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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cars Land set to open at Disneyland on June 15

This artist's rendering shows a new Cars Land attraction, called Radiator Springs Racers, set to open on June 15.
Associated Press

Lightning McQueen and friends are about to get the green light at Disneyland.

The park announced Wednesday that Cars Land, based on the Disney-Pixar “Cars” movies, is the headliner of four new attractions opening June 15 at Disney California Adventure Park after a five-year expansion.

Cars Land will be 12 acres of rides, shops and restaurants based on the movie’s town of Radiator Springs. Along with rides based on “A Bug’s Life,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Toy Story,” it further cements California Adventure as the Pixar park.

Also opening will be Buena Vista Street, based on Los Angeles the way it was when Walt Disney first saw it in the 1920s, and the Cathay Circle Theater, a recreation of the place where “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” premiered in 1937.

Elvis out, ‘Zarkana’ in

Cirque du Soleil says it will replace its tribute to Elvis Presley on the Las Vegas Strip with a touring show that will have a summer run in New York.

The Montreal-based circus troupe announced Wednesday that “Zarkana” would replace “Viva Elvis” at the Aria Resort & Casino after the final show for “Viva Elvis” in August. An opening date hasn’t been announced for “Zarkana.”

“Zarkana” is a 12-act, 75-performer “acrobatic rock opera” that opened to mixed reviews in New York last year before moving on to Moscow and Madrid.

The show has a loose plot centered around a magician trying to find a lost love.

Cirque will have seven concurrent shows in Sin City after “Zarkana” and “Michael Jackson: Immortal” open resident shows here this year.

Fort now a historic landmark

Fort Apache and the Theodore Roosevelt School in northeastern Arizona is now a National Historic Landmark.

The designation was made Tuesday in Washington by National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

Authorities said Fort Apache was an important base for recruitment of Apache scouts and operations as well as an important node in the dynamic of forts established in support of westward expansion. Between 1871 and 1923, the fort was also home to so-called “Buffalo soldiers” from four black units.

In 1923, Fort Apache became one of only 14 forts to become a school. It changed names and became the Theodore Roosevelt School.