Reading the history of Mill Creek Park and the controversy over the original construction of the

Reading the history of Mill Creek Park and the controversy over the original construction of the sewer system brought to mind my favorite movie, “Local Hero.” The plot revolves around the attempt of a Texas oil company to buy a small coastal Scottish village so that a terminal to transport oil from the North Sea can be built. Two of the main characters are Mac, from the oil company and Gordon, who is negotiating on behalf of the village. They develop a friendship and are on the verge of an agreement when a snag hits. At this point, the two real powers, the owner of the beach where the terminal is to be built and the owner of the oil company, take over the negotiations and strike their own bargain. Exasperated, Mac and Gordon look at each other and Gordon says to Mac, “The big boys want the playground all to themselves.”

Battle with steel

So it was with Mill Creek Park. Volney Rogers lost his battle with the steel companies and their allies in city government over whether to build a sewer system that emptied into Mill Creek, warning of environment consequences. The need for a waste disposal system to handle the rapid growth of the era was met but 100 years later Rogers was proven right due to a combination of exceptional rain events, crumbling ancient infrastructure and decades of growth and development.

As in “Local Hero,” the big boys wanted the playground to themselves.

Move forward to the 1950s. Route 224 was a two-lane road through rural Boardman Township. Edward DeBartolo among other developers, anticipated the future and acquired land to construct shopping centers and office plazas. I’m sure if you go back to the records of township trustee meetings and zoning boards you will find the equivalent of Volney Rogers warning about the consequences of unregulated development on 224. Rather than planned development with service roads connecting the plazas and other restrictions, the developers were allowed to build to maximize their profits and return on investment. Consequently along with the benefits of economic development in the 224 corridor are the costs associated with extreme traffic congestion and suburban blight.

The big boys got the playground to themselves.

In 2014 YSU was searching for a president. Corporate, civic and political leaders led the move to install a successful former football coach, believing that his leadership and commitment to the Mahoning Valley would be the best choice to elevate YSU. A few objected on the grounds that Tressel’s ethical lapses as a coach and limited experience in academic administration both violated the core academic values and made him unqualified to serve as university president. It’s too early to say who will be proven right five, 10 or 20 years down the road or what the long term consequences of this decision will be, if any.

But, the big boys got the playground to themselves.

Major decisions are a tension between tangible short-term gains and long-term possibilities, often more difficult to quantify.

Unintended consequences happen but may not be evident for decades.

Foresight is generally ignored.

Hindsight is 20/20.

The big boys will get the playground to themselves.

Dr. Tom Maraffa is professor emeritus of geography at Youngstown State University.