Notice of MetroParks Standing Committee Meeting
The Environment Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners will meet on Thursday, February 15, 2018, at 1 p.m. in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield.
Notice of February Board Meeting
A Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will be held on Monday, February 12, 2018, at 6 p.m., in McMahon Hall, at the MetroParks Farm, in Canfield, on Rt. 46. The agenda will be available after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
Twice Loved Book Sale at Fellows Riverside Gardens
Peruse the tables in the Maxine Antonucci Horticulture Library for much loved books on gardening, cooking, crafts, nature, and more. There will also be magazines for sale. All proceeds benefit the Maxine Antonucci Horticulture Library at Fellows Riverside Gardens. The sale runs February 17 through February 25 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm at Fellows Riverside Gardens, open Tuesdays through Sundays. Cash or check only. For questions and more information, call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330.740.7116 or visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org.
Canfield Joint Fire District Ice Rescue Training to take place at MetroParks Farm
On Saturday, February 3, 2018, from approximately Noon – 4 pm and Monday, February 5, from approximately 5 pm – 10 pm, the Canfield Joint Fire District will be conducting ice rescue training at the pond at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield. In the event there is a cancellation, the makeup date will be February 12, 2018 from approximately 5 pm – 10 pm.
Mill Creek MetroParks presents Jewels of Winter Orchid Exhibit
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 from February 6 – March 11, 2018. 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 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For questions and more information, please call 330.740.7116.
Local Runner Raises Money for Mill Creek MetroParks Trails
Niles resident, Bo Marchionte, had a vision 20 years ago to run every day without missing a day. He ran in the park 90% of the time through all the weather elements logging 10 miles or more on most days. With just 2 weeks to go until his 20 year anniversary date of January 4, 2018, his wife Wendy and longtime friend Tony Perrone wanted to do something special to mark the day. With Perrone’s expertise in fund raising they decided to raise money and make a donation to the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation in honor of Bo’s love for the trails in Mill Creek. Also, the Primanti Brothers, Niles location, held a fund raising event from January 4 – 7 where a percentage of sales were donated. In just 2 short week’s donations from family, friends and local businesses tallied up to $5,258.91, breaking their original goal of $2,500. On January 18, 2018, Marchionte, along with family and friends, presented a check in the amount of $5,258.91 to serve as the first contribution to the Trail Endowment Fund at Mill Creek MetroParks. “I love the park and running the trails there. I am thrilled the contributions on my behalf will be the kickoff of this endowment”, says Marchionte.
“I am amazed at the long-term effort and dedication brought forth by Bo. We are honored to accept this donation on his behalf. With the MetroParks newly established endowment fund, this donation will aide in the continued enhancement of the MetroParks trail system for the enjoyment of our park visitors,” says Aaron Young, Executive Director of Mill Creek MetroParks. “This is a great example of setting a goal and working hard to make an impact with friends and family supporting you along the way.”
The purpose of the Trail Endowment Fund is to provide for the perpetual maintenance and care of MetroParks trails. Those wishing to contribute to the Trail Endowment Fund can contact Chris Litton, Director of Development at Litton@millcreekmetroparks.org.
Mill Creek MetroParks PGA Director of Golf recognized by the PGA of America
Mill Creek MetroParks PGA Director of Golf, Brian Tolnar, becomes the 136th Certified PGA Professional in the country. The Certified Professional Program (2.0) is a valuable achievement in a learning strategy aimed at improving PGA Professionals proficiency and advancing facility opportunities. The program is the PGA of America’s career enhancing educational curriculum that supports the goals of the PGA members who are committed to continuously improving their business skills to meet the increasing demands of the golf industry. The PGA of America currently offers four certification career paths: Player Development, Golf Operations, Golf Facility Management and Teaching & Coaching. Each career path consist of 35+ business courses, industry related project and a thesis capstone paper submission for program completion.
“I’m excited to bring some of the skills I have acquired in the education program back to Mill Creek this season. It is always a positive anytime an opportunity presents itself to expand a skill set. This gives me the ability to advance offerings and services, along with keeping on top of industry trends. Our golf staff works very hard to keep our programming fresh and exciting and I’m looking forward to assisting them in the continual growth and popularity of our golf programs,” says Brian Tolnar, PGA Director of Golf. This makes Tolnar 1 of only 2 golf professionals certified in the state of Ohio for Player Development in the PGA of America.
New Aggregate Parking Lot at Sebring Woods
As part of the MetroParks’ ongoing capital improvement initiative, Mill Creek MetroParks is pleased to announce the completed construction of a 20-vehicle aggregate parking lot at the Sebring Woods facility in the Village of Sebring. The new parking lot is located on North Johnson Road and provides access to a 0.7-mile primitive hiking trail loop. This primitive trail loop features two natural creek crossings and meanders through a variety of habitats, including wooded wetlands and upland forests. Along with future projects to be completed in early 2018, the addition of the parking lot provides visitors easier access and enhances the overall user experience at Sebring Woods.
West Newport Drive Improvement Project Planned for Mill Creek Park (PID: 107043)
Mill Creek MetroParks is soliciting public comment for an upcoming improvement project. West Newport Drive, a roadway located in the Historic District of Mill Creek Park, stretches from Sheban Drive to Canfield Road (Route 62). The proposed rehabilitation project will occur on the southern section of this roadway from Sheban Drive to Hampton Drive and involves the resurfacing of 1.53 miles of existing asphalt concrete. Additional improvements include the restoration of aggregate roadway shoulders and the reapplication of pavement markings.
The transportation improvement is scheduled for construction in the summer of 2018. The estimated construction cost is approximately $289,190 with $126,933 being funded through ODOT’s Park District Road Improvement Fund. During project construction, West Newport Drive will remain open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic at all times, but will be closed to all vehicular traffic from Sheban Drive to Hampton Drive. A detour route will be provided for vehicular traffic. Construction, lane restriction, roadway closure and detour information will be posted along West Newport Drive and on the Mill Creek MetroParks website (www.millcreekmetroparks.org) prior to the start of construction. During the West Newport Drive closure, parking lots for the Newport Wetlands and the West Newport Drive Picnic Area will be closed to vehicular traffic, however, these facilities will remain open and will be accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists at all times during project construction.
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by ODOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 11, 2015, and executed by FHWA and ODOT. The proposed project will not impact any cultural resources, suspect hazardous waste sites or ecological resources. The project will not result in substantial impacts to the environment either individually or cumulatively. In compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (codified as 36 CFR 800), Mill Creek MetroParks requests information regarding the presence of any known cultural resources in the vicinity of the project. Cultural resources include prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, historic bridges, historic buildings, sites and districts.
To ensure the proposed project is viable and successful, Mill Creek Metro Parks is seeking comments from the public about the social, environmental, and economic impacts of this proposed project. Environmental impacts include those involving archeological, architectural and ecological resources, regulated materials and the general location of the project. Any comments you may have regarding the environmental and/or the proposed project may be submitted by February 9, 2018.
All public comments, questions and/or concerns about the project are welcomed, and should be directed to:
Mill Creek MetroParks
Re: Andrew Steingass, Park Planner
P.O. Box 596
Canfield, OH 44406-0596
Phone: 330.702.3000
Fax: 330.702.3010
Steingass@Millcreekmetroparks.org
Notice of January Board Meeting
A Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will be held on Monday, January 8, 2018, at 6 p.m., in McMahon Hall, at the MetroParks Farm, in Canfield, on Rt. 46. The agenda will be available after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.