Mill Creek to host junior tournament

/in , /by

The American Junior Golf Association will host the Mill Creek Foundation Junior All-Star tournament from Monday through Thursday at Mill Creek Park Golf Course.

The tournament is comprised of 96 boys and girls ages 12-15. Golfers from 23 states and three foreign countries (Canada, China and Russia) will compete.

The event will take place on the South Course.

A practice round will be held Monday at 8 a.m. with the first round beginning Tuesday at 7 a.m.

Second-round play will be Wednesday and the final round will be Thursday, both taking place at 7 a.m. An awards ceremony will be held Thursday at 5 p.m.

This is the second consecutive year Mill Creek Golf Course is hosting the event.

“We can bring $500,000 to the Mahoning Valley in just two years,” said Brian Tolnar, PGA Director of Golf at Mill Creek MetroParks. “Last year, we brought in around $255,000.” 

The above figures are curated from expense reports for hotels, meals and other costs from the families of the participating golfers that they submit to the AJGA.

Area hotels, restaurants and other businesses will also send data to the Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Former PGA pro Jerry McGee of East Palestine will serve as the tournament’s honorary guest host.

McGee, a New Lexington native, played on the PGA Tour from 1967 to 1981. He was a member of the 1977 Ryder Cup team. He was the former pro at Oak Tree Country Club in Middlesex, Pa. His son, Mike, is married to Annika Sorenstram.

“He’s one of those guys I’ve come to know from being in the golf business,” Tolnar said Saturday. “He’s got a passion for youth sports and working with younger golfers.”

Three AJGA champions are participating in what will be one of 16 American College Development Solutions events this year on the Junior All-Star Series which concludes at Reynolds Lake Oconee for the Justin Rose Junior All-Star Invitational.

Locally, Conner Stevens from Brookfield and Jayne Bernard from Youngstown will compete in the tournament among 17 Ohio golfers.

Other Ohio golfers include Benjamin Basta (Hudson), Kahmar Byers (Columbus), Zach Hazard (Olmsted Falls), Ali Khan (Westerville), Colton Levey (Twinsburg), Maxwell Moldovan (Uniontown), Donovan Morris (Northfield Center), Joshua Qian (Westerville), Topher Reed (Fairview Park), Michael Shyu (Grove City), Mason Witt (Jamestown), Ashley Zi-Tong Au (Westerville), Leila Raines (Galena), Natalia Sompolovorachai (West Chester) and Madison Spiess (New Albany).

Moldovan won the event at Mill Creek last year and will look to defend his title against a field of 65 boys.

View the full article at vindy,com

Dandelion knowledge blows into Sprout Club at Fellows

/in , /by

Children at the monthly Sprout Club program met on May 18 at Fellows Riverside Gardens to learn about dandelions.

Lynn Zocolo, horticulture educator, teaches the children each month about a different part of the environment. This month the children got hands-on with dandelions and the different parts.

The program started out with a coloring sheet for children to color until everyone came and the lesson could begin. Zocolo taught the children about the different parts of a dandelion and then passed those parts out for the children to look at and feel.

The children had the opportunity to examine the stem, the leaves, the flower and the seeds.

Zocolo also informed the children that parts of the dandelions are safe to eat, but only after asking an adult.

Many people associate blowing the dandelion seeds with making a wish, so the children made their own wish necklaces.

They were given ribbon, a container on the ribber, dandelion seeds and an acorn top as the lid.

There was a tag on the necklace that said “Some see a weed, I see a wish.” The children were supposed to make a wish as they put the seeds into the container.

After making the necklaces, the children tried blowing bubbles with the hollow stem. There was an experiment to see if bubbles or water mixed with soap created the best bubbles. In the end, the soap mixture produced the most and biggest bubbles.

Sprout Club educations children in a hands-on way that gives them the opportunity to have fun while doing it.

Anyone interested in signing up for Sprout Club can visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org for more information.

View the full article at vindy.com

Mill Creek MetroParks to offer new recreation & sports camps

/in , /by

Mill Creek MetroParks has a new addition to its summer program lineup.

Next week, the park will offer a three-day youth recreation and sports camp for children age 6 to 15. It’s the first multi-sport camp the MetroParks has offered.

The program at Wick Recreation Area will give participants a chance to try a wide range of sports, including baseball, softball, volleyball, golf and tennis. Additionally, the camp will feature a nature education component during which campers will go on hikes in the park and learn about the areas surrounding the recreation area.

“We tried to design a camp that encompassed all the sports currently held at Wick,” said Brian Tolnar, MetroParks golf director.

The camp runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through June 16. During those hours, campers will participate in hour- to hour-and-a-half-long sessions focusing on those sports.

The goal, Tolnar said, is twofold: Give kids the chance to try out sports that they might want to continue playing in the future, and draw new members to the sports leagues the MetroParks offers at Wick.

“We just want to showcase Wick and everything we have up there,” he said. “We wanted to really start taking advantage of the Wick Recreation Area and really trying to draw from that section of town, to grow our golf leagues and Little League baseball leagues.”

The sessions will be led by MetroParks staff members and community volunteers, including coaches from local high-school teams.

Registration is open through Tuesday. The cost is $39 per person. To register, call the Wick Par-3 pro shop at 330-740-7114 or Ford Nature Center at 330-740-7107.

Tolnar encouraged parents to sign up their children. “We just think it’s a great, interactive camp that will give the kids a vast knowledge of all these different sports to see if it sparks an interest,” he said.

Read the full article at vindy.com

Looking to keep your kids busy this summer? Here are some options

/in , /by

Mill Creek Park and the Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County have programs that will help your kids stay active

BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – Many kids across the Valley are now on summer break, and that means many parents are looking for ways to keep them busy.

Mill Creek Park and the Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County have a few free programs that will help your kids stay active this summer.

“A lot of kids, over the summer, they are not in classes. They are not working with their reading, and sometimes, that makes them slide backward,” said Cindy Beach, ‎assistant manager of Programming and Youth Services Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

Mary Ault said her grandchildren spend a lot of time at the library.

“There’s a lot of different summer programs for them there that they keep them busy with,” she said.

Ault said it helps them keep up with their reading through the summer.

The library has DVD’s, CDs and even audio books, but it also has a lot of programs planned for kids and families this summer.

“We have COSI coming. We have the Whiz Bang Science Show,” Beach said.

If you like animals, the library will also have ponies and a penguin in for different programs this summer.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much we have available for them at the library,” Beach said.

You can find information on obtaining a free library card on the library’s website.

If you’re looking for programs to get the kids outside, Mill Creek Park also has a lot scheduled during the summer.

“We have our Family Fun Fridays. Those are at Fellows Riverside Gardens, and that’s every Friday throughout the summer, and you can go in and explore the family garden. There’s a different theme each week,” said Jaime Yohman, marketing manager for the Mill Creek MetroParks.

The park’s newest attraction is now up and running.

“Our wet playground is now open at our Wick Recreation area. That is open seven days a week, from noon to 5 p.m., so on these hot summer days, please go out and enjoy our beautiful new wet playground,” Yohman said,

Mill Creek has a brand new event coming up this summer.

On Father’s Day, there will be an event featuring antique cars, old toys from the past and crafts. You can even churn your own ice cream.

Visit the library’s website for a calendar of scheduled events and information on special events.

Mill Creek MetroParks also has a calendar of events online. 

WKBN also compiled a list of local summer events and festivals. You can find that here. 

Temporary Closure to Mill Creek MetroParks Wet Playground

/in /by

Beginning on Thursday, June 8, 2017, the Wet Playground at James L. Wick Recreation Area will be closed to complete finishing touches on some concrete pavement. The restrooms at the Warming House will also be closed, but restrooms are available at the Par-3 Building. The work is expected to last for two days. All other play areas at Wick Recreation Area will be open and unaffected.

Notice of MetroParks Standing Committee Meetings

/in /by

The Finance Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks, will meet on Saturday, June 10, 2017, at 10 a.m., in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield.

The Nature Education Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks, will meet on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, at 6:30 p.m., in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield. 

The Horticulture Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks, will meet on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, at 6 p.m., at Birch Hill Cabin, off McCollum Road, on the west side of Youngstown.

Notice of MetroParks Special Board Meetings

/in /by

The Board of Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will hold a Special Board Meeting, on Monday, June 12, 2017, at 6 p.m., in McMahon Hall at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield. The agenda items are (and any other business as deemed necessary by the Board of Commissioners):

•           Finance Director’s Report

•           Bid Tabulations for East Cohasset Drive – Phase 2

Immediately following this meeting, the Board will hold a regularly scheduled Work Session. The agendas will be available online after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

Mill Creek Park to offer youth recreational and sports camp

/in , /by

During the second week of June, Mill Creek MetroParks will offer its first ever Youth Recreational & Sports Camp at the Wick Recreation Area.  

It is open to kids between the age of 6 and 15.  No experience in sports is required to participate.  

Each day instructors and coaches will be teaching kids the fundamentals of golf, volleyball, tennis and baseball.  

Kids will also be going on hikes through Mill Creek to learn about nature and the history of the park.

“You can be a beginner in any of those sports. We just want to be able to play a myriad of sports that sort of encompass the Wick Recreation area because of all it has to offer,” said PGA Director Brian Tolnar with Mill Creek Park.

The camp will take place June 14, 15 and 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Children can sign up at the Mill Creek Field House, the Wick Park 3 Golf Shop or the Ford Nature Center.  The cost is $39.99 per child.  Lunch is not included.   

Click to view this full article on wfmj.com

Mill Creek Golf Course to Host 2nd Annual Junior Inter-League Series

/in /by

The Mill Creek Wick Par-3 Course, Parto’s Golf Learning Center & Valley Golf Club will be hosting the 2nd Annual Par-3 Course Junior Inter-League Series on select Saturdays in June & July. Junior golfers will compete at all three golf courses during the entire series. The nine hole matches will feature a 2-Player scramble format with juniors playing three 3-Hole matches. Points will be awarded for each match won per 3-Holes with a point added for the team with the most points. 

The league is open to all junior golfers ages 7 to 12 with each team consisting of six players participating in each match. A season finale banquet and fun day will be held at Parto’s Golf Learning Center on July 29, 2017 to close out the Junior Inter-Club program. 

Team Sign-ups can be made by calling team coaches Stacie Butler (Mill Creek MetroParks) at 330.740.7112, Tom Parteleno (Parto’s Golf Learning Center) at 330.743.6718 or Ted Ossoff (Valley Golf Club) at 330.482.9464.

Family Camp in the Park to be held June 24-25

/in /by

Mill Creek MetroParks presents Family Camp in the Park June 24 at 9 a.m. through June 25 at 1 p.m on the Judge Morley Lawn in the Wick Recreation Area. Designed to give your family lots of fun park activities to participate in both during the day and through the evening. This fun family camping experience is structured to give your family lots of fun activities to participate in both during the day and through the evening. Enjoy nature programs, hikes, family scavenger hunt, evening campfire, children’s outdoor story time, family game-times, crafts, and more! Judge Morley Pavilion area will be closed to non-participants from 9 am Saturday until 1 pm Sunday, and area will be closely monitored.

Family Camp in the Park is sponsored by WFMJ/WBCB. Space is limited; register by June 17! Participant fee is $10 (resident), $15 (nonresident). Additional fee after the deadline. Price includes structured activities, some meals, and snacks.  Limited tent rental available for $15 per tent. Registration will include additional program and set-up details and equipment list. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. For more information or to register, visit or call Ford Nature Center at 330.740.7107.