List of former Cedar Point attractions

(Redirected from Frontier Lift)

This is a list of rides, attractions and themes from the Cedar Point amusement park that no longer exist in the park.

Cedar Point from the lake in the late 1930s. The Cyclone Roller Coaster is on the far left and the first hill of the High Frolics Roller Coaster is in the center.

Defunct roller coasters

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Ride Picture Year opened Year closed Manufacturer Description
Broadway Trip 1964 1964 Mack Rides A steel roller coaster, it operated at six different parks before being dismantled in 2003.[1]
Cyclone   1929 1951 Harry G Traver A wooden roller coaster.[2]
Dip the Dips Scenic Railway 1908 1917 Unknown A wooden roller coaster with a height of 33 feet (10 m).[3]
Disaster Transport   1985 2012 Intamin Formerly known as Avalanche Run before being enclosed in 1989. It was an enclosed Bobsled roller coaster.[4]
High Frolics   1918 1940 Andy Vettel A wooden roller coaster with a height of 75 feet (23 m). It was originally named Scenic Railway, then rebuilt and renamed Leap Frog Railway in 1918, and in 1933 it was renovated and its name was changed to High Frolics.[5][6]
Jumbo Jet   1972 1978 Schwarzkopf A steel roller coaster, it was a larger and longer version of the Jet Star series of coasters, which followed the Schwarzkopf Wildcat design. The Jumbo Jet was introduced in 1972, making Cedar Point's one of the first.[7][8] It used individual self-powered cars to run up a spiral lift hill unassisted. The coaster run had some 90° sections, and an ATC-style radar prop rotated up above the ride. Jumbo Jet is currently located at Dreamland in Minsk, Belarus.[9]
Leap the Dips   1912 1935 Andy Vettel

A wooden out and back roller coaster.[10]

Little Dipper 1952 1952 Allan Herschel Company A small kiddie coaster that was a one-year concession previously operated a Myrtle Beach Pavilion.[11]
Mean Streak   1991 2016 Dinn Corporation A wooden roller coaster. Mean Streak was the tallest wooden coaster in the world with the longest drop when it opened to the public, standing 161 feet (49 m). Its closure date of September 16, 2016 was announced on August 1, 2016. The site currently holds Steel Vengeance, a hybrid roller coaster which incorporates some elements of Mean Streak's design.
Racer   1910 1928 McKay Construction A wooden racing roller coaster with a height of 46 feet (14 m).[12]
Scamper   1962 1969 Unknown A wooden wild mouse roller coaster.[13]
Super Coaster 1952 1964 Allan Herschell Company A steel kiddie roller coaster that previously operated at Myrtle Beach.[14]
Switchback Railway   1892 1901 Unknown A wooden roller coaster with a height of 25 feet (7.6 m) and a speed of 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). Switchback Railway was Cedar Point's first roller coaster. It was different in that it did not have a powered lift hill so the cars needed to be pulled back to the station by hand.[15]
Three-Way Figure Eight Roller Toboggan   1902 1909 Frederick Ingersoll A wooden roller coaster with a height of 46 feet (14 m).[16]
Top Thrill Dragster   2003 2023 Intamin A first-of-its-kind full circuit Intamin strata coaster, at a height of 420 feet (130 m). The attraction was closed in August 2021 due to an accident, and was scrapped in September 2022. The ride was replaced with Top Thrill 2 in 2024.[17]
Wicked Twister   2002 2021 Intamin An inverted impulse roller coaster marketed as the tallest and fastest of its kind in the world when it opened. Replaced by The Grand Pavilion in 2023.
Wildcat   1970 1978 Schwarzkopf A steel wild mouse roller coaster. It operated at two other parks including Valleyfair before being dismantled in 2001.[18]
WildCat   1979 2011 Schwarzkopf A steel wild mouse roller coaster. Removed in 2011 to make room for Luminosity. It operated in three locations in the park before being removed.[19] The footprint for WildCat now houses part of Valravn and Sirens Curse.
Wild Mouse   1959 1963 B. A. Schiff & Associates A steel wild mouse roller coaster.[20]

Defunct rides

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Ride Picture Year opened Year closed Manufacturer Description
Airplane Dips 1917 Unknown Aero Joy-plane company A track ride themed to airplanes that went around a circle similar to tumble bug.
Antique Cars 1969 2021 Arrow Development An automobile track ride in Frontier Town with cars that resemble an early Cadillac car. This ride was demolished in November 2021. It was replaced by The Farmhouse Kitchen & Grill in 2022.
Bayern Kurve 1970 1984 Schwarzkopf A Bayern Kurve bobsled type ride.
Bumper Boats 1993[21] 2013 Hampton A kiddie bumper boat ride located in the Gemini's Children Area. It was removed for Lake Erie Eagles.
Caterpillar 1924 1961 Unknown A fast-paced ride that generates a decent helping of centrifugal force, causing the riders on the inside of the seats to crush the riders on the outside of the seats.[6]
Circle Swing 1906 1920s or 1930s Unknown A Swing ride that was located at the center of the former amusement circle midway.
Chaos 1997 2010 Chance Rides A Chaos type ride that was one of the first of its kind. It inverts its riders in three degrees of motion: lifting, inverting, and spinning. Moved in 2002 to make room for defunct ride Top Thrill Dragster, and relocated to the former Schwabinchen location.
Choo Choo Lagoon 1995 2016 Unknown A children's area featuring a train style Splashground. Replaced by Lemmy's Lagoon.
Demon Drop   1983 2009 Intamin An Intamin Freefall ride that provides the feeling of weightlessness. It was relocated to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and opened for the 2010 season.[22] It was replaced with Ocean Motion which was re-located to make room for WindSeeker.
Dodgem 1967 2001 Unknown A bumper cars ride located across from Magnum XL-200. It was moved to Michigan's Adventure. A separate Dodgem remains on The Boardwalk.
Earthquake   1965 1984 Arrow Development A dark ride based on the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. This ride formerly operated at Freedomland U.S.A. and was relocated to Cedar Point in 1965. The ride transportation system was provided by Arrow Development.
Flying Coaster[23] 1961 1967 or 1968 John Norman Bartlett A ride that went around in a circular track with a steep hill that gave riders the sensation of flying.
Flying Skooters 1944 1960 Unknown A kiddie rider where riders sat in airplanes and swung back and forth as they went in a circle.[6]
Frontier Carousel 1972 1994 Dentzel A 1921 Dentzel wooden carousel with 50 jumping horses, 12 standing horses, 4 menagerie animals (1 deer, 1 giraffe, 1 lion, 1 tiger) and 2 chariots. It was purchased from Lansing, Michigan and moved to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in 1995. The carousel building still stands in Frontier Town and is used as a haunted house during HalloWeekends. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[24]
Frontier Lift 1968 1985 Von Roll A second sky ride which operated separate from the existing one. It ran from the main midway to Frontier Town. The site of the midway station is now the station for Iron Dragon, but the Frontier Town station still stands; restrooms occupy the ground floor, while the second floor is used for employee meetings and storage. A Cart is used for HalloWeekends.
Ferris Wheel 1920s or 1930s? Unknown Unknown A small ferris wheel located next to High Frolics.
Fun House 1950s or 1966? 1981 Unknown A 3-story walk-through house. This "upside-down house" featured someone in a rocking chair on the ceiling and the labyrinth room where the floor was at an angle representing an upside-down attic roof. Replaced with the Kid Arthur's Court play area, which would also eventually be removed. Portions of this attraction are used in the HalloWeekends attraction "The Magical House on Boo Hill".
Giant Sky Wheel 1961 1980 Herschell A double wheel Ferris wheel with two wheels mounted on opposite ends of a giant pivoting arm, allowing one wheel to turn high in the air while the other was being loaded. It was located near the front main entrance.
Hot Rods 1970 2013 Hampton A children's circular old-fashioned automobile ride located inside of Kiddy Kingdom.
Mill Race   1963 1993 Arrow Development A log flume water ride that was located near the main entrance. It had a relatively small footprint, and was the second Arrow Development flume to open. The final drop on this ride was once sponsored by Nestea and was called the "Nestea Plunge", named after a very popular advertising slogan of the time. The ride was retired after the 1993 season to make room for Raptor.
Miniature Merry go round 1920s or 1930s A miniature merry go round that stood next to Cyclone and High Frolics.
Monorail   1959 1965 Ohio Mechanical Handling Company A monorail with a gasoline-powered engine and five streamlined passenger cars that ran along a three-quarter mile long course suspended nine feet off the ground.[25]: p.131 
Moon Rocket   1946 1940s–1950s Unknown Spinning ride that only lasted a few seasons on the midway due to poor business.[6][26]
Old Timers 1970 2013 Hampton A children's circular old-fashioned automobile ride located inside of Kiddy Kingdom.
Octopus 1941 Unknown A spinning ride that spun around on an axis with several spinning arms and ride vehicles similar to the Monster currently located in Gemini Midway.
Paddlewheel Excursions   1961 2011 A boat ride with wise-cracking captains that transported its guests on a relaxing voyage around Cedar Point's lagoons past scenes depicting early, rural Americana.[25]: p.133  Paddlewheel Excursions closed on Labor Day 2011 to make room for defunct attraction Dinosaurs Alive!. The ride was originally known as "Riverboat Cruises," then renamed Western Cruise in 1964. Renamed "Paddlewheel Excursions" in 1987, when the loading dock was relocated to the Gemini Midway, upon the opening of Iron Dragon (whose station currently sits on the present-day dock of Western Cruise).[27]
Pirate Ride   1966 1996 Arrow Development A pirate-themed dark ride located near the Blue Streak queuing area. This ride formerly operated at Freedomland U.S.A. and was relocated to Cedar Point in 1966. The building still stands today and remnants of the ride can still be seen. The ride transportation system was provided by Arrow Development.
Rotor   1961[25]: p.138  1964 Anglo Rotor Corporation A rotor type ride. A cylindrical room that spun while the floor dropped, leaving riders stuck to the wall by centrifugal force.
1967 1984 Chance Rides
Schwabinchen 1970 2002 Mack Rides A Trabant. The ride motion pattern resembled that of a spinning coin before coming to rest. The Schwabinchen had a tilted loading platform and featured a beautiful German tavern dancer in the center, where riders "sat" on the outskirts of the "Lady In Red's" dress. It was removed in 2002 to make room for Chaos after defunct ride Top Thrill Dragster was built.
Sea Swing   1904 Unknown Traver Engineering An amusement park ride with a central axis and a circular track.[28][29]
Shoot the Rapids 1967 1981 The ride closed in 1981 to make room for White Water Landing. Where Maverick is located now.
Shoot the Rapids   2010 2015 Intamin A log flume water ride that was named after the original Shoot the Rapids. Frequent ride problems, including an incident in 2013, led to its closure. The original Shoot the Rapids closed to make way for another defunct water ride, White Water Landing (Cedar Point).
SkyScraper   2008 2015 Gravity Works A Booster type ride. The ride was 2 minutes long and rotated its riders at a max speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) at a max height of 160 feet (49 m).[30] The ride was previously located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and Valleyfair.
Sky Slide   1968 1991 Unknown A Fun Slide. It featured a huge cyan-colored fiberglass slide located just west of the Main Arcade. Guests had to sit on a burlap mat while sliding down. There were two long steep drops followed by a short dip, and the slide had 15 "lanes" for riders.
Snake River Expedition 2021 2023 A themed Riverboat attraction that navigated the route formerly taken by the retired Paddlewheel Excursions.
Space Spiral   1965 2012 Von Roll/Willie Buhler's Space Towers Company A 330-foot (100 m) tall Gyro tower that gave riders a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. Space Spiral was the first amusement ride in the world to top 300 feet (91 m). It featured a distinctive two-level cabin, found only on a few early models. However, the second level wasn't used in the ride's later years. It was imploded and demolished on September 12, 2012.[31]
Speed Slides 1988 2011 Unknown Two body slides in Soak City. Replaced by Riptide Raceway.
Sir Rub-A-Dub's Tubs 1986 2014 Unknown A small water ride in kiddie kingdom. Replaced by Dodgem.
Snake River Falls 1993 2024 Arrow Dynamics A Shoot-the-Chute ride. It opened as the tallest and fastest water ride in the world with a drop of 80 feet (24 m).[32]
Star Voyager 1961 1986 Kasper Klaus A Kasper Klaus Satellite Jet ride in which 20 jet-like vehicles were attached to a rotating arm. As the ride rotated, guests could pull or push the yoke of the vehicle to make the jet rise or descend.
Tiki-Twirl 1970 1984 Mack Rides A Polynesian-themed version of a Mack Calypso. As of 2016, the existing Calypso was renamed "Tiki Twirl" after the 1970 ride and relocated near the giant wheel. In 2023 the name reverted to Calypso.
Trabant 1966 1990 Chance Rides A Trabant type ride in which the riders sat on the ends of a round disc-shaped object similar to a flattened cone. The ride motion pattern resembled that of a spinning coin before coming to rest and featured a disco ball as its centerpiece.
Tumble Bug   1934 1963 Traver Engineering An amusement park ride with a central axis and a circular, humped track.[28][29]
Turnpike Cars   1959 2014 Arrow Dynamics The ride featured cars themed as mini hot rods from the 1950s and 1960s. Replaced by Valravn.
Twister 1950s?? early 1970s Unknown A spinning ride that was located where the main midway restaurants are. In the late 60s it was moved to where the Grand pavilion stands today.
VertiGo 2001 2001 S&S Worldwide An air powered thrill ride that used three 265-foot (81 m)-tall towers and cable to propel riders over 300 feet (91 m). One of the rides three towers partially collapsed after its debut season. Park management felt the potential for failure of this ride design outweighed the positive impact made by repairing it, and it was removed prior to the start of the 2002 season. It was located in Challenge Park, located between Cedar Point and Soak City.
Water Toboggan   1890 early 1900s Unknown A slide built out into Lake Erie approximately where Windseeker stands today.
White Water Landing   1982 2005 Arrow Development A log flume water ride built on the former site of the original Shoot the Rapids. It operated for twenty-three years before it was retired to make room for Maverick. The station and queue are now part of Maverick's queue and gift shop.
Witches' Wheel 1977 2018 HUSS Park Attractions An Enterprise ride that spun riders, eventually inverting them upside down for several rotations more than 60 feet (18 m) above ground. Replaced by BackBeatQue.
Yankee Bullet 1941 Unknown Unknown Fast-paced ride that had enclosed ride cars, most of the information on the ride has been lost to time.
Zugspitze[33] unknown 1966 1971 Mack Rides A variation of a standard Mack Himalaya-type ride.
Jaycopter 1964 ?? 1964 ?? Jaycopter Corporation A unique helicopter simulator, originally intended for military training. Also operated at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.
Professor Delbert's Frontier Fling 1996 2024 Ride Entertainment Group A 152 feet (46 m) dual arch Skycoaster model. Operated as Ripcord in Challenge Park from 1996 to 2016. This was an upcharge attraction.

Defunct attractions

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Ride Year opened Year closed Description
Aquarium 1967 2001 An aquarium featuring many fish. It was removed to make room for the defunct ride Wicked Twister. It is the currently occupied by the Grand Pavilion which was added in 2023.
Berenstain Bear Country 1985 1998 A children's play area themed to The Berenstain Bears closed in 1998 & re themed to Peanuts Playground in 1999.
Cedar Point Cinema 1975 2001 A 950-seat IMAX cinema featuring a 67-foot by 90 foot giant screen and an IMAX projection system. The screen was removed in 2001 and was renamed the Good Time Theater. After hosting ice skating shows from 2002 to 2014, the theater was removed at the end of the 2014 season for Valravn.[25]: p.153 
Challenge Park 1992 2016 A small area that featured Challenge Racing, Skyscraper (removed during 2015-2016 offseason), Xtreme Trampoline, Ripcord(relocated to Frontier Trail as Professor Delbert's Frontier Fling)o Frontier Trail, and Challenge Golf (Closed Labor Day 2016). Removed to allow for expansion and rebranding of Soak City to "Cedar Point Shores"
Dinosaurs Alive! 2012 2018 A walkthrough attraction which featured 50 animatronic dinosaurs. It was removed to make way for defunct Forbidden Frontier.
Eden Musee 1918 1966 A wax museum that contained the heads of well known historical and folk figures it was replaced by the Hollywood wax museum.
Fun House 1966 1981 A fun house that has an upside down facade.
Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island 2019 2022 An Island full of Adventure
Jungle Larry's African Safari 1965 1994 A zoological attraction with live animal exhibits, including some trained-animal shows. Originally, guests had to walk a long bridge over a lagoon to get there.[25]: p.135  When the midway was extended in 1976, this part of the lagoon was filled in.
Kid Arthur's Court 1982 1999 A kids play area with ball pits, a maze and rope climbing. Demolished to make way for Peanuts play area.
Noah's Ark 1925 1959 A wooden replica of Noah's ark that contained moving animals, and it would slightly swing around.
Peanuts Playground 1999 2007 A kids play area. It was removed to make room for Planet Snoopy.
Rock Climbing Wall 2000 2004 Upcharge rock climbing wall
Snoopy Bounce 1999 2019 Bounce house formerly in Camp Snoopy
Starlight Experience 2009 2012 Over one million colorful LED lights lit up the Frontier Trail nightly. It also featured music and various Peanuts floats.
Swan Boats 1997 2003 A swan boat style paddleboat ride.[34] They were re-located to Michigan's Adventure for the 2004 season. The pond used for the Swan Boats is now where Maverick's turnaround is.

Former shows

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Show Opened Closed Location Description
American Portrait 2011 2011 Millennium Midway A nighttime show themed to the Patriotic America. It occurred nightly around 10 pm and was shown on the big screen in front of the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad station.[35] It was replaced by Luminosity — Ignite the Night!.
Great Western Band 1884 1884 Grove on lakeshore[29]
Hot Summer Lights 2006 2010 Millennium Midway
Luminosity – Ignite the Night! 2012 2017 Celebration Plaza Luminosity was a nighttime show featuring dancers, singers, drummers, Cirque du Soleil performers. It was free with admission and was replaced by another show called Vertical Impact.
Mundy's Trained Wild Animal Show[6] 1908 1966
Splash! 1999 2007 The Aquatic Stadium An innovative and daring high diving demonstration. It was replaced by All Wheels Extreme stunt show.
The Summer Spectacular 1995 2005 Millennium Midway A nighttime laser light show projected on a giant screen in front of the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad train station. It was replaced by Hot Summer Lights.

Rides relocated within Cedar Point

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Ride Year moved Former location New location
Super Himalaya 1985 Near former Space Spiral spot(Gatekeeper) Camp Snoopy
1999 Camp Snoopy Next to Corkscrew's station.
Matterhorn 1985 Near former Space Spiral spot (Gatekeeper) Near Corkscrew
2023 Near Corkscrew The Boardwalk
Monster 1987 Iron Dragon Gemini Midway
Midway Carousel 1994 Raptor Near Front Entrance
Giant Wheel 2000 Millennium Force The Boardwalk
Troika 2001 Near Corkscrew The Boardwalk
Ocean Motion 2011 WindSeeker Former Demon Drop spot (near Front Entrance)
Rock, Spin, and Turn 2014 Gemini Midway Kiddy Kingdom
Space Age 2014 Gemini Midway Kiddy Kingdom
Dodgem 2015 Millennium Midway Plaza The Boardwalk
Calypso (formerly Tiki Twirl) 2015 Next to Blue Streak The Boardwalk
Professor Delbert's Frontier Fling (formerly RipCord) 2017 Challenge Park(Cedar Point Shores) Former Shoot the Rapids site(near Forbidden Frontier)
Atomic Scrambler(formerly Scrambler) 2023 Near Corkscrew The Boardwalk

References

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  1. ^ Marden, Duane. "Broadway Trip  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  2. ^ Marden, Duane. "Cyclone  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. ^ Marden, Duane. "Dip the Dips Scenic Railway  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  4. ^ "Disaster Transport - Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
  5. ^ Marden, Duane. "High Frolics  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  6. ^ a b c d e Hammond, Jason. "The History of Cedar Point". Roller Coaster Freak. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  7. ^ Pantenburg, Michael. "Schwarzkopf Coaster Net". Archived from the original on 5 March 2001. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  8. ^ Marden, Duane. "Listing of Jumbo Jet Coasters on RCDB". Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Jumbo Jet  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  10. ^ Marden, Duane. "Leap the Dips  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  11. ^ "Little Dipper - Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  12. ^ Marden, Duane. "Racer  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  13. ^ Marden, Duane. "Scamper  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Super Coaster  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Switchback Railway  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  16. ^ Marden, Duane. "Three-Way Figure Eight Roller Toboggan  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  17. ^ "Cedar Point to retire Top Thrill Dragster". WANE 15. 2022-09-06. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  18. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wildcat  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  19. ^ Marden, Duane. "WildCat  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wild Mouse  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  21. ^ "Bumper Boats 1993-2013 - CP America's Roller Coast". www.cpamericasrollercoast.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-30.
  22. ^ "Demon Drop won't join Knott's lineup after all". The Orange County Register. December 2, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  23. ^ "1966 Souvenir Map". Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  24. ^ "Frontier Carousel NRHP". Landmark Hunter. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  25. ^ a b c d e Francis, David W.; Francis, Diane (1988). Cedar Point The Queen of American Watering Places. Canton, Ohio: Daring Books Publishers. ISBN 0-938936-75-1.
  26. ^ "Cedar Point History: 1905 – 1949". The Point Online. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  27. ^ "The Point Online — Cedar Point Rides — Paddlewheel Excursions". Thepointol.com. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  28. ^ a b David W. Francis, Diane DeMali Francis (2004). Cedar Point. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738532347.
  29. ^ a b c "Park History". Cedar Point. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  30. ^ "Skyscraper to spin at Cedar Point's Challenge Park". PointBuzz. February 12, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  31. ^ Haidet, Ryan (September 13, 2012). "Space Spiral demolished". WKYC. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  32. ^ "The Point Online History". ThePointOL.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  33. ^ "1969 Souvenir Map". Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  34. ^ "The Point Online — Cedar Point Rides — Swan Boats". Thepointol.com. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  35. ^ "Marathon Petroleum Company LP to Sponsor New Nighttime Show at Cedar Point". PointBuzz. March 1, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
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