Archive for the ‘Places’ Category
The Mahoning Valley has several choices for continuing education – Youngstown State University and Kent State University regional campuses offer college access and there are also several technical colleges in the area. However, the rising cost of tuition can be a deterrent. Jefferson Community College of Steubenville saw the need for a more affordable college choice and now there is one; Eastern Gateway Community College With just one full semester in the books, Eastern Gateway Community College can already tout its success. Serving Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties, this expansion of Jefferson Community College is thriving.
Mill Creek MetroParks pulls out all the stops in celebration of autumn, and you’re invited. Winters can be tough in Y-town and the MetroParks make the most of the fabulous fall weather that precedes the first snow fall.
The changing fall foliage might be a tourist attraction in New England, but Mill Creek Park can be just as impressive. Put on your walking shoes and take advantage of the wonderful seasonal show Mother Nature presents. The MetroParks offers numerous interpretive walks during the month of October. These walks are slow-paced so time can be taken to not only gain information about the walk’s topic but so everyone can enjoy the scenery.
Tired of being cooped up for the past four months, mug of hot coffee in hand, waiting for that first sign of Spring? Wait no more! April is here and with it comes fair weather, warm temps and the opportunity to brush off those sneakers and get moving.
The Mahoning Valley offers plenty of opportunities to get our and get going. Bike, walking and running trails a-wait. Nature walks, hiking excursions, group sports – all are available to people ready to enjoy the spring-time weather and get ready for an action-packed summer.
Enjoy!
It’s hard to beat the jewel of the area – Mill Creek Metroparks – and what they have to offer. Visit their website at www.millcreekmetroparks.com and sign up for their monthly email detailing everything from bird-watching events to kayaking trips. If a person just took advantage of the opportunities this one park offers throughout the year, there would be no need for a costly health club membership.
While Mill Creek has a great deal to offer, don’t miss out on the other parks and nature areas in the Mahoning Valley region. There are numerous small community parks where biking, walking and running venues await. The Austintown Township Park (6000 Kirk Rd., Austintown – 330-799-6989) is a wonderful smaller park that offers everything from a metered walking trail and nature trails to the unique Braille trail; a guided trail for the visually impaired.
After a long day of yard work, why not grab a fishing pole…
Yes, the weather outside is frightful, but hey it’s January and you live in Ohio for Pete’s sake! So what’s a person to do? Lots as a matter of fact. Get off that coach; the movie channel can wait. Head outside and take advantage of what Youngstown has to offer in the dead of winter. Here’s hoping the roads are salted and you don’t forget your mittens!
What could be more fun than the Three Winter S’s – sledding, skating and skiing? While there are plenty of backyard hills and farm ponds to be had in Mahoning County, get together with friends or make some new ones at these great community gathering places.
With Flexible Flyer in tow, head to the James L. Wick Recreation Area in Mill Creek Park (Youngstown – 330-740-7107) for some awesome sledding experiences. Know that evening sledding is doable thanks to the outdoor lighting and there is a heated shelter available once the winter chill becomes a bit intense. The concession stand is also an added bonus. What’s a good day of sledding without a couple hot cocoas to keep you going?
Ice skating is another winter pastime staple. If you’d like to skate outdoors, make your way to the Courthouse Square Park Ice Rink in downtown Warren (330-841-2641). This man-made ice rink is open during the winter. For those who prefer to skate indoors, the Ice Zone in Boardman (330-965-1423) is the place to go. Two ice rinks are maintained here in the winter…
[ November 29, 2008; 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. November 30, 2008; 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. ]
Mill Creek Park is Youngstown’s crown jewel. The result of a forward thinking Volney Rogers who helped the park become established in 1891, Mill Creek Metropolitan Park District encompasses 2,600 acres within urbanized Mahoning County. Including 20 miles of drives and 15 miles of foot trails, Mill Creek also boasts a rare collection of gardens, lakes for canoeing, and woodlands to explore. Though the park has much to offer year-round, at the end of November one special location, Lanterman’s Mill, pulls out all the stops as it welcomes the holiday season to the Valley.
Lanterman’s Mill is considered one of Mahoning County’s most historic landmarks. The present mill (and all mills that came before it) built in 1845-1846 by German Lanterman and Samuel Kimberly is located at Lanterman’s Falls. The Mill was restored from 1982 to 1985 through a gift from the Ward and Florence Beecher Foundation. However, there were a few mills at this location prior to the one standing today.
John Young, the founder of Youngstown, once owned the land surrounding Lanterman’s Falls. He sold 300 acres that included the falls to Phineas Hill at the end of the 18th century with the stipulation a saw and grist mill be built at the site of the Falls within 18 months of purchase. This mill which operated from 1799 to 1822 was built from logs found on-site and millstones were cut from granite in the area.
In 1823, Eli Baldwin built a mill to replace this original, with this…
Immigrants are the backbone of the nation and of Youngstown as well. In the early 1800s many flocked to the Mahoning Valley searching for work with large numbers of immigrants setting up residence on the west side of Crab Creek; an area that became know as Smoky Hollow – earning the name from the smoke-filled skies compliments of the nearby Mahoning Valley Iron Company. Though the diversity of people who came to Youngstown at this time was extensive, the Italian-American community was drawn to Smoky Hollow. It was in the 1920s when the Cassesse family opened the Mahoning Valley Restaurant – fondly called the MVR by the locals. Great Italian food was its trademark then as it is today. The Smoky Hollow region of the city was a very viable area up until the early 1960s when the neighborhood began to deteriorate, but the MVR hung-on.
Today Youngstown State University butts up the Smoky Hollow region and a local group of merchants has vowed to revitalize the area by creating the Wick District-Smoky Hollow retail corridor with the MVR acting as its anchor. And while the area strives to renew itself – the University Courtyard Apartments; a $22 million public-private partnership project catering exclusively to YSU students is located nearby – no matter the progress, the MVR is thriving.
When hunger hit Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign entourage while in Youngstown this fall, the group placed a call to Cassese’s MVR and within the hour John and Cindy McCain were…
