The Liskos say they expect to hire about 50 people for their operations at Conneaut Lake Park.

The brothers say they were attracted to Conneaut Lake Park after operating rides last October for the annual Conneaut Lake Pumpkin Fest held at the park. It was the first time they had operated rides for the Pumpkin Fest.

“It was a shame to see the park just sitting here,” Richard Lisko said. “We just started talking in the fall (to the trustees).”

Nancy Manning, co-chair of the Conneaut Lake Pumpkin Fest, praised the Liskos’ operation.

“They were easy to work with,” Manning said. “I’m excited they’re at the park. We had a good rapport with them. It was nice and clean. Safety-wise, they were very conscientious. We were very pleased.”

The Lisko family also has another Crawford County connection — operating rides at Spartansburg Fair for a number of years.

Lisko & Sons Amusements began in the 1960s with food concessions, said founder Steve Lisko. It added games in the 1970s and rides in the 1980s, he said.

“It’s a challenge, but we like a challenge,” the elder Lisko said in a telephone interview about opening up Conneaut Lake Park. “We believe it could work.”

Tim and Richard Lisko say the park’s reopening will help the Conneaut Lake economy, too.

“If this prospers then everything should make money — every hotel, motel, shop and bar and restaurant” said Tim Lisko. “People will have to stop for gas or something somewhere.”

“It will help us and help them,” said Richard Lisko.

However, the brothers also are realists.

They know they’re going to have to prove themselves to the Conneaut Lake community and the park’s marketing area of eastern Ohio and western Pennsyl-vania that the park is back.

“We’ll be showing them we’re up and running,” said Richard Lisko. “They’re going to be gun-shy and you can’t blame them.”