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Seabreeze won't open for the summer season for the first time in its history

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For the first time in its 141-year history, Seabreeze will not open for the summer season this year.

The Norris family, which operates the park billed as “Rochester’s only family-owned and operated amusement park,” said they had been prepared for opening during Phase 4 of the state’s reopening plan on June 26. The park operators said they had a COVID-19 safety plan ready to go.

In a statement released on Thursday, Seabreeze officials said that the state has been unable to provide clear guidance about reopening, and said that as the end of summer approaches, the window of opportunity for the season has unfortunately closed.

Seabreeze employs about 30 full-time staff and around 800 seasonal employees. The park operators said that federal funding has helped them retain the full-time staff, and they are reviewing all available options to support staffing through the rest of the year.

This year, Seabreeze would also have marked the 100th anniversary of the Jack Rabbit, which the park says is the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in North America.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.