ladies of And Just Like That, a HBO revival series of Sex and the City. In series one of The Golden Girls, despite looking rather like pensioners, Dorothy and Rose were 55 while Blanche was even younger in her early 50s. After watching Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) of And Just Like That - all too in their 50s - viewers couldn't get their head around the fact that they were all portraying characters of the same ages. Fans took to X to express their surprise, writing: 'Watching a Season 1 episode of The Golden Girls One X user wrote: 'Watching a Season 1 episode of The Golden Girls, and Rose's age was just revealed to be 55. This unsettles me. This is Charlotte's age on And Just Like That... we have reached the convergence', 'The fact that the sex and the city characters are the same age as the golden girls characters blows my mind a little bit', 'The main characters in the first season of Golden Girls are younger than in the current Sex and The City (53/44 in GG and 54'55 in And Just Like That!) Amazing how different our view of women at that age is now'. Tobey Maguire and Tommy Lee Jones (50) Tobey Maguire turned 50 this year, but the baby-faced star looks far younger than the stern Tommy Lee Jones at the same age In his final appearance as Peter Parker in Spider-Man 3, Tobey was 27 but supporters had no qualms with him playing a character 12 years his junior thanks to his youthful-looking face It seems Spider-Man producers are a fan of a baby-face, with the first actor to portray the adored superhero being Tobey Maguire, who bagged the coveted role in 2002 at the age of 22. In his final appearance as Peter Parker in Spider-Man 3, Tobey was 27 but supporters had no qualms with him playing a character 12 years his junior thanks to his youthful-looking face. He turned 50 this year, but you wouldn't know it, as despite growing a hint of facial hair over the years the actor looks as healthy and young as ever. That's in juxtaposition to Men In Black star Tommy Lee Jones, now 78, who was rocking wrinkles and some grey hairs at 50 when the film released in 1997. In fact Lee Jones has regularly played characters older than himself - Agent K in Men In Black was in his 60s and Ty Cobb was decades older than Tommy was in the 1990s. One fan one Reddit amusingly quipped: 'Has Tommy Lee Jones ever not looked like a stern old guy?' Christopher Lloyd and Brad Pitt (60) Comparing Christopher Lloyd (pictured left in Back To The Future IV) at 60 to Brad Pitt, who it may surprise you hit the milestone late last year, offers quite the comparison (pictured at the F1:The Movie premiere in London earlier this month) Pictured alongside fellow A-lister Tom Cruise - rocking a longer brown haircut than usual - the pair seemed in great health with no doubt plenty more box office movies still in the tank (pictured together at the F1: The Movie premiere in London) Appearing alongside the film's star Michael J. Fox in the first Back To The Future movie in 1985, Christopher Lloyd became a fan-favourite portraying Dr. Emmett 'Doc' Brown in the forthcoming sequels. But fans found it hard to pin down exactly how old the doctor was in the first and proceedings films, with his wild grey hair and and wrinkles obvious to see. The Back To The Future books, however, revealed that the character was 65 years old in the first movie, meaning a 46-year-old Christopher was playing a doctor some 20 years his senior. Six movies later and a balding 60-year-old Lloyd was still portraying the doc in 1999 but with - of course - a slightly less wild haircut. Comparing Christopher at 60 to Brad Pitt, who it may surprise you hit the milestone late last year, offers quite the comparison. Harking back to his noughties days with a new buzz cut, Brad looked not a day over 50 as he stepped out in London a couple of weeks ago for a premiere of his new F1: The Movie film. 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One celebrity who seemingly hasn't taking a similar approach however is Donatella Versaca, who turned 70 in early May. She's sparked plastic surgery rumours on a number of occasions over the years after undergoing dramatic makeovers. Donatella was in attendance at the 2025 Met Gala just a month or so ago, showing off her blonde locks days after she celebrated her 70th birthday. Dennis Waterman and John Thaw The late Dennis Waterman and John Thaw starred side-by-side for three years in The Sweeney, playing two 'hard-edged' detectives of the Metropolitan Police pursuing criminals across London. Thaw appeared as the no-nonsense Jack Regan from The Flying Squad, while Dennis Waterman impressed as his chummy partner, Detective Sergeant George Carter. You'll likely be surprised to hear however that - despite their ageing appearances and occasionally grey hair - Thaw and Waterman began filming for the series in the mid-70s when they were just 33 and 24 respectively. 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While Connery bagged the part of James Bond in the 1960s thanks to his rugged yet handsome appearance. In fact, such was Sean's older-looking exterior that he played Indiana Jones's father in The Last Crusade when he was just 12 years Harrison Ford's senior. Sharing a comparison between Connery and Brodie-Sangster at 34, UNILAD dropped supporters' jaws in late-June. The post was captioned: 'Both of these guys are 34 in these photos - and yep, we're doing a double take too. 'On the left: the timeless swagger of a mid-century icon. On the right: a modern-day star who's somehow looked 17 for the last 20 years. 'Same age, completely different vibes.' In the comments fans couldn't believe it, posting: 'That's a perfect visual representation of how I saw people in their thirties in my twenties, vs how I see people in their thirties in my forties!' 'Sean Connery smoked, drunk heavily and lived life roughly, the Nanny McPhee lad did not.' 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The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Summer without cherry pie? Michigan's signature crop faces battery of threats
Nearly 100 years ago, north-west Michigan cherry farmers and Traverse City community leaders started a festival to promote the city and their region's tart cherry crop as a tourist destination. Now known as the 'cherry capital of the world', Traverse City's National Cherry Festival draws 500,000 visitors over eight days to this picturesque Lake Michigan beach town to enjoy carnival rides and airshows, and to eat cherries. It also sparked a thriving agrotourism industry amid its rolling hills that now boasts dozens of shops, wineries, U-pick orchards, and farm-to-table restaurants helmed by James Beard-award-winning chefs. All the sunshine, hustle and bustle, however, can't hide an ugly truth: Michigan's cherry farmers are in dire straits. Climate change, development, labor shortages and tariffs threaten their ability to grow one of Michigan's signature crops. Cherries are the epitome of Michigan's 'specialty crop' production that also includes apples, asparagus and other fruit and vegetable crops. Altogether, the total economic impact of Michigan's specialty crop industry is $6.3bn, according to Michigan State University. The state overall grows 75% of the US's tart cherries, most coming from multigenerational family farmers in the unique microclimate along Lake Michigan's eastern shore, with the bulk of production in the north-west. 'Cherries are a volatile crop all of the time. But over the last 10 to 15 years, we've really seen more of those ups and downs,' says Emily Miezio, a second-generation farmer and part-owner of Cherry Bay Orchards in Leelanau county. Climate change makes early spring hazardous for northern Michigan fruit farmers. Lake Michigan's sandy soils and cool breezes are ideal for cherry production, but warmer temperatures cause trees to break dormancy earlier, making them more susceptible to late brief cold spells, such as what happened this year. A prime example of the weather volatility happened in late April when a cold snap damaged the fruit-producing flower buds. Farmers will start picking cherries in mid-July, and Dr Nikki Rothwell, extension specialist and Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center coordinator at MSU, estimates north-west Michigan will harvest 30m pounds, versus 100m last year. Climate change is causing other adverse weather events. Rothwell says the late-April temperatures weren't typically cold enough to harm buds, but wind accompanied the cold, which caused unexpected damage since previously scientists didn't think wind chill harmed trees. A rare hailstorm in June also caused some damage. Rothwell says an unusually dry fall may have left cherry trees susceptible as well. 'It blows my mind a little bit as a scientist because you think you can find answers in the chaos … but I feel like we're always being thrown curveballs,' she says. Land prices are rising sharply as wealthier residents move to the area seeking either primary residences or vacation homes, and developers can edge out farmers for prime orchard land, often on top of rolling hills that offer scenic vistas. Labor issues are also hampering cherry production. The supply chain relies on a mix of local and migrant labor, and there is a shortage of both. Some migrant laborers are hired through the H-2A visa, a temporary work visa for agricultural jobs, and some migrant laborers are undocumented, says Dr David Ortega, a professor at MSU's department of agricultural, food and resource economics. Cherrypicking is often done mechanically, but packing and processing relies on human labor. Ortega says producers and other stakeholders have seen how Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids make some workers afraid to show up because of deportation fears. Without enough agricultural workers, many of Michigan's specialty crops could spoil. Specialty crop farmers rely on shared equipment, facilities and workers, and this interdependency means the loss of one crop has a domino effect. Unlike farmers who grow annual crops such as grains, cherry trees can produce for nearly 30 years and farmers need to continually care for trees even when they lose money. Estimates by MSU show the land, operational and harvest costs for productive farmers is about 44 cents a pound, but last year the average farmer received 11 cents a pound for cherries. Tariffs are a double-edged sword for Michigan farmers, Ortega says. Farmers will pay more for imported fertilizer or equipment, and tariff uncertainty makes it harder to plan. However, farmers may see a slight benefit from tariffs if it raises the costs of imported cherries, as the food industry relies on imports to meet year-round consumer demand, he adds. Local retailers also work with farmers. Bob Sutherland, founder of Cherry Republic, a regional, 37-year-old cherry-focused snack and gift retailer, works exclusively with local farmers and other suppliers to promote the area's bounty. The firm's longstanding relationships means Cherry Republic can acquire enough local cherries to ensure a year-round supply. Still, the destination-retailer has allowed some cranberries and blueberries as part of their line of more than 200 products out of necessity because of climate change's unpredictability, he adds. Michigan's farmers are facing stiff odds, but Rothwell says despite all the hardships, farmers remain optimistic. 'Every spring they're like, 'this is it. This our year. We're gonna do it.' They always remain optimistic,' she says.
The Guardian
32 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘You know it when you see it': experts size up scientists' attempt to define cool
It has puzzled philosophers, scholars and those aspiring to be cool for generations: what is it that makes someone cool? Now it appears that the alchemical code has finally been cracked. There are six specific attributes needed to be cool, according to a study published this week by the American Psychological Association. It found that cool people are generally perceived to be extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous, according to the survey of 6,000 participants from 12 countries including the USA, Australia and South Africa. So what does a cool person make of it? Chris Black, the co-host of the podcast How Long Gone (which is cool) and the founder of Done to Death Projects, a brand consultancy with fashion clients including Stüssy (also very cool), says that while the traits are 'relatively accurate' for him, cool is something that cannot be easily outlined. 'The je ne sais quoi of the whole thing has always been what I associate with cool,' he says. Does Black like being described as cool? 'It's become a pretty general word. I don't think it has the sort of gravitas that it once had. There are things I don't embody that I think make people cool. So it's tough to think of yourself as it, no matter how much you want it.' Philippa Snow, a writer and cultural critic whose latest book, It's Terrible the Things I Have to Do to Be Me, explores female celebrities and the price of femininity, says trying to define cool is similar to defining charisma. 'Like the famous quote about pornography, it's tempting to say about both that you know it when you see it.' Some suggest that sprezzatura, an Italian word first used about by Baldassare Castiglione in 1528 and defined as 'a certain nonchalance, to conceal all art and make what one does or say appear to be without effort' captures the earliest essence of what cool is. Cool as a characterisation originated from 1940s jazz culture, when the black musician Lester Young challenged racial norms by refusing to smile when performing. He also used fashion as a marker of defiance, wearing sunglasses indoors on stage. Not long after he coined the slang term 'that's cool', his fans began to use it when referencing him. Prof Joel Dinerstein, who has taught a course called The History of Cool at Tulane University, Louisiana, for more than 25 years, says the terms he associates with cool people are 'rebellious' and 'charismatic', flagging that another key quality is self-authorisation. For Black, whose line of work is based around finding cool people to partner with brands, someone 'being comfortable with who they are and what they say' is his 'real baseline for coolness'. His criteria also includes someone 'being very, very good at what they do', saying it 'shows a level of dedication and self-respect that I think is deeply cool'. While Pierre Bourdieu's 1970s concept of cultural capital is not directly a theory on coolness, cultural and social assets both play into the notion of cool. Nowadays, social media means being cool is often less about a person and more about an aesthetic that can be carefully curated. Unlike a person, however, as soon as an item becomes mainstream, it is generally no longer deemed cool. See Labubus and Stanley cups. Conversely, Brat – the cultural phenomenon unleashed by Charli xcx a full year ago – is still considered cool. At Glastonbury, she did something that typically a cool person would never do – describing herself as cool. 'Thank you so much, you're fucking cool as fuck. But not as cool as me, bitch!' she shouted as she wrapped up her set. Each year, Dinerstein asks his students who they perceive as cool. This year's answers spanned everyone from the composer Hans Zimmer to the singer Lenny Kravitz. Snow suggests Rihanna would be considered cool by many millennials. 'There's something so delightfully don't-care about her becoming one of the biggest musical performers in the world, and then choosing not to give us another album for over a decade. Making us wait and still commanding our attention with not only her other projects but her image itself is powerful and cool, in an almost S&M-adjacent fashion.' Black says youth will always be cool. 'That has fucked us in some ways because we all think we should be at our peak at 23, but as you age you realise it usually takes people to their 50s to work out what they actually like.' And perhaps, there lies a key point overlooked by researchers. Youths. Speaking to two gen Z-ers, they reveal the word 'cool' as an adjective is becoming defunct in their lexicon. In its place? 'Sick' and 'lowkey'. ChatGPT Pretending not to be 'on the pen' (using weight loss jabs) when you are Cowboy boots Labubus Using corporate jargon outside work. For example, posting holiday photos on Instagram with the caption 'highlights from Q1' Talking about sleep scores Giant adult sippy cups LinkedIn Birkin bags Including your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator result in your dating bio Being a member of a library Good service – anywhere The Row's monthly Spotify playlists Asking questions Restaurants where you don't have to shout at each another to be heard Curaprox's colourful toothbrushes Ordering an object to view at the V&A East Storehouse Not being a TV snob Using lamps rather than the 'big light' in a room Being OK with ageing
