2013 Mahoning Ave Clean-up a Success

Sorry for the delay in gettting these posted. Our 2013 Mahoning Ave Clean-up was a success.  Even though the day started off iffy with the weather it did clear up enough to let us clean up Mahoning Ave.  We would just like to thank all the volunteers that braved the rain and helped us.  Here are just some of the pictures of us working hard and enjoying our pizza lunch afterwards. We also enjoyed a cake baked by one of our westside residents. Great Job Seth for once again organizing the event.

Oakwood Orchard

Keep an eye out for our Oakwook Orchard on the corner of Oakwood Ave and N Bon Air.  With the help of TJ at Affordable Landscaping we were able to get all of our fruit trees and berry bushes planted in one day.  They are really taking off and the blackberry bushes probably have between 20-30 berries on each bush.  With the ok from the owner of the neighboring house and a very kind donation of the rain barrel itself we were able to place a 275 gal rain barrel to help us out with watering which lately has not been needed.  The raised beds with perennials inside are doing well, the Westside Community Centers kids built and painted our bird houses and they are ready to be mounted on the poles as soon as they are in place.  The sign should be done this week as well. 
We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from the neighbors as well as passerby'sWe are proud that our hard work is being noticed.

Below are pictures from the day of the planting.  I will followup once the sign is in place.

 

Check out our Garden

If you happen to be driving down Oakwood Ave keep an eye out for our Oakwood Garden between Schenley and West Heights on the left hand side.  The tomato and pepper plants are already producing and the zucchini has multiple blooms.  The perennials are finally taking off and the bench's and walkway are in.  We should have the sign up hopefully this week.  There are still some projects that need done and I will keep you posted when help is needed. 
Here are some recent pictures...enjoy

Preventing a dog attack

Preventing a dog attack

Don’t run past a dog. Dogs love to chase and catch things. Don’t give them a reason to become excited or aggressive.

Never disturb a dog that’s caring for puppies, sleeping or eating.

Never reach through or over a fence to pet a dog. Dogs can be protective of their territory and may interpret your action as a threat.

If a dog approaches to sniff you, stay still. In most cases, the dog will go away.

If you are threatened by a dog, remain calm. Speak calmly and avoid eye contact. Stay still until the dog leaves or back away slowly until the dog is out of sight. Don’t turn and run.

If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your head and neck. Protect your face.

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

Mentors Needed at Westside Community Center

The Westside Community Center on Matta Ave on the city's westiside needs men that would like to be mentors.

They have young men that need mentors but struggle getting men to be involved.

If you or someone you know would be interested in their mentoring program and would like more information please contact them at:

email: cramer123@ameritech.net

or phone the center at 330-799-9382

Oakwood Gardens update

Thanks to all that gave up part of their Sunday to help get the raised planter beds into place and filled.  Thanks to Mashorda's for making sure they got us our soil on such short notice.  Fantastic job Seth and his crew at building the beds.

Anyone who is thinning out their perenials we are looking for donations to fill our eight 8x4 foot beds.  We will accept any and if you need us to we can make arrangement to pick them up.

The lots are really coming together now and we can't wait to see everything in place and in bloom.  We will let you know when our next work day will be.

Here are just a few of the pictures we took that day.

Maple Syrup from Mill Creek Metroparks to be sold for charity

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mill Creek MetroParks maples have been tapped, bagged and sapped for the learning experience, and now will benefit the park.

Representatives from the park and Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association have introduced Mill Creek Maple Syrup, tapped from the Charles S. Robinson Maple Grove near the recreation area.

“The Rocky Ridge Neighbors are excited to be producing syrup here on-site for the first time, and we are even more excited to help out a project to further improve the lives of the county’s residents,” said John Slanina, president of the RRNA.

RRNA is an organization for the community adjacent to the Wick Recreation Area and the 125 sugar maples that were planted in 1951. About a year ago, the organization approached the MetroParks about tapping the trees to see if it could create syrup.

“We took classes through the Ohio State University extension service,” Slanina said Tuesday. “We also have some maple-syrup experts locally that we asked to help out.”

After learning what they needed to tap the trees and purchasing about $6,000 in equipment, Slanina said, the groups went to work. The equipment includes an evaporator, which is what boils the sap into syrup. It takes about 45 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of pure maple syrup, and 70 to 80 trees were tapped to produce the crop, according to Slanina.

About 20 volunteers removed 6 tons of sap by hand in February and March.

Weather turned out to be the biggest challenge for the group.

“Unfortunately, because this was a new project, we didn’t have a shelter for them,” said Linda Kostka, development and marketing director for the MetroParks. “Normally when you collect and do the filtering for maple syrup, it’s done in a building to avoid things like freezing weather.”

The bags on the trees did freeze during the process, but in the end, the syrup was collected, and 300 bottles were filled with Mill Creek Maple Syrup.

All proceeds from the syrup will go to the MetroParks and RRNA. Half of the proceeds will help pay for a new children’s playground at the Wick Recreation Area and half will go to improvement projects in Rocky Ridge.

The bottles are now numbered and on sale for $12 at Fellows Riverside Gardens, Lanterman’s Mill and Youngstown Nation on Phelps Street.

Two bottles are being auctioned at rockyridgeneighbors.com. The very first bottle of maple syrup produced is being auctioned with a current bid of $100. A “tasting breakfast” at the MetroParks log cabin on Lake Glacier, with pancakes, bacon, eggs and Rocky Ridge honey also is being auctioned, with a current bid of $300