Wide Open Saloon burns to the ground
 

Amazing pictures on WMUR, but nothing on their website yet. The building is completely destroyed and the Weirs is basically shut down because of it. What a shame. :(

Fire at Weirs Beach...
 

Traffic alert...

The Wide Open Saloon (Next to the entrance to the outdoor movie theater) burned down this morning. Power is out all over the Weirs. I am sure traffic is a mess down there. The bridge over the channel is closed to all vehicles. You could see the flames on the Channel cam earlier and now you can see some lights set up out front of the Saloon.


Edited to remind everyone that the NASCAR races are at NHMS this weekend...while we are talking about traffic.

Looking at the channel cam it is still smoking....
They say there was a squatter there last night and they kicked him out just before the fire started....:(

here is the WMUR link they just put up.

http://www.wmur.com/news/25048554/detail.html

I live in Weir's Beach and we lost power around 5:00 and got it back around 6:40. When my husband went to work he could not go over the bridge he had to go all the way around to Rollacoaster road for the detour. He said when the police diverted him there were a lot of police and fire trucks and police from not only Laconia but Meredith. He really couldn't see the fire because they did not let him down that far past Cumberland Farms. I am going to go for my run in a bit and see if the bridge is still closed.

A squatter? Wow.

Weird. I posted this on the General Discussion forum at exactly the same time as you posted this here.....

They are saying there was a squatter there. They kicked him out and now are checking to make sure he did not come back later and start the fire.

just curious..
 

I tried looking back in other threads....is this the same building that is owned by the family that lost the water slide across the street due to financial problems?

Hey.......My starting thread got booted and Twoplustwo's was moved to the general discussion from the restaurant forum taking the lead.....

I cry foul......:laugh::D

Is this where the Smoke House was???

This is horrible, and especially so considering the weekend that is upon use. This certainly is probably a busy weekend for the restaurant....

Hopefully no one was hurt in this blaze, and by next year things will be able to be put back together.

Yes, but they did not lose the waterslide, they transfered ownership, keeping it in the family.

Yep. That is it....
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._2718484_n.jpg

That's the one.

video
 

Video from WMUR site:

http://www.wmur.com/video/25048308/detail.html

Says the building was 160 yrs old. A shame, I guess..but truth be told, I always thought that place was a bit dumpy... a lot dumpy actually. Like much of the Weirs.
It really could use a major face lift.
I feel sorry for any hardship this fire causes anyone...but, in the end, perhaps a new, modern place will be built, much like LP.
So much of the Weirs needs to be updated...

?
 

must have been "lightning" :rolleye2:

Yeah. I can tell you that "squatter" story is likely going to be heavily investigated...

Doesn't one normally 'squat' in an abandoned house/building?

I would think it's hard to squat in a restaurant?

A shame to lose a local landmark like that but it seems no one was hurt, thankfully.

From what I read elsewhere it looks like there will be lots of rumors surrounding the fire. I don't intend to add to them. I hope the posts here remain factual.

That's a shame! That was the best biker stop in the area!

From what I heard, there were rental rooms on the top floor. That is , presumably, where the "squatter" was.

Fire
 

Is this building the old Eden Rock from the 60s/70s

yes, the eden roc, great names like count bassie & duke ellington played there

This is not true. They did loose it. it was sold a Auction to a complete Stranger. The only reason it was up and running this year was because Mrs. B. Baldi was able to come to a agreement with him to lease it for the summer. because the family loves that place. The man who purchased it wants to rip it down and sell/lease the land out and it the mean time its just sitting there.

There may have been a squatter on the second floor, they didnt find anyone but it looked as if someone may have been staying in one of the rooms even though none of the rooms were rented out.

It did get a face lift when it was being fixed up to become the Wide Open Saloon. its wasnt prefect but it was much better than it was, inside and out. The owner put alot of hard work into it. Its a shame this happened to her. She really loved this place. I did too I ate there many times and the food was awesome.

Then you should ask Mr. Baldi to not portray a very different story. I don't have a dog in the fight, but the words came directly from his mouth.

Either way I am sorry for the loss.

That place had a strange appeal for me, the idea of sitting and watching Weirs traffic go by does not seem like fun until you do it. It had character.

This is a real shame. I feel terrible for all those involved.

From the Laconia Daily Sun today. What do they mean by misplaced?

Maybe its my mood today I don't know... but in reading this thread I am really quite taken by this comment. It seems people no longer like the old character that a place like the weirs brings to an area. I am sorry but I think if two much of the weirs gets a face lift then it is no longer the weirs. Maybe I am stuck in the mud, but there is a beauty to the Weirs. A reminder of times gone by, a reminder that needs to be preserved. A place to bring families to and show future generations how the entertainment and amusement industry really began before you had six flags and Busch Gardens. People think Progress is good. But what honestly has it brought us. Meredith is a mess on the weekends, sure it looks modern and has all the right stores and is hip... but the place is a zoo... If that is what progress is about I guess I will just stay away from it... People need to stop trying to bring everything up to there standards and just enjoy the beauty that every situation has to offer.....

Took a good look at the burned out ruin today as I drove past. Say, the Laconia fire chief said something like "Getting rebuilt and restored, or getting torn down is a decision for the insurance company." (a quote from memory and not a real quote) Looking at the ruin, either way seems maybe possible; rebuild or tear down? Wait and see?

Anyway, naming that intersection 'Dysfunction Junction' has definately been a real life prognosticator for what's happened down at the Junction.
..............

Dysfunction Junction bad news list:

Wide Open Saloon burns down

Volcano Water Slide gets repossessed due to FRM Ponzi scheme

Karl's Fine Foods burns down and sits a vacant lot up for sale for about three years now.

The beach at Weirs Beach had bright yellow Warning-Bacteria signs, posted by the NH-DES, for about 30-days in July and August, this past summer.

The six acre lot between the Volcano and Cumberland Farm gas station, as you drive up the Route 3 hill, gets clear cut of all its' trees except for some just next to the sidewalk.

Winnipesaukee Playhouse, one very brite and entertaining spot, is moving out of Alpenrose Plaza, and relocating to Meredith. (too bad for the Weirs, and super-duper for Meredith!)

The Weirs Beach Post Office cancels its' window service due to lack of business.

The large 13-acre Weirs Beach waterslide, The Surf Coaster, has been closed and for sale for 2-3 years now.

The Weirs Beach Texaco is now a seasonally run gasoline station due to lack of business.

The former Handy Landing store, rebuilt into residential condos, has had a 'for sale' sign out front for going on two years now.

The former Waldo Peppers restaurant is vacant and 'for lease.'

..............
Some good news:

Gulbicki's Car Towing & Retrieval, www.gulbickis.com, burns down but gets rebuilt with a very nice looking building! Three cheers for Gulbicki's getting the job done, down at Dysfunction Junction!

Ditto good news for The Lobster Pound restaurant complete with a lighthouse! www.wb-lp.com
..............

The future:

A new, state built roundabout to replace the old Dysfunction Junction. If ever a defective intersection needs to be improved with a roundabout, this is the spot!


The WOW Trail could be pedaling right down the driveway next to the burned out Wide Open Saloon's location and onto the newly rebuilt Weirs Beach boardwalk. Hey, can you see the sunlight shining at the end of the Trail? Things can only get better from here! Some more of that federal stimulus money will definately be helping the WOW Trail as it rolls out for eight more waterfront miles, correct?

Congressman Paul Hodes' recent tv political ad, shot on location, right on the Weirs Beach boardwalk, is a very bright sign for good things to start happening down at the Weirs! Way-to-go Senator PAUL HODES! If you want the WOW Trail to get built out for the remaining eight miles, with one mile having already been built, then you want to be voting Paul Hodes(D) for U.S. Senator, New Hampshire!
.............

Stay tuned, and only time will tell?

Paul Hodes?......I don't think so !

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You got me thinking about all the places that burned in the Weirs over the years. Really sad:

Nashville North
The Brickyard
That Old House
The old Ho Jo's

I think there are a few missing from the list.

There sure have been a lot of fires in that area. Maybe the fire dept. should be on the lookout for "Weirs Lightning"?