Quote:
quote:Originally posted by bsmeaton
The only difference John:
In a private, the wife and sister run the store, the husband maintains the utilities, and the kids pitch in on weekends and summers when they come out to visit.
At the State Park, there are a fleet of 14 maintenance vehicles, 18 Rangers, and 65 compensated volunteers hogging the prime spots.
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I was going to ignore that comment but I can't any longer. I am one of those camp hosts. I am compensated. I get a site with sewer. Everyone in the park gets electric, water and basic cable so I get those as well. My wife and I are supposed to work a total of 24 hours per week. We haven't worked less that 34 hours a week since we have been here. (our choice-not required) It would cost us $120.00 per week so we work for $3.50/hr. I am NOT complaining, that is our choices. Our site is not in a prime location. It is right next to the main camp road and right next to the rest rooms. (we call them comfort stations) My porch light is on every night until 10:30. Our gate locks at 10 and about three nights a week we have someone come in late and need help. That is not included in our hours. I clean comfort stations, rake and clean sites, pick up cigarette butts and the occasional broken beer bottle, patrol the hiking trails for litter and offer advice to many that ask. My wife helps with all of the above and in addition works in the Interpretative Center and in the park pass booth. The Interpretive Center is not usually open on Tuesday but she opened it yesterday for a couple that were leaving but really wanted to see it.
We have two well used pick-ups that used to be used by the two rangers. We also have two Kawasaki Mules that are ancient. the floor boards on both are rusted out and neither have a top or windshield with makes them rather unpleasant in bad weather. We also have an old golf cart and one other cart that is a lemon. the hosts use the mules and the golf cart and paid maintenance people use the other cart. Two maintenance positions are presently vacant and will not be filled. All kinds of stuff that needs to be fixed is being stored in the shop until after the first of the year when a host comes that is a mechanic. He spends most of his time in the shop. One of the reasons this and many other parks can stay open is because of the hosts. There are three couples presently here and I can tell you all six of us far exceed the requirements. This park is able to fill most of the host sites but I was in a park in Florida and the manager essentially begged us to stay.
Rather than sitting around sniping and making snide comments why don't you become part of the solution. Find a park that needs a host and then you too can have one of the primes spots (not). Offer your talents to help keep parks open. State and national parks offer a different outdoor experience than commercial parks and except for some concessionaire operated parks, don't usually compete directly with commercial parks. We like both. When we leave here we are going to a commercial park for three months to play.
Your comments were uncalled for and reflect a lack of understanding of the contributions made by the vast majority of camp hosts as well as the challenges facing public recreation as a whole.
David Whittier