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Gates Mills closes doors on summer day camp
(by Sali McSherry - November 19, 2008)
Gates Mills closes doors on summer day camp
By SUE REID
The Village of Gates Mills will no longer host its yearly summer day camp. Village Council discussed its discontinuation last week.
Councilwoman Trina Nemastil said the six-week camp, which historically runs from mid-June through the last week of July, lost $13,000 last year, and it wasn't the first time it lost money. "Things have been progressing toward this decision," she said.
In addition, Mrs. Nemastil said, attendance has been dropping. She said many of the campers are not Gates Mills residents, "and it's not fair to the villagers to subsidize the camp."
The camp has been in existence for over 35 years. Last year, it was overseen by Mrs. Nemastil on a volunteer basis. The camp employs a director and assistant director, as well as camp counselors.
Expenses for the camp have been exceeding revenues, according to village Finance Manager JoAnn Lechman. In 2007, the village received $60,000 from the camp but had expenses over $63,000. This summer, it received $45,500, and expenses were over $58,000.
The biggest expense is for transportation, Mrs. Nemastil said. "That's a huge chunk of our cost."
Campers were taken on field trips up to twice a week to such locations as the Mayfield Village swimming pool and to water parks in the area.
Mrs. Lechman said that cost of transportation in 2007 was $7,400, and this year it was $6,200. "This year, the cost was lower, because we decided to transport ourselves," she said of the counselors. "That was an exposure of liability."
This year, the camp, which is open to children from kindergarten to sixth grade, had 68 participants. The previous year there were over 80 campers, and three years ago there were over 90 participants, Mrs. Nemastil said.
Prices for the camp, which provide a cost break to residents, as well as an early-bird rate, have not been increased since 2007, Mrs. Lechman said.
Cost to the campers for the six weeks begins at $625 for residents and $775 for nonresidents. There is an option to attend for two-week increments.
Campers historically met at Gates Mills Elementary School and used part of the facility at no cost.
Mrs. Nemastil said the Straw Hat youth theater group will continue and that the library will grow its offerings for programming for youth throughout the summer.
"Just because we won't do the camp this coming year, it doesn't mean we won't bring it back," Mrs. Nemastil said.
The growing number of opportunities for summer activities for children, as well as competition from surrounding camps such as at Gilmour Academy, which has its own swimming pool, track and transportation, contributed to its decline, she said.
"People are doing other things," Mrs. Nemastil said. "There are different choices out there to pick from. That's the real issue. There are just more choices."
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