Mill Creek MetroParks West Golf Drive Road Closure

A portion of West Golf Drive in Mill Creek Park from the Mill Creek Golf Course to Shields Road will be closed to vehicular traffic as well as cyclists and pedestrians beginning September 2. The road will be closed to undergo storm drainage pipe and asphalt paving work. The Mill Creek Golf Course will remain open and can be accessed from the entrance on Rt. 224. The project is expected to take approximately 6-8 weeks.

For more information about Mill Creek MetroParks, visit our website at www.millcreekmetroparks.org.

A Successful and Safe Kids Bike Safety Day!

Blog Author: Ellie Rafoth, Community Engagement Intern

In July, Safe Kids of Akron Children’s Hospital and Mill Creek MetroParks teamed up to present Kids Bike Safety Day at Fellows Riverside Gardens! We had a great turn out! Kids of all ages came out to get fitted for helmets, learn important bike safety tips, and participate in a coloring contest!

8406Demonstrating important bike safety was Mill Creek MetroParks’ Police Officer, Christian Hunter! Officer Hunter and I had a chance to talk about bike safety and he provided me well some additional facts and information about how kids can stay safe on their bikes this summer and into the fall.

ER: Officer Hunter, why is bike safety so important?

CH: I think one of the reasons bike safety is so important is because of the sheer volume of people on bikes! Just about everybody has a bike, rides a bike, or comes into contact with people on bikes. This has led to 726 fatalities and 4900 injuries in 2012. Every year approximately 300,000 kids go to the emergency room and approximately 10,000 have injuries that require a few days in the hospital.

ER: What are the safety requirements for wearing a helmet?

CH: The bike helmet safety standard that is currently required by law in the United States is from the Government’s Consumer Product Safety Commission. A nonprofit organization called the Snell Memorial Foundation proposes higher safety standards. The details of these standards and the tests used in the process can be viewed on their websites. Wearing a helmet saves lives, and reduces the number and severity of injuries, but it’s important to make sure they fit properly. The helmet should be level on the head. When the rider looks up the front of the rim should be barely visible to them. The Y of the helmet side straps should meet just below the ears, if adjustable. The chinstrap should be tight enough that when the rider opens their mouth very wide the helmet pulls down a little bit. The skin around the rider’s eyebrows should move slightly when the helmet is moved front to back and side to side. If the helmet has a rear stabilizing strap, snug it up to the head. If you can put a palm against the front of the helmet and push the helmet up and back with a light push, more fitting is required. If the rider can shake their head around and dislodge the helmet adjust the straps more. Address any final comfort issues.

44848ER: What are the safety requirements regarding the bike?

CH: The bike is your vehicle. It’s important to have the right vehicle and make sure your vehicle is in proper operating condition to meet the demands that you and your environment put upon it. Stand on the ground with your bike between your legs. There should be 1-2 inches between you and the top tube of the bike or 3-4 inches if a mountain bike. The seat should be level and the seat height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knees when the leg is fully extended. The handle bar should be approximately the same level as the seat. Check the condition of your vehicle. ABC QUICK. Check the AIR in the tires. Use a pressure gauge to compare your pressure of your tire with the number listed on the side of your tire. Make sure there is no obvious signs of damage to the tire or sidewall of the tire and make sure the treads are not too worn out. If the sidewall has “threads” showing, replace the tire immediately. Check the BRAKES. Hold the brake down and roll your bike back and forth. Check the pads for proper wear. Check brake cables and make sure they are not frayed anywhere and that they travel smoothly. Replace frayed cables and lubricate them and ensure they travel smoothly. Check the CRANK. It’s the bottom bracket, the crank arms, and the chain ring- basically the parts leading from your pedals into the bike. Grab a pedal and crank arm in each hand and try to move them sideways. If the both move you have a problem with the bottom bracket. If one moves there is a problem with the crank arm is most likely loose. Never ride a bike with a loose crank arm. Check the QUICK release on your front hub if you have them. You want them tight but not too tight. The proper pressure is obtained by pushing the lever just hard enough that it leaves an impression on the palm of your hand. Keep the lever pointed op when its closed sow it is less likely to catch on anything as you ride. Become familiar with further maintenance techniques, such as changing a flat tire, and practice them and carry a small bike tool kit in a pouch on your bike. Do not try to fix something you don’t understand. Walk the bike if needed and possible. Keep a cell phone in a bike pouch and use it if you need to!

ER: What should kids wear when riding their bikes?

CH: A helmet of course! Also wear bright colors. Not just bright but neon, fluorescent, or reflective clothing. White has been proven to not be visible enough. Reflective tape, stickers, or flashing lights are great. Put some tape or a rubber band around a pant leg that may become caught in a bike chain. Bike gloves protect the hands and polarized sunglasses help reduce glare on sunny days. Athletic shoes with good tread are okay for an occasional leisurely ride but nothing beats a dedicated bike shoe/cleat. Avoid flip flop/ open toe footwear or anything that fits poorly. Make sure a backpack, shoelace are anything else will not get caught in a chain. Don’t wear headphones. You need to hear your surroundings.

ER: Where should kids ride their bikes?

image84004CH: I like to see kids riding in areas with little to no traffic and with the supervision of an adult if possible. Kids need to check with their parents about where there allowed to ride and how far they can go and whether they can ride on the sidewalk or the street. Children under 10 are recommended to stay off the streets. The Mill Creek MetroParks offer an abundance of areas where vehicle traffic has been eliminated. These include the East Cohasset Drive Trail on the North side of the Park, the East Golf Trail on the South side of the Park and the 10.6 mile MetroParks Bikeway that extends through Canfield and Austintown. Vehicle traffic has been reduced to one lane on the East Newport Drive on the East side of the Park. With the Mill Creek MetroParks and other parks and bike paths in our area, there are many safe, beautiful places to ride your bike. People should to choose to utilize locations like these more often. Kids should not ride at night. You always need to watch for hazards. There are basically 3 types: surface, visual, and moving. Common surface hazards include holes/cracks, curbs, loose sand/dirt/gravel, drainage grates, puddles, etc. Common visual hazards include sun/glare, parked or moving vehicles, landscape/ vegetation, buildings, pedestrians, weather conditions [fog/smoke/wind], reduced light/darkness, etc. Common moving hazards include motor vehicles, other cyclists/ wrong way cyclists, open car doors, “parked” cars pulling in or backing out, pedestrians, dogs/animals. Even on a bike trail you may encounter a lot of these hazards. Keep in mind that that dog on a leash may run 6 feet or more in front of your path. Stay as far to the right as you safely can and don’t ride against the flow of traffic. That other person you are passing will probably not see or hear you coming so say ” passing on the left” ahead of time. A bike horn or bell is great to let people hear you coming. People tell kids to be quiet a lot. When you’re on your bike it’s a good time to let yourself be heard! Make some noise!

ER: Any final “rules of the road?”

CH: Some “rules for the road” to help kids and anyone else: Always keep your hands on the handlebars. Stop and look both ways before you leave your driveway/alley/curb. Walk your bike across busy intersections using the crosswalk and follow the traffic signals. Ride as far to the right as safely possible, going the same way as traffic. Never ride against the flow. Use bike lanes or designated bikeways whenever you can. Don’t get too close to parked cars because the car door can open quickly. Ride single file. Be predictable- do not swerve or change direction quickly if you do not need to. Bikes are vehicles. Bikes are subject to the same rules as cars and other vehicles. That means among other things, you have to obey the traffic signs and traffic laws.

Learn hand signals and use them when you safely can.

Biking is a great way to travel, exercise and just have fun! Learning to ride a bike, and do it safely, is part of growing up. Apply what you have learned every time you ride your bike. Mill Creek MetroParks Police might see a child wearing their bike helmet, and when they do, they might just give them a “Sweet Citation” for a free Dairy Queen ice cream cone!

Thank you Officer Hunter for some really great tips on staying safe while riding a bike! Just because Kid’s Bike Safety Day is over doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice proper safety procedures. Continue to wear your helmet and demonstrate appropriate bike safety and earn a free cone!

Throwback Thursday: Mill Creek Park

Blog Author: Ellie Rafoth, Community Engagement Intern

This Thursday, let’s throw it back with naturalist Ray Novotny and learn about some of the history of Mill Creek Park!

Blast from the Past

ER: What is the history of Mill Creek Park?

image001RN: A positive vote by residents of the city of Youngstown on April 6, 1891 established Youngstown Township Park District (Mill Creek Park) as the first park district in the state of Ohio. So in early October we’ll be 123 and a half years old! Cleveland Metroparks became our state’s first metropolitan park district in 1917. Of course, through another vote, we converted our Ohio Revised Code park district status from township to metropolitan in 1989.

ER: What was Volney Rogers’ involvement in Mill Creek Park?

RN: He was born in 1846, the same year Mahoning County was created out of southern Trumbull and northern Columbiana counties and the Canfield Fair began. In the late 1880s, while working as an attorney here, his walks in the Mill Creek Gorge captivated and refreshed him. After he learned that logging and quarrying were on the horizon, he devoted his time to saving the area as a public park. And he spent the last three decades of his life caring and fighting for it. For many years, and especially recently, when I’m with visitors in the park, I like to say that if not for Volney Rogers, we wouldn’t be able to be in the park on that given day. We owe it all to him. What an honor indeed for me to stand in for him at his posthumous induction into the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Hall of Fame in Columbus on December 5, 2000. At the podium, I mentioned how appropriate for this recognition to occur the first week of the last month of the year: he came into this world on December 1st and left it 73 years later on December 3rd.

ER: What are some of the oldest places in the Park and their particular history?

image003RN: Well, our sandstone is millions of years older than dinosaurs, but let’s not go back quite so far. Two mills immediately come to mind. What is now Pioneer Pavilion began as a woolen mill in 1821. Later it served as a storage area for the early iron furnace nearby. We renovated it in 1893! And just a few years ago, the park updated the kitchen. Pioneer Pavilion is available to rent, and a wonderful place for up to 100 people. If readers haven’t been there, they should definitely put in on their bucket list. German Lanterman and Samuel Kimberly built the third mill in the gorge from 1845-46. It operated for 40-some years. The year after its establishment, the park acquired it “to preserve the relic.” Before the 1980s renovation, the structure served several purposes; my favorite being The Old Mill Museum, 1933-1982. I did extensive research on this facility for twenty years and could write many pages. I’ll sum it up by saying that, during its era, it was not only my favorite, but also many others’. At least a million and a quarter visitors viewed the nature and history exhibits displayed there.

ER: Any closing thoughts?

RN: In an article I wrote years ago, I referenced the list of “Mill Creeks” kept by the United States Board of Geographic Names. I just accessed it online: almost 1,700 Mill Creeks in our nation! I’m proud to say that the best one is right here!

Thank you Ray! Ray has worked at the MetroParks for many years and is very knowledgeable regarding the history of Mill Creek Park. To learn more about the history of Mill Creek Park, send us an email at generalinfo@millcreekmetroparks.org!

Live! at the Morley with Easy Street

Blog Author: Ellie Rafoth, Community Engagement Intern

Closing out the MetroParks Summer Concert Series is the one and only Easy Street! Head down tonight to the Judge Morley Pavilion at 7 p.m. to experience a lively performance by Easy Street!

Before the show, I had the opportunity to speak with Todd Hancock about the group.

ER: How did Easy Street come about?

image006TH: Easy Street Productions, Youngstown’s only professional stock theater troupe and was founded by Todd Hancock and Maureen Collins in 1988. Originally gaining notoriety by staging Youngstown’s longest-running musical “Pump Boys & Dinettes” for a full two year run at the Uptown Theatre, they have since gone on to stage full-scale Broadway productions at the DeYor Performing Arts Center including Annie, The Will Rogers Follies, Beauty and the Beast, Hello Dolly, The Music Man, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as well as their annual Christmas Spectacular Miracle on Easy Street. Throughout Easy Street’s twenty-six year history, they have raised over a million dollars for local charities, enriched the lives of young people through their musical theater workshops, and have established a brand of family entertainment that is unsurpassed in the tri-country area.

ER: What is the makeup of Easy Street?

TH: Easy Street’s size depends on the show, sometimes topping over 100 cast members but for our Morley concerts we traditionally bring 5 to 7 vocalists, a small gang of our Easy Street Little Rascals, and the 8 piece Easy Street Little Big Band. Soloists include Maureen Collins, Todd Hancock, James McClellan, Natalie Sprouse, and Colleen Chance with other special guests from the Easy Street family of regulars.

ER: What type of music does Easy Street perform?

TH: Show tunes as well as big band and “rat pack” standards with a little pop, country and a few 50’s & 60s classics for fun.

image007ER: Besides Live! at the Morley, where can we expect to see Easy Street?

TH: Easy Street Productions usually produces 3 major musicals a year at the DeYor Performing Arts Center as well as smaller concerts and youth theater shows at our studio on Mahoning Ave. For more info and schedules visit our website at http://www.easystreetshows.com

ER: Any closing thoughts?

TH: Easy Street Productions is the only musical act that has been booked every single year since the Morley Pavilion was built 20 years ago and the MetroParks’ Summer Concert Series first began!

Wow Todd! Thank you! We are always pleased to have and enjoy Easy Street’s performance! Come join us for our last concert of the summer tonight at 7 p.m. at the Judge Morley Pavilion!

Transformation Tuesday: Children’s Play Area at Wick Recreation Area

Blog Author: Ellie Rafoth, Community Engagement Intern

3On Friday, May 30, at the James L. Wick Jr. Recreation Area, Mill Creek MetroParks celebrated the grand opening of the new Julianna Kurinka Children’s Play Area. With summer well underway and the play area being used by children of all ages, I am particularly interested in how far the area has come. Let’s take a look at the playground at Wick that has transformed into the modern Julianna Kurinka Children’s Area!

In order to get a closer look at this amazing MetroParks transformation, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Planning Manager Justin Rogers who worked closely on this project.

According to Justin, the first playground was constructed in the early 60’s and updated in the early 90’s. For over 15 years, the MetroParks has been updating and replacing playgrounds throughout various MetroParks’ facilities. As of 2007, the Wick Recreation Area Master Plan was completed, and recommended improvements to the playground and surrounding area. The plan called for a complete overhaul of the playground site and updates to utilities, walkways, and additional site furnishings. The previous playground at Wick had a climber unit with slides and platforms, a few adjacent swing sets, and a spray basin.

While many projects within the master plan were completed in recent years, a monetary gift from the Julianna Kurinka Trust kick started the planning and construction of the new Children’s Play Area to further implement this aspect of the Wick Master Plan.

The new Julianna Kurinka Children’s Play Area encompasses four distinct play areas for varying age groups. The Adventure Playground is designed for older children ranging from ages 5-12 years old.

“The Adventure Playground includes some challenging components requiring upper body strength, agility, and coordination. The equipment is more modern in scope with various moving parts paired with traditional slides and swings,” said Justin. “Components of the Adventure Playground like the play web and rotating dish are extremely popular and give this age group fun and challenging

The Tot Playground is another component to the Children’s Play Area as it caters to 2-5 year old children. This nature themed playground is intended to be very interactive for little ones.

5“The elements of the tot playground resemble elements in nature,” said Justin. “There are trees, rocks, a tree house climber, musical instruments and a nature scavenger hunt. This playground is partially built on poured in place rubber surfacing making it safe for impact. In fact, all play areas have resilient surfacing for impact in order to keep children safe. There is also a sand component that adds to the four distinct play areas. This section of the playground includes a sand element with climbing rocks. Children are able to dig and find buried fossils. There is also a water element that allows children to build and make trenches.”

Last but not least is the Wet Playground. Not yet constructed, this area will complete the fourth play area of the Julianna Kurinka Children’s Play Area. According to Justin, “This area will feature different spray components. Again, it is designed to be interactive for all ages while promoting a healthy social aspect. The Wet Playground will give kids a different experience with different elements while continuing the nature theme throughout the area. Plans are moving forward with design and construction of the Wet Playground anticipated in the near future.”

The design for the Julianna Kurinka Children’s Play Area was created by the team of Mill Creek MetroParks and URS Corp. The general construction for the site work was completed by Parella-Pannunzio Inc. This project also spanned across many departments here at the MetroParks including Planning, Operations and Horticulture.

Justin also explained that even though the playground and equipment was replaced and updated, the project was a complete site redesign. In addition to the Children’s Play Area, other projects were completed to rejuvenate the Wick Recreation Area including:

  • Rehabilitation of the Bresko Pavilion
  • New concrete pedestrian walkways
  • Upgraded utilities
  • New site lighting and furnishings
  • New benches, trash cans, drinking fountains
  • Three new lighted sand volleyball courts
  • Site landscaping with native plants
  • New signage
  • Sled hill improvements

“All of these project components create the ultimate family destination in the MetroParks, and further enhance the regional significance of the Wick Recreation Area, the MetroParks’ main active recreation center,” said Justin.

Thank you Justin! This is truly an incredible transformation within Mahoning valley’s gem. As summer is nearing an end, grab the kids, pack a picnic, and head to the ultimate family destination in Mill Creek MetroParks for a fun-filled, family-oriented experience!

Mill Creek Golf Course closed Aug. 22 to host Greatest Golfer

Mill Creek Golf Course will be closed Friday, August 22, to host the Greatest Golfer of the Valley event. Both the North and South courses will be closed to the public and will reopen on Saturday, August 23.

Mill Creek MetroParks to present Movie Under the Stars

Mill Creek MetroParks will present Movie Under the Stars on Saturday, August 16 at the MetroParks Farm, 7574 Columbiana-Canfield Rd., Canfield, OH 44406. The event is free and family friendly.

This year’s movie, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” will begin at dark and will be projected on the Barn Door. Bring a blanket or chair. Popcorn, drinks, and meatballs will be available for purchase, or bring your own snacks.  Facility opens at 8 p.m. for pre-movie activities, and barns will be open late to visit with the animals. In the event of inclement weather, movie will be shown indoors.

For more information, visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org.

Mill Creek MetroParks to present MetroMutts: Yappy Hour

Mill Creek MetroParks’ Lake Glacier Boathouse will be closed to the public on Thursday, August 14 from 4 p.m. until dark for the MetroMutts Yappy Hour event. The Boathouse will reopen on Friday, August 15 at 11 a.m.

Yappy Hour is a social event for dogs and their human companions. Canines and people will be able to take a ride around Lake Glacier in the MetroParks passenger boat, then go ashore for hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. Dogs will enjoy treats and a (non-alcoholic) dog-arita, while humans can sip a glass of wine or two. Water and lemonade will also be available.

Yappy Hour will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. The last boat ride will leave the shore at 7:30 p.m.  Cost for MetroMutts members is $10; non-members are $15. Reservations are recommended but not required.

For more information or to make a reservation, call the Ford Nature Center at 330.740.7107 or visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org.