Lost Dutchman enthusiasts raise $13,000 to keep park open The generosity of supporters who jammed a meeting room at Superstition Harley-Davidson in Apache Junction proves their affection for Lost Dutchman State Park as its closure date approaches.
But with $13,200 now donated after one meeting and a Friends of Lost Dutchman State Park group in formation, the park's previously bleak prospects are looking much better.
So much so that Cristie Statler, executive director of the State Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization, is already predicting that a closure likely can be avoided.
"These folks love our parks. That audience the other night demonstrated that with their generosity," she said.
Despite the donations, Statler said its important to understand that the Arizona State Parks Department costs $34 million a year to operate, and that a reliable source of revenue is required beyond the generosity of individuals.
Lost Dutchman, an iconic park featuring the west flank of the Superstition Mountains, is scheduled to close June 3, a casualty of severe state budget cuts.
State park officials say they can manage to keep the park open in June, but supporters need to raise $25,000 to keep it from closing during the slow months of July, August and September, when some people take early hikes to avoid the heat.
But Statler notes the drive is already halfway to its goal, thanks largely to two benefactors.
His eyes welling with tears, philanthropist Taylor H. Sanford Jr., 76, of Katy, Texas, announced an $8,000 donation at the meeting. That's enough to keep the park open for about a month.
Afterward, Warren Meyer, president of Recreation Resource Management, quietly handed Statler another $5,000 check, even though Assistant Parks Director Jay Ream had criticized privatization as an option for keeping the state parks open.
Ream said privatization often leads to commercialization.
"They're out to make a profit. We're out to make an experience," Ream said.
Recreation Resource Management operates 35 campgrounds around the state and also partners with Arizona State Parks on concessions at Slide Rock and Patagonia state parks. The company has offered to take over operation of several parks.
But Meyer said Ream's commercialization argument is misleading.
"I run parks the way the public authority wants them run," Meyer said. "I can't repaint a line in the parking lot without their permission."
Meyer said he thinks Lost Dutchman is "a beautiful place," that it is the closest park to his home and he has taken his children there for visits. He said he went to the meeting as research for his business, but also was working on a corporate giving plan.
"This is a private gift from Mr. Meyer, not a company check," Statler said. "It was a generous gift from an individual who wants to help Lost Dutchman."
Sanford said he likes to make a big impact on local causes, rather than donating to such large organizations as the American Cancer Society or the Red Cross. Sanford lives part-time in Leisure World, an east Mesa retirement community.
Sanford said he was prepared to write a check for more than $8,000, actually $9,545, to cover the actual cost of the 2008-09 fiscal deficit that got Lost Dutchman designated for closure.
But that was before Ream explained it normally costs $24,000 a month to operate the park. He said $25,000 in contributions can keep the park open in the summer because of layoffs and other cutbacks, and because the campground will be closed for construction.
"I actually got away a little lighter," Sanford said.
The construction project will electrify 38 sites, allowing the park to become profitable in October, when it is scheduled to reopen, Ream said. It will be financed by $500,000 in federal grants and $500,000 in state Heritage Fund money raised through Arizona Lottery sales.
Federal funds and Heritage Funds can be used only for capital improvement projects, not for operating expenses, under various regulations, he said.
Steve Filipowicz, Apache Junction's economic development director, was thrilled that about 120 supporters turned out for the meeting and by the donations.
"This is the most positive event I've been to here," he said, during his three years in Apache Junction.
by Jim Walsh - Mar. 26, 2010 01:11 PM
The Arizona Republic
