Tourism booth opens for new season of greeting visitors at Medina

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Volunteers at Medina’s Visitors’ Center celebrate opening day Tuesday of the tourism booth in Rotary Park. From left, Medina Tourism Committee chair Jim Hancock hams it up with volunteers Ruth Cleveland, Peggy Schreck, Orly the Ox, Janet Janneck, Barb Gorham and the Rev. Vince Iorio.

MEDINA – Medina Tourism Committee has announced the opening Tuesday morning of its tourist booth in Rotary Park.

On hand for the opening were volunteers Jim Hancock, also Tourism Committee chairman; Barb Gorham, volunteer scheduler; Ruth Cleveland, Peggy Schreck, Janet Janneck, the Rev. Vince Iorio and Dawn Borchert, director of Orleans County Tourism, with Isabella Zasa as Orly the Ox. Zasa studied travel and tourism in college and was a paid intern at Borchert’s office last year.

“Now she is a full-time employee,” Borchert said.

Volunteers Janet Janneck, left, and Peggy Schreck pose with the sign promoting Medina which indicates the Visitors’ Tourist Booth is open.

Several changes are taking place in operation of the tourist booth this year. First, the tourist booth will be open on Saturdays all through the month of September.

“We anticipate getting a lot of visitors with the special events planned for the canal’s bicentennial,” said Barb Gorham, who has taken over scheduling volunteers. “On Sept. 23 a bus load is coming from the International Canal Conference in Buffalo, and on the 25th the Seneca Chief will be making a stop in Medina. We have many events planned for their visits.”

Also new this year will be T-shirts and name tags for tourist booth volunteers.

“This will set us apart,” Gorham said.

The tourist booth has operated under the leadership of Hancock since it was established in 2009. For the first several years, it was located in the Chamber of Commerce office on Main Street, then moved to City Hall until relocating to Rotary Park in 2018.

The booth attracts more than 400 visitors every year, with 493 being the largest number. Last year, 438 tourists stopped at the booth from 38 states and eight foreign countries.

The Rev. Vince Iorio said he stepped up to volunteer because he enjoys seeing groups come into our town and greeting them.

“We get a lot of bikers and boaters,” he said. “This is my fifth year volunteering. When Jim first asked me to do it, I thought it sounded interesting.”

Hancock also talked Ruth Cleveland into volunteering.

“It’s hard to say ‘no’ to Jim,” she said. “And I thought it would be something different to do. This will be my third year volunteering.”

Hancock said they meet some really neat people from all over the world.

“They come by various means – car, bus, boats and bikers,” Hancock said.

Most are looking for places to eat, hearing local history and viewing the canal.

The tourism booth is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and currently, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, until a volunteer is found for the 1 to 4 p.m. shift.

Anyone interested in volunteering for a three-hour shift, especially for the 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, can contact Gorham at (716) 474-2734.