YOUNGSTOWN Park official plans to leave to pursue political work

Harry Meshel's term on the park board expires Dec. 31.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Harry Meshel will not seek another term on the Mill Creek MetroParks' board of commissioners, opting to focus his time on getting more involved in politics.
Meshel, a former Ohio Democratic chairman and state Senate president, said he has felt somewhat self-censored in speaking his mind about politics and government because his statements could negatively impact the park.
"I hold myself back, and I don't want to," he said. "There are freedoms from which I'm restricted. I need that freedom. I don't want to complicate the life of Mill Creek Park, which I love dearly. I want to be more active and a little more forthcoming."
The issues
Meshel has been a critic of how Youngstown officials have handled the convocation center project.
But Meshel said he will be even more outspoken on that issue and others after he finishes out his second term on the board, which expires Dec. 31. Meshel has served for five years on the board.
If he hadn't been on the park board, Meshel said he would have vocally campaigned against state Issue 1, a proposal to allow Ohio to borrow $500 million for the promotion of high-technology businesses. Voters rejected it earlier this month.
Also, Meshel plans to actively participate in the re-election campaigns of U.S. Reps. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, and Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, as well as other politicians on the local and state levels, and issues such as saving the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna.
"I don't mind moving over for someone younger as I have in the past," Meshel said.
It will be up to Judge Timothy Maloney of Mahoning County Probate Court to replace Meshel. Terms are either two or three years.
The three-member board oversees the operations of Mill Creek Park, which has a $10.3 million annual budget and 69 full-time employees.
The board's accomplishments during Meshel's five years include the opening of the Davis Center at Fellows Riverside Garden, the expansion of the Experimental Farm in Canfield, and the addition of several bicycle and hiking trails.
skolnick@vindy.com