The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks is scheduled for Monday, February 11, 2019, at 6 p.m., in McMahon Hall, at the MetroParks Farm, on Rt. 46, in Canfield. The agenda will be available on the website after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
Mill Creek MetroParks will be hosting the Jewels of Winter, a wonderful celebration and display of orchids at Fellows Riverside Gardens during their normal hours of operation January 29 – March 3, 2019. This year’s theme will showcase orchids interspersed among Valley artifacts, paying homage to its industrialist roots. Orchids are the crown jewels of the plant world, full of color and allure. Let them dazzle you with their brilliance and splendor! Bring your camera, as there will be a kaleidoscope of flowers to photograph.
Fellows Riverside Gardens is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For questions and more information, please call 330.740.7116.
The Nature Education Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Thursday, January 17, 2019, at 6:30 pm, at the Ford Nature Center.
The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks is scheduled for Monday, January 14, 2019, at 6 p.m. in McMahon Hall, at the MetroParks Farm, on Rt. 46 in Canfield. The agenda will be available on the website after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
The Community Engagement Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Friday, January 11, 2019, at 10 a.m. in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm.
The Finance Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Saturday, January 12, 2019, at 10 a.m. in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm.
The Horticulture Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, at 6 p.m. at Birch Hill Cabin.
The Environment Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Thursday, January 24, 2019, at 12 noon in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm.
The Florence Simon Beecher & John D. Finnegan Foundations have combined to contribute $500,000 towards the $3 million renovation of the Ford Nature Center at Mill Creek MetroParks. The contribution will directly benefit the work needed to renovate the carriage house currently located on the property (840 Old Furnace Rd., Youngstown) of the Ford Nature Center. Once completed, the carriage house will serve as an education building, a central hub of all school based and group tours of the Ford Nature Center. The MetroParks Board of Park Commissioners have approved naming the structure, The Beecher Finnegan Education Building.
“Our grateful appreciation goes out to the Florence Simon Beecher & John D. Finnegan Foundations for their generous contribution to the new Education Building at the Ford Nature Center. This building will serve as the gateway to learning about the natural wonders of the world for thousands of local school children each year. Its impact on not only the Ford Nature Center but the entire MetroParks will be felt for generations to come,” says Chris Litton, Mill Creek MetroParks Director of Development.
The project has currently raised $1 million of the $3 million goal. The Sand Hill Foundation of Menlo Park, California has generously offered a challenge grant which will match new donations raised after November 1, 2018 up to $1 million.
The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks is scheduled for Monday, December 17, 2018, at 6 p.m. in the Rossi Auditorium at Fellows Riverside Gardens, in Youngstown. The agenda will be available on the website after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting. A meeting of the Public Records Commission will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the same location.
Detective Sergeant Jason Clark, of the Mill Creek MetroParks Police Department graduated from the Law Enforcement Foundation’s Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) on November 16, 2018. He was one of 35 students attending the seventieth session of the college.
PELC is an intensive, three-week leadership-training program for law enforcement executives. It is based on the premise that leadership skills can be learned, and given the opportunity for feedback and practice, that executives can substantially improve their leadership abilities. The program involves 105 class hours over three weeks on 20 topics, 24 required readings, 4 research papers, 5 community interviews, 3 speeches, and 3 team projects. Over 2,000 Ohio law enforcement executives have attended PELC since its beginning in 1988.
Detective Sergeant Clark has served with the Mill Creek MetroParks Police Department for 19 years. His accomplishments during that time have included: Numerous Criminal Cases, Assignment to the Mahoning County Law Enforcement Task Force for 14 years, and numerous community projects such as hooked on fishing. Commenting on the value and importance of PELC, Clark indicated, “The program showed me the value of good leadership and community involvement.”
Sergeant John Novosel, of the Mill Creek MetroParks Police Department graduated from the Law Enforcement Foundation’s Supervisor Training and Education Program (STEP) on November 14, 2018. Sergeant Novosel was one of 34 students attending the twentieth session of the program.
STEP is designed to develop new supervisors, into highly effective first line supervisors with the competency skills necessary to lead and supervise in a high performance organization. The current STEP curriculum is comprised of nineteen modules including: transition to supervisor, leadership strategies, creating an ethical environment, developing subordinates, mentoring, dealing with problematic employees, effective listening and speaking, improved written communication, administrative skills, performance management, conflict management, critical incident management through table top exercise, supervisory response to line of duty shooting and patrol operations, supervisory response to vehicle and foot pursuits, supervisory response to domestic violence calls, media relations, risk management, capstone case studies, team presentations, panel presentations on contemporary issues, and a First Line Supervisor 360 assessment. Over 500 Ohio law enforcement first-line supervisors have attended STEP since its beginning in 2004.
Are you an amateur photographer with a desire to show off your work? Mill Creek MetroParks wants to see your favorite original photos! Entries will be accepted December 18, 2018 – January 6, 2019 for the annual Nature Photography Exhibit. Categories will include: Wild Animals, Plants – Wild or Not, Wild Scenes, Mill Creek MetroParks Scenes, Nature with a Human Touch, Monochrome, and Young Photographers. Submit photos, application, and fee per entry at the Ford Nature Center (840 Old Furnace Road, Youngstown) between December 18, 2018 – January 6, 2019; Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am -5 pm; Sunday, Noon – 5 pm. Full details and application form available by visiting www.millcreekmetroparks.org.
The Nature Photography Exhibit will be on display to the public, free of charge January 19 through March 24, 2019 in the Weller Gallery of the Davis Education & Visitor Center at Fellows Riverside Gardens during normal operating hours of Tuesdays – Sundays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed Mondays.
The Nature Education Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, at 4:15 p.m. in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm.