Mill Creek Park to Celebrate 125th Birthday on April 6

Mill Creek MetroParks is preparing to celebrate the 125th birthday of Mill Creek Park on Wednesday, April 6, 2016. It was on this day in 1891 that Youngstown voters approved the Ohio legislation to create a township park district, thus giving birth to Mill Creek Park.

Mill Creek MetroParks will be celebrating this milestone throughout 2016 with an assortment of guided hikes, trolley tours, and other themed events. Specific events being held on the Parks’ birthday included:

Happy Birthday Mill Creek Park Trolley Tour: Boards at Ford Nature Center
11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m.
Ride aboard the Cohasset Express to visit and enjoy nostalgic areas of the park which reflect Volney Rogers’ original vision and efforts. Must register in advance, a small fee applies. To register and for more details call 330.740.7107.

Happy 125th Birthday – Hike in Gorge
9 a.m. & 6 p.m.
This recreational hike will meet at Lanterman’s Mill overflow lot. Recreational hikes are generally led by volunteers and tend to be faster paced. This hike is 2 miles.

Ford Nature Center Hunt & Hike
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Stop at Ford Nature Center and hunt up 25 birthday cakes hidden to commemorate the Quasquicentennial (125th anniversary). Once you find all 25 cakes head outside and go for a hike of your choice.

For a full list of April events celebrating the 125th birthday of Mill Creek Park visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org/events.

Mill Creek Golf Course to Open for the Season

The North Course at Mill Creek Golf Course is set to open on Wednesday, March 23 for public play. The South Course and Practice Range & Learning Center will open Monday, April 11. The Par 3 Golf Course located at the James L. Wick, Jr. Recreation Area will open on Monday, April 4. Golf course openings are weather dependent.

Mill Creek Golf Course is the home for two national golf tournaments in 2016; the Golf Channel Amateur Tour and an American Junior Golf Association tournament, both taking place in June.

Tee times are available by calling the golf course or going online. More information on golf instructions, individually or in a class setting, as well as details on golf leagues is also available.

For questions and more information, call Mill Creek Golf Course at 330.740.7112.

Mill Creek Golf Course Added to Golf Channel Amateur Tour Schedule

Mill Creek Golf Course is a new addition to the 2016 schedule for the Golf Channel Amateur Tour. The Golf Channel Amateur Tour provides an authentic tour quality experience for players of all ages and abilities. There are active tours in 50 cities in 2016, The Mill Creek Championship is part of the Cleveland tour and will be taking place on Saturday, June 11.
The June 11 event will have 12 flights, six of them senior flights. The players will be matched by age and skill set. The Mill Creek Championship is a qualifying event for the National Championship which will be held at Innisbrook Golf Resort in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Brian Tolnar, PGA Director of Golf for Mill Creek MetroParks, provided this comment when asked about the Golf Channel Amateur Tour, “to be added to a tour schedule that includes courses such as TPC Sawgrass, Pinehurst, and Chambers Bay is very exciting. I think it speaks to the work we have put in at Mill Creek Golf Course in the past year. Not only to improve the course, but to build relationships in the golf community. Our team and I are thrilled to bring this event to the Valley.”

The deadline to register for the Mill Creek Championship is June 8, 2016 and registrations should be done through www.gcamtour.com.

2016 Master Gardener Series

Mill Creek MetroParks staff recently made the decision to postpone the 2016 Master Gardener Series. Last year’s, and now this year’s, participation is the lowest in the program’s history. The decline in attendance is attributed in part to the fact that The Ohio State University’s Mahoning County Extension office offers a very similar program that happens around the same time.

Fellows Riverside Garden staff has been working for the past year to improve the content and the scheduling of these classes to gain greater interest. It is the staff’s goal to ensure that the quality of the programming remains top-notch while working to develop partnerships in the community in an effort to eliminate any duplication of services.

The Advanced Master Gardener Series will proceed as previously planned. Anyone interested in a 2016 Master Gardener Program is encouraged to contact Eric Barrett at The Ohio State University’s Mahoning County Extension office. We look forward to the return of this program at Fellows Riverside Garden in 2017!

Notice of March Board Meeting

The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks has been scheduled for Monday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at the MetroParks Farm (7574 Columbiana-Canfield Rd., Canfield, OH 44406). The agenda will be available after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.