Arnolds Park officials again seeking donors
Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2003
ARNOLDS PARK, Iowa (AP) -- Four years later, officials are again asking for donors to save Arnolds Park, the oldest amusement park west of the Mississippi River.
Park officials say they will soon begin a multimillion dollar fund-raising effort to keep the park open on West Lake Okoboji.
"It's absolutely necessary," said Dennis Ward, a member of the board that oversees the park.
The fund raising is part of a major overhaul of park operations, which had become mired in conflict last summer over management of the park's finances.
Without making some big changes, "we probably would not have opened in the spring," Ward said.
Four years ago, volunteers raised more than $7.5 million to save the park from a plan to turn the land into lakefront condominiums. This time, officials are counting on the generosity of donors to rescue the park from debt.
The park will have to take out a $500,000 loan just to remain open and tackle expenses, Ward said.
Officials are hoping to pay off the loan -- and other debts -- with the proceeds of the fund-raising drive.
The park also needs to pay off a $1.7 million note. More expenses are anticipated next year, including a $500,000 project to pave the parking lot.
Officials have not yet determined the size or timing of the fund-raising drive, but say they will need to raise millions.
And they seem optimistic.
"We're so positive about the way things are moving now," said Ward, an Okoboji resident. "We will not look in the past. We will look in the future."
He and other board members know they will have to build confidence among potential donors who opened their checkbooks in 1999 to the 114-year-old park.
"Don't count us out," said Paul Hedberg, another board member.
"The Lakes area is an amazing place in terms of donations. A lot of people said we'd never raise $7 million in 1999. Well, we did."
Former U.S. Rep. Berkley Bedell, who lives in the area, has offered to help lead the fund raising.
Leaders say they are working to restore accountability to the park and its board, which also operates the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum and an excursion boat at Okoboji.
Plans are in place to pare the board from an unwieldy 28 members to nine. Ward said there appears to be enough support for the plan to be approved at next month's meeting.
Ward said the larger board was the source of many problems.
"We just couldn't get a consensus . . . and there was a lot of miscommunication," he said. "With a nine-member board that will meet every month, there aren't surprises."
In addition, the board will be looking for a new executive director to replace Tom Kuhlman. Kuhlman and another official, Cary Parker, had been accused by some members of spending money unwisely on the park, without consulting the board.
Kuhlman and Parker resigned earlier this month, saying the board was micromanaging their work. The resignations are effective Dec. 1.
The board also is working with a consultant on other measures to improve the park.
"There's a positive message here that the board has finally come to grips with the fact that management can't spend money the way it had been in the past," Hedberg said.
"We're going to raise the money to get back to square one, where we were four years ago."
Park officials say they will soon begin a multimillion dollar fund-raising effort to keep the park open on West Lake Okoboji.
"It's absolutely necessary," said Dennis Ward, a member of the board that oversees the park.
The fund raising is part of a major overhaul of park operations, which had become mired in conflict last summer over management of the park's finances.
Without making some big changes, "we probably would not have opened in the spring," Ward said.
Four years ago, volunteers raised more than $7.5 million to save the park from a plan to turn the land into lakefront condominiums. This time, officials are counting on the generosity of donors to rescue the park from debt.
The park will have to take out a $500,000 loan just to remain open and tackle expenses, Ward said.
Officials are hoping to pay off the loan -- and other debts -- with the proceeds of the fund-raising drive.
The park also needs to pay off a $1.7 million note. More expenses are anticipated next year, including a $500,000 project to pave the parking lot.
Officials have not yet determined the size or timing of the fund-raising drive, but say they will need to raise millions.
And they seem optimistic.
"We're so positive about the way things are moving now," said Ward, an Okoboji resident. "We will not look in the past. We will look in the future."
He and other board members know they will have to build confidence among potential donors who opened their checkbooks in 1999 to the 114-year-old park.
"Don't count us out," said Paul Hedberg, another board member.
"The Lakes area is an amazing place in terms of donations. A lot of people said we'd never raise $7 million in 1999. Well, we did."
Former U.S. Rep. Berkley Bedell, who lives in the area, has offered to help lead the fund raising.
Leaders say they are working to restore accountability to the park and its board, which also operates the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum and an excursion boat at Okoboji.
Plans are in place to pare the board from an unwieldy 28 members to nine. Ward said there appears to be enough support for the plan to be approved at next month's meeting.
Ward said the larger board was the source of many problems.
"We just couldn't get a consensus . . . and there was a lot of miscommunication," he said. "With a nine-member board that will meet every month, there aren't surprises."
In addition, the board will be looking for a new executive director to replace Tom Kuhlman. Kuhlman and another official, Cary Parker, had been accused by some members of spending money unwisely on the park, without consulting the board.
Kuhlman and Parker resigned earlier this month, saying the board was micromanaging their work. The resignations are effective Dec. 1.
The board also is working with a consultant on other measures to improve the park.
"There's a positive message here that the board has finally come to grips with the fact that management can't spend money the way it had been in the past," Hedberg said.
"We're going to raise the money to get back to square one, where we were four years ago."
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