Volunteer crew tucks in Armco Park for the winter
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — A group of children from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s returned to Armco Park on Saturday, Nov. 9, to show the 75-acre facility some love, and they brought their friends.
About 10 volunteers donned hoodies, knit caps and work boots to perform the annual fall cleanup at the park, which is owned by the Butler YMCA.
John Gibson followed his grandfather and father into employment at the Armco Steel’s Butler Works — now Cleveland-Cliffs — and, like them, also retired from the mill. He remembers swimming in the park’s pool as a boy and playing on playground equipment that has been updated for safety standards since then.
Gibson headed up Saturday’s cleanup in his capacity as property manager at the park, member of the Butler YMCA board of trustees and chairman of the Armco Park Board of Managers.
He said tasks being performed at the cleanup included repairing water damage on the 1.5-mile walking trail, installing signage along the trail and removing fallen leaves from common areas of the park.
Gibson drove a small front-end loader with crushed limestone in the bucket, and dumped the tiny stones along the trail intermittently as two other volunteers raked it smooth.
Ann Lascuola, who also is on the park’s board of managers, has participated in the twice-yearly cleanup for 16 years.
“My husband was an Armco employee and my kids grew up here, so this is my giving back,” she said.
Lascuola helped rake the limestone until it became warm enough to begin splitting the perennials in the flower beds dotting the property.
She lamented that many people still think Armco Park is open only to Cleveland-Cliffs employees or YMCA members.
Lascuola said anyone can use the trail, rent out one of the park’s four shelters, or pay to swim in the pool during the summer.
She said the huge, renovated dance hall can be rented for weddings and other larger events, as it holds 300 people. Armco Hall can be rented for events accommodating up to 150 people.
“It’s peaceful. It’s beautiful,” volunteer and board of managers member Melinda Rhoads said of the property. “If you’re looking for a quiet place to reflect, it’s a good place to come.”
Rhoads, whose home is adjacent to the park, is a former Olympic handball champion who runs or walks the park’s trail, or visits the park every day.
She agreed that the park’s board of managers is looking to raise awareness that Armco Park is open to the public.
Gibson said a fire pit is being installed, a new roof and windows were added to the maintenance building, primitive camping will be available next year and Eagle Scout candidate Luke Hilliard of Troop 16 is building a gaga pit near the pool.
“There are a lot of things in the works right now,” he said.
Tony Shakely, chairman of the board of directors at the YMCA and a park board of managers member, blew leaves from the surface of the park’s basketball court on Saturday.
Shakely said his father worked at Armco, and he grew up visiting the park and swimming in the pool in the summer.
“It’s exciting to bring my kids here and keep the tradition going,” he said.
Shakely said Saturday marked his first time volunteering at the cleanup.
“I wanted to set aside some time to help out,” he said. “It’s such a beautiful park, and if I can help keep it that way, that’s what I’ll do.”
Luci Hurne, 16, of Cranberry Township, came to volunteer at the cleanup because her stepfather works for the YMCA and because it was a sunny fall Saturday.
“It’s a good day to volunteer outside because it teaches you life skills and to be a good citizen of the community,” Luci said.
Luci agreed that Armco Park offers way more than she expected.
“I’m eying up the canoe launch,” she said.
Her mother, Kate Woods, said she will return to the park in the summer to swim, use the trail and shove off from the kayak launch into Slippery Rock Creek.
She was excited to participate in the cleanup on Saturday.
“It’s good exercise and I’m meeting new people and giving back,” she said.
