Sebring Welcome Center Open On Saturday

SEBRING - Travelers and visitors to Sebring will now have access to information about the community on the weekend since the Sebring Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center is now open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sarah Pallone, the chamber's membership and administration manager, said extending the days of operation for the center was one of the goals CEO Dan Andrews had set when the chamber moved into the building in the Village Fountain shopping plaza at the corner of Flare Road and U.S. 27.

"The board of directors felt we needed to be open," she said.

Pallone noted the welcome center will be open Saturday year-round. She added the hours will be reassessed to make sure the center is staffed during peak times.

The chamber is tracking people who visit the center. It doesn't yet have a full year's data because the center opened April 1, 2007.

Pallone said the center has between 50 and 60 walk-ins a day. They are looking for maps, directions to downtown, things to do and information on lodging and restaurants.

Pallone said the chamber has seen more traffic since it moved from its office on the Circle in downtown Sebring. She added visitors spend more time in the welcome center, where more information is available now. Free newspapers, soda and water are also offered.

Thelma Pyle, a part-time chamber employee with a "wealth of knowledge" according to Pallone, is working Saturdays.

The welcome center is also a business center which currently has seven tenants. They include: Century 21 Advance All Service Realty, First Impression Printing Solutions, Atlanticblue Group, M.C. 2000 Realty, Ace Homecare, Highlands Regional Medical Center and Energy Conservation Building Systems.

Pallone said two suites are vacant.