Local water park dealing with cockroach infestation

PERKINS TWP. — The Maui Sands water park has shut down its restaurant as it deals with a cockroach infestation.The demand to close the business' kitchen came from the Erie County Health Department, which is threatening to suspend Maui Sands' food license if the situation isn't improved soon.In addition, the health department is working with the state fire marshal, which regulates hotels, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which regulates rides, if further steps become necessary, said Pete Schade, Erie County's health commissioner.Schade reported on Maui Sands at Tuesday night's health board meeting. The board voted unanimously to authorize Schade to suspend the water park's food license, if necessary.A Maui Sands executive says his business is cooperating with the health department to fix the problem.Bob England, the health department's chief environmental public health officer, said his office has been working with Maui Sands for months about the cockroach problem. The problem has gotten worse in the last two or three months."They also have cockroaches in the water park as well," England said.But food service raises the most important public health issue, he said."That's where we have the risk for food-borne illness associated with the pest infiltration," England said. "Cockroaches are filthy insects."England said he's not aware of any illnesses caused by the insects."The potential is always there," he said. The restaurant has been closed for about 11 days, England said.England said Maui Sands' vice president of marketing and watermark operations, Nick Vaughn, has been cooperative."We are working with them collegially at this point," he said.Vaughn emailed the Register a statement."At this time of year, we are taking advantage of the slower season to address routine repairs and ongoing maintenance of building systems in Maui Sands Resort restaurant. To do this, we will close the restaurant for a short period of time," he said."As a part of this effort, any point raised by the health department will be addressed with an intensive inspection and treatment of the building as a part of our effort to always maintain a high quality establishment. This action is not an unusual precaution, and it is undertaken voluntarily on the part of Maui Sands Resort as a part of routine maintenance," Vaughn said."A satisfied customer is our greatest achievement, and we are happy for the input of our customers, as well as our community and government partners, toward that end," he said.The health department has been receiving complaints about Maui Sands, Schade said."Our sanitarians have been out there almost daily for the past week," he said.The Maui Sands water park in Perkins Township is dealing with a cockroach infestation, and has to shutdown its restaurant as it tends to the issue.