Medina celebrates opening visitor center at Rotary Park
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Officials cut the ribbon today dedicating a new Visitor’s Center in Medina. The Tourism Committee has taken over the Santa Claus house in Rotary Park, which will be open through Labor Day. From left are Dave Miller, volunteer; Kelly Kiebala, a member of the Tourism Committee; Linda Hansler, volunteer; Alfred Nixon, volunteer; Mayor Mike Sidari; Orleans County Tourism coordinator Dawn Borchert; Jim Hancock, head of the Medina Tourism Committee; and Maureen Sanderson, Pat Bellucci, Bob Farman, Gail Miller and Barb Filipiak , volunteers.
Santa Claus House now has a dual purpose
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent
MEDINA – The Medina Tourism Committee just may have found the perfect location with the move Tuesday into the Santa Claus House at Rotary Park.
The move was celebrated with a dedication and ribbon cutting by Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, Tourism Committee Chair Jim Hancock, Tourism Committee member Kelly Kiebala, Orleans County Tourism Coordinator Dawn Borchert and a handful of volunteers.
The first Visitor’s Center in the village was located about 10 years ago in the Chamber of Commerce Office on North Main Street. When that office closed, a Visitor’s Center was set up in City Hall on the south end of Main Street by the police station.
“That was not easily accessible with steep stairs, nor was it convenient for c anal travelers,” Hancock said.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, left, and Medina Tourism Committee Chairman Jim Hancock show off the inside of the Santa Claus House in Rotary Park, which will now also double as a Visitor’s Center.
This spring a volunteer asked if it was possible to use the Santa House, which is on the four corners and much closer to the canal basin.
“We went to the village and they enthusiastically agreed,” Hancock said. “We hope we will get more traffic here. In fact, we already had our first visitor this morning – from Reykjavik , Iceland.”
Hancock thanked the village officials for their cooperation in making the move possible. The Fire Department helped with the move and the Department of Public Works erected new signs.
The Visitor’s Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but Hancock would like to see it open on Saturdays if more volunteers stepped forward.
