Weeki Wachee Becomes State Park Saturday

It was a long fight.

Weeki Wachee Springs never stopped swinging and the final bell will ring Saturday when it officially becomes a state park.

The legal wrangling between Weeki Wachee and its former landlord - the Southwest Florida Water Management District - bounced in and out of court, caused heartache to both sides and ended with the happy ending everyone wished for five years ago.

The transition will become official Saturday, when the park hosts the second annual Taste of Jazz.

"It's been a good transition and everyone has been working really hard," said Florida Parks Service spokeswoman Jessica Kemper. "Weeki Wachee will be a unique addition to our (agency)."

Kemper couldn't help but laugh at the understatement.

Weeki Wachee Springs was Florida's first roadside attraction and has a first-magnitude natural spring that pumps more than 170 million gallons of water per day.

It also has live mermaids and an underwater theater - a combination that has attracted the likes of Elvis Presley and, most recently, Jack Hanna.

None of what makes Weeki Wachee Springs unique will disappear, at least for the time being, said Kemper.

"We wanted to preserve the cultural resource of Weeki Wachee as well as the natural resource," she said. "You'll see more of a Florida Park Services presence ... but we don't plan on making any dramatic changes for now."

Every park, when it is taken over by the state, goes through a unit management plan. Oftentimes changes are made after that, Kemper said.

One change already is underway. There is a new boss in town.

Tommy Ervin, who previously oversaw Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, has relocated to Hernando County and is taking over managerial duties at the park.

Ervin was unavailable for comment this week. Kemper said he was busy preparing for the weekend.

Saturday's official transition will be a gratifying sight for John Athanason, who along with Weeki Wachee Mayor Robin Anderson, took over the park five years ago at a time when it was $1 million in neglect.

"It ended up with a happy ending," said Athanason, who beginning Saturday will be wearing a Park Services uniform to work every day. "Our one goal all along was to make sure this park remained.

"Weeki Wachee is now a state park," he continued. "The state, we've learned, is very prideful of their parks. We know it's in good hands."