By ALLIE VUGRINCIC

Staff writer

BOARDMAN — State Sen. Michael A. Rulli said he has fond childhood memories of Boardman Township Park, which he honored this week with a proclamation marking Nov. 4 as the official day of Boardman Park.

“It’s just really personal to me because it’s where I grew up,” said Rulli, who spoke of spending time in the park when he was a Boy Scout in the 1970s and 1980s.

The proclamation recognizes the park for its 71 years of providing recreational and educational opportunities in a pleasant environment.

The park, often called the “Green Oasis,” preserves 294 acres of natural habitat, greenspace and recreational property.

The proclamation praises the park as a sanctuary for plants and animals as well as a popular destination for more than 500,000 visitors per year.

“I do think in a day and age when kids are all on the video games, it’s more crucial than ever now to preserve something like the Boardman Park,” said Rulli. “We need to get kids outside again, get them engaged and involved in nature.”

Park board member Joyce Mistovich said everyone is “very proud” of the park and the opportunities offered — from exploring the trails to summer concerts and family programs.

“The programs that we offer are so significant for children that are preschool age to adults,” said Mistovich.

She said she remembers her father bringing her and her siblings to the park after church on winter Sundays to ice skate. Now, she said she is happy to be a part of keeping the park alive.

With 38,000 trees and some wetlands, the park also helps to protect the environment and manage storm water, said Mistovich.

In September, a group of concerned citizens formed the Friends of Boardman Park with the mission of preserving the park. Mistovich said the group is about 50 people strong and growing.

“We want to remind the public that this is a nice sanctuary for them,” said Rulli. He said over the years he has attended many weddings, bar mitzvahs and graudation parties in the park.

“It seems like more and more of my lifelong memories are here,” said Rulli.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com