Rebuilt Tuscora Park Ferris wheel welcomes first riders in two years
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (May 30, 2023) – City leaders are celebrating the Ferris wheel’s return to operation at Tuscora Park.
A ceremony was held there Sunday to acknowledge the New Philadelphia Rotary Club, RTY, and other groups responsible for the $250,000 in fundraising and renovation work to get the wheel up and running again for the first time in two years, now with handicap accessible gondolas.
Rty Board President Greg Rees says the Ferris wheel’s overhaul came as the result of a directive from the state following the passage of Tyler’s Law, a bill that was named for the victim in the deadly Ohio State Fair ride accident from 2017.
“Now what we have to do to maintain this park is totally different that what it would have been in years past,” said Rees.
Rees says Gradall Industries, Dover Tank and Plate, Dover Hydraulics and others who provided the labor deserve credit.
“This project was a local project,” said Rees. “By local, I mean inside Tuscarawas County we had people step forward and do work in-kind on it,” Rees added.
Mayor Joel Day thanked everyone who contributed time, materials and money to the project.
He said the city of New Philadelphia is proud of the achievement.
“Tuscora Park remains the gem of New Philadelphia because of our Rotary Club and because of RTY,” Day said.
Day asked for attendees to continue their financial support of both organizations as the cost of maintaining the rides keeps going up and there are plans to add several more kiddie rides in the future.
Day then announced that Rees and Mike Popovich of Gradall Industries will lead the grand parade at this year’s First Town Days Festival on Friday, June 30th.