By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
A majestic September 28 morning greeted visitors, officials and dignitaries who gathered at Adams County Lake State park for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Adams County Welcome Center. The area was full of activities and displays before the ceremony, including music provided by local musician Steve Free and canoeing on the lake directed by Adams County Soil & Water plus displays on Serpent Mound, the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and the Ohio History Connection.
The Welcome Center has been a project from the heart for Adams County Travel & Visitors Bureau Director Tom Cross, who says that a lot of his blood, sweat, and tears went into the building.
“I have strong emotions this morning,” Cross told the Defender. “This has been a project for me with a lot of late nights, it was a job. I’m not going to be here forever but this is sure great for Adams County. One thing about this is that I have had so much help with all the people here. This was one of those projects where the stars aligned. When we got this thing going, all of the right people were in all of the right places at one time. All the puzzle pieces fit together to get this project moving. We finally found the design we all liked and I’m relieved it’s over and we are ready to open for good.”
“ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) gave us this land and I chose this spot. They originally wanted the building out closer to the road but I was against that idea. We just want to bring visitors in and we can show them more of what Adams County has got. People can come in and look at the displays and find out for themselves what makes this county special. We have a kiosk here that can point out places to stay and such and it just makes getting information out to the general public much better and easier. It was a good project for tourists and a good project for Adams County as a whole.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was emceed by Adams County Economic Director Paul Worley and featured speeches from ODNR Director Mary Mertz and Bill Stanley, State Director of the Ohio Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, along with a proclamation presented by the Adams County Commissioners. Thanks also went out to the Ohio General Assembly for their assistance in securing funding for the Welcome Center.
“These kinds of things are always exciting,” Director Mertz told the Defender. “Ohio is beautiful and so it’s really about getting people access to the things to see and do and that is exactly what today is about. This will help people come in and learn something and feel comfortable and get excited and have someone give them some advice and it’s that accessibility that helps people enjoy this beautiful state even better. It’s a beautiful site and a beautiful day.”
In an earlier statement, the commissioners stated, “The Adams County Welcome Center is an investment in the future of our county and will help us better showcase the natural beauty, communities, and businesses that make Adams County special. We are grateful to our state and local partners who helped make this project possible, and we believe the Welcome Center will play an important role in growing tourism and supporting our local economy for years to come.”
Cross indicated that the set hours for the Welcome Center have not yet been totally decided but that he can usually be found there on weekdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The center is located near the entrance to Adams Lake State Park at 14633 State Route 41 in West Union.
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