In support of the recommendations from the Governor’s office, the Ohio Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control, Mill Creek Park is extending the cancellations of all previously scheduled programs, tours, events, lectures and indoor facility rental until the January 2021 board meeting scheduled for January 11, 2021.

The extended cancellations and closures is in regard to the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus and to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees, volunteers and visitors.

In the event a registration fee or rental fee was paid, a full refund will be processed.

The following Mill Creek MetroParks locations will be closed to the public through January 11,2021:

• MetroParks Farm Education Building and Animal Barns (seasonal)
• D.D. & Velma Davis Education and Visitors Center
• All Reservable Pavilions, Cabins & Shelters
• Yellow Creek Lodge
• Lanterman’s Mill (seasonal)
• Administration Office
• Wet Playground at Wick Recreation Area and Spray Basin at Scholl Recreation Area (seasonal)
• Lake Newport & Lake Glacier Boathouses (seasonal)

Various Mill Creek MetroParks outdoor locations will remain open and available for use, including:

• Mill Creek Park
• Fellows Riverside Gardens
• Sebring Woods
• The MetroParks Bikeway
• Mill Creek Golf Course (seasonal)
• Wick Par-3 (seasonal
• MetroParks Farm Disc Golf Course
• All Nature Preserves and Sanctuaries

The MetroParks urges all visitors to continue following all guidelines from state and local health officials, such as staying home if sick or exhibiting symptoms, maintaining at least six feet apart from other visitors, avoiding congregating in large groups and bypass busy areas, practicing good hygiene by washing hands often and carrying hand sanitizer, as well as suggesting non-use of items such as handrails, park benches and other areas frequently touched to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Full article at wkbn.com

Mill Creek MetroParks is extending the cancellation of all previously scheduled programs, tours, events, lectures and indoor facility rentals until the Jan. 11, 2021, board meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If a registration or rental fee was paid, a full refund will be processed.

The following MetroParks locations will be closed to the public through January 11:

• MetroParks Farm Education Building and animal barns (seasonal);
• D.D. & Velma Davis Education and Visitors Center;
• All reservable pavilions, cabins and shelters;
• Yellow Creek Lodge;
• Lanterman’s Mill (seasonal);
• Administration Office;
• Wet playground at Wick Recreation Area and spray basin at Scholl Recreation Area (seasonal);
• Lake Newport and Lake Glacier boathouses (seasonal).

Various Mill Creek MetroParks outdoor locations will be remain open and available for use, including Mill Creek Park, Fellows Riverside Gardens, Sebring Woods, The MetroParks Bikeway, Mill Creek Golf Course (seasonal), Wick Par-3 (seasonal), MetroParks Farm Disc Golf Course and all nature preserves and sanctuaries.

The MetroParks urges visitors to continue following all guidelines from state and local health officials, such as staying home if sick or exhibiting symptoms, maintaining at least 6 feet apart from other visitors, avoiding congregating in large groups and bypassing busy areas, practicing good hygiene by washing hands often and carrying hand sanitizer. Visitors also are urged not to use handrails and park benches, and to avoid other areas that are frequently touched.

Full article at mahoningmatters.com

 

YOUNGSTOWN — Mill Creek MetroParks has canceled all scheduled programs, tours, events, lectures and indoor facility rentals until January 2021.

The shutdown is in response to COVID-19, a park official announced Tuesday.

In addition to the cancellations, locations throughout the park system also will be closed through Jan. 11, 2021, which is the park’s scheduled board meeting for that month.

The decisions were made during the board of trustees’ regular meeting Monday, Aaron Young, executive director said.

Influencing the park trustees’ decisions was guidance from the governor’s office and the Mahoning County Board of Health.

“After consultation with them … it became apparent that the best move to make to protect the health, safety and general welfare of not just visitors but MetroPark staff as well, was to recommend that the closures remain the rest of the year,” Young explained.

Those closed locations are MetroParks Farm Education Building and animal barns; D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitors Center; all reservable pavilions, cabins and shelters; Yellow Creek Lodge; Lanterman’s Mill; the administration office; the wet playground at Wick Recreation Area and spray basin at Scholl Recreation Area; and Lake Newport and Lake Glacier boathouses.

“The MetroParks is really a platform for mass gatherings of which is not recommended right now,” Young said, adding that’s why the indoor facilities and places with high-contact surfaces will remain closed.

In the event a registration fee or rental fee was paid, a full refund will be processed, according to the park district’s website.

Some outdoor locations will remain open. They are Fellows Riverside Gardens; Sebring Woods; the MetroParks Bikeway; Mill Creek Golf Course; Wick Par-3; MetroParks Farm Disc golf course; and all nature preserves and sanctuaries.

“There are still 47 miles of trail, the metroparks bikeway, the golf course, par-3, all of the athletic fields are open. … Exterior recreation opportunities are still a plenty,” Young said.

Large groups are encouraged not to congregate at the park, and social distancing is strongly urged. Park officials also are advising that those in the park do not use handrails, park benches and other highly used areas to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Decisions for 2021 will be made in January, Young said.

“We usually start our following year planning in the third quarter,” Young said. “We’re going to do like what we’ve done in 2020.”

Closures will remain in place until certain dates, and as those dates approach, the board will decide whether to extend those closures and cancellations or lift them, Young explained.

Full article at vindy.com

Noah Dearing loves fishing as much as he loves the outdoors.

When it was time for him to select an Eagle Scout project, he combined his passions and came up with a project that filled the order. He is making 10 used fishing-line receptacles to be placed at Mill Creek MetroParks fishing areas around Mahoning County.

Noah, 16, son of Albin and Kathleen Dearing of Poland, and his 13-year-old brother Gabriel are members of Boy Scout Troop 2 out of the Poland Methodist Church. His father serves as the troop’s scoutmaster. Noah finished his sophomore year at Poland Seminary High School and will be a junior this fall, when he hopes to be able to have his court of honor for the Eagle Award.

Noah said when he started looking at ideas, he had thought about bat boxes, but other Valley Scouts had undertaken that project. He met with Nick Derico of Mill Creek MetroParks, who offered several ideas. Noah selected the fishing-related one.

“This was good timing,” Derico said. “The park just expanded fishing in several areas.”

He said fishing will be offered at Lake Glacier, Lake Newport and Lake Cohasset. Fishing also will take place at Yellow Creek, Vickers Nature Preserve and the Mill Creek MetroParks Farm pond in Canfield. In total, Noah needed 10 receptacles to place at the sites.

The next steps for Noah were to secure funding and materials.

“I wrote letters to friends and family,” he said. “My budget for the project was set at $935 and I raised $1,700.”

Along with monetary donations, Noah also secured donated supplies, including the PVC pipe from Trumbull Industries and the stain from Sherman-Williams. The only item Noah had to purchase was the wooden posts to hold the receptacles.

“I will be donating any leftover funds to the park to help out with future maintenance,” Noah said.

On Saturday, Noah and a small crew installed the receptacles.

Albin said Noah’s project helped keep him going in Scouting during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said Troop 2 has 35 members and meeting by virtual means has been tough.

“Everyone is looking forward to doing some camping,” Albin said. “We are even going to send out a survey to see if parents would favor holding in-person meetings as long as the social-distancing guidelines were followed. We haven’t had a troop meeting since March.”

In the meantime, Noah said he hopes to fish this summer, knowing he shouldn’t be running across discarded fishing line.

Full article at vindy.com