A Multifaceted Story about the Middlesex Fells Trail System Plan
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is hosting a public meeting and trail planning workshop for the Middlesex Fells Trail System Plan this evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the McGlynn School auditorium, 3002 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford. (Follow directions to Hormel Stadium, and continue past the stadium to the school.)
The Fells Dog Owner Group has been leading efforts to get families who enjoy Sheepfold and the trails of the Middlesex Fells with their dogs to come to the meeting to support safe and legal options for off-leash recreation at the Fells. The Somerville Dog Owners Group is among the dog-owner groups that are supporting the efforts of FellsDOG. At least ten Somerville dog owners have already submitted written comments to the DCR for the Plan, and the Somerville Board of Aldermen passed a resolution "that this Board supports off leash dog areas in the Middlesex Fells and requests that DCR designate such areas."
With more people and more different groups than ever before participating in the public process for public open space at the Middlesex Fells, it is curious that Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the Friends of Middlesex Fells, feels that there is "insufficient information" to proceed with the Plan. Globe Correspondent, Alix Roy, spoke with Ryan for an article that ran in the Sunday Globe: "State seeking opinions on future of the Fells."
According to NEMBA, "for the past twenty years, many of the trail use policies at the Fells have been heavily influenced by a single user group, the Friends of the Fells." NEMBA accuses the Friends not only of "publicly misrepresenting" NEMBA but also of "derailing" projects that would preserve the natural resources of the Fells while enabling the trails to better accommodate a more diverse group of park users.
I join the Greater Boston NEMBA in encouraging all true friends of the Middlesex Fells, including dog owners and mountain bikers, to come to the public meeting tonight to work together for ways that everyone can enjoy public open space in the Middlesex Fells.
In January 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will host a Stakeholder and Public Planning Workshop, open to the public, to get direct input on developing a new trail system plan for the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The purpose of the workshop is to allow park users to collaboratively discuss and resolve constraints, issues, and problem areas that will have been identified this fall in the process of an inventory of the entire Fells trail system, including GPS tracking of each trail. Public review of a draft plan will take place next Spring, with the new plan being in place as early as May 2010.
People with dogs are among the most frequent (if not the most frequent) visitors the Middlsex Fells, in particular the Sheepfold area in the Reservation: It is critical that dog owners participate in the workshop in January 2010.
Please contact your State Senator and Representative and ask them to notify you when the time and location are set for the Stakeholder and Public Planning Workshop for the new trail system plan for the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Be sure to let them know that you enjoy visiting the Middlesex Fells together with your dog, that you respect the rights of all park users, that you care about the environment, and that the time has come for legal opportunities for off-leash recreation in the Middlesex Fells!
Strummer and I have a cameo in the promotional video for the MSPCA Walk for Animals. There's a photo of us about thirty seconds into the video which originally appeared here, on the somervilledog weblog, on October 19, 2004.
Somerville Mayor, Joe Curtatone, was a guest on Radio Boston this afternoon for a show about "Dog-Friendly Boston." Asked about allocating public money for dog parks, the Mayor laughed: "The last time I checked, we weren't writing checks to dogs." In all seriousness he explained, "people want to live in the urban core and you have to provide them with amenities and services". "Like New York,"he said, "we need to maximize and have the most flexible, dynamic open and recreation spaces."
Curtatone addressed complaints that he has heard but, "overall," he said,
the response has been extremely positive. Whether it's from residents who have just moved here, or have been here for a long time who have pets--and I have two dogs--or people from out of town who visit here and say "That's an incredible commitment to urban living!" I think that, if we want Somerville, like NY does, to be a model of urban living, you need to have those amenities. It's a great use of tax dollars.
In addition to the Mayor's comments, I especially liked the sequence with Adam Ragusea, Associate Producer for Radio Boston, who adopted his first dog a few months ago. Ragusea's story is the familiar story of city-dwellers who become dog owners. Since he adopted his dog, he has begun to visit parks he never visited before. Rausea and his border collie mix, Lucy, visit the off-leash parks in their Cambridge neighborhood: Pacific Street Park as well as Fort Washington Park. They also travel to visit parks: They take the Red Line to the Joe Wex Dog Recreation Space at Peters Park in Boston's South End, and they visit participating parks in the Green Dog Program in Brookline.
I was interested to learn more about the Boston Dog Owner Group's proposal for expanding off-leash privileges in Boston Common. In addition to a designated area in the Common for off-leash recreation, they are working with the Beacon Hill Civic Association on establishing a secondary off-leash area that would rotate on a six-month schedule around three different sites in the Common.
There's been a lot of brouhaha and hubbub in the local media about the pilot off-leash area at Cold Springs Park in Newton. It was refreshing to get a reality check from Amy Koel, Chair of the Newton Dogs Off-Leash Advisory Committee, who said that by reputation it's a lot more controversial than it is in reality. Koel's verdict on the pilot area: "it is working." (I thought it was cheesy on the part of Radio Boston that they played up Koel's PhD in human psychology, which has no bearing on her volunteer work in her community.)
One caller from Somerville said that he was a former dog owner but would never own a dog again because he thinks that it is inappropriate to own dogs in the city. Matthew Parker, Vice-President of the New York Council of Dog Owner’s Groups (NYCdog, pronounced "nice dog") had a great reply: Parker sees people who are visiting from either other countries or the suburbs walk past the dog park in his neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, and they marvel at how the dogs, both off leash and on leash, are very calm with each other and around people. That's a direct result of socialization, which dogs get a lot more of in the city than they do in the country.
Glenn Yoder has an article about what a great shared space the Somerville Community Path is in the City Weekly section of the Boston Globe for Sunday, October 12, "Making room for wheels and paws". The Path occasionally attracts media attention for incidents of altercation or assault, but what Yoder found was that the story of the Somerville Community Path is a story about community. Moreover it's a story about a community that is actively working together to improve everyone's experience on the Community Path.
Celebrate Bunker Hill Day with Friends of Charlestown Dog Parks!
Cheer on the Friends of Charlestown Dog Parks in the Bunker Hill Day Parade on June 15th, 2008. Charlestown dog owners will be walking just behind the Mummers in the parade.
Charlestown's Bunker Hill Day Parade will begin Sunday at 12:30 PM on Chelsea Street, between Medford and Fifth Streets.
For more information including the parade route, see:
Proposed Off-Leash Hours and Dog Ban at Menotomy Rocks (Arlington)
[via e-mail]
Arlington Dog Owners Group (A-DOG) supports the substitute motion on Article 28 presented by Michael Ruderman (Town Meeting Member, Precinct 9) which would change the maximum leash length in Arlington from six feet to twenty feet and would establish off-leash hours from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and p.m. in public parks and open spaces.
The Town of Arlington will most likely vote on the substitute motion at Town Meeting tonight.
Also on the agenda tonight for the Arlington Town Meeting is a vote on Article 29 which would ban dogs at Menontomy Rocks Park.
This weekend is the last weekend to enjoy Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea with dogs until October 2008. Dogs are allowed on Singing Beach from October 1 - April 30.
At the 2008 Annual Town Meeting this evening, the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea voted to continue to allow families with dogs to enjoy Singing Beach from October 1 through April 30. A motion seeking to ban dogs year round was defeated as were two secondary amendments, one that would have extended the current five-month prohibition of dogs on Singing Beach by two months and another that would have given families with dogs two more weeks to enjoy Singing Beach together. Ain't democracy grand?!
My favorite part of the discussion was when a representative from the Board of Health told the Meeting that the Board of Health cannot recommend that dogs should be disqualified from beaches any more than they are from streets and parks! Feces in sand, he explained, poses no greater public health risk than feces on asphalt, concrete or dirt!
Early in the proceedings of the Town Meeting, a voter introduced a motion to take up Article 30 out of order.
Being a nonresident with no stake in the other articles on the Town Warrant, I wasn't paying close attention. I think the motion to take up article 30 was introduced after article 3. The motion was seconded and prevailed with more than two thirds of the meeting voting for it.
Patricia Morely who petitioned to put the year-round dog ban on the Town Warrant introduced a motion to amend Article X Section 28 (c) 3 of the General By-Laws of the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea to prohibit dogs on Singing Beach throughout the year
Ms. Morley's motion was seconded, but in the course of her comments on the necessity of banning people with dogs from Singing Beach, she asked if the matter could be placed on the ballot for the Town Election in May. On the advice of the Town Moderator Morley withdraw her original motion and introduced a new motion.
Susan Thorne, Chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, then introduced a motion to amend the By-Laws to prohibit people from bringing dogs on Singing Beach from April 1 through November 1.
Another resident by the name of Brown introduced another motion to amend the By-Laws to prohibit people from bringing dogs on Singing Beach from May 1 through September 15.
There was relatively little discussion, largely because a motion to end the debate on the matter was carried by a necessary two-thirds vote.
Mr. Brown's amendment, which would have allowed us to enjoy Singing Beach with our dogs from September 16 through April 30 did not prevail.
Ms. Thorne's amendment, which would have abbreviated the time when dogs are allowed on Singing Beach by two months—from November 1 through March 30—did not prevail.
And Ms. Morley's motion did not prevail.
Thank you, Manchester-by-the-Sea, for welcoming people with dogs on Singing Beach.
Dogs are permitted to be on Singing Beach from October 1st - April 30th.
Dog owners must always clean up after their dog - No excuses!
Dog owners must maintain effective verbal control of their dogs and always be able to see their dogs~~~~when they are off-leash.
Dogs must wear a collar with identification at all times, be licensed and vaccinated.
An owner is personally liable for any damage or injury his dog inflicts or sustains.
Each person is limited to two dogs.
Violators of these rules are subject to removal from the beach and a $10 fine for the first offense and a $25 fine for each subsequent offense.
UPDATE 8 April 2008: Patrick Anderson, reporter for the Gloucester Daily Times, got the vote tallies on the three amendments. For details see "Town Meeting backs keeping dogs on Singing Beach".
Selectmen suggest amendment to proposed dog ban at Singing Beach
The Board-of-Selectmen recommends by a vote of 5-1 that families be banned from enjoying Singing Beach together with our dogs for two more months of the year from April through October. The Gloucester Daily Times is calling the suggested closing of the beach to beach-goers a "compromise".
Susan Thorne, Chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, believes that by allowing families with dogs to enjoy Singing Beach during the off-season, the town is going out of its way to accommodate nonresidents.
The insularism on the part of Chairwoman Thorne is more hurtful to residents than it is to nonresidents. As a nonresident, I visit Singing Beach about a half-a-dozen times during the off-season. Most people I meet at Singing Beach, however, are Manchester residents. Extending the dog ban will keep Manchester residents off the beach every day.
Chairwoman Thorne's insularism hurts more than families who come from other towns and cities to enjoy Singing Beach; It also hurts the local businesses we patronize when we visit Manchester-by-the-Sea between October and April.
To add insult to injury, Manchester-by-the-Sea wants a piece of money that residents of other cities and towns pay to support our municipal programs and services: Manchester-by-the-Sea supports state revenue sharing, a proposal that would let Manchester-by-the-Sea receive a portion of the property taxes that residents of other cities and towns pay to our local municipalities.
The Board of Selectmen's recommendation to extend the current five-month dog ban at Singing Beach by an additional two months is bad business for Manchester-by-the-Sea.
The Singing Beach Committee opposes a year-round dog ban, and the Vice Chairperson of the Committee says that the Selectmen's amendment does not improve upon the original proposal. The high season at the beach is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The current rules, which prohibit dogs on Singing Beach from May 1 through September 30, ensure that there is a month before the majority of beach-goers appear and another month after they disappear when the beach is without dogs.
According to an article in the Gloucester Daily Times, the Singing Beach Committee of the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea voted on Monday not to recommend passage of the article at Town Meeting that would ban dogs year-round at the beach ("Committee pans dog ban at Singing Beach," by Patrick Anderson).
That's the good news. The bad news is that
Town Selectmen last week voted not to issue a recommendation on the article in the printed warrant. They can still vote to offer recommendations before Town Meeting.
The proposed year-round ban on dogs at Singing Beach is unneighborly. The only time that some people visit the beach is during the off-season when we can enjoy the beach together with our dogs. A year-round dog ban would prevent some residents from ever having an opportunity to enjoy Singing Beach.
If you live in Manchester-by-the-Sea or if you know anyone who does, please (have them) contact the Board of Selectmen and ask them to issue a recommendation against the unneighborly proposal on the Town Warrant that would ban dogs year round at Singing Beach. Contact the Board of Selectmen c/o Wayne Melville,Town Administrator, Town Hall, 10 Central Street, Manchester, MA 01944.
UPDATE 17 March 2008: Thanks to Traildogs for posting that the Board of Selectmen met on Monday, March 3 and decided to wait to make a recommendation on the article that would extend the existing summer prohibition of dogs on Singing Beach year round. The Gloucester Daily Times reports that the Board
decided to issue their recommendation on the article the day of Town Meeting because of lingering questions about whether the article needs to reference the town's canine bylaw and to give Thorne a chance to have her say.
Susan Thorne, chairwoman of the Board, was out of town at the time. "Thorne" according to the article, "was one of the residents who signed the petition to place the dog ban on the warrant" ("Selectmen take wait-and-see approach," by Patrick Anderson).
UPDATE 21 March 2008:The 2008 Annual Town Warrant for the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea is now online on the Town website. The unneighborly article that would ban dogs at Singing Beach is Article 30:
To see if the Town will vote to ban dogs from Singing Beach year round, or take any other action relative thereto.
Per petition of Patricia Morley, et al
My daughter, Kate, will turn one year old in March. She has been to the beach three times since she was born. Each time the beach has been Singing Beach at Manchester-by-the-Sea, and each time Strummer, our standard poodle has been with her.
A resident of Manchester-by-the-Sea is asking her fellow townsfolk to deny my daughter the enjoyment of the beach.
According to an article in the Boston Globe today (creatively titled "Some fear town's beach is going to the dogs"), the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea will be voting on banning dogs from Singing Beach year round at its annual Town Meeting on April 7. Patricia Morley, a resident of Beach Street and employee of the Town gathered the necessary signatures to introduce the dog ban at Town Meeting.
Currently the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea allows dogs at Singing Beach from October through April. Especially during the colder months, most people at Singing Beach are accompanied by their dogs. A year-round ban on dogs will deny hundreds of families the opportunity to enjoy the beach together.
UPDATE 12 March 2008: The Singing Beach Committee of the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea voted on Monday not to recommend passage of the article at Town Meeting. Residents will vote on the proposal to ban dogs year-round at Singing Beach at Manchester's annual Town Meeting, Monday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Manchester Memorial School, 42 Lincoln Street, Manchester, MA 01944 (map)
UPDATE 21 March 2008: The 2008 Annual Town Warrant for the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea is now online on the Town website. The unneighborly article that would ban dogs at Singing Beach is Article 30:
To see if the Town will vote to ban dogs from Singing Beach year round, or take any other action relative thereto.
Per petition of Patricia Morley, et al
UPDATE 2 April 2008: The Board-of-Selectmen recommends by a vote of 5-1 that families be banned from enjoying Singing Beach together with our dogs for two more months of the year from April through November. The Gloucester Daily Times, is calling the suggested closing of the beach to beach-goers a "compromise".
Congratulations Friends of Peters Park on the Grand Opening of the Joe Wex Dog Recreation Space in the South End, Sunday, November 4, 2007.
The Boston Metro ran a story about the grand opening with the clever headline "City unleashes dog park."
Last month, an article in Boston Globe featured architect David Hacin, who designed the off-leash recreational area ("All that's missing are the biscuits").
This was the scene at Sheepfold in the Middlesex Fells early this Saturday afternoon. The temperature was around 25° F; the wind was out of the NW at 16 mph, gusting to 24 mph. Not many a public park in New England can boast this kind of usage on a Sunday afternoon in January.
So why does the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation want to end "companionship recreation"1 in the Sheepfold?
As posted yesterday to the FellsDOG Google Group, Richard Stewart, Fells District Manager, has confirmed that the DCR is planning to create a half-acre dog park at the Fells to the east of the ten-acre Sheepfold.
The DCR has consulted with the Friends of the Fells and the New England Mountain Bike Association; both groups support removing park users with dogs from the ten-acre Sheepfold to a half-acre fenced-in area to the east.
Until now, the DCR has not consulted with the hundreds of Massachusetts residents who enjoy the Fells with their dogs.
Off-leash recreation is a healthy and normal social activity, and it is wrong that Fells park users are criminalized for participating in it. After years of no enforcement of the leash law at the Sheepfold in the Middlesex Fells, a wonderful community of park users has come together to enjoy the benefits of socializing and exercising our dogs off-leash in the ten-acre Sheepfold. Now the DCR is proposing to pen us up in a one-half acre area.
Access to the dog park will be off Rte. 28, about 50 yards beyond the entrance to the Sheepfold: Fire gate #25. This picture is taken from the entrance of the access road looking south: You can see the entrance to I-93 and a mini van waiting to pull out of the Sheepfold access road.
The access road leads to an old bathhouse that will be demolished: a gazebo with picnic tables is proposed in its place.
The width of the proposed dog park is restricted on two sides by ledge:
Ledge, looking to the SW from the bathhouse.
Ledge, to the NE of the bathhouse.
There is long area between the two ledges. Given budget constraints, the proposed plan is to fence in one half acre with the option to extend the length of the area in the future.
To get to the proposed site, take the fire road that heads east (toward I-93) from the lower parking lot at Sheepfold. About 500 feet from the parking lot the fire road comes to a T: go left and you will come to
the old bath house in about another 500 feet.
Fells Dog Owners have requested to meet with Richard Stewart to share their concerns about the plan to restrict off-leash recreation in the Fells to one-half acre. To get involved please join the Fells Dog Owner Group (FellsDOG).
Strummer had the pleasure this morning of making the acquaintance of several Brookline dogs, who welcomed her at the Brookline Avenue Playground during off-leash hours.
One of twelve parks in the Town of Brookline Green Dog Pilot Program, the Brookline Avenue Playground has off-leash hours from dawn to 1:00 pm, April through November, and from dawn to dusk, December through March. At the Annual Town Meeting on May 25, 2005, the Town of Brookline voted to extend the Green Dog Pilot Program to June 30, 2006 (Article 17 of the Town Warrant).
When we arrived at the "playground" at 10:00 this morning, a soccer game was ending. Also, during off-leash hours, a volley-ball game was played. It seems that, though off-leash recreation is not allowed during hours that are not designated for off-leash recreation, other kinds of recreation are allowed during hours that are designated for off-leash recreation. At almost four acres, however, the Brookline Avenue Playground was able to accommodate this mixed usage this morning.
Austin, Benny, Buddy, Ethan, Murphy, Otis, Samson: Strummer hopes to be able to repay your hospitality some day soon!
Looking to buy your next home in a dog-friendly neighborhood? Try Anapolis, MD, in Anne Arundel County. In addition to "four off-leash dog parks -- and one dog beach," the County features a "pet of the week" on its website home page, as reported in the Washington Post yesterday: "At Parks and Beach, Anne Arundel Dogs Are Given Free Rein."
Janet S. Owens, the Anne Arundel County [E]xecutive, . . . has taken pains to position Annapolis and its environs as a destination for dog owners
In a county known for chocolate Labradors and, increasingly, thimble-size lawns, Owens has taken the unusual step of opening four off-leash dog parks -- and one dog beach -- on little more than a hunch that the dogs would come. She wants to market Anne Arundel as a dog-friendly county, to lure the leash-and-collar set in the same way that Blue Ribbon schools attract parents. . . .
"I just knew. . . . that it would be a gathering place for people," Owens said. "And it just struck me: It's important to building neighborhoods and community -- quality of life."
"The leash-and-collar set." Hey! We're a demographic! $35.9 billion annually can't be wrong.
Boston residents, who, because of its dearth of safe and legal options for off-leash recreation, consider Boston one of the least dog-friendly major cities in the U.S. in which to live, will be surprised to learn that of the top ten dog-friendly cities to visit in the U.S. Boston is number three.
Families with dogs who are planning to visit Boston should be advised that some of the dog-friendly attractions listed for Boston are not quite as attractive as DogFriendly.com makes them out to be. For example, do not book a hotel on the basis of its proximity to the Charlesgate Dog Run. See for yourself: the "dog run" is not used and not usable by families with dogs.
Though it gets "three paws up" from the Dog Lover's Companion to Boston, we have never been to Mount Misery. I hope we haven't missed our chance.
This spring new regulations were approved relating to dogs at Mount Misery: "effective Monday, April 4, all dogs at Mt. Misery and the neighboring fields will be required to be on a leash at all times. In addition, dog walkers will be required to remove all feces deposited by their dogs in this area" ("New regs proposed for Mount Misery," the Lincoln Journal, March 10, 2005, via the Mt. Misery Organization website).
Note: The majority of the articles and letters that have been printed in the Lincoln Journal with regard to these regulations are no longer available on the Journal's website, but they have been archived by Lincoln dog owner, Dick McWalter on the Mt. Misery Organization's news page. In addition to the Mt. Misery Organization another group, Friends of Mt. Misery, has also formed to faciltate communication between people who enjoy Mount Misery and the stewards appointed by the Town.
Mount Misery comprises "more than 200 acres of woods, trails and agricultural fields bounded by Route 117, Route 126 and the Sudbury River in Lincoln" ("New dog regs at Mt. Misery," March 24, 2005).
the Mt. Misery lands were purchased with state and federal funds as well as local funds. Lands purchased with public funds must be open to all persons in the Commonwealth for passive recreation. However, the commission is still the entity responsible for the stewardship of these lands and as such may limit use or limit access as necessary to protect the land and the ecosystem it supports, so long as we do not discriminate or give priority to our own residents ("Commentary: Can co-existence be achieved?," April 21, 2005).
In response to the organization of a local dog owners, the Commission postponed the implemation of the regulations until after a public hearing could be held to discuss them ("Leash rule postponed," April 7, 2005).
"More than 100 residents of Lincoln and of surrounding towns filled the Hartwell multipurpose room April 27 for the hearing. . . . A follow-up meeting, at which commissioners are scheduled to make a decision on the regulations, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18" ("Dog regs disputed," May 5, 2005).
I am very encouraged that the townspeople of Lincoln and the Lincoln Conservation Commission are cooperating to find a solution that "will protect the land and the ecosystem it supports" and ensure that Mount Misery continues to serve the many and diverse needs of "all persons in the Commonwealth for passive recreation."
Responsible dog owners have ten good reasons to clean up after our dogs every time. We appreciate the courtesy of mutt mitts afforded at some dog-friendly places, and we find the amenity of adequate trash receptacles preferable to "carry away" policies.
We also support leash laws. In a perfect society we would be able to allow our dogs off-leash: Responsible dog owners understand that, even off-leash, dogs have no more right to "run free" than people do. After all, people stay to the right when we walk on sidewalks, we look both ways before crossing the street, and we do not walk in our neighbors' flowerbeds. Even if I could keep Strummer in a perfect heel every day when we walk along Somerville's streets, leash laws protect us from the owners of other dogs who cannot.
Like our dogs, society is not perfect. We need leash laws, and that is why we also need options for off-leash recreation. (Analogously, we seem to need laws against playing ball on streets [City Ordinance 12-13], which is why we also need ball parks.) Our dogs need to socialize with other dogs and with people. A properly socialized dog does not bark or lunge at other dogs. Moreover, a properly socialized dog can easily be trained to walk appropriately on a leash. And, a tired dog is a good dog. Local options for off-leash recreation benefit every community in the Commonwealth.
To celebrate the last day of this long winter, Strummer and I went to the beach yesterday. The beach we chose was Singing Beach, in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Dogs are allowed on Singing Beach from October through April.
Poodles, as you know, were bred to be water retrievers. Thus is it rather embarrassing to me when Strummer runs away from the waves as they roll up the beach. Don't get me wrong, Strummer had a fabulous time at the beach. She just didn't want to play with any of the dogs that were playing in the water, with whom I, of course, kept encouraging her to play.
Just as I was thinking that it was about time to start thinking about leaving the beach, Strummer got caught up in a game from which she just couldn't tear herself away. The game involved three other dogs: a border collie, who was fetching two balls with her people, a boxer, and a Parson Russell terrier, and consisted in a twisted version of keep-away: i.e. keep the border collie away from her tennis ball, and, if that fails, keep her away from her humans. This is one of Strummer's favorite games.
The border collie and her humans didn't seem to be enjoying the game so much, so I called Strummer away. She kept trying to give me the slip, and, finally, when the game reached a new level of excitement, she bolted.
The next thing I knew, all four dogs, my fastidious poodle not last among them, were diving head first into a wave!
I'm convinced that Strummer knew that, if she got wet, we'd have to stay longer to give her coat a chance to dry a little bit.
Good one, Strummer. But the joke's on you: I'll turn you into a water dog, yet!
The 24th Annual MSPCA-Angell Walk for Animals turned out to be a great oppoutunity for a field trip. On Sunday, October 17, som|dog, the Somerville Dog Owners Group (represented here by the human companions of King, a greyhound, and Cinder, a lab/pointer mix), took a moment to research the City of Boston's off-leash pilot program in Boston Common.
The Pilot Program extends off-leash privileges in Boston Common from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m and establishes the following rules for off-leash recreation:
All Dogs Must Be Licensed
Owners Must Pick Up After Their Dogs
Discourage Digging of Lawn Areas
Dogs Must Be Under Control At All Times
Only One Dog Off Leash Per Owner
Only Adult Owners May Use the Prescribed Area
Across Charles Street, in the Public Garden, dogs are allowed on leash, as they are in Boston Common. And, as in Boston Common, in the Public Garden, the City of Boston provides doggie-bags.
About forty people and their dogs enjoy the annual Dog Walk at the Forest Hill Cemetery. Leashed dogs are welcome in the Cemetery, which is open to the public every day, from 8:30 a.m. to dusk.
Saturday, October 2, 10 am
$10 per human
Raindate: October 9
The Dog Walk is a unique annual expedition for sociable dogs and their owners. Historian Dee Morris leads this lively walking tour of monuments of interest to our canine friends. Certificates and treats are awarded upon completion. $10 admission for each human.
Reservations are strongly recommended as attendance is limited; call 617.524.3354.
Make your reservations today to enjoy this year's walk!
The admission fee covers the cost of the walk guide, Dee Morris, a social historian who recently conducted a tour of Medford Square and, this summer, conducted the Cambridge Discovery Walk, "Side by Side: A Cambridgeport Ramble." Morris will be leading a tour of the Mount Auburn Cemetery on September 26, "Memories of the Civil War at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Personalities of the Times."
Good luck to the runners in the 2004 Boston Marathon! And Go Sox!
The forecast for today is for high temperatures in the 80's. Even if your not going to run (or watch) the Marathon or watch Red Sox game this morning, it's a good day to play hookie...
The Boston Phoenix featured dog-friendly outings in the Outdoors 2004 Supplement (April 2). Genevieve Rajewski's article, Dog Days, is a good reference for some twenty day-trips. Somervudlians may not even have to get in their cars to visit Fresh Pond Park, in Cambridge, or Sheepfold, a field in the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Medford. But the article includes plenty of destinations for pups whose favorite words are, "Wanna go for a ride?!" Take 'em for a hike in Harold Parker State Forest on Route 119 in Ashby, or take em for a swim at the dog-friendly (the park has "poop-bag dispensers"!) Stodder's Neck on Route 3A in Hingham.
Access to the dog park will be off Rte. 28, about 50 yards beyond the entrance to the Sheepfold: Fire gate #25. This picture is taken from the entrance of the access road looking south: You can see the entrance to I-93 and a mini van waiting to pull out of the Sheepfold access road.
The access road leads to an old bathhouse that will be demolished: a gazebo with picnic tables is proposed in its place.
Ledge, looking to the SW from the bathhouse.
Ledge, to the NE of the bathhouse.
The 24th Annual MSPCA-Angell Walk for Animals turned out to be a great oppoutunity for a field trip. On Sunday, October 17, 
