Someone called to say that Mill Creek Park fired many employees today. Is this true?
If it appears in the newspaper, it must be true.
www.vindy.com/news/2016/feb/12/report-mass-firings-mill-creek-metroparks/?nw (http://www.vindy.com/news/2016/feb/12/report-mass-firings-mill-creek-metroparks/?nw)
First mass killings of geese and now mass firings of long-time employees. Plus escorting them off the property with park police like they were criminals.....
Maybe they want to use their salaries to build Shrimp's giant lodge.....or spend more money to frack the park....
Well, by now I have read a couple of articles on this and saw a brief video interview of Aaron Young. He did not come off as very polished. I am sure we do not know the full story but #1--I do feel that this will be one of the worst mistakes of Aaron Young's managerial life and, #2--that was the MOST HORRIBLE way to handle Ray Novotny and the others--to be security-guarded off the premises like they were criminals and not award-winning public servants. So very, very wrong. Shame.
Did the Mill Creek directors know of Mr. Young's leadership skills from his previous employer?
Aaron Young, Planning Director
Aaron assessed himself as a Driver/Driver which is a Style that is very reserved and very dominant. His
coworker assessors agree with this placement. The Assessor experienced Aaron as far more animated
than the Driver/Driver Style and places him as a Driver/Expressive – somewhat social and very
dominant. This style is competitive, highly values recognition and reward and doesn't hesitate to
strongly express opinions, positive or negative. When situations are inconsistent with the individual's
goals or opinions they may not support team efforts and can appear to be arrogant. This behavior was
clearly demonstrated in a leadership team meeting. Aaron has developed the negative behavior of
verbally tackling his teammates and using foal language which must be addressed.
Aaron will respond best to direct and empowering leadership. Both Drivers and Expressives do not
respond well to micro management. Lack of and/or poor decision making will be an issue for him.
Under stress Aaron's style can become impatient and autocratic. Aaron is the one Director who does
not possess the Amiable trait. With so many of the group being at the diagonal opposite Style of
Amiable it could be challenging for all involved. Ultimately all Styles provide value and a balanced
presence of strengths help to better manage the inherent weaknesses.
I read an article about the firings.... I agree that they were really sh*tty in how they did it. They
could have given 30 days notice and there was no need to have park police present. Adequate
notice would have given some of the employees time to look for another job.
Seems like there is less and less respect for the workers in this country these days......
:(
Maybe members of the Mahoning County Green Party need to picket Mill Creek.....
I found Todd Franko's Vindy article interesting this morning. Life and work at the Vindy must really stink since he seems to take great pleasure in writing about public sector employees when they get fired...."tough beans and suck it up" is always his message.....
I liked Franko when I first met him.....now I find him to be one cold-hearted GOP-CEO wanna-be......I'd stay away from coffee counters and bar stools if I were him....
If the issue of the firings concerns you, I suggest that you attend the next meeting of the Mill Creek Park Commissioners.
Time and date?
Next park board meeting is Monday, March 14 6:00 pm MetroParks Farm. Be there to voice your displeasure at the actions of Director Young regarding the firings of long-time dedicated park employees!
there are going to be more firings since last week stay tuned folks
4 more firings at Mill Creek yesterday! I bet Ricky Rowlands and all the conservative GOP'ers are dancing a jig with each firing while Ron is counting the salary savings so his ski lodge hotel can be built and guests can sit outside on summer nights and bask in the glow of the injection well fires throughout the park in the near future.
I say mount a protest with the probate judge to get rid of this individual that is causing harm to our beautiful park system.
Many people are now calling for the repeal for the Mill Creek Park property tax levy.
I have stopped visiting this forum,since Towntalk left it feels like the life of the party has departed so to speak. But this issue regarding Mill Creek Park compelled me to briefly return.
I am disgusted at the actions of this so called Executive Director. You do not treat long term professional employees in the way that smug ass treated his. If I lived in Mahoning County my name would be prominently entered onto a petition calling for a recall vote on the park levy. The killing of the geese didn't really bother me because they were a problem. The water quality issues was something outside of their control. But the firings are something completely in the control of the park management, and was handled in the absolute worst way possible.
I would very much like to see a recall petition succeed. Irishbobcat, maybe the FFMV folks could do something useful for once and circulate this petition instead of the so called Bill of Rights petition. Get this on the ballot, and make damn sure that the Mill Creek Park Board knows that there is one reason, and one reason only why they now have to once again sweat over the future funding of the park, and that reason is the continued employment of a certain bald head, grade A, Blue Ribbon, Olympic sized MORON of an Executive Director!
Quote from: Rick Rowlands on February 19, 2016, 10:30:14 PM
I have stopped visiting this forum,since Towntalk left it feels like the life of the party has departed so to speak. But this issue regarding Mill Creek Park compelled me to briefly return.
I am disgusted at the actions of this so called Executive Director. You do not treat long term professional employees in the way that smug ass treated his. If I lived in Mahoning County my name would be prominently entered onto a petition calling for a recall vote on the park levy. The killing of the geese didn't really bother me because they were a problem. The water quality issues was something outside of their control. But the firings are something completely in the control of the park management, and was handled in the absolute worst way possible.
I would very much like to see a recall petition succeed. Irishbobcat, maybe the FFMV folks could do something useful for once and circulate this petition instead of the so called Bill of Rights petition. Get this on the ballot, and make damn sure that the Mill Creek Park Board knows that there is one reason, and one reason only why they now have to once again sweat over the future funding of the park, and that reason is the continued employment of a certain bald head, grade A, Blue Ribbon, Olympic sized MORON of an Executive Director!
WELL said, Rick.....
If I lived in Youngstown I myself would sign a recall petition.
Has hell frozen over? Rick and I agree on something? Wow! You surprised me Rick!
I am not as one dimensional as you make me out to be!
If people want more out of government they must participate in the democratic process. It is not the frack free group obligation to pick up the slack of other people political desires.
One person is calling for the recall of Judge Rusu. He is the judge who appoints members to the Mill Creek Park Board of Commissioners.
How many board members has Judge Rusu appointed? Belinky was in charge of that before Rusu.
This Mill Creek board and its director is a hot mess and it has to be looked at before more damage is done.
Judge Rusu appointed three board members (Bennett, Schulick and Senchak).
Judge Rusu also reappointed Ragan.
Judge Rusu, in essence, appointed 4 of the 5 current Mill Creek Park commissioners.
Time to put fire under the feet of all the millcrk park board members to find out their votes for the firings.
When stupid people are not smart enough to make use of resources bestowed by nature upon them and mismanage them, chaos ensues.
You cry when they look at minerals for revenue and you cry when the result is force reduction.
The pre-board public meeting time and location are set. An organizing meeting of all who are upset with the decisions regarding Mill Creek MetroParks will be held from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 7 at the Youngstown Community Health Center meeting room, 726 Wick Avenue between the freeway and Ursuline High School. Use the door nearest Wick Avenue. Please share this with all who are concerned about the park.
Discuss & Watch for UPDATES here
and
here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/guardiansmillcreek/
and
here:
https://www.facebook.com/Save-the-Wildlife-in-Mill-Creek.../
Quote from: Youngstownshrimp on February 21, 2016, 01:54:44 PM
When stupid people are not smart enough to make use of resources......
This can apply to human resources, also....
QuoteYoungstown Community Health Center meeting room
How large is this meeting room? Will it be able to hold all the people who might turn out?
Defund Mill Creek!!!
Ron, if you ever get your chance to defund the park...how long will it take for you to turn the area into fracking fields? You can even get the tent people under the bridge to be security guards... :laugh:
Believe it or not, there are traps set in Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary. A poor river otter was caught in one of the traps yesterday. (Google river otters. They are adorable and their population is struggling because of humans). Someone called the park police, they responded, and supposedly released the poor otter. They said that the otter was ok and swam off.
Who is setting the traps? Why are they setting up traps? What other animals are being tortured/killed by these traps? IF they HAVE to set traps, why not set up humane trap-and-release ones? Who is supposed to be checking and overseeing the traps?
For our supporters, we need to get back to business again. We were working with the park on a humane wildlife policy. (Yes, it has been a long process since the geese were killed). We were waiting for the park to follow up with a rough draft of the potential policy. But is this what they are doing with the wildlife WHILE working with our group? Since when are traps considered a HUMANE method of dealing with wildlife?
Stay tuned.
Dennis, if we really care and wish to be real about Mill Creek's problem, let us begin the discussion about funding, this is the true problem, can we agree to this first?
ok
So, it appears the primary funding for the park is from property taxes of landowners in Mahoning county, which rural farmers are the largest funders. One can deduce the turmoil and restructurings are the results of pushback in funding by the few landowners.
Or the anticipation of....
So Dennis and community, where do we go from here?
I'll tell you, alternate funding, this is the solution to keep Mill Creek from continuing the spiral into a ghetto park.
REMINDER! MON March 7 at 5:30 - 7pm Public meeting for those Concerned About The Park.
Youngstown Community Health Center, 726 Wick Ave, #Youngstown, Ohio 44505 - an organizing meeting of all who are upset with the decisions regarding Mill Creek MetroParks.
Tonight, if you want to be honest, you must demand Mill Creek park do big business with the people's 4000 plus mineral acres in Mill Creek; it is the answer to all our problems and can be the growth of the park.
Hey Ron......send me some direct links regarding Oglebay Park and how they sell their mineral rights.....where the pipe lines run, etc........
Hey Dennis,
W VA unfortunately does not have a very good website for their dept of natural resource. Ohio has a very good one and I can easily show you how to pull all the info up on Ohio state acreage such as Muskingum watershed. With Ogle bay we must do research.
Also, start off by Google Oglebay leasing oil and gas. Also do the Pittsburgh airport, I remember a lot of news on them.
Ron, regarding Oglebay.....the money back to the park and city is basically pennies on the dollar...with the big bucks coming when they signed....not from production since....The only positive aspect I found was the company did work with the park and citizens over environmental concerns before acting...something that has never occurred in this area.....
How fiscal is Mr. Young regarding park expenses? Read on......
just found this on the internet: In response to your public records request of March 2, 2016 the MetroParks vehicle provided to Aaron Young is a 2016 Jeep Cherokee purchased on 2/18/16 for $23,489. There were 4 other vehicles he purchased in 2015: 2/6/15 2015 Ford F350 $39,500 6/16/15 2015 Ford Explorer $26,331 7/1/15 2015 Ford F150 $26,708 7/1/15 2015 Ford F150 $26,708 2016 vehicles purchased Jeep: $23,489 Jeep: $23,489 Jeep: $23,139 Total spent on new vehicles since his regime: $189,364 Does this sound like a park that is financial difficulties? He purchased these vehicles on the backs of the terminated park employees. He has purchased more new vehicles for the park than any other recent director.
A member of the Mill Creek Park Board of Commissioners has resigned.
Public pressure may be forcing Judge Rusu to make a more favorable appointment to the park's board.
This problem will never be solved with your continued attitude of "let them eat cake!"
Everyone is at fault including all of you here! That's right, you tie the hands of leadership that cannot run a Massive amount of acreage with continuing property tax reduction. Property taxes throughout Mahoning county, especially Youngstown are more and more becoming delinquent, thus no matter how many levies you pass boneheads, the payments are never 100%. So like morons we act like the Emperor has no clothes. WAKE UP! Why do you think all the large acreage holding entities do business with the energy companies? And geniuses notice none of them are laying people off! The answer to all of Mill Creek's problems is a lack of a MINERAL BUSINESS PLAN!
Ron, one question...can you have a mineral business plan that doesn't include fracking with toxic chemicals?
Property taxes will kill a marginal area. Properties that are not very valuable, such as most of the land in Youngstown, if they become delinquent will basically become off limits to new development. If ther property is worth $5,000 but has $10,000 worth of back taxes, nobody is going to come in and pay three times its value to be able to obtain clear title. So basically, a government greedy for tax revenue is in effect killing its own community.
This is exactly what happened to Mahoning county. Fortunately inadvertently the tax lines were sold and all out of reach property had taxes dialed back. Unfortunately now the stoppage of tax lien sells may repeat the process all over again.
The senior employees should have had a retirement party.