Former Mill Creek Park commissioner chastises exec director

YOUNGSTOWN — About 100 people packed the pews at First Presbyterian Church to push forward with an opposition movement against Mill Creek MetroParks leadership.

It was the second public meeting of Concerned Citizens for Mill Creek MetroParks, a group that formed in the wake of staff cuts at the park system that were implemented, park officials say, to save $13.2 million over the next 15 years for capital improvements.

Community members who attended Monday’s meeting voiced frustration on a number of issues, and vowed to push forward with efforts to oust park leaders and make them more responsive to public input.

Among those who spoke were former park commissioners Virginia Dailey and Rick Shale. Also in attendance was former commissioner Dan DeSalvo.

Dailey, who served on the board from 1997 until 2010, many of those years as board president, expressed indignation at the way staff cuts were handled (Vindicator reporting revealed that several park employees were dismissed from their jobs on-the-spot, under police supervision). She said anyone in a leadership role will face challenges such as budget shortfalls, but, “There are always better ways.”

“Had I still been on the board, had Rick still been on the board, I can tell you that what happened would not have happened,” she said. “My personal opinion is [Mill Creek MetroParks Executive Director] Aaron Young is not the man for the job. He humiliated his employees in public. He embarrassed the board, and he embarrassed the judge. That is not the mark of a true leader.”

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com