The Department of Parks, which yesterday announced a discount for persons in the Gulf States fleeing the immediate effects of Hurricane Ivan, will also offer reduced rates to anyone else – including local residents – who might be impacted by the storm as it rumbles through the Southeast, bringing potentially flooding rains, Parks Commissioner George Ward announced.

           The discount, effective now through Sunday night, is $10 per night for lodge accommodations at any of 17 resort parks.

     “These reductions are our way of expressing our support for our neighbors, including fellow Kentuckians, who may go through a difficult time in the next several days,” Ward said.

       As another gesture of hospitality, beginning tonight, all diners in resort park restaurants will receive a 10 percent discount on all meals through dinner on Sunday. The price cut is being implemented to assist not only visitors from the Deep South, but also local residents temporarily displaced by the storm. The discount also acknowledges that previously booked overnight guests might not be able to take advantage of the usual outdoor activities of a resort park for the next several days because of the heavy rains predicted by the storm.

     Another Commerce Cabinet agency, the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, also is offering a $5 discount at its campground through Sunday.   

    Meanwhile, state park rangers and Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officers will be on heightened alert status to help travelers and fellow Kentuckians who may find themselves stranded in the state.