ARGENTA - Campers parking at Friends Creek Conservation Area's recreational vehicle campground will find the experience electrifying this summer.

After much debate and an impassioned public campaign, a more than $30,000 project will provide 17 RV sites with upgraded electrical service when the campground near Argenta reopens in the spring for the 2008 season.

It marks a new high in a remarkable rollercoaster ride for Friends Creek, a ride that took a steep plunge more than a year ago when the campground had been closed. The Macon County Conservation District Board of Trustees, which runs it, voted for closure after deciding the facility had substandard electrical hookups and was an underused financial drain.

That decision sparked outrage among campers who said they loved to park amid the scenic splendor of Friends Creek's old growth timber and bustling wildlife. They also enjoyed the handy picnic pavilions and onsite flush toilets and shower block.

Protestors began packing the normally sparsely attended monthly meetings of the trustees and were led by veteran camper Dean Padgett, a retired teacher and coach. Gradually, the trustees' stance began to soften. In March, they agreed to reopen the campground but the 36 RV parking spots would not have electrical hookups. One

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estimate to rewire them came in at $166,000, which was deemed far too expensive.

But the trustees agreed to explore the electrical issue further and, with a new engineering review and new estimates, finally decided in November they could afford to wire 17 of the 36 sites to Illinois Department of Public Health standards. For diehard advocates such as Padgett, it's still only half a loaf, but a sweet taste of victory nonetheless.

"There were times when I felt like we were six points down with a minute to go," he said of the battle to save the campground and get the sites wired. "But this was something worth fighting for, and we, the campers, never gave up. Getting the 17 wired was a great Christmas present, and we're grateful, but we want more; we want all 36 wired."

The costs of doing that, however, could be much steeper. Kathy Merner, executive director of the conservation district, said voltage drops necessitating new wiring might mean the bill for wiring just six extra sites will cost more than completing the current 17.

Darrel Parish, the board of trustees' president, said the board has to keep the costs within reason. "I don't know if 17 sites is enough, but it is all we could afford to do," he said. "It's probably not enough when the park is busy, but is more than enough at other times when it isn't so busy."

Parish, who originally had voted to close the campground, acknowledged that public pressure had affected the eventual turnaround on that decision. He also said some of the public input had been counter-productive.

He said protestors couched arguments in ways that said it would be smart to do what they wanted and "stupid" not to do it, an attitude he said tended to antagonize.

"I will say I thought some of the folks' approach was very unpersuasive and offensive," he added.

One thing the trustees did not reverse course on was a rule change governing long-stay campers. Under new regulations, campers can only park for a maximum of 14 days and then must leave for a mandatory five-day break before trying to return. RV sites are rented on a first-come, first-served basis, although Merner said the board may consider allowing reservations for the electrified sites.

Tony Reid can be reached at treid@herald-review.com or 421-7977.