Cleanup day at Mill Creek Park seeking more volunteers

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BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – With over 40 locations in the Mill Creek MetroParks system, more participants are needed for its 40th Earth Day Cleanup.

Although more than 150 Scouts and volunteers are expected to scour Mill Creek MetroParks in recognition of Earth Day to remove winter buildup of litter and debris, more help is needed, especially along shorelines and creeks.

The cleanup is co-sponsored by the Stambaugh District, Great Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America and Mill Creek MetroParks.

The cleanup takes place on Saturday, April 23, throughout Mill Creek MetroParks.

Coordinators will stop by the Bresko Pavilion at the Wick Recreation Area (Rocky Ridge) to pick up supplies before 9 a.m. and then meet with their groups at various locations and work until noon.

This cleanup takes place rain or shine.

In 39 years, more than 13,000 participants have volunteered more than 40,000 hours to clean various areas of the MetroParks.

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.

This event is also in conjunction with the Keep America Beautiful program and is celebrating the Great American Cleanup’s 24th year in 2022, between March 21 to June 22.

For more information about this year’s cleanup or to have your group, organization, church, school, business, family, or individuals come out and lend a hand, contact Mike Kupec, Mill Creek MetroParks Earth Day Cleanup Chairman for the Boy Scouts, at mike.kupec@gmail.com by Apr. 11.

Read the original article at WKBN.

Mill Creek Junior Golf Association wins award

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Mill Creek Golf Courses’ American Junior Association Junior All Star Tournament has won an award of excellence.

The all star tournament placed first in the sports category for the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association 2021 Annual Awards of Excellence.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for the work that we are doing to impact the local community and the dedication demonstrated by the Golf & Recreation Department here at Mill Creek MetroParks,” said Aaron Young, executive director.

The Mill Creek MetroParks created a partnership with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) back in 2015. This was done to bring a national event to Ohio. Then, in 2016, the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation AJGA Junior All Star Tournament was born.

Last year, the AJGA hosted the standard Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation Junior All Star event. In addition, there was an AJGA Preview Event allowing the course to host two 54-hole tournaments with 100 player qualifiers.

The tournament brought in 40 plus college golf coaches from all around the country to recruit players.

“It’s a great way to showcase the MetroParks and the Golf Course all while giving back to our local community,” said Brian Tolnar, PGA golf director.

According to a release from Mill Creek MetroParks, the event has brought roughly a $2 million financial impact to the community in the form of hotel stays, dining, rental cars, shopping and entertainment spending.

The OPRA Annual Awards of Excellence were presented at a banquet hosted by the association Tuesday in Sandusky, Ohio.

 

See original article at WKBN.

Mill Creek Park serves up new pitching machines

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Are you interested in practicing your swing? New pitching machines have been installed at Mill Creek Park.

There are three softball and four baseball machines at the Wick Park Recreation Area.

Those interested can get tokens at the Par 3 building. They also have helmets and bats that you can use for free.

All equipment will be sanitized after each use and every batter must wear a face mask while in the batting cage.

Full article at wkbn.com

Future of public parks amid coronavirus pandemic

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With the weather warming up and most activities put on hold, public parks are one of the few places for people to go…but it isn’t just by nature they’re open.

“We really do urge people to follow the guidelines, use the social distancing, make sure that you’re at least six feet away.” says Jaime Yohman, Community Engagement Director at Mill Creek Metroparks.

On Monday, Ohio governor Mike DeWine hinted at a possible shutdown of parks, due to many reports of people not practicing social distancing.

“It is such a great asset that we have in our community, and we would really hate to see it be closed because people are not following the rules and guidelines that are put into place by the governor.”, Yohman added.

Boardman police also have their hands full overseeing the parks, making it hard to respond to those in need.

“The less traffic out there, the less we have to potentially interact with them…the more that happens, the more our officers are in our neighborhoods.”, says Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth., the pain we’re going

The common theme among everyone is the more we do now, the more we’ll be able to do sooner.

“The more we can do right now, the pain we’re going to feel right now, and those kinds of things are going to end this quicker, and let us get back to a sense of normalcy.”, added Werth.

Full article at wfmj.com

ODNR to release rainbow trout in Mill Creek Park

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Even though temperatures won’t be that warm on Thursday, you might want to get your fishing poles out of storage.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’s Division of Wildlife is having its yearly rainbow trout release in Mill Creek Park.

ODNR will dump 2,500 fish into Lake Glacier sometime in the late morning — the exact time hasn’t been determined. 

You must have a fishing license in order to catch the fish, and you can only catch up to five per day. In addition, foul-hooks are not permitted, and no fishing is permitted in the area directly adjacent to the Lake Glacier Boathouse and the pedestrian bridge. 

View the full article at wkbn.com

Mill Creek maintaining trails, says it’s a never ending battle

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More than 45 miles of trails snake their way through Mill Creek Metroparks and workers say maintaining them is a never-ending battle. Steve Avery of the Mill Creek Metroparks says this is a battle worth fighting.

“The majority of our trails are existing trails — so we are trying to maintain what we already have. So there’s infrastructure, there’s retaining walls, there’s drainage.”

The park says they spend more than $100 thousand every year to keep the trails in good condition.

View the full article at wkbn.com

Mill Creek Park bike trail closed for bridge replacements

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The Metro Parks bike trail will be closed near the Kirk Road entrance in Austintown.

The Ohio Turnpike is rebuilding two bridges that go over the trail. So they’re shutting down the trail for safety concerns.

Bikers and walkers cannot go south on the bike trail from Kirk Road. But you can still get onto the trail going north.

The bridges crews are replacing are just south of Kirk Rd.

View the full article at wkbn.com

Notice of MetroParks Standing Committee Meetings

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The Environment Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet Thursday, April 12, 2018, Noon, in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm. 

The Horticulture Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet Thursday, April 12, 2018, 6 p.m., at Birch Hill Cabin, off of McCollum Road, Youngstown.

The Nature Education Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 6:30 p.m., in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm.

Notice of April Board Meeting

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The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks is scheduled for Monday, April 9, 2018, 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.