Funds needed to keep river paddleboat afloat

The Muskingum County attraction would have its 30th anniversary next year.
ZANESVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- City and county officials are searching for funds to save a replica of an 1800s-era paddleboat that has ferried tourists up and down the Muskingum River since 1976.
It costs Muskingum County about $100,000 a year to operate the Lorena stern-wheeler, which brought in only $60,000 in passenger revenue last year.
"We're talking with the captain to see if he has any suggestions on keeping the boat or reducing the expenses," said Brian Hill, a county commissioner. "We want it to stay here. It's an attraction. People enjoy the trips up and down the river."
Commissions, facing tough spending decisions, have already cut $4 million from the county's $25 million general-fund budget.
City will chip in
Zanesville officials have agreed to cover up to $20,000 in operating losses for the boat.
"I would hate to see it go," Mayor Jack Fenton said. "I had my class reunion there five years ago."
Built in Arkansas, the paddleboat was purchased in 1976 and brought to this city about 50 miles east of Columbus for the Zane Trace Commemoration, an annual celebration featuring parades and other events.
In 1987, the county and city paid $55,000, along with another $15,000 in private funds, to buy the Lorena from the Zane Trace Commemoration, according to the Zanesville-Muskingum County Convention & amp; Visitors Bureau.
If the county doesn't keep the Lorena, docked near downtown Zanesville, commissioners hope the private sector will take over.
Capt. Jeff Hall has suggested that fund-raisers could help keep the Lorena afloat. The 56-year-old vessel would celebrate its 30th anniversary on the Muskingum River next year.
"We're trying to preserve the history of the community," said Hall, who has been the Lorena's skipper for seven years.
The boat operates from May through October, carrying between 18,000 and 20,000 people each season on lunch and dinner excursions and charter rides.
Rain and high water the past couple of years have cut into the schedule, including five weeks that were washed out last year.
Kevin Bishop, who rode the boat as a child, hopes he can share the experience with his 6-year-old son, Chase.
"I'll definitely take him, if they still have it running," he said.