New superintendent, concessions manager making mark on state park

BY SHEILA HARRIS sheilaharrisads@gmail.com

About 50 people, including Roaring River State Park personnel, were on hand for the park’s annual public meeting at the Emory Melton Inn & Conference Center on June 5.

Roaring River State Park Superintendent Mike Busekrus, who accepted the position in August 2024, said he found himself looking into a lift station during an ongoing wastewater renovation project at the park, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Taking on the leadership of Roaring River State Park, which annually sees over one million visitors — the fifth highest in attendance of Missouri’s parks — represents a leap in responsibility, toilets included, for Busekrus, who previously managed the Nathan and Olive Boone Homestead, near Ash Grove, which garnered some 6,500 visitors a year.

“You don’t often think about what happens after you flush a toilet in a state park,” Busekrus said. ‘But, just like at home, there has to be a sewer or septic system in place.”

With the help of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the wastewater project — which involves piping the park’s sewage below the river and rebuilding every lift station in the park — is nearing completion.

A March 1 Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting, attended by park personnel, park fans and chamber members, marked the official re-opening of Campground 3 after the installation of new concrete and full hookups (water, sewer and electric) at the campsites.

Under Busekrus’ watch, other improvements grace the park: a new swing set in Zone 1 to replace the vintage swings taken out by last year’s May windstorm; a “Grab & Go” snack center in the park store; a facelift for the amphitheater; four functional electric vehicle chargers; propane system improvements at the Park Office and Camp Smokey; the installation of R60 installation in CCC Lodge, work on the HVAC system in various park structures; the installation of a new composite shake-shingle roof on the campground office and a metal roof on the maintenance building; the renovation of four showers at Campground 3; the elevation of some campsites in Campground 2; and the installation of two storm sirens with voice capability.

“We’re still working on getting the voice function operational,” Busekrus said.

Busekrus gives full credit to his staff for pulling off the seemingly impossible.

“How we got some of these projects done, I don’t know,” he said. “I present the staff with a crazy idea, and they just go out and do it.”

Busekrus credits the park’s concessionaire, ExplorUS (branded locally as Roaring River Adventures), with taking the park in a new direction.

According to Busekrus, per Roaring River State Park’s concession contract with Roaring River Adventures/ExplorUS, money from concession revenue is set aside each month and tagged for maintenance projects within the concession-operated footprint. Busekrus cites examples such as an HVAC unit in a cabin, or repairs to the kitchen equipment that serves the restaurant in the Emory Melton Inn.

“Year-to-date, we’ve spent approximately $150,000 on various projects, including HVAC units at the Inn, park store and a few cabins, improvements to the kitchen and to the propane system in the Inn, and purchasing new furnishings for the Honeymoon Cabin,” Busekrus said.

An additional $ 300,000 is part of a Roaring River Adventures/ExplorUS bid proposal: a standalone amount that will be used for updating cabins 4-9, Busekrus said.

“We are currently in the process of developing the scope of work for that project,” Busekrus said.

Jotham Brown accepted the position of concessions manager for Roaring River Adventures a couple of months ago, replacing longtime manager David Waugh.

“I’m excited to become a part of the Roaring River community,” he said.

Brown said he hopes to partner with local vendors for providing healthy food options at the park’s restaurant in Emory Melton Inn.

Park concessions, including the restaurant and park store, began staying open year-round on a limited basis last fall and winter, after ExplorUS took over the park’s concession management.

In addition to continued work on wastewater updates, Busekrus said other park projects pending are continued Phase 2 improvements at Campground 2; the restoration of the CCC Shelter; the completion of shower renovation in Campground 3; and the completion of a new Fire Tower Trailhead.

“We’ve broken ground on the new trailhead, and we’re working with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to remove highway crosswalks,” Busekrus said.

Busekrus’ crew also has rainy-day projects in the works, including the renovation of floors in the old Roaring River Schoolhouse, located near Campground 1, and converting a storage room in the Ozark Chinquapin Nature Center (which, itself, has undergone a facelift) into classroom space for touring school groups.

Park Naturalist Anna Skalicky said since last June, a total of 26 school groups (900 students) have taken field trips to Roaring River State Park.

“We give guided field trips on Thursdays,” she said.

Skalicky said bus grants from Missouri State Parks are available for school districts, with applications available at mostateparks. com.

For gardeners, Skalicky said the nature center’s pollinator garden is a volunteer- led effort, with work days planned for the last Saturday morning of every month through October.

“Our volunteers have discovered 70 native plants since they began working the garden a few years ago,” she said.

Although not a native pollinator, a Little Free Library has also been established outside the nature center to feed the minds of young children, or for adult campers who want to kick back with a good book.

The nature center is open Friday to Monday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition to taking on infrastructure projects at Roaring River State Park, Busekrus brought with him ideas from the Nathan Boone Homestead for community engagement. One of the most popular, so far, has been the Christmas Candlelight Stroll, a December event in which luminaries were placed along river walkways for the nighttime delight of visitors.

The second annual Candlelight Stroll is scheduled for Dec. 20 at 5:30 p.m.

“This year, we’re going to double the number of luminaries along walkways,” said Amanda Cope, park assistant director.

Busekrus, too, is instrumental in transforming the basement room of the historic CCC Lodge into a community gathering spot, where “Fly Tying & Coffee” sessions are held on Saturday mornings, from 10 a.m. until noon.

Morgan Williams, Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce director, is delighted with the turn of direction the state park has taken, as far as its interaction with local Chamber members. She cited the example of Busekrus’ hosting of a workshop for the creation of door swags and wreaths during Cassville’s annual Holiday Open House, a skill he acquired at the Nathan Boone Homestead.

Bottom-line to the appeal of Roaring River State Park is trout fishing.

Brad Farwell, Roaring River Hatchery manager, said the hatchery is currently stocking 1.5 fish per person.

“Tag sales are up compared to last year by about 3%,” he said.

Montauk and Meramec Hatcheries lost about half a million fish during recent storm damage, Farwell said. That devastation that has affected both the Bennett Spring and Roaring River hatcheries.

According to the Missouri State Parks’ website, “the primary source of funding for the state park system is half of the dedicated constitutional tax of one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax, which provides about three-fourths of the division’s budget for operation and development of state parks. All additional funding for Missouri State Parks comes from revenues generated in the state park system and some federal funds.”

The constitutional tax, earmarked for the state’s 93 parks, has been voter-approved since 1984.

Admission to Missouri State Parks is free, not necessarily the case in other states’ parks, Busekrus said.