OUTSIDE MEDIA COVERAGE OF MILL CREEK METROPARKS

Slow and steady work at Mill Creek Park ensures safe reopening

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Mill Creek MetroParks had a big job ahead after storms rolled through the Valley on July 5 and spawned a tornado. Most of the park has been closed as the cleanup continues.

“It’s just really devastating when you show up and see the devastation, and just 2-3 blocks away there’s nothing. No problems whatsoever, said Executive Director Aaron Young.

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Young says the job included cutting a way into the park, and now it’s trying to cut a way through the park. The methodical approach has included handling what can be handled. The Metroparks has teams and has hired others to do the job.

“Obviously, the East Golf Hike Trail, you’ve got a very linear path that cuts through from north to south. That’s a much different environment to clean up than a golf course, which is manicured throughout,” Young said.

There’s a chance the East Golf Hike and Bike Trail could open by the end of the week, making a recreational opportunity available again. Golfers will have to be very patient. Splintered and fallen trees still need to be cleared off the 36 holes.

“There were a little over 100 on the North Course. We just quite frankly stopped counting on the South Course when we reached 300. There is much more than that. It’s going to be a changed experience for sure,” Young said.

The MetroParks board has avoided putting time frames on reopening many areas, but says they will stay in place while the work continues.

“They are being very diligent in what they’re doing to ensure everyone’s safety, and they know the task at hand is a large one, but they’re committed to doing it,” Young said.

Young says it was easy to be overwhelmed after seeing the devastation on July 5 after the storm, but that feeling ended the next morning when everyone was ready to get started on the work to clean up the park.

 

Read the original article at WKBN.

Mill Creek hopes to reopen golf course before Thanksgiving

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If you were hoping to play a round at Mill Creek Metro Parks golf course anytime soon, you’ll have to wait a little longer.

Cleanup continues weeks after an EF-1 tornado and a macroburst tore through the park on July 5, leaving behind widespread damage and forcing parts of the park to remain closed.

Mill Creek Metro Parks’ executive director Aaron Young said said the golf course had the most damage.

“We went through last week. There were over 100 trees that were down on the north course, and we stopped counting at 300 on the south course,” Young said. “We’ve maintained the positive attitude, and we’re just going to keep chipping away at it until we get it done.”

Park officials plan to reassess the damage on August 5 as cleanup efforts continue.

While much of Mill Creek Metro Parks remains open for recreation, the section between Shields Road and U.S. Route 224 remains closed as crews work to safely remove debris and damaged trees.

“It’s [cleanup] been constant since the evening of the fifth,” Young said. “It’s involved both internal crews and third-party contractors, and we’ve also been in contact with the Mahoning County EMA service, which we hope will assist us by the end of this week.”

Despite the extensive damage, park officials are optimistic the golf course will reopen before the end of its regular golf season.

“We’re certainly hopeful that we’ll be open before the end of the normal golf season, which for us is by Thanksgiving,” Young said. “We anticipate there’ll be some golf happening at the metro parks course here in 2026.”

In addition to storm recovery, Young said the search for the park’s next golf and recreation director is also underway.

 

Read the original article at WFMJ.

Press Pass: Mill Creek Park & Golf Course storm damage cleanup

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Earlier in July, an EF1 tornado and macroburst caused extensive damage to the Mill Creek MetroParks and golf course. Aaron Young, the Mill Creek MetroParks Executive Director, shares more information about the damage to the park and how much longer it will take to clean everything up.

See the original video at WFMJ.

Got Ghosts? Paranormal investigation at Mill Creek Park may find answers

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Have you had luck finding any paranormal activity? Maybe you found some Saturday night at Mill Creek Park.

Saturday evening, there was a paranormal investigation at Ford Nature Center. These investigations have been taking place every month for the last three years.

The center works with the Collective Paranormal Research Society to put on these investigations.

Lynn Zocolo with Mill Creek MetroParks says if you wonder about what happens after death, this may be something for you.

“I think there’s always the question of the afterlife and there’s no clear-cut answers. Whether you’re skeptic or whether you believe, each investigation is always different,” Zocolo said.

These investigations take place every month, with the next one taking place Aug. 28 from 8 to 11 p.m. For more information, you can visit Mill Creek’s website.

 

Read the original article at WKBN.

Wheelchair access added to Mill Creek Park Lily Pond

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A lily pond in Youngstown is now open and more accessible to visitors after improvements to the area.

The updates to the Lily Pond at Mill Creek Park improve wheelchair accessibility and make it easier for visitors to access the surrounding area.

The pond features observation decks, a floating boardwalk, bridges and benches that have been sealed and protected, the organization stated in a social media post.

Improvements also include new sand pavers and stone pavers installed at the memorial benches surrounding the pond.

The Lily Pond at Mill Creek Park is located at Lily Pond Circle Trail in Youngstown.

 

Read the original article at WFMJ.

Mill Creek Golf Course still closed after storm damage

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One place that will take a long time to fully recover from Sunday’s storm is Mill Creek Golf Course. There are downed trees everywhere.

The road leading from Route 224 in Boardman down to the Mill Creek Golf Course remains closed Friday evening because of the trees that are down across the road. In multiple areas, there are large trees uprooted that need removed before anyone can think about playing here.

A large uprooted tree stretches across the 14th fairway on Mill Creek’s South Golf Course, next to another tree a pitching wedge away. The view from the 15th tee box is much the same, with large branches covering the first 100 yards.

Mill Creek MetroParks Executive Director Aaron Young said structural damage to the golf course was minimal. A tree clipped a corner of the clubhouse, damaging the awning. Most of the damage is from trees on the golf course itself. This is the view from the 11th tee box on the north. You can’t see the fairway.

“It’s difficult to get around both the north and the south course. Now, in terms of quantifying that, I would say the south course took the brunt of the storm, but the north course has seen significant damage as well,” Young said.

Young said he doesn’t know how many trees were downed.

“It’s so extensive. Counting them is a waste of time. At this point in time, it’s really just ok, let’s identify; let’s try and get some trees off of the greens, off the tees, so that we can protect those and possibly mow those if we can. Fairways would be third, and then we’ll just go from there,” Young said.

Young said the plan is to concentrate first on getting the north course open, then the south. The short-term goal is to have the north open the first weekend in August for the Greatest Golfer competition. The first priority was to get the debris off the greens and tee boxes. The 14 green and 15 tee were both clear. But when asked if it was possible the courses would be closed for the rest of the season, Young said it’s “unknown at this time.”

“You go at it with the hopes of days, leaning toward maybe weeks. We’re not at that point. We’re looking at weeks, maybe months,” Young said.

One thing holding up the cleanup is they’ll need the help of tree companies, and right now they’re all tied up working to get people back into their homes.

 

Read the original article at WKBN.

Timeline unclear to reopen damaged golf courses

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Many golfers in the valley have speculated that the Mill Creek and Tippecanoe golf courses may close for the rest of the season as they continue to clean up fallen trees from the course.

21 News reached out to the courses to confirm whether or not they plan to reopen for the season.

Tippecanoe country club was not able to say what their timeline for reopening may be.

However, Aaron Young, executive director of Mill Creek Metroparks, told 21 News that they plan to reopen their golf facilities, but the timeline is still up in the air. He said they are currently discussing bringing in a third party contractor to aid Metroparks staff in cleaning the course.

Read the original article at WFMJ.

Mill Creek MetroParks urges caution to public amid bird flu outbreak

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The Mill Creek MetroParks is urging parkgoers to use caution because of a bird flu outbreak.

The bird flu, also known as Avian Influenza, is a highly contagious disease that can spread between birds and other forms of wildlife and even humans if they come into contact with the carrier.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bird flu is causing outbreaks across the country.

Last week, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Officers began investigating concerns of a bird flu outbreak in the City of Warren after 40 geese were found dead in its parks.

The Natural Resources Manager with the Mill Creek MetroParks, Rachel Sobnosky, tells 21 News there are currently no reports of dead birds at the park.

Sobnosky is urging people who visit the park to use caution, and if they find a dead bird, to keep a safe distance, do not touch or attempt to move the bird, and keep pets at a safe distance.

If a dead or sickly bird is found at the park, Sobnosky encourages the finder to email rsobnosky@millcreekmetroparks.org to report it.

 

Read the original article at WFMJ.

Hunt begins for new vendor at MetroParks garden cafe

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Mill Creek MetroParks is looking for a new vendor to take over the Garden Cafe inside the Davis Center at Fellows Riverside Gardens.

Mill Creek MetroParks announced in December that the cafe would close Jan. 1 for what it referred to as a “redevelopment phase.” As part of the transition, Kravitz will not be returning to operate the cafe.

Now, Mill Creek is requesting proposals from food and beverage vendors to take over. They are due Jan. 28.

Proposal information should include the company’s name, proposed rent and percentage of sales, qualifications and an equipment list. A W-9, proof of insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance must be provided with the proposal form.

Proposals can be submitted to jjablonski@millcreekmetroparks.org. For questions, call 330.740.7116 ext. 212.

It is unclear when the cafe will reopen.

 

Read the original article at WKBN.

Capital improvement projects underway at Mill Creek Metroparks

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Economic development is coming to Mill Creek Metroparks this year, from projects to infrastructure.

It’s all in an effort to make the park’s operations more efficient and improve their overall quality.

“We’ll be tackling East Glacier drive, the Slippery Rock bridge is a major project that we’re undertaking this year that was funded at 80 percent by a federal grant,” Justin Rogers, director of planning and operations at Mill Creek Metroparks said.

There’s a lot of movement going on around Mill Creek Metroparks in terms of improving roads and bridges.

“We’ll be addressing the infrastructure of the bridge itself, the abutments, piers, decks, sidewalks, railing and making it more accessible and safer,” Rogers said.

At the first meeting of the year, the metroparks board was presented with the 2026 capital improvement project that looks to add to what Mill Creek Metroparks already has to offer. They’re constructing a new service center and children’s garden at Fellows Riverside Gardens.

“It will be almost an acre worth of activities for children to experience horticulture and veggie garden areas and learn and appreciate what’s offered in the natural community,” Rogers said.

A new lodge at Vickers Nature Preserve is also coming down the pipeline.

“The Vicker’s Lodge is going to be consistent with a lot of our other facilities where it’ll be available for private rentals for equestrian programs or events out at Vickers and certainly metroparks programming where if we have hikes or other educational programs we can host it out of that facility,” he said.

More than $1.3 million has been budgeted toward Fellows Riverside Garden improvements including irrigation and signage improvements and cafe interior upgrades among other things.

There is $20,000 budgeted for Collier Preserve habitat improvements, $10,500 for Lanterman’s Mill infrastructure upgrades and deck improvements and $5,000 to Vicker’s lodge to name a few.

Rogers said the goal is for all 2026 capital improvements to wrap up by the end of the year, “ideally toward the beginning of fall.”

 

Read the original article at WFMJ.