somerville dog: a weblog

To the readers of the Weekly Dig: welcome to the somerville dog weblog, and thank you for your interest in the Somerville Dog Owners Group (som|dog)! For historical reasons, the url for the som|dog website is www.somervilledog.com/somdog. If you have a message and are looking for the online message board for dog owners (Somerville's first, albeit virtual, dog park), the url is www.somervilledog.com/board.

To everyone who has been telling me that the somervilledog.com url should really be the homepage of the Somerville Dog Owners Group: you were right; I was wrong...

To everyone who works so hard with me in the Somerville Dog Owners Group: Out of respect for your privacy, I won't list your names here, but know that I know that, without you, the talented Jed Gottlieb would have had no story about "Fighting for the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of squirrels" for the Weekly Dig.

     To Smokin':
     Thanks for striking a pose
     for photographer
     Ivo Gretener.

To Zula: an interested sniff and a play bow from Strummer (Your monkey has made the monkeys in my house really happy today.)

Posted by Michèle at 9:47 AM
Categories: D.O.G.s (Dog Owner Groups), website news
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In her journal entry for November 23, the day after the Board of Aldermen approved, by unanimous vote, Somerville's first off-leash recreational area in Nunziato Field, Somerville dog, Lotte, penned what may be the Somerville off-leash recreation theme song.

Posted by Michèle at 10:14 AM
Categories: Friends of somerville dog
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Voters in the Twenty-seventh Middlesex District, consisting of precinct 3 of ward 2, all precincts of ward 3, precinct 3 of ward 4, and all precincts of wards 5 and 6, of the city of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex, will be electing a new State Representative to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Patricia D. Jehlen, who was elected to the State Senate for the Second Middlesex District consisting of Medford, Somerville, ward 1, precincts 2 and 3, ward 2, precincts 2 and 3, and wards 3 to 7, inclusive, Woburn, ward 2, and Winchester.

Want to know the position of at least some of the candidates on open spaces that serve the many and diverse needs of all residents?

In the davis_square community on LiveJournal, Cos wrote:

The Progressive Democrats of Somerville are having an endorsement meeting next Tuesday, November 29th. I believe that both Denise Provost and Elizabeth Maroney are seeking the PDS endorsement, so they will both be at the meeting. They will each give a short speech and then take questions from the audience. Although only PDS members will be allowed to vote, everyone is welcome to come meet the candidates and ask them questions. The meeting will be held in the basement function room of the College Ave Methodist Church (the stone church on College Ave near Davis Square) on Tuesday, Nov 29, 7-9pm.

Cos also notes

The election date got set earlier this month: A primary on January 10th and a general election on February 7th. As is the case with most districts in Massachusetts, and especially here in Somerville, the Democratic nominee is expected to win. That means the January 10th Democratic primary is the bigger contest.

See the calendar for the Special State Election - 27th Middlesex Representative District

Posted by Michèle at 3:48 PM
Categories: Somerville, Voter Information
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The Somerville Dog Owners Group is sponsoring the Paws for Parks Fundraiser to benefit Somerville Unleashed, the City of Somerville's fund for Off-leash Recreational Areas, Saturday, November 19, 2005, 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. at Tir na nÓg in Union Square (366a Somerville Avenue).

A suggested donation of $20 (Winners Dog), $50 (Best of Breed) or $100 (Best of Group) is requested. All guests will be eligible to win door prizes.

Many fabulous prizes have been donated for a silent auction. Guests will have an opportunity to bid on pet-friendly luxury hotel accommodations, fine dining, original artwork (like the bone painting shown here), and first-row balcony seats at the Celtics game on Monday, November 28, against the Orlando Magic!

If the weather is nice (and it's supposed to be mostly sunny, with a high around 47), guests will able to enter their dogs in contests for Best Ears, Best Wag, Best Vocalist, Best Trick, Longest Stay, Dog-Owner Look-Alike and, at the discretion of the judge(s), Best Kisser.

Posted by Michèle at 9:17 AM
Categories: D.O.G.s (Dog Owner Groups), Events, Somerville
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Today is Election Day! Somerville residents are voting in Municipal Elections for Mayor, Aldermen and School Committee members.

Visit the Somerville Dog Owners Group (som|dog) website for information about the candidates.

The City of Somerville Election Department allows voters to bring our dogs with us to the polls: dogs must be on leash, remain close to their companions at all times and must not bother other people.

Polls are open 7am to 8pm.

Posted by Michèle at 6:53 AM
Categories: Somerville, Voter Information
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via e-mail

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. Gesturing toward his dog, "Can my friend come in, too?" the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there". The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," was the answer.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street? That's Hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad that they use heaven's name like that?"

"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."

Posted by Michèle at 10:48 AM
Categories: Traveling with Dogs
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