April Fools Day originated in France (what better place?) when, in 1582, the Gregorian Calendar replaced the Julian Calendar and New Year's day changed from April 1 to January 1. Word of the change traveled slowly and those who were unaware of the change were labeled 'Poisson d'Avril', French for 'April Fish' (because a young, naive fish could easily be caught).

Today 'Poisson d'Avril' is an expensive French perfume; however, the tradition of playing jokes on the unaware lives on.

Recent April Fools Day pranks include the 1996 purchase of the Liberty Bell from fast-food giant Taco Bell, renaming it the 'Taco Liberty Bell'. In 1980, the BBC announced that Big Ben was going to be furnished with a digital readout. In 1992, National Public Radio announced that former President Richard Nixon was running for office once again. And in 1998, Burger King introduced the 'Left-handed Whopper', where the condiments were rotated 180 degrees to benefit left-handed consumers. Thousands of customers fell for the gag; some customers ordered 'Right-handed Whoppers'.

Mark Twain put it best when he said, "The first day of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."

Youngstown, Ohio (Friday, April 1, 2005) - The B.J. Alan Company- Phantom Fireworks (www.fireworks.com) have announced that they will construct and operate an amusement theme park in the town of South Zanesville, Ohio in Muskingum County. A groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 12 at 10:00am at the site of the future park, to be built off State Route 22, three miles from Interstate 70 and the city of Zanesville.

The company is still in the process of soliciting bids for all phases of the construction, which is estimated to cost $400-420 million dollars. The county and B.J. Alan will finalize a tax abatement agreement prior to the opening ceremony. While they do not expect to start construction until September, Phantom Fireworks wanted to make the announcement prior to the start of their fireworks season. All of Phantom's 42 showrooms across 12 states, including seasonal showrooms, operate seven days a week beginning April 3 through September 6.

This past November, the company purchased 3,600 acres on both sides of Route 22. Recent news reports in southeast Ohio speculated that the company would convert the rural property into a large-scale manufacturing plant and testing area for fireworks. The company denied those claims, well before they began to solicit bids for the park's construction.

The park is expected to open with seven coasters. The signature ride of the park, aptly named "The Phantom," will be housed in a building on six acres on the northwest corner of the property. Passengers will wait in line outside this building, not knowing what to expect until they are strapped in. The stand-up indoor roller coaster ride will take them to an amazing 76 miles per hour in less then 4 seconds, all in pitch blackness. The unique feature of this ride is that while riding in the dark, holographic fireworks surround riders throughout the 3 ½ minute journey. It will be one of the tallest and fastest stand-up indoor roller coasters in the world. With a peak height of 228 feet above the ground, this steel beast will take its thrill-seekers along nearly four miles of track. It comes complete with inversion, sending passengers upside down five times. A complete list and description of all attractions will be available in the early summer.

With Phantoms Fireworks as owners of the park, patrons will enjoy a nightly fireworks show. It also gives guests an opportunity to design their own class B fireworks; a unique fringe benefit for guests of the park. At 'Fireworks University,' customers can learn about the history and techniques used in fireworks. Those with a creative touch can actually create their own fireworks shell with the assistance of a fireworks technician. Most of these shells created by guests will then be launched as part of the nightly fireworks show.

Phantom Fireworks will provide signs in both directions of Route 22 and Interstate 70 to direct members of the media and the general public who wish to attend the groundbreaking event.