Mallo Camp board mulls change in fees

By Alexis Barker 
NLJ Reporter
 
The Mallo Camp board hopes to charge full price to 4-H groups in Weston and Crook counties for summer camp. 
On March 5, during the commissioner’s regular meeting, Gideon Dixon and John Prell, both members of the Mallo Camp board, asked the commissioners to give “their side of the story” on a disagreement the board is having with local 4-H groups. 
According to Prell, the Mallo board recently told the 4-H groups in both counties that they will be required to pay full price to use the facilities for their annual summer camp. 
“We said they have to go back and pay what other groups do,” Prell said.
The current price is $13 a day per person or $675 a day, whichever is higher, and those costs haven’t been raised for at least 10 years, he said. 
“It costs a lot of money, and they want a cheaper price,” Prell said of the 4-H groups. “They want to still have the weekend, but we always saved weekends for family reunions or weddings.” 
Prell said that 4-H camps were once held during the week, but a few years ago, the camps were changed to the weekend because 4-H directors claimed the camp was not seeing enough attendance. 
Last year, according to Prell, the weekend camp drew 150 kids, while the weekday camp had less than 50. 
“We want them to come back but to not give them any preference. We have to charge what we charge other groups,” Prell said. The “other groups” include church groups, schools, other 4-H groups and the natural resource district, he said. 
Dixon said that the 4-H groups came to the Mallo Camp board “telling us what we should be doing” and that they had run into a brick wall. 
“Our way of thinking is that you guys (the commission) think enough of us to make the decision,” Dixon said. 
Commissioner Nathan Todd said that he had been contacted by a couple of concerned citizens and that the only thing that concerns him is that the literature about Mallo Camp says the facility is supposed to be for the “use of organizations and citizens of Weston County.” 
“I don’t want to step on your feet in this deal, but children being raised in this community at some point will be the adults that have to take care of that (Mallo) someday,” Todd said. “I don’t necessarily want special circumstances for those kids, but are we somehow not following the wants and needs set by (Walter) Schoonmaker? It would be neat to work things out, but I understand you are between a rock and a hard place.” 
The recreation camp was purchased by Walter Schoonmaker and donated in 1935 to Weston County. 
Todd said that he understands that Mallo takes care of itself financially and doesn’t “come to the county for money.” Dixon said he thought the situation would be different if the camp received a mill levy to help financially. 
“A few years ago, the county clerk told us we needed to increase the revenue,” Dixon said. “We are trying to make more money, but the only way we can do that now is to create more days in the month, because it is filled up.” 
He said that no one else has complained about the price to rent the camp. 
“I agree with both of you guys. We appoint you guys, and you run independently of our finances, but I also agree with Nathan,” Chairman Tony Barton said. “The people that are going to camp are going to be the ones sitting on either side of this table, and it is important to keep them involved.” 
Barton suggested they reach out to 4-H about different opportunities to raise funds or provide scholarships to help lessen the cost of the camp.