MasonBuzz.com

Paul McKibben reports

A new operator will take over The Beach Waterpark in Mason and plans to re-open the facility next year under a revised name: The Beach at Adventure Landing.

Ralph Vilardo Jr., the new general manager at The Beach, said Adventure Holdings LLC will spend at least $1 million on upgrades, including four new slides, a new children’s area and a new wave pool.

Adventure Holdings LLC is the parent company of Adventure Landing, which is based in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. It operates 17 family entertainment centers in seven states. Adventure Holdings LLC said it has signed a long-term lease with an option to purchase the park, but did not disclose additional details.

• Beach Waterpark to close
• Photos: The Beach Waterpark through the years
• Attorney General sues The Beach Waterpark over refunds

“I look forward to welcoming back the dedicated supporters of The Beach in 2013, and hope they enjoy the upgrades and enhancements we plan to make to the park,” said Hank Woodburn, the founder and president of Adventure Landing, in a statement.

Season passes for 2012 will be honored next year, which impacts approximately 8,800 customers who were not reimbursed after the park announced in March that it was shutting down. Instead, the former owners offered discounts of up to $200 at other area attractions including Kings Island, Coney Island’s Sunlite Pool and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

“As a past employee and new general manager of The Beach, I am excited to welcome Adventure Holdings LLC to the Greater Cincinnati area,” said Ralph Vilardo Jr. “The Beach has provided the community with years of entertainment and memories and I am proud to see its legacy continue.” (more…)

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, News, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: Adventure Holdings LLC, cabana equities, lawsuit, mason, mike dewine, ohio attorney general, Ralph Vilardo Jr., refunds, sue, the beach at mason limited partnership, the beach waterpark, water parks inc

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is suing the owners and operators of The Beach Waterpark, alleging they violated Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act after hundreds of consumers filed complaints with his office demanding refunds.

Park officials abruptly announced March 9 they would not reopen this season, saying it was “the result of a challenging competitive and economic climate and changing patron entertainment habits.”

• Beach Waterpark to close
• Photos: The Beach Waterpark through the years

But instead of refunds for some 8,800 pass holders who paid $89.99 each for the passes, the Beach offered discounts and day passes to other local attractions such as Kings Island and Cincinnati Zoo.

That’s not good enough, DeWine says.

“It’s unfortunate when a long-standing Ohio business closes,” he said in a prepared statement posted on his website today. “But the Beach Waterpark took money from thousands of consumers and never delivered promised services. That’s unacceptable.”

That offer is not similar goods or services at equal or greater value to what consumers ordered, he noted. Substitute offers must be acceptable to consumers.

The lawsuit, filed in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, charges the waterpark’s owners and operators – The Beach at Mason Limited Partnership, Water Parks, Inc. and Cabana Equities, Inc. – with violating the Failure to Deliver Rule under the Consumer Sales Practices Act.

The suit seeks consumer restitution, a permanent injunction and civil penalties.

The Beach operated at 2590 Waterpark Drive off Interstate 71 for more than 27 years, offering thrill rides down a 500-foot water coaster and visits to 50 other attractions.

Park operators could not immediately be reached for comment. But, according to an old statement on their website from March when the park closing was announced, the discount and day passes offered in place of season pass refunds valued close to $200.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, News, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: cabana equities, lawsuit, mason, mike dewine, ohio attorney general, refunds, sue, the beach at mason limited partnership, the beach waterpark, water parks inc

Just days after The Beach Waterpark announced it would not issue refunds for season passes, dozens of disgruntled pass holders have filed complaints with the state.

As of Friday evening, customers had filed more than 172 complaints this month regarding the now-closed Mason park, said Mark Moretti, a spokesman with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office.

Before March, the park had received six complaints dating back to 2006, he said.

• Beach Waterpark to close
• Photos: The Beach Waterpark through the years
• Kings Island to double water park with $10M expansion
• Follow MasonBuzz on Facebook and Twitter

The 35-acre, tropical-themed waterpark announced March 9 it would close for the 2012 season, citing years of losing money and a failure to secure new financing.

But park officials announced Wednesday that it would not be able to issue refunds to customers who pre-paid for 2012 season passes.

Instead, pass holders would be eligible for up to $200 in discounts to area attractions, including Kings Island, Coney Island, Countryside YMCA, Cincinnati Zoo, Ozone Zipline Adventures, Morgan’s Outdoor Adventures, Dave & Busters and Mason recreational facilities.

Season passes to The Beach most recently retailed for $89.99 for adults and $32.99 for children under 48 inches and seniors.

In a statement Thursday, DeWine said customers should contact his office at www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/ConsumerComplaint or 1-800-282-0515 if they wish to file a complaint.

Pass holders who paid more than $50 by credit card may dispute the charges with their credit provider in writing within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was mailed, according to DeWine.

“Many credit card issuers offer protection to the consumer beyond the requirements set under federal law, so it is a good idea to contact them,” he said.

DeWine urged customers to save all letters, receipts, invoices, contracts and other documentation related to the transaction.  He also suggested they keep track of any correspondence sent to or from the business.

“If the company files for bankruptcy, then these letters will give you a better chance of receiving some money out of the bankruptcy action,” DeWine said.

However, DeWine warned that consumers may find it difficult to recover money after a company files for bankruptcy or closes outright.

Longtime pass holder Tina Stroud of Springdale spent $305 on Beach season passes this year.  She says the deals to area attractions don’t interest her and that she’s filed a dispute with the credit card company used to purchase the passes

“[The Beach] did not pay any money to those companies, but they still took my money,” she said.  “I would never visit The Beach again unless it was under entirely new ownership.”

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Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Business, News, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: closing, complaints, credit card, disputes, mike dewine, ohio attorney general, pass holders, refunds, season passes, the beach waterpark

Prosecutors and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office have launched a joint criminal investigation into the disappearance of $75,661 from the Warren County Department of Job and Family Services, reports The Enquirer.

The discovery was made during a recent county financial audit for the year ending Dec. 31, 2010, Prosecutor David Fornshell said Tuesday.

The Enquirer’s Sheila McLaughlin has more details:

The state audit report, which cited numerous record-keeping problems at the agency, said that six former and current Warren County JFS employees and a former worker are ordered to pay back $75,661 as a result of the state review. A female supervisor was responsible for most of it – $73,189.

The missing money came in the form of “spend-down” payments collected from clients who earn too much to qualify outright for Medicaid assistance, the audit said. Until recently, clients made monthly cash payments to the agency to meet eligibility requirements and receive a medical card.

“One person …was involved and then influenced other workers to violate protocol. I’m very concerned that multiple employees did not follow the procedures they are supposed to follow. I’m confident that there is not a far-reaching theft problem. My understanding is that there was theft by one employee,” County Commissioner Dave Young said.

The supervisor also was accused of authorizing benefits for friends and relatives who did not qualify for them, he said.

She was fired for “incompetence” in April and is now trying to get her job back, according to County Administrator Dave Gully.

Warren County’s problems came less than a week after three Hamilton County JFS caseworkers were indicted for giving friends and family $130,000 in cash assistance, medical benefits and food stamps.

The state audit made public on Tuesday harshly criticized Warren County JFS.

“Very few internal controls were noted to be in operation over the Warren County Job and Family Services cash collection procedures and security of public monies collected. Lack of controls and security of funds increases the risk that theft, fraud or errors could occur and not be detected in a timely manner,” it said.

The report also said the agency “lacked management oversight” for determining Medicaid and food stamp eligibility, including keeping important documents to verify employment, income and housing costs.

For instance, the report said that two people were determined to be eligible for food stamps but there was no application on file. In another case, a person received food stamps without income or employment verification.

The “spend-down” payment system was changed immediately after problems surfaced in the audit, Gully said.

“We began to minimize our cash payments. We are only taking cash payments when absolutely necessary. We are absolutely requiring a written receipt anytime cash changes hands form one person to another so there’s a strict line of accountability,” he said.

Young said he was aghast upon learning how money was handled at JFS.

“Our record-keeping system (was) literally logging in a log book of receipts. The way we were handling cash transactions was antiquated and it never should have happened this way in today’s technology world,” he said.

Posted in: News, Warren County |

Tags: Tags: audit, county administrator, dave gully, david fornshell, funds, lebanon, missing funds, money, ohio, ohio attorney general, prosecutor, spend-down payments, state audit report, taxes, warren county, warren county department of jobs & family services