About Dogs and Dog Parks
Mark your calendars. On Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. on WGXC, @Issue, hosted by Victor Mendolia with Debora Gilbert, will be all about "Green Spaces, Dogs, and Dog Parks." Landscape architect Maryse Beliveau-Nance will discuss the importance of green spaces and dog parks to communities, the obstacles they encounter and the benefits they bring. Tiffany Martin Hamilton and Colleen Daley-Lachance will tell about their efforts to create a dog park in Hudson. Seth Rogovoy will discuss the very personal reason why he supports allowing dogs in Hudson cemeteries. Listen at 90.7 FM or online.
Make a contribution. Last week, in a less than gracious email to a constituent, Mayor William Hallenbeck declared: "I will not burden the Taxpayers of this City with the cost of upkeep and creation of a Dog Park in a City where there is approx. 2.7 sq. miles to walk dogs. There is a minority here in the City who feels the City should accommodate dogs in a 'Park' for some reason but I refuse to have taxpayers pay for it." The mayor's statement suggests that he may think the people who want to ban dogs from just about everywhere are taxpayers but dog owners are not. Whatever, dog park proponent Tiffany Martin Hamilton seems to have accepted the mayor's challenge, even though the now well publicized email was not addressed to her, and launched a gofundme campaign to raise $10,000 "to cover the costs of building out a dog park, including fencing, a shaded area (detail TBD based on final park location), bag dispensers, waste receptacles, and water bowls." The campaign started yesterday and has so far raised $435 from eleven donors. Click here to make an investment in your dog's well being and happiness.
COPYRIGHT 2014 CAROLE OSTERINK
I've been following the no dogs sign issue in the cemetery as well as the sign issues at 7th street park and the waterfront, The root of the problem seems to be that the signs go up, and sometimes back down before there is any thinking ( public discussion ) on the subject. I have also noticed that the mayors comments each time have indicated a man who's mouth goes off before his brain is engaged.
ReplyDeleteWhere the h**l are there 2.7 sq. miles to walk dogs? Are you telling me that when one of the primary arguments against dogs is some peoples fear of dogs the mayor is suggesting they be walked up and down Warren st.?
ReplyDeleteMy heart sank when I read the email from Mayor Hallenbeck. I'm astonished by the tenor of his message. Are we really incapable of having a city-wide discussion without insults? I don't recall anyone asking the City to fund a dog park - and it seems to me those who have taken that argument and run with it are those who haven't been listening to the conversation. I applaud Tiffany for her ability to move forward undaunted and rise above the petty comments and pessimism.
ReplyDeleteon signs: The Thurston park on the south side of the two hundred block is a very small pocket park with nine benches and an plastic sign on every one (a few feet apart) saying something to the effect that this is a no smoking park. I'm against smoking in parks but did they need to spend taxpayer money on nine very nice signs on every bench? They also have two signs at the front entrance of the park on Warren Street (one stacked on top of the other) warning about a tobacco free playground and a smoke free park. On the alley side entrance there is another sign saying it is a smoke free park with a large sign above that saying "Don't Feed the Animals". I wonder what animals they might be talking about?. Our mayor seems to be sign obsessed and draconian in his ideas and decisions about what citizens can and cannot do and in our (not his) parks, cemetery, etc. It was a much friendlier city before him.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is vote him out as soon as possible.
Carole-
ReplyDeleteThank you for the plug on our upcoming show on Green Spaces, Dogs and Dog Parks. In preparation for it, we did a pre-interview with one of our guests, landscape architect Maryse Beliveau-Nance. Her pre-interview was quite extensive, but our time with her on the on-air interview was limited. So to foster greater understanding of the issue, we have published the pre-interview in advance of the show. We hope your readers will take a look at it and tune in for the broadcast as well.
The pre-interview can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/ocobzg9