by Larry Patrick
WALSENBURG- Dave Mockmore, chairman of the Parks & Recreation Committee for the City of Walsenburg, believes Walsenburg Wild Waters will show a profit of between $10,000 and $15,000 this summer. The water park will operate through Labor Day weekend.
Last year the water park showed a loss of $78,000. Mockmore cites the changes to a four day week plus fewer life guards on duty as being money savers. Also, there has been a large increase in the number of private parties and groups from out of town coming to enjoy the water park.
Final figures will not be known until after the water park closes and is winterized. A separate bank account has been kept that has not gone through the regular city financial channels. That has bothered some city council people and the city attorney. Mockmore defends not having the money go through the city finance department because he thinks it has not accounted the expenses correctly in past years. The monies will go to the city finance department upon closing and when it does, there could be variations shown depending on whether the new city finance director treats the water park the same as all other departments and divides certain expenses across the board. If not, other departments will absorb the cost making the water park expenses lower than have been tabulated in past years.
Whichever way the figures are shown, there is no doubt that the Walsenburg Wild Waters will show a huge improvement over past years even if it were to show a loss based on other expenses being factored in. Overall attendance at the water park would be down this year over last year according to Mockmore, if it were not for the special events bringing more people from out of town. Being open four days instead of seven can also be a contributing factor to attendance figures.
