A bad penny binds the local economy of Maggie Valley, NC, to former Miami-Dade County Manager, mayor of Homestead, Florida, and amusement park operator, Steve Shiver.
Shiver is CEO of Ghost Town In the Sky at Maggie Valley, an amusement park that recently went bankrupt. The corporation includes other Miami shareholders, who expected the park to become a magnet for second homeowners riding the housing asset bubble to a cooler climate in the summer. When he was in South Florida, Shiver was integral to the biggest schemes in Dade, to plow more suburban sprawl into farmland. He was an unabashed leader of the effort to privatize the Homestead Air Force Base without environmental reviews, for which he was rewarded with the slot as county manager by then Mayor Alex Penelas.
Today, Ghost Town In The Sky has liabilities of $12.5 million and no cash. Since the local economy depends in large part on tourists attracted to the chair lift, the roller coaster, and the shoot-em-up's in the OK Corral, Shiver has gone to the town leaders and asked for $200K in cash to open the park this week.
The Smoky Mountain News reports of Shiver threatening an elected official at a public meeting ("Ghost Town and alderman at loggerheads", April 29, 2009): "Ghost Town CEO Steve Shiver threatened to sue Maggie Valley Alderman Colin Edwards during a town meeting this week. Edwards attempted to speak out against Shiver’s request for a $200,000 loan from the town. But Shiver objected and refused to let Edwards finish speaking. “I raise my objections,” Shiver said, cutting Edwards off. “Gentlemen, lady, I mean no disrespect but there are serious issues of conflict we have raised through our attorneys. I think in the next few weeks you will see some legal action.”
The alderman apparently owns a small construction company that built a retaining wall at Maggie Valley and was not paid in full, like a long list of 200 creditors, owed $2.5 million. In a related article, the Smoky Mountain Times reports that bankruptcy filings, "... show nearly $25,000 was paid to Ghost Town CEO Steve Shiver and a company that Shiver is president of, Global Management Services. Shiver personally got $1,657 as a salary, while $23,000 was paid to his company. Shiver’s company is billed as a professional services company and dates to Shiver’s former life in the Miami area." (Ghost Town files financial statements with bankruptcy court, May 6, 2009)
Some of the aldermen have proposed a public vote to see if a majority approve the use of tax money to fund Shiver's opening day. Shiver reportedly dismissed the prospect of a public vote. The newspaper Miami Today recently reminded readers of another Shiver-promoted promise that hit the skids; the half cent sales tax for mass transit: "The county, under Manager Steve Shiver, listed those uses (for the 2002 tax) again and again, spotlighting a massive addition to Metrorail to honeycomb the county. Government pledged it would keep up prior transit spending so the new money would add routes and not fund operations. Miami Today strongly supported the tax based on those promises. Other media did too. Voters bought in. And we were all wrong, because not a single one of those promises was kept."
To help keep Steve Shiver in North Carolina, please send your contributions to: Ghost Town in the Sky, 890 Soco Road, Maggie, NC 28751.
May 14, 2009
Maggie Valley considers loan for Ghost Town
Bill Studenc
Wake up, Maggie, the folks at Ghost Town have something to ask of you.
It's the middle of May, and their debts are beginning to accrue.
The theme park used to keep us amused.
But I feel you're being used.
Oh Maggie, 200 K? I'm just not sure.
Ghost Town lured visitors from home, but now it says it really needs a loan.
Or the park may not open, and the economy would really hurt.
Twisting the lyrics to the Rod Stewart classic “Maggie Mae” might seem an odd way to start a column about the request from the owners of Ghost Town in the Sky, the mountaintop amusement park that is seeking a $200,000 loan from Maggie Valley officials.
But there are some similarities between Stewart's tale of a summer fling between a young man and an older woman. In this case, however, it's not so much Maggie's face showing its age in the morning sun. It's the face of her suitor - Ghost Town.
The long-in-the-tooth tourist attraction is in desperate need of a make-over, financially and otherwise.
Originally opened in 1961, Ghost Town operated for decades as one of Western North Carolina's most popular destinations, attracting upwards of 300,000 visitors to Haywood County annually during its heyday.
Over the years, make-believe cowboys and Indians, gunfighters and saloon girls lost out to videogames and high-tech toys in the eyes of would-be park-goers. Ghost Town fell on hard times, and the park eventually shuttered its doors in 2002, remaining closed until it was brought back to life in spring 2007.
Despite the fact that some of the primary attractions - most notably the Red Devil rollercoaster (rechristened the Cliff Hanger) - were not ready on re-opening day, Maggie Valley enjoyed a 40 percent increase in tourism after Ghost Town's rebirth.
Unfortunately, the good economic news was short-lived. The park's owners recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, facing $12.3 million in debts and holding approximately $13 million in assets.
In addition, none of the park's rides have been inspected by the state, which must happen before Ghost Town can open.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding its future, the park says it needs a loan from the town in order to open on schedule May 22. Municipal officials have called a special meeting for 5:30 p.m. May 14 to receive input from residents.
Maggie Valley's leaders and the people they represent should think long and hard about taking such an unprecedented step, weighing both sides of the issue carefully before either committing the town to a significant expenditure of taxpayers' money or rejecting a plea for help from a major player in the resort town's tourism-based economy.
On one hand, it would be a shame to see a business with an annual payroll of $2 million that provides employment for 200 people close its doors. The impact on motels, restaurants and other businesses would be traumatic, especially during the current economic downturn.
On the other hand, and in spite of the precedent set by the federal government, the town must ask itself it wants to get into the bailout business. As Alderman Phil Aldridge said, “Nobody wants Ghost Town to fail. But we have to go about this in a proper way. We can't just hand the money out.”
And nobody wants Maggie to sing this sad refrain, should she decide to proceed with the loan, only to watch Ghost Town go under:
The park made a first-class fool out of me.
I was as blind as a fool could be.
Ghost Town stole my heart, and then 200 K.
This is the opinion of Bill Studenc, who writes a weekly column for Mountain News.
12 comments:
Maggie Valley is about to get taken for a ride.
When Shiver says he 'means no disrespect', run for cover.
His techniques have gotten rusty. In the past he used bribes and payoffs to get his way, the threats show he has evolved or is completely broke. Is the "Redland Mcmansion" still for sale? Must be mortgaged to the hilt and he can't sell it short.
Is "Steve" his middle name. It looks like his McMansion is under another Shiver name, with the middle initial S.
He's not rusty, I just read the update. There's anoter community meeting tonight. If this link doesn't work, go to the main website for the Mountaineer. I'm going to barf. Even seeing his name written anywhere just does that to me.
http://www.themountaineer.com/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1249:residents-weigh-in-on-ghost-town-loan-&catid=25:the-project&Itemid=27
i fail to understand your obsession with Steve Shiver....he's gone. move on.
Hey, anonymous. There are plenty of people, harrassed, and bullied by Shiver and Losner/Epling while Homestead was wrecked by the builders and the lobbyists and the politicians with their hands out. It is horrible what happened. History will not be forgotten.
Maggie Valley appreciates the insights found on this blog.
What I find ironic about what's happening in Maggie Valley and the Shiver issue. To me, there are three glaring issues that popped out of the article of May 17.
1) The writer quoted someone addressing the additional tax base from a local annexation (any one else remember Shiver's plan when he was Mayor of Homestead to annex the area east of Redland.) While he didn't get the entire edge of Redland, Homestead did get some nice chunks of Ag land.
2) An employee of the park made a loan of $250,000. How does an employee of a bankrupt company have $250,000 just tucked away?
3) Shiver stated the park would open whether he received the loan or not. Well then, why the fuss and taxpayer bailout request?
Just random thoughts of someone who sees history repeating itself. This all kind of reminds me of "There will be blood" scenario where the main character travels from town to town.
Steve will be blaming someone else. He always does.
Just who is Randy Bryan of Maggie Valley who lent Shiver $250,000? Well he is also the parks safety director in addition to being an agent-broker with Elk Country Realty, 3131 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, NC. 28751
Email: randy@elkcountryrealty.com Another public/private enterprise. Did not work out for Liberty City and it won't work out for Maggie Valley. Shiver first asked for $150,000 then upped it to $200,000
In this venture Shiver plays Dennis Stackhouse.
It was always about real estate speculation. If not for the crash, they'd be selling condos and "green" townhouses looking over the shoot-em-up gallery.
Actually, Steve Shiver first went to the Town of Maggie Valley for $100,000 then a few days later it was reported in the paper that they were requesting $150,000, then week or two later at a public hearing he asked for $200,000 then a few days later it was reported in the paper that they wanted $250,000, but Steve assured the Town that is was a mis-print, then his accountant and partner in slime went on Channel 13 news and said that they needed $300,000 to be able to open. In Friday's paper there was an article that said that local restaurants have been donating food to the park employees over the last few weeks while they have been getting the park ready to open and that several businesses, including the one owned by Elk Country realty (where Randy Bryan hangs his plaque), Jim Blythe had donated asphalt to fill potholes and another company that donated gravel for the main street where the gunfights take place. Who does this? I own my own business and I never asked the government to give me money to keep me afloat or any of my neighbors for anything I don't pay for either. You work hard and pay your way in life. I have never seen anyone come in to a town, rape it's neighbors of their hard earned time, inventory and money and still act so righteous, like the community owes him something because he brings $7.00 an hour part-time jobs with no benefits for 6 months out of the year to the citizens who need more than $7.00 an hour to survive. There will come a day when this community will open its eyes and see this man for who he really is. Until then, I wish Ghost Town and its employees all the luck in the world, because after all you will still be a part of this community when he is long gone!
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