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Historic Southern Stables site of park, 4-H partnership
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Daniel Slagle, executive director of Boardman Park, stands outside of Southern Park Stables where the park and Mahoning County 4-H plan to establish new programs for young people.
By Josh Stipanovich
BOARDMAN
Officials at Boardman Park and the Mahoning County 4-H have agreed to a partnership that will open Southern Park Stables’ historic doors to the community.
It will allow Mahoning County 4-H to house its activities and planned events at the 8-acre Ohio historical site on Washington Boulevard in Boardman. Park officials would be responsible for upkeep of the facilities and property.
“It’s really, really going to help us,” said Janice Hanna, 4-H Youth Development extension educator. “This is a great partnership, too, because our missions are similar.”
Hanna said she already has plans for the property and home, previously owned by the late, longtime Vindicator writer and animal lover Janie Jenkins, who bequeathed the property to the township park.
The kitchen area will be used for meetings and kids’ snack times while the living area will house its conference room and classrooms, Hanna said.
Several events also have been planned for the summer to allow the community to engage in what 4-H has to offer. Horses and other animals — such as sheep, goats and agility dogs — will be brought in on an as-needed-basis, Hanna said. A community garden also will be planted for nearby residents to be a part of.
An open house will be Saturday as a part of Boardman’s annual Community Day, and it will provide wagon shuttles to and from the stables. A day camp for children age 5 to 8 will be July 2.
“We feel that the partnership we have with the 4-H is going to make Janie very happy,” said Daniel Slagle, executive director of Boardman Township Park.
The partnership also allows 4-H to open its arms to the township, something Hanna said is key. She said Boardman Township trustees are on board and doing what they can to get the community involved. “That also will engage the neighborhoods so they can be involved as well.”
Other long-term goals include educational clinics, horse projects and camps and leadership events.
Slagle said a lot has been done to help Hanna and her staff make the transition as quickly and smoothly as possible — including the electrical work — which was gutted and replaced.
Several volunteer 4-H members were at the stables recently to clean stalls and install new base materials.
“Up until this opportunity, [the 4-H] had nowhere to call home for a lot of their programs,” Slagle said. “This is going to be a great opportunity.”