Friday, October 15, 2004
ERIN ALBERTYTHE SAGINAW NEWS
Warnings of dioxin contamination at Imerman Memorial Park likely contributed to a sharp revenue decline at the Saginaw Township park this summer, officials say.
"I'm sure (contamination) had something to do with it," said Daren Kaschinske, assistant director of the Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, which oversees the park.
Park admissions, concessions and boat rentals this summer brought in 43 percent less revenue this summer than last, the commission reports.
Several other factors may have slowed use, Kaschinske said, including flooding that closed part of the park this spring.
"There's just not as many people out there, period," Kaschinske said.
He pointed to an overall decline in pavilion rentals at Imerman Park since 1998, four years before dioxin was detected in soil around the Tittabawassee River.
Pavilion use dropped from about 85 rentals last year to 61 rentals this year.
Nine scheduled users specifically named "dioxin-related issues" as their motive to cancel, Kaschinske said.
An abnormally cool summer also kept park users at home, he said.
But weather did not deter users from all county parks. Revenue increased by 3 percent at Haithco Recreation Area, also in Saginaw Township.
Officials from the state Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Community Health in April advised school districts to avoid Imerman Park and other spots on the river, previously used for sporting events and field trips, to avoid exposing students to the contaminant.v
© 2004 Saginaw News.
For additional articles like this one, go to the Tittabawasse River Watch web site www.trwnews.net for complete coverage of the Tittabawassee River Dow Chemical dioxin contamination saga. . The Newspaper / Media page of our site contains an extensive archive of media articles dating back to January 2002. The source organization's web site link is listed to the right of the article, visit often for other news in our area. The Newspaper / Media page may be accessed by scrolling down to the bottom of the CONTENTS section and clicking on the Newspaper/Media link.