Gladwin County Record & Beaverton Clarion | Posted: Friday, May 11, 2012 1:03 pm
BEAVERTON – The Calhoun Park Campground in Beaverton is back open with the help of local volunteers, and under the supervision of volunteer campground managers, Dick and Donna VanWieren. The campground opened May 15 and will remain open until September 30 with 58 sites. It offers bathrooms with hot showers, a dump station, hiking paths, boat docks fishing with handicap access and a pavilion for gatherings. “Our objective is to show that with a full-time person out here the park can break even,” Mrs. VanWieren said Thursday as volunteers prepared for the campground’s opening Tuesday. The campground was closed by Beaverton city officials last season in a cost cutting move after it was determined it had been losing money to the tune of about $18,000 over two years, according to City Manager Kerry Posey. About 30 volunteers have been busy getting the 24 full-service, 22 electric and 14 rustic campsites ready for campers. Financial donations from the Beaverton Lions Club and others have helped defray costs for items like well pump repairs, inspection fees and other necessities totaling about $2,000 so far, according to the VanWierns. Camping fees start at $14 night for a rustic site, $22 with electric, $24 with electric and sewer. Seasonal rates are $1,000 with electric, and $1,100 with sewer added. Non-campers can use the dumping station for $5.