(Arnolds Park)– “The prospects for the future of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum and all we do are, in my opinion, bright.” Jim Frost, a consultant for the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum Board, made that comment at the organization’s annual meeting Sunday in Arnolds Park.
Fred Dowden, Chairman of the Maritime Museum’s Finance Committee, says the amusement park is well on its way toward ending another season in the black. Dowden says the park posted a gross income of 2,081,225-dollars as of August 17th…within a hundred dollars of the same time a year ago. The only difference, Dowden says, is the make-up of that income. For example, Dowden says go-cart income was up 42,000-dollars over a year ago…attributed to good weather and a loss of competition since another lakes area amusement operation closed its go-cart track.
Dowden adds the park’s mini-golf income was up nearly 9,300-dollars over a year ago; park admissions, including daily passes, was up dramatically…by 61-thousand dollars. Queen Two operations were up by about 2,100-dollars. On a down note, Dowden says contributions were off by about 100-thousand dollars simply because they didn’t have a fundraising drive similar to what they had a year ago.
Dowden says expenses are down almost 52-thousand dollars from a year ago this time, leaving a bottom line that’s almost 100-thousand dollars better than what it was a year ago.
Dowden, Frost and Scott Pyle, the park’s General Manager, attribute the strong performance to the park’s management, staff, the board, great weather and good attendance this summer.
Even though the numbers are positive so far for the season, Frost emphasized the need for people to donate to the “Sustain Our Park” campaign to rid the operation of its 1.5 million dollar debt once and for all. The two million dollar campaign would also include funds to establish an endowment for the park.
Sunday’s annual meeting also consisted of an election of three board members who’s terms were expiring. They include Bob Schneider, Mike Zenor and Mardi Allen. Allen wasn’t running for re-election; Joe Connover filed papers to run for her seat. Both Schneider and Zenor had filed papers indicating their desire to seek another term. No one else had filed nomination papers prior to the deadline. With that, Schneider and Zenor were re-elected to their respective seats, along with Connover.
Sunday’s meeting lasted only 20 minutes…compared with a contentious one a couple years ago prior to the board being completely restructured. That one went on for hours.
