BREITUNG TWP — After 22 years managing the McKinley Park Campground on Lake Vermilion, Susie and Jerry Chiabotti are going to retire.
“We are 75 years old,” said Susie, “and it’s a lot of work.”
The two are leaving their post reluctantly, having formed lifelong friendships with the campers they get to know summer after summer.
“We love the people,” Susie said. “They are just like family.”
Susie said the sense of community among the campground regulars is amazing.
“They are so kind and helpful to each other,” she said. “I will miss them so much.”
The Chiabottis won’t be far away. The couple lives just up the road, so they are planning on visiting the campground regularly, especially around coffee time in the morning.
“Jerry just wants to go fishing and spend time at the hunting shack,” Susie said, “and spending time fishing and hunting with the kids and grandkids.”
For her part, Susie is planning on spending more time with her mother, Marge, who is turning 100 next week, and now lives at Vermilion Senior Living. One of their granddaughters, Presley, a senior at North Woods doing PSEO, also works at Vermilion Senior Living, so family is usually close by. She is also hoping to spend more time bicycle riding on area trails.
Jerry, a retired teacher and coach, spent 53 years coaching basketball. He started coaching in 1972, and after he retired, began coaching his grandchildren, who were attending North Woods.
“I can’t count how many basketball games we’ve been to,” she said.
The couple has three sons, who all live nearby, and now have six grandchildren.
Their son, Scott, who teaches at Tower-Soudan Elementary, has been a part-time employee at the campground in the summer.
“He had really started being like a manager,” said Susie. “Now he tells us what to do.”
Breitung Township owns the campground, and they will be advertising for a new campground manager. The job entails camping at the site throughout the season, running the campground store, and doing day-to-day maintenance. The township covers larger maintenance issues.
Susie said they only chose to stock the campground store with a limited number of items.
“I want people to go shop at the Soudan Store and Zup’s,” she said. “That benefits everybody.”
Susie said they have seen campground visitors spend more time there over the summer.
“People don’t want to drive and set up for just a weekend,” she said.
The campground’s 26 seasonal spots are full, though two long-time seasonal campers are leaving, but their spots will be filled off the campground’s waiting list. They have also seen an increase in monthly users.
While fishing is still the No. 1 pastime of campground residents, bicycle riding has become a close second.
“Almost everyone is bringing bikes,” she said, “and our trails are fabulous.”
The campground had some damage last year after the June flood, but the township made repairs right away, Susie said. The township also got a grant to help fund new playground equipment last summer and replaced the roof on the campground store/bathroom building.