With the arrival of spring, many in the Valley are looking for a way to get out and enjoy warmer temperatures. 

For bicyclists in the area that have missed the fourteen-and-a-half mile ride along the entirety of the Mill Creek MetroParks Bike Trail, you’ll likely be in luck soon. 

MetroParks officials say the bike trail is anticipated to open a detour near the Kirk Road Trailhead sometime next week. 

The trail has been closed between Kirk Road and Herbert Road since July 2018. 

According to park officials, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission was working to replace the turnpike bridges over the Bikeway. 

OTIC replaced the bridges with a large concrete arch culvert, thus creating a tunnel for the bikeway under the turnpike. 

Officials say contractors were out Thursday paving a portion of the new detour. 

Following the paving, crews have some final touches to put in, including fencing, barrier walls, and other safety features. 

Park officials say the official date of the opening of the new detour will depend upon the weather and when the crews can wrap up the final measures. 

During the closure, other sections of the bike trail have remained open, including from Western Reserve Road to Herbert Road, and from Kirk Road north into Niles. However, cyclists have not been able to travel the full length of the trail. 

The actual trailhead under the turnpike is expected to be completed and reopened at the end of 2019.

View the full article at wfmj.com

Dog owners had the chance to celebrate a holiday and walk their dog at the same time on Sunday.

Mardi Paws started at the Ford Nature Center in Mill Creek Park. The walk lasted for two miles.

A dog owner, Debbie Mozzy says it’s a good opportunity to meet other people and their dogs.

“It lets you meet people who have other dogs and you get to make friends and you get your dogs out. It’s really good for the dogs for socializing — it is — and it’s really good for us.

Dog walks at the park are coordinated by MetroMutts. For a schedule, go to the park’s website.

View full article at wkbn.com

Mill Creek Park hosted its monthly Sprout Club meeting on Dec. 13. Park educator Lynn Zocolo ran the event, with a mad science theme.

“We are doing science experiments,” Zocolo said. “If they get a little dirty, that’s even better.”

Sprout Club is a program for preschool-age students, with themes changing month to month. For this program, children got to perform a number of science experiments. Those included testing whether items will sink or float, blowing up ivory soap in the microwave and creating “elephant tooth paste,” according to Zocolo.

“They are all going to wear goggles and they will be able to play with all of that stuff,” she said.

Children were also able to create a fizzy Jell-O experiment and examine a “magic leak proof bag.”

“We will fill a regular plastic bag with water and put pencils through it and it will not leak,” Zocolo said. “It gets them that hands on learning experience.”

During each event students get a special treat, this month being a special concoction of Jell-O and ice cream.

“I don’t go into any of the science behind all this because they are preschoolers we are just going to have fun,” Zocolo said.

She said that it helps get students thinking about science concepts down the road.

“I see some children at their very first class they are so shy and about half way through they get excited and say ‘Ms. Lynn I did this, or that.’”

The class is part of a three part series, at the end of which children receive a trinket from the park for their graduation.

“We have fun, and that’s what I want for them, just to have fun,” Zocolo said.

Next month’s programs are ice cream and beaver themed.

“I always have a wonderful group of volunteers that help,” Zocolo said. “That’s very important because I need all the help I can get.”

For information on upcoming Sprout Club events, go to www.millcreekmetroparks.org.

View the full article at vindy.com

Students from Trumbull and Mahoning County schools and area colleges are coming together in unity as part of a “Unity Project”designed to not only showcase students’ artistic talents but share a message of building a better community and world.

The Unity Project with the theme “UNITE! Dream to build a better community, a better World” is being displayed through Jan. 31 at Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens. A reception and open house to meet students who took part in the project is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education Center.

Tracy Schuler Vivo, director of Visual and Performing Arts for Youngstown City Schools, said this is the second year for the project, which started with Youngstown school children and has expanded to eight other area schools such as Austintown, Liberty, Lordstown, Kent State University and Youngstown State University.

Each school and district submitted large 3-foot by 4-foot collaborative paintings on canvas in December. Pieces include images, symbols, letters and lines along with a theme and quote.

“The Unity Project is a true community effort. The project symbolizes unity through the collaborative painting process. The students showed a lot of effort and work in completing this. This project brought everyone together and shows the community that we can all be part of something together,”she said.

There will be 24 canvases, with 12 from Youngstown schools.

Vivo said students in both elementary and high schools had the opportunity to contribute to the Unity Project, painting in their own way. Each painting was accompanied by a quote explaining each building’s take on unity.

Each school received a blank canvas to be utilized for a collaborative painting / project with visual art students creating a unified vision for the collaborative project in correlation with the theme. A title for the piece and an original quote generated by the discussion between the visual art teacher and students also accompanied it.

“This project was a big success last school year in its inaugural year and we are now broadening our reach to other districts and area universities this year. Last year’s images will soon be displayed permanently in downtown Youngstown in collaboration with YSUscape,” she said.

Following the display at Mill Creek Park, the exhibit will be shown at other area locations for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year, at community venues such as Mahoning County Library branches and the McDonough Museum of Art.

Verna DelDuca, art teacher for Lordstown schools, said each student taking art at Lordstown High School was asked to develop and contribute to the art piece that promoted community building. When completed, the project was titled “Rays of Light” with the slogan “Let the community rays of light shine.”

View the full article at tribtoday.com

The Mill Creek MetroParks are celebrating Fellow Riverside Garden’s 60th anniversary during their annual Winter Celebration.

This year’s celebration has a “Frozen in Time” theme to celebrate the diamond anniversary of the facility.

Jaime Yohman, the park’s Community Engagement Director, said that annually non-profit organizations purchase 60 trees spread throughout the facility to decorate during the event.

“It’s a community event, and we have a large response from the community throughout the month of December,” Yohman said.

Along with the annual tree walk to celebrate the anniversary, the committee created a memory wall.

“We reached out to the community and asked for any pictures of the gardens throughout the years,” said Sharmon Lesnak, the head volunteer for the event. Lesnak, along with Pam Nock and Debbie Walker, organized the event and coordinated the volunteers.

“We really want to thank the volunteers. They’re great and this would not be possible without them,” Lesnak said.

The planning for the event begins in early June when the committee starts organizing work shop days. During the workshops, Lesnak said they hand-make ornaments to use during the month of December to decorate the gardens.

This year, Lesnak and other committee members used plastic bottles and permanent markers to hand make ornaments for the event. All supplies were donated by community members and created by volunteers.

“It’s a huge undertaking every year,” Yohman said. “But Sharmon is very creative and we always have a beautiful turn out.”

The event will also feature characters from Disney’s “Frozen” to fit the theme.

Sister’s Anna and Elsa will make an appearance on Saturdays during December for children and their families to enjoy.

“It’s really a big community event,” Lesnak said. “We always try to have something for the kids to enjoy.”

Along with the tree walk and the visits from Disney characters, the event will feature a number of musicians to entertain community members. The community is also invited to bring a donation of non perishable food that the park will give to the Second Harvest food bank at the end of the event. Kravitz Deli will also offer food specials throughout December at their Garden Cafe.

“Community members can come in, see the lights and have a nice meal at the cafe,” Yohman said. “It’s really a great event everyone seems to have fun.”

Frozen in Time will run through Dec. 30 at Fellows Riverside Garden, with the garden staying open till 7 p.m. on Saturdays to accommodate guests.

“We really owe so much of this to the lovely volunteers,” Lesnak said. “Without them none of this would be possible.”

View the full article at vindy.com