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Texan donates $8,000 to keep Lost Dutchman State Park open

by Jim Walsh - Mar. 20, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A philanthropic winter visitor from Texas stunned a crowd of Lost Dutchman State Park supporters by plunking down a check for $8,000, enough to keep the threatened park open for about one month.

Taylor H. Sanford Jr.'s generosity culminated a meeting where Assistant Arizona State  Parks Director Jay Ream told supporters hoping to keep the park open that they need about $25,000 to keep the park open during the slow summer months.

Sanford, who winters in the Leisure World retirement community in east Mesa and lives in Katy, Texas, said he read The Arizona Republic's account of the park's plight as legislative budget cuts threaten to close it June 3.

"We don't want to see it go," Sanford said.

Hours before making the donation Thursday, Sanford, 76, said he and a group of friends from Leisure World hiked four miles in the park.

"I happen to be very fortunate. I'm good at managing my money," said Sanford, a retired airline captain for defunct Trans World Airlines. He said one of his previous projects was funding Wilderness on Wheels, a wheelchair-accessible trail and campground in Colorado, in honor of his late wife, Jane Patterson Lee, who was disabled toward the end of her life.

"It's not major charities but things that affect people locally," he said.

"I like to see where the money is going and what it's doing."

In this case, Sanford's donation is to a dedicated account set up for Lost Dutchman by the Arizona State Parks Foundation. With his donation, announced by Sanford at a meeting of about 120 people, the philanthropist said he was attempting to kick-start donations to keep the park open.

"I hope it encourages others to do something similar," he said.

Payson saves Tonto Bridge State Park
By Pete Aleshire

March 19, 2010

The State Parks Board on Wednesday approved a deal with Payson that will keep Tonto Natural Bridge State Park open five days a week all summer.

The town will provide $25,000 to offset the operating loss for the world’s largest travertine arch, which contributes an estimated $3.6 million annually to the region’s economy.

The State Parks Board had previously voted to shut down Tonto Natural Bridge in June along with most of the rest of the sites in the state’s 28-park system.

However, the agreement with the town should keep the park and its newly refurbished historic inn open through at least September.

By then, either the Legislature will have provided the parks with enough money to operate the system or the parks will explore a longer-term solution that could turn over management of the park to Payson, which would then hire a contractor that could operate on gate fees alone.

The town has already pledged $17,000 to get the park through the summer. The newly formed Friends of Tonto Natural Bridge has vowed to raise another $8,000.

Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce Manager John Stanton said the agreement will provide the stability needed to begin to rebuild visitation. Visits to the park peaked at about 93,000 three years ago, but dropped below 65,000 last year due to the uncertainty and weekend-only hours.

“We have visitors in here every day that want to go to the bridge,” said Stanton. “We get whole buses full of European tourists. Then you have the people bringing their grandkids back because they remember going there when they were kids.

“The economic impact is very large. You’ll have a couple coming up for the day to see the bridge and they’re going to buy gas. Have lunch. Stop in a shop — maybe spend the night — and conclude this is a pretty nice place to live

nonot wrote:Cut $25,000 from the budget, lose ~ $360,000 in revenue? And these morons are our elected leaders? (facepalm)

CannondaleKid wrote:Now if only they would open the rest stop/bathrooms at the 87/188 junction.

chumley wrote:

CannondaleKid wrote:Now if only they would open the rest stop/bathrooms at the 87/188 junction.

The Mazatzal Rest Area is in need of rehabilitation before opening. ADOT has been working on rehabbing rest areas across the state. Mazatzal is on the ADOT calendar for a new wastewater treatment system ... in 2018. So you'll have to hold it for a little bit longer.

That said, it's 58 miles from Payson to Ft. McDowell, on a highway where it should take about 45 minutes to travel. You wouldn't think that would cause undue hardship on most folks.

azbackpackr wrote:I'm a 60-year-old grandmother, and I can damned well stop and pee whenever I want to! Especially nice to be driving by myself, and I don't have to beg the driver to stop. Men never want to stop, unless they are older than I am and have enlarged prostates.

azbackpackr wrote:I stop at Deer Creek TH, pee in the bushes, and I don't leave any paper. It's a nice break. I'm a 60-year-old grandmother, and I can damned well stop and pee whenever I want to!