Mill Creek MetroParks Road Closures

The following roads and areas in Mill Creek MetroParks will be closed to vehicular traffic, as well as cyclists and pedestrians from approximately 5:00 am until 1:30 pm, on Sunday, June 4, 2017 for the Youngstown Marathon:

 

• Bears Den Drive 

• Cross Drive

• New Cross Drive

• Lily Pond Drive

• West Drive

• West Glacier Drive

• Price Road

• East Glacier Drive (South of Volney Field)

• Memorial Hill Drive

• Slippery Rock Bridge

• Robinson Hill Drive

• East Cohasset Drive

• West Cohasset Drive

• High Drive

• Valley Drive

• East Park Drive

• Old Mill Drive

• East Newport Drive

• Kreider’s Entrance

• West Newport Drive

• East Golf Drive & parking areas

• Lanterman’s Mill Parking Areas

 

Always use caution when driving on MetroParks roads as many of these roads are also used by pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrians and bicyclists should be reminded to also use caution and be aware of vehicular traffic when on these roads. For more information about Mill Creek MetroParks, visit our website at www.millcreekmetroparks.org.

Water Quality Celebration – Reaching that Watershed Moment

Join organizations from across Mahoning County as we work together with residents and landowners to learn more about watersheds and water quality on June 22 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mill Creek MetroParks Farm, 7574 Columbiana Canfield Rd., Canfield, Ohio.

This is an interactive evening for the entire family to enjoy! Activities include a hayride to a drone demonstration and pond demonstration, a chance to see farm equipment up-close, a composting seminar by the Green Team, the animal area at the farm, a pop-up library with resources and demonstrations in the garden – including soil testing, soil amendments and more. Activities will focus on what we can do as a community to protect and improve water quality throughout Mahoning County. 

Throughout this event, we will focus on everyone’s effect on water quality, whether you are a landowner fertilizing your lawn or a farmer spreading nutrients for crop production.

Everyone who attends and visits stations can complete a passport to win a compost bin, one of four different rain barrels and ten certificates for a complimentary soil test for the lawn, garden or farm.

Event co-sponsors include Mahoning County Farm Bureau, Eastgate, AWARE, OSU Extension in Mahoning County, Davey Resource Group, Mahoning County Soil & Water Conservation District, Deerfield Farms, Davey Resource Group, Mill Creek MetroParks and Aqua Ohio.

For questions, contact the Mahoning County Farm Bureau at 440.437.8700 or nefarmbu@fairpoint.net or call the OSU Extension Office in Canfield at 330-533-5538. Details and a flyer can be found at: http://go.osu.edu/celebratewater

MetroParks offers adaptive tennis for people with disabilities

Kevin Glines lifted his arms above his head, signaling victory.

He had just sent a tennis ball sailing smoothly over the net with one swift hit.

Glines, 37, of Boardman is trying out the sport for the first time thanks to a new program offered by Mill Creek MetroParks in partnership with the Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio. The free, four-week program offers adaptive tennis lessons to people with permanent physical disabilities. It marks the first adaptive program the MetroParks has offered, said programs and events coordinator Cara Hahn.

“The park as a whole wants to offer more to people of all abilities, all ages, all sexes, everything,” she said.

The adaptive tennis program is a first that park officials hope to build on in the future.

“This is hopefully just the start of what the MetroParks is going to bring,” Hahn said.

During the twice-a-week sessions, an Adaptive Sports instructor teaches participants the basics of tennis. At a recent session, players practiced techniques for serving the ball.

Liston Spann of Youngstown said he never would have imagined himself playing tennis, but was “most definitely” having fun learning it.

Glines spoke excitedly about the program, saying, “It’s really cool.”

“It is really fun,” he said. “It’s tough, but it’s fun.”

His mother, Meg Glines, said the program opened up an opportunity that’s not readily available to adults with disabilities in this area.

“For the age group out of high school, there’s not a lot,” she said. “So this opens up a whole new world of learning the sports. And the socialization is wonderful.”

She said her son loves sports, but has limited access to them.

“We’re thrilled to have this available,” she said.

The last session is at 6 p.m. Wednesday with plans to continue the program in the future.

Click to view this full article on vindy.com

Mill Creek MetroParks to Offer New Youth Recreation & Sports Camp in 2017

Mill Creek MetroParks will be offering a new recreational and sports camp designed for kids ages 6 – 15 at the Wick Recreation Area on June 14, 15, & 16 from 10 am to 3 pm. The camp will encompass the sports of baseball, golf, tennis and volleyball along with fitness and hiking. Instructors will be on hand each day teaching kids the proper fundamentals of each sport as well as the techniques to become a better player in each sport. The hiking portion of the camp will feature outdoor nature education and a brief history of Mill Creek MetroParks. Program instructors will be from the local area and will share a wealth of knowledge in their areas of instruction. “We’re excited to bring this new program to the MetroParks in 2017 as it will encompass all that we have to offer at the Wick Recreation Area. Offering a wide variety of sport and recreation opportunities such as golf, hiking, volleyball, tennis and baseball in one camp creates an opportunity for opening it up to a larger demographic”, says Brian Tolnar, PGA Director of Golf.

Sign-ups are $39/child and are available at the Mill Creek Golf Course Fieldhouse, Wick Par-3 Golf Shop, Ford Nature Center or by calling 330.740.7114 or 330.740.7107.

Mill Creek MetroParks Road Closures

The following roads and areas in Mill Creek MetroParks will be closed to vehicular traffic, as well as cyclists and pedestrians from approximately 5:00 am until 1:30 pm, on Sunday, June 4, 2017 for the Youngstown Marathon:

  • Bears Den Drive 
  • Cross Drive
  • New Cross Drive
  • Lily Pond Drive
  • West Drive
  • West Glacier Drive
  • Price Road
  • East Glacier Drive (South of Volney Field)
  • Memorial Hill Drive
  • Slippery Rock Bridge
  • Robinson Hill Drive
  • East Cohasset Drive
  • West Cohasset Drive
  • High Drive
  • Valley Drive
  • East Park Drive
  • Old Mill Drive
  • East Newport Drive
  • Kreider’s Entrance
  • West Newport Drive
  • East Golf Drive & parking areas
  • Lanterman’s Mill Parking Areas

Always use caution when driving on MetroParks roads as many of these roads are also used by pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrians and bicyclists should be reminded to also use caution and be aware of vehicular traffic when on these roads. For more information about Mill Creek MetroParks, visit our website at www.millcreekmetroparks.org.

 

MetroParks officials cut ribbon on new wet playground

A group of children clustered near the orange ribbon, waiting eagerly for it to be cut.

Once the photo opportunity ended and the ceremonial ribbon had been cut, the group raced past into the play area.

They wanted to be the first ones to use Mill Creek MetroParks’ new wet playground at the James L. Wick Jr. Wick Recreation Area.

A group of MetroParks staff and leaders, community members and people involved in building the playground gathered Friday at the Juliana Kurinka Children’s Play Area to open it to park visitors.

“Our hope is that this wet playground will continue to introduce children to both discovery and conversation,” said Aaron Youngstown, MetroParks executive director.

Parents who stopped by the event were confident their children would have plenty of opportunities for that.

“It adds another dimension to the park that we already love,” said Angela Metzger of Youngstown, who was there with her two children. “It’ll definitely be fun for them.”

Mary Beth Miller also is a frequent park visitor with her kids.

“I’m sure we’ll be here a lot playing,” she said. “They love getting wet any chance they get. And for me it’s easier than watching them at the pool.”

The addition of a wet play area has been several years in the making.

Steve Avery, planning and operations director, detailed the history of Wick Recreation Area, the land for which the park acquired in the 1940s. The play area and a spray basin were constructed in 1956.

The spray basin was removed when the MetroParks revamped the play area, with work on three other components completed several years ago.

MetroParks officials credited supporters such as the Juliana Kurinka Trust, Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association, Fitness Together 5K, Mill Creek Park Foundation, and Green Cathedral Half Marathon with helping to make the project happen. The wet playground was designed by McCue Design Group and built by Daniel A. Terreri & Sons Inc.

Avery highlighted some of the playground’s features, which are designed to be interactive. One area is designed specifically for younger children, while the other side’s more-active features are meant for older kids. The water sequences are activated by a button in the center of the playground.

The wet play area is open from noon to 5 p.m. daily.

Click to view this full article at vindy.com

MILL CREEK FOUNDATION AJGA JUNIOR-AMATEUR FUNDRAISER TOURNAMENT

Mill Creek Golf Course will be holding the Mill Creek Foundation AJGA Junior-Amateur Fundraiser Tournament on Monday, June 19, 2017 at 1:30 pm. The tournament format will be a 4-Player Scramble (3 Player Amateur Teams paired with 1 AJGA All-Star Player) and will include prizes for the winning teams, skill prizes and door prizes. The tournament entry fee of $600.00 per team will include 18 holes of golf with cart fees for 3 players, an invitation to the Junior-Amateur Dinner Reception, golf balls from Taylor-Made, 3 Polo Ralph Lauren shirts with the AJGA Tournament logo, 3 New Era Tournament Caps, 3 McArthur golf towels, & range balls. “What a great opportunity to be able to play with the future of golf and our game. With players coming from all over the world it’s a great experience for the people of the Mahoning Valley to be able to play with these great players at Mill Creek Golf Course right here in the Youngstown area,” says Brian Tolnar, PGA Director of Golf.

Entry Forms are available at the Mill Creek Golf Course Fieldhouse, by calling 330.740.7112 or by emailing Head Professional, Andy Santor atandy@millcreekmetroparks.org.

Mill Creek MetroParks to open new wet playground in time for Memorial Day weekend

Mill Creek MetroParks will kick off Memorial Day weekend by opening a new area for its visitors.

Park officials, community leaders and people involved in the project will gather at the James L. Wick Jr. Recreation Area off McCollum Road at 2 p.m. today for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that marks the grand opening of a wet playground at the Juliana Kurinka Children’s Play Area.

“It’s going to be exciting. It’ll be that regional draw that we want the Wick Recreation Area to be,” said Justin Rogers, MetroParks planning manager. “It provides families with another opportunity to experience Mill Creek MetroParks, and we’re looking forward to having a really fun, exciting summer at the play area.”

Work began in April on the $80,079 project. The contract was awarded to Daniel A. Terreri & Sons.

The addition of the wet playground caps off a plan developed several years ago to renovate the children’s play area. Three other parts of the playground previously were completed. The play area featured a wet-play component for many years, but that was removed when work began to revamp the area.

“The original playground featured a concrete basin with four sprays and was very popular,” Rogers said. “The introduction of the wet playground is more interactive. There are features for different ages. It brings colors and excitement to the playground, and really fits in nicely with the scale of the other three components of the play area.”

The project is part of the $29 million capital-improvements plan the MetroParks is undertaking over the next 15 years, with $3.2 million of that slated to take place this year.

Representatives of the companies involved in the project, park board members, Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr., Mayor John A. McNally, city Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th, members of the park foundation, past park board members, the owner of Fitness Together, and a representative of the Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association are invited to participate in today’s event.

– See more at: vindy.com

April Showers No Deterent for Visitors to Fellows Riverside Gardens

Mill Creek MetroParks’ Fellows Riverside Gardens (FRG) nearly broke its park visitation record in April 2017. FRG is on track for a record breaking May, too. More than 32,000 community members visited Fellows Riverside Gardens to kick off the spring season. That is just 69 visitors shy of the garden’s record year set in 2014. MetroParks Director Aaron Young says that his goal is to grow even further.

 “It’s great when you can approach record-setting attendance at a park,” Young said. “But we’re not done yet; we want to see new residents using the MetroParks for the first time and past visitors coming back again and again.”

FRG is a free public garden located at the northern end of Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio. It features 12 acres of landscape with diverse and colorful plant displays. FRG has the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center making the garden a destination for all seasons. April through early May this year, the visitor center had 49,234 community members stop into the center. That is up from 46,335 in 2016. There’s also Kravitz’s Garden Café, which is open from 10am-4pm Tuesdays-Sundays offering a variety of quiche, entrees and beverages.

 “Our goal is to provide park and recreation space while being responsive to community needs,” Young said. “The services offered at Fellows Riverside Gardens, and the community’s response to them, show that we’re on the right track.”

 

Learn more about Fellows Riverside Gardens and all of Mill Creek MetroParks at MillCreekMetroParks.org.

 

Mill Creek MetroParks Road Closures

The following roads in Mill Creek MetroParks will be closed to vehicular traffic as well as cyclists and pedestrians from approximately 7 a.m. until Noon on Saturday, May 27, 2017 for the YMCA Memorial 5 Mile Race.

  • East Glacier Drive
  • Memorial Hill Drive
  • West Glacier Drive
  • Price Road

Always use caution when driving on MetroParks roads as many of these roads are also used by pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrians and bicyclists should be reminded to also use caution and be aware of vehicular traffic when on these roads. For more information about Mill Creek MetroParks, visit our website at www.millcreekmetroparks.org