Outside media coverage of Mill Creek MetroParks

Mill Creek MetroParks acquires 161 acres in Smith Township

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Mill Creek MetroParks has acquired 161 acres on West Western Reserve Road in Smith Township. The MetroParks partnered with West Creek Conservancy to acquire the land, known as Hawkins Marsh, with funds obtained through the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, which provided $843,800 of the $1.1 million cost. The remaining $299,730 came in the form of a bargain sale, a news release states. The land consists of “unique natural habitats,” including wetlands, the release states. Recreational opportunities are being planned for the property.

“Once again, we are thrilled to be able to announce this most recent acquisition thanks to the dedicated efforts of MetroParks staff, our partners at West Creek Conservancy and financial support from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund,” Aaron Young, executive director of Mill Creek MetroParks, said in the release. “The acquisition of this unique property is another step forward in the mission of the MetroParks serving the needs of all of Mahoning County,” Young said.

 

Read the original article at Mahoning Matters

Volunteers needed: Plans set for 40th annual Earth Day cleanup at Mill Creek MetroParks

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About 150 Boy Scouts from the Youngstown area are pitching in to clear litter and winter debris from the Mill Creek MetroParks, in recognition of Earth Day on April 22. But with more than 40 MetroParks locations in the area, they’ll need some help, according to a Thursday news release from the Boy Scouts of America Great Trail Council. The 40th Annual Mill Creek MetroParks Earth Day Cleanup is set for 9 a.m. to noon April 23 — rain or shine — throughout the MetroParks. Coordinators are expected to retrieve supplies from the Wick Recreation Area’s Bresko Pavilion, 1861 McCollum Road, before meeting with teams around the MetroParks.

More volunteer help is needed along the MetroParks’ shorelines and creeks, the release states. Cleanup efforts will be focused around Mill Creek Park, Yellow Creek Park and the MetroParks Farm. “In 39 years, more than 13,000 participants have volunteered more than 40,000 hours to clean various areas of the MetroParks,” the news release states. “Just in the past 20 years, more than 23,000 bags of trash and 1,500 bags of recyclables along with numerous loose items such as tires, toys, furniture, pipes, wood crates, electronic items and even the proverbial kitchen sink, have been removed. Each year, there are fewer bags of trash but more bags of recyclables.”

The Mahoning County Green Team’s recycling division is expected to provide supplies like trash and recycling bags, gloves and reacher tools. For more information or to sign up yourself or your church group, school, business or family to volunteer, click here to email cleanup chairman Mike Kupec, or call 330-519-3988 by April 11.

Read the original article at Mahoning Matters.

Mill Creek MetroParks clearing half of bikeway for winter walkers

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Mill Creek MetroParks is making it a little easier for winter walkers on the bikeway.

They are plowing half of the bike trail between Metro Parks Farm and the Mahoning Avenue Park and Ride facility.

While one side will be cleared for walkers, the other side will remain snow-covered for cross country skiers that frequent the trail.

“Our hope is certainly that more people will get out during the winter months. When you’ve got the amount of snow that we have it can make it difficult but our efforts are to balance the bikeway for as many users as possible,” Mill Creek Metroparks Director Aaron Young told 21 News.

Young says the decision to plow half of the bikeway is being made to keep the MetroParks an appealing destination over all four seasons.

This is the first year the MetroParks will attempt to create a hybrid bike path during the winter season.

View original article at WFMJ.

PGA Members Tom Wildenhaus, Jamie Mulligan and Joe Assell Lead PGA of America National Awards Class

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13 Award Winners Unveiled at PGA Show Opening Ceremonies

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — PGA Golf Professional of the Year Tom Wildenhaus, PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year Jamie Mulligan and PGA Golf Executive of the Year Joe Assell headline the PGA of America’s National Awards for 2021.

The 13 winners were unveiled during the 2022 PGA Show’s Opening Ceremony today at the Orange County Convention Center.

“This year’s outstanding class of National Awards recipients are inspiring those involved with the game of golf and the advancement of PGA Professionals throughout our industry,” said PGA President Jim Richerson. “The PGA of America is proud to recognize their accomplishments, as they reflect the incredible expertise and talent throughout our Association. From nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals, these 13 recipients are at the forefront, reflecting a standard of success for all of us to emulate and admire.”

2021 PGA of America National Awards Recipients

  • PGA Golf Professional of the Year
    Tom Wildenhaus, PGA – Olde Florida Golf Club – Naples, Fla.
  • PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year
    Jamie Mulligan, PGA – Virginia Country Club – Long Beach, Calif.
  • PGA Golf Executive of the Year
    Joe Assell, PGA – GOLFTEC – Englewood, Colo.
  • Bill Strausbaugh Award
    Tim Beckwith, PGA (posthumous) – Sarasota National Golf Club – Sarasota, Fla.
  • PGA Professional Development Award
    Dr. Rich Ballinger, PGA – Sam Houston State PGA Golf Management University Program –
    Huntsville, Texas
  • Deacon Palmer Award
    Bryan DeMarco, PGA – Pine Barrens Golf Club – Jackson, N.J.
  • Patriot Award
    Joe Grohman, PGA – Old Ranch Country Club/PGA Hope National Trainer – Seal Beach, Calif.
  • PGA Player Development Award
    Thomas Yost, PGA – First Tee – Four Corners – Kirtland, N.M.
  • PGA Youth Player Development Award
    Andrew Miller, PGA – LedgeRock Golf Club – Mohnton, Pa.
  • Herb Graffis Award
    Carolinas PGA Section
  • PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Resort Category
    Caroline Basarab, PGA – Reynolds Lake Oconee – Greensboro, Ga.
  • PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Public Category
    Brian Tolnar, PGA – Mill Creek Park Golf Course – Canfield, Ohio
  • PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Private Category
    Ian Brown, PGA – Butterfield Country Club – Oakbrook, Ill.

For bios and information on all of the PGA of America National Award winners, click here.

Tom Wildenhaus, PGA, the Director of Golf at Olde Florida Golf Club in Naples, Florida, earned the 2021 PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. This is the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America Professional, awarded for leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the Association and the game of golf.

Wildenhaus’ involvement in PGA of America governance began in the South Florida PGA Section’s Southwest Chapter in 1994, where he served as Education Chairperson prior to serving on the Chapter’s Board of Directors. He also served on the South Florida PGA Section Board of Directors (1999-2007). He was elected Section Secretary (1999-2001), followed by his election to Section Vice President (2001-2003), and eventually his election to Section President (2005-2007). He was also elected President of the South Florida PGA Foundation in 2010, and still holds that position today. At the national level, Wildenhaus served on the PGA of America Public Relations Committee (2010-2012), and was appointed to the Board of Control (2015-2019).

Jamie Mulligan, PGA, a Southern California PGA Section Member and Chief Executive Officer of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, California for the past 20 years, is the 2021 PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year for his “outstanding services as a golf teacher, innovator and coach.”

Featured regularly as one of GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers and one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers, Mulligan was among the first instructors to study the swing’s biomechanics in the 1980s. His self-developed culture of coaching is based on efficiency of movement, as he recognizes the physical and mental capability of each student and leverages their attributes to help them reach their full potential. Mulligan’s students have captured hundreds of professional victories across every major tour, highlighted by Patrick Cantlay, John Cook, Melissa “Mo” Martin, Amy Alcott, Jessica Korda, Nelly Korda, Paul Goydos, Kevin Na, Bill Haas and Max Homa, among many others.

Joe Assell, PGA, a Colorado PGA Section Member and the President & Chief Executive Officer of GOLFTEC in Englewood, Colorado, is the 2021 PGA Golf Executive of the Year. The honor recognizes outstanding services in an executive management position, as well as leadership, vision, courage, moral character and a substantial record of service to the Association and the game.

Assell co-founded GOLFTEC in 1995, with a mission to help people play better golf by equipping
PGA Teaching Professionals with emerging technology designed to deliver a better lesson.
The company has given more than 12 million golf lessons, including over 1.5 million lessons in the last year across 220 locations in six countries. GOLFTEC has positively impacted hundreds of thousands of golfers, and with more than 600 PGA Professionals on staff today, the company is one of the largest employers of PGA Members.

Last month, the PGA of America announced Larkin Gross, PGA as the 2021 PGA Professional Player of the Year; Taylor Collins, PGA as 2021 Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year; and Bob Sowards, PGA as the Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year presented by Rolex.

For bios of the 2022 National Awards recipients, click here.

The 2021 PGA of America National Awards are scheduled to be presented on Nov. 1, as part of the 2022 PGA Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Herb Graffis Award will be presented during the Annual Meeting content that week as well.

 

Read the original article at Yahoo.

Mill Creek MetroParks head golf professional Brian Tolnar wins PGA of America award

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Mill Creek MetroParks head golf professional Brian Tolnar has been named the PGA Merchandiser of the Year — Public Category by the Professional Golfers Association of America. Tolnar, a member of the Northern Ohio Section of the PGA since 2015, was recognized Wednesday during the opening ceremonies of the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. This is the sixth time a Northern Ohio Section member has been selected for one of PGA of America’s top awards, a news release states.

The Merchandiser of the Year Award recognizes PGA professionals who have excelled as business persons/merchandisers in the promotion of golf, according to the PGA’s website. A native of Hubbard, Tolnar returned to northeast Ohio in 2015 after a 12-year stay at two courses near Rochester, New York. He attended Youngstown State University and the PGA Professional Golf Management University program in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Tolnar oversees Mill Creek’s North and South courses, as well as an adjacent 18-hole, par-3 course. He is a three-time winner of the Northern Ohio Section of the PGA’s Merchandiser of the Year Award. “Anytime you have the opportunity to win one of these prestigious awards, it’s a total honor, whether at the section level or especially the national level,” Tolnar said in the release. “It’s a career changing opportunity professionally and a game changer for our golf operation at the Mill Creek MetroParks.”

 

Read the original article at Mahoning Matters.

Mill Creeks Tolnar named PGA Merchandiser of the year -Its one of the PGA of America’s most prestigious award

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Mill Creek MetroParks Head Golf Professional Brian Tolnar has been named the PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Public Category by the Professional Golfers Association of America.

Tolnar, a member of the Northern Ohio Section of the PGA since 2015, was recognized today during the opening ceremonies of the PGA Show in Orlando, Fla.

This marks the sixth time a NOPGA member has been selected for one of the PGA of America’s most prestigious awards. Tolnar becomes the second NOPGA member to earn the Merchandiser of the Year – Public Category Award, joining Bob Sprunk in 1982.

Mill Creek MetroParks is located in Boardman, Ohio and consists of two 18-hole championship courses designed by Donald Ross and an 18-hole, par-3 course located about five miles from Mill Creek’s two 18-hole facilities.

A native of Hubbard, Ohio, Tolnar returned to Northeastern Ohio in 2015 after a 12-year stay at two courses near Rochester, N.Y. He attended Youngstown State University and the PGA Professional Golf Management University program in Port St. Lucie.

Tolnar, 44, oversees Mill Creek’s North and South Championship courses, as well as an adjacent 18-hole Par-3 course. The club’s 900-square foot pro shop has drawn rave reviews for many years, reflective of Tolnar being a three-time winner (2016-2018-2020) of the NOPGA’s Merchandiser of the Year Award.

Tolnar learned of his award during a phone call from PGA President Jim Richardson. It was a call Tolnar never expected but a call he’ll never forget.

“When the call came in I was shocked and speechless,” he recalled. “It caught me off guard. Your heart starts pounding immediately. It took me two weeks of totally sleepless nights for it to finally register. Anytime you have the opportunity to win one of these prestigious awards it’s a total honor, whether at the Section level or especially the National level. It’s a career changing opportunity professionally and a game changer for our golf operation at the Mill Creek MetroParks.”

Other NOPGA members to earn national awards include Sprunk and Howard Morrette (1972 PGA Golf Professional of the Year), Don Kotnik (1993 PGA Golf Professional of the Year), Dr. Renee Powell (2003 PGA First Lady of Golf and Dr. William Powell (2009 PGA Distinguished Service Award).

 

See the original article at WFMJ.

Weller Gallery displays MVWS members’ work

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The work of Mahoning Valley Watercolor Society members will be on display through April 17 at Mill Creek MetroParks’ Weller Gallery.

“A Splash of Color” features the work of 31 area artists who create with watercolor, plein air watercolor, acrylic and alcohol ink. MVWS was founded in 1982 by 11 artists with the goal to encourage local watercolor painters. The society provides watercolorists a place to share work, to learn more about watercolor techniques and to receive information regarding watercolor-related events in the community.

The group’s members range from beginners to professional artists who teach and show their work internationally.

The Weller Gallery is located inside the Davis Center at Fellows Riverside Gardens, 123 McKinley Ave., Youngstown. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is free.

For more information, go to millcreekmetroparks.org or call 330-740-7116. For more information on the society, go to mvartists.org.

 

See the original article at Tribune Chronicle.

Mill Creek Metroparks unveil 2022 improvement plans

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The community will see improvements in trails, signage, pavilions, restrooms, nature preserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

It’ll be a busy year for Mill Creek Metroparks as many areas and attractions will start improvements in 2022.

This year, the park is expected to reach a 5,000 acre span, 50 miles of trails and see 15 Mahoning County jurisdictions.

“We are purchasing more land and we are planning on closing on those purchases in the first quarter of 2022,” said Aaron Young, Executive Director of Mill Creek Metroparks.

The community will see improvements in trails, signage, pavilions, restrooms, nature preserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

“The year 2022 begins our second five-year capital improvement plan,” Young told 21 News’ Erin Simonek, “We anticipate continuing that moving forward and improving all aspects of the Metroparks.”

Lanterman’s Mill, Fellows Riverside Gardens and and the Metroparks Farm will also see upgrades. The farm will even feature an NCAA cross-country course.

“We can partner with our local educational facilities to the college level on down to the high school level, and be that platform for cross-country meets,” Young added.

The park plans to expand the bike trial from Western Reserve Road to the Mahoning County line but because of the ongoing eminent domain battle, they might not begin construction until 2023.

Golf lovers will see the new golf simulator at Mill Creek’s course.

“The golf simulation projects will be the upstairs at the current Metroparks Fieldhouse,” Young added.

2022 capital improvements will come with a price tag of about $2.7 million.

“Regardless of what you enjoy, by partaking and visiting the Metroparks, we hope to improve that experience for you,” Young said about these improvements.

Park officials are also raising full and part time employees wages by 3%.

The Ford Nature Center is also expected to open in June 2022.

Read the Original Article at WFMJ.

Mill Creek MetroParks launches youth NFL Flag Football League. Here’s the game plan

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Mill Creek MetroParks has teamed up with NFL Flag to launch a co-ed youth NFL Flag Football League this spring at Wick Recreation Area. Participants will wear Mill Creek MetroParks/NFL team branded jerseys. Every player also will receive flags with a belt, socks, shorts, a drawstring bag, a water bottle, optional shoe fittings and team picture opportunities. Registration is open to age groups 4U, 6U, 8U, 10U and 12U. The player registration fee is $119.99 for Mahoning County residents and $129.99 for nonresidents. Players will receive $10 off if they register by Feb. 28. Register online here, in person at Wick Recreation Area or by calling 330-740-7114.

Skill evaluations will take place April 11 or 12. The evaluations will be followed by a coaches draft for team selections. Games will be played on Saturdays at Wick Recreation Area from May 14 through June 18. “We’re thrilled to bring NFL Flag to the football-hungry communities of the Valley, and to host a flag football season at Wick Recreation Area,” Chris Bundy, Mill Creek recreation manager, said in a news release. “Backed by the NFL and our league-experienced staff, we’re proud to offer a flag football experience that features family friendly, alcohol-free tailgating, cheerleaders and some fun, fast-paced football action.”

Read the original article at Mahoning Matters.