Mill Creek Metro Parks hosted its first stuffed animal sleep over on March 15.
Nine children ages 5-10 attended the event with an adult, and their favorite stuffed friend.
Lynn Zocolo, a metro parks employee, said the event was a fun way for children to engage with the Metro Parks Farm.
Zocolo, along with Brenda Markley and other parks employees, hosted the event.
“It’s a very cute idea, we do something special with them after the kids leave for the night,” Zocolo said.
Children enjoyed snacks with their stuffed friends while they watched “The Cat and the Hat.”
After the movie, children tucked their stuffed friend in for the night.
According to Zocolo that’s when the magic began.
“We have our magical leprechaun helpers coming around and the Cat and the Hat stirring up trouble, none of the stuffed animals got any sleep that night,” Zocolo said.
When children returned for breakfast the following morning they were able to wake up their stuffed friend.
The received a photo booklet of all of the fun things their friend did at the sleep over the night before.
Stuffed animals were seen playing follow the leader, raiding the fridge for snacks and staying up way past their bed time.
“It’s just a very fun thing. A lot of the libraries have held similar events and we just thought it would be a great addition to the park,” Zocolo said.
For more information on upcoming park events, visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org.
Notice of MetroParks Standing Committee Meetings
/in Press Releases /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffThe Finance Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 10 a.m., in Classroom A, at the MetroParks Farm.
The Environment Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at 12 o’clock noon, in Classroom A, at the MetroParks Farm.
Metro Park Farms shows off newest members
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffThe Mill Creek Metro Parks hosted a special Tales for Tots event featuring baby animals.
Two to three-years-olds and their families traveled to the Metro Park Farms to see the newest members of the farm community.
Naturalist Brenda Markley hosted the event which was attended by more than 11 children.
“We want to show case spring coming to the park by spot lighting our youngest farm animals,” Markley said.
To kick off the event Markley read the group “Sounds on the Farm.”
Children assisted in the reading of the book by echoing the sounds farm animals make as Markley read.
After reading about the animals children and their families took a trip to the barn where they got to meet them.
Children were able to pet ducklings and rabbits as Markley held them.
Community members were even able to meet a 2-month-old pig, Peter Porker, who is brand new to the farm.
“We just have a lot of new members of the farm community,” Markley said.
The Metro Parks Farm is open weekly for community members who want to come and see the animals themselves.
“We are always excited for this time of year,” Markley said. “It’s when the farm really comes alive.”
View the full article at vindy.com
Maple syrup bottlers hand over proceeds to support Wick Recreation Area
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffA neighborhood group in Youngstown famous for their locally-produced maple syrup is the first to contribute to a new fund set up to support the Wick Recreation Area.
The Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association presented the Wick Recreation Area fund with a donation of $4,387 from the sale of their 2019 maple syrup harvest.
The syrup is unique to Youngstown because the all-volunteer team utilizes the Sugar House with the Wick Recreation Area to make the syrup.
Bottles of the syrup are $15 and sold in the gift shop at Fellows Riverside Gardens.
“The Rocky Ridge Neighbors are thrilled to contribute to the beginnings of a unique sustainable legacy that has been created by the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation,” said John Slanina, president of the Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association. “Just as community leaders over 65 years ago planted the sugar maple grove in the Wick Recreation Area which residents enjoy today, we hope this endowment will grow and provide support to future generations of parkgoers.”
The Wick Recreation Endowment is one of several targeted endowments launched by the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation.
View the full article at wkbn.com
Art exhibit featuring local painters on display at Mill Creek MetroParks
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffA free art exhibit featuring local painters is on display in the Weller Gallery at Fellows Riverside Gardens in Youngstown.
Jaime Yohman, community engagement director for Mill Creek MetroParks, announced Thursday that the display As Did Monet, Artists Paint the Landscape will be on display through June 2 during normal operating hours.
Fellows Riverside Gardens is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed Mondays.
This exhibit features over 50 works from local artists who paint in the Plein Air style.
Plein Air is the French term for open air painting.
These Plein Air style artists may be seen painting the landscapes throughout surrounding counties. They are a meet-up outdoor artist group that originated out of the Davis YMCA art studio.
Some of their favorite places are Mill Creek MetroParks, Beaver Creek State Park, Poland forest, sunflower fields, farms, old villages, apple orchards, ponds, and creeks.
A Meet the Artist session will take place on Saturday, May 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Weller Gallery at Fellows Riverside Gardens.
For more information on this exhibit and the Meet the Artist session, visit Fellows Riverside Gardens or call 330-740-7116.
View the full article at wfmj.com
Plein Air Exhibit Now on Display in Weller Gallery
/in Press Releases /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffMill Creek MetroParks presents As Did Monet, Artists Paint the Landscape now currently on display in the Weller Gallery at Fellows Riverside Gardens. This exhibit features over 50 works from local artists who paint in the Plein Air style. Plein Air is the French term for open air painting. A cluster of artists may be seen painting in the landscape throughout surrounding counties. They are a meet-up outdoor artist group that originated out of the Davis YMCA art studio. The group has evolved to nearly 80 members. Some favorite places are Mill Creek MetroParks, Beaver Creek State Park, Poland forest, sunflower fields, farms, old villages, apple orchards, ponds, creeks and more.
This free exhibit is being displayed now through June 2, 2019 during normal operating hours of Tuesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed Mondays. A Meet the Artist session will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2019 from 1 – 3 pm in the Weller Gallery at Fellows Riverside Gardens. Take this opportunity to meet and visit with these talented, local artists.
For more information on this exhibit and/or the Meet the Artist session, visit or call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330.740.7116.
Stuffed animals spend the night
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffMill Creek Metro Parks hosted its first stuffed animal sleep over on March 15.
Nine children ages 5-10 attended the event with an adult, and their favorite stuffed friend.
Lynn Zocolo, a metro parks employee, said the event was a fun way for children to engage with the Metro Parks Farm.
Zocolo, along with Brenda Markley and other parks employees, hosted the event.
“It’s a very cute idea, we do something special with them after the kids leave for the night,” Zocolo said.
Children enjoyed snacks with their stuffed friends while they watched “The Cat and the Hat.”
After the movie, children tucked their stuffed friend in for the night.
According to Zocolo that’s when the magic began.
“We have our magical leprechaun helpers coming around and the Cat and the Hat stirring up trouble, none of the stuffed animals got any sleep that night,” Zocolo said.
When children returned for breakfast the following morning they were able to wake up their stuffed friend.
The received a photo booklet of all of the fun things their friend did at the sleep over the night before.
Stuffed animals were seen playing follow the leader, raiding the fridge for snacks and staying up way past their bed time.
“It’s just a very fun thing. A lot of the libraries have held similar events and we just thought it would be a great addition to the park,” Zocolo said.
For more information on upcoming park events, visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org.
Golf rules have a different look in 2019
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffWith spring weather comes golf season, and this year’s a little different than most. There are several rule changes this year that, if you don’t get out too often you might not even know about.
“They made an aggressive move to make the game a little bit more simple for the user, to more modernize the game and make it play a little bit faster, which is a couple of the knocks against the game of golf,” said Brian Tolnar, the PGA golf and recreation director at Mill Creek MetroParks.
The most noticeable change for 2019 is that you can now putt with the pin still in the cup.
“Now it’s just a routine part of finishing out the hole,” said Tolnar.
It’s not the only difference on the putting green; you can now tap down spike marks and get a do-over if your practice putt gets a little too cozy with the ball.
“I’m practicing my putting stroke… I accidentally hit the ball. I wasn’t attempting to make the putt. The ball was outside my line of putt. Now I can return that ball back to the spot where it was at under no penalty,” said Tolnar.
In the bunker, you can escape a bad lie and take a drop with a two-shot penalty. You can also clean up a little if there is a twig or leaf sitting right next to your ball.
“Now we have the option to remove loose impediments. Unlike years past, we’d have to hit the shot the way it was sitting in the bunker… Now you get to have the to option of removing those,” said Tolnar.
Let’s say your tee shot flies into the woods. Instead of a one-stroke penalty and another tee shot, which could very well land in the same place, you can now take a two shot penalty and just drop it in the fairway.
As for the way you drop the ball, even that has changed. With the new rules, you will drop the ball from knee height instead of from the shoulder.
“We first started with dropping over our back many many years ago, to shoulder length, to now we’re going to drop at knee height,” said Tolnar.
One of the rule changes you’ll quickly become familiar with if you tend to hit the ball into the woods is how long you have to look around for a lost ball. It used to be five minutes. Now you only have three.
Tolnar says when you add all these little changes together it makes the game faster and ideally more appealing for the next generation.
“Change is a great thing. Especially if you think about the era that you grew up as a kid, it’s completely different than the era that we’re in now. It’s more fast-paced,” said Tolnar. “I think it certainly makes the game more modern. It makes the game more friendly from a playing component and easy to learn and easy to know.”
Mill Creek is part of this push to make the game more appealing with its “Let’s Play Golf Youngstown” initiative. They have special deals and programs for kids and families, trying to get more people into the game of golf. You can learn more on the Mill Creek Golf Course website.
View the full article at wfmj.com
Mill Creek Parks farm lot closing for construction
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffConstruction for the 2019 MetroParks farm parking lot will begin on Monday, April 15 through Friday, April 26.
During the time period, the lot will be closed, public parking will be designated in the gravel lot.
The administration office, education building, animal barns, MetroParks bikeway trailhead, and recycling center will remain open throughout construction.
While construction is being completed, park administration is asking visitors to be cautious while accessing these facilities.
If anyone has questions or concerns call the MetroParks Administration Office at (330)-702-3000.
View the full article at wfmj.com
Mill Creek MetroParks road closures
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffThe following roads in Mill Creek MetroParks will be closed to vehicular traffic as well as cyclists and pedestrians from approximately 6:30 a.m. until Noon on Sunday, April 14, 2019 for the Run Y-town 10 Mile Run:
• Old Mill Drive
• Kreider’s Entrance
• West Newport Drive
• East Newport Drive
• Chestnut Hill Drive
View full article at vindy.com
Mill Creek Parks farm lot closing for construction
/in Media Coverage /by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffConstruction for the 2019 MetroParks farm parking lot will begin on Monday, April 15 through Friday, April 26.
During the time period, the lot will be closed, public parking will be designated in the gravel lot.
The administration office, education building, animal barns, MetroParks bikeway trailhead, and recycling center will remain open throughout construction.
While construction is being completed, park administration is asking visitors to be cautious while accessing these facilities.
If anyone has questions or concerns call the MetroParks Administration Office at (330)-702-3000.
View the full article at wfmj.com