Monday, December 19, 2005
CONNEAUT LAKE, Pa. (AP) -- A financially troubled historic amusement park will use a new accounting system in January that its manager said should give a clearer picture of the park's monetary situation.
"We will be able to see what each cost center at the park does, what it spends and what it takes in, and we will do the same for every event so we know what makes money and what doesn't, and what works and what doesn't," said Conneaut Lake Park manager George Deshner.
That's not possible now.
While the financial report filed by the park's former board in September indicated a profit of about $116,000, Deshner and court-appointed custodian LeRoy Stearns were projecting a loss of about $75,000.
"We won't have final figures until we file our report with the court in the middle or end of January," he said.
The park, which opened in 1892, also fell deeper into debt; it now owes about $2.9 million. But Deshner said it should be able to open next year without borrowing money and he is predicting a good year.