"A properly raised dog is ?man?s best friend? and should be treated as such." —William Roche (Alderman, Ward 1)
"Let?s get the off leash space developed in 2006." —Walter Pero (Alderman, Ward 4)
"My goal is to have a dog run in walking distance to every resident." —Dennis Sullivan (Alderman at Large)
I'm looking forward to many dog-friendly developments in local politics in 2006. For the Municipal Elections in 2005, the Somerville Dog Owners Group sent a questionnaire about dogs and open space to the candidates running for Alderman. Here are some of the things that the then candidates told us we could anticipate if they were elected...
Alderman at Large Bruce M. Desmond
220A Summer Street
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 666-1757
BruceMDesmond at yahoo.com
with "Samantha" (Lhasa Apso)
no response
Alderman at Large Denise Provost
20 Albion Street
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 628-1130
denise at provost-citywide.org
"It is a matter of public record that I submitted to the Somerville BOA the Brookline 'Green Dog' Bylaw and pilot program, first on March 13, 2003, then on April 28, 2005. During that time, I also had many conversations with Sherri Geldersma, and others in OHCD (now SPCD) regarding funding for the development of off-leash areas, and suitable locations for them. I consider adequate, diverse open space resources to be a need and a right of all of Somerville?s residents."
Alderman Provost's vision for 2006:
- dog 'socials' and special events could be excellent venues for promoting responsible dog ownership, and
- the Dog Officer could pay friendly, informational visits to parks, even give little 'rewards' to people who are bagging dog feces;
Alderman at Large Dennis M. Sullivan
8 Florence Street
Somerville, MA 02145
(617) 628-1857
AldermanSullivan at aol.com
"Teddy," R.I.P. (collie mix)
"My goal is to have a dog run in walking distance to every resident. I look forward to working with som|dog to make this happen. som|dog has been one of the most enjoyable groups that I have had the pleasure to work with."
Alderman Sullivan sees the City's responsability as two-fold: information must support and be supported by enforcement:
- We have to communicate our expectations of what it means to be a responsible dog owner, and
- the City has to do a better job of [enforcement].
Alderman at Large William A. White Jr.
6 Browning Road
Somerville, MA 02145
(617) 625-9110
william.a.white at verizon.net
with "Buzzie" (Golden Retreiver)
"Since my election in 1997, I have championed the creation of open, usuable space in connection with development proposals in the City. I have also worked with numerous neighborhood groups in planning the renovations of existing parks and the creation of new parks. Since my first year on the Board of Aldermen, I sponsored and supported numerous orders for the creation of "dog parks" and will continue working on that issue."
Alderman White would also like to see
- the placement of plastic bags and containers in problem areas, and
- a more active animal control office where residents can contact the animal control officer about problem owners and the officer would work with that problem owner to try to remedy problems such as roaming off-leash dogs or the failure of the owner to clean up waste.
- the inclusion of dog ownership in city events, such as a dog/owner parade
- the City's Council On Aging considering a program in which dogs would visit senior centers so seniors could 'adopt' a dog and have that particular dog visit on a frequent basis.
Ward 1 - Wiliam M. Roche
17 MacArthur Street
Somerville, MA 02145
(617) 623-6661
aldermanroche at comcast.net
In 2006, Alderman Roche plans to "continue to support initiatives such as those put forth by som|dog."
As to the role of dogs in our families and in our community, Roche's answer addresses goals to which we may all aspire as individuals and as a society:
"A properly raised dog is ?man?s best friend? and should be treated as such."
Ward 2 - Maryann M. Heuston
115 Beacon Street
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 492-5331
mheuston at hotmail.com
no response
Ward 3 - Thomas F. Taylor
32 Vinal Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 776-1618
TFTAld32 at aol.com
with "Frisky" and "Abby"
no response
Ward 4 - Walter F. Pero
with ?Harry? (cavalier king charles spaniel/poodle mix)
"As an active member of som|dog I have attended meetings and supported and voted for open space friendly legislation before the Board of Aldermen. I have also worked with DCR to improve open space at Foss Park and Shore Drive."
Alderman Pero's goals for 2006 are to
- Place baggy stations and barrels at strategic locations in the City, and
- get off leash areas developed
Ward 5 - Sean T. O'Donovan
31 Rogers Avenue
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 776-6456
sean at odonovanlaw.com
"Rocky," 1980-1993 (Chinese miniature pug)
Dog ownership, in the estimation of Alderman O'Donovan is A "necessity: all families must experience it especially those w/ children."
Here's what's on the blackboard for 2006:
- the Commissioner is ordering new signs [regarding the ordinances regulating dogs in open space]
O'Donovan would also like
- to require developers to enhance and create additional open space, especially along the undeveloped Community Path from Cedar St. eastward, and
- to create a dog owner?s task force like the Somerville Bicycle Committee.
Ward 6 - Rebekah L. Gewirtz
85 Lowden Avenue #1
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 718-0792
rebekah at RCN.com
"Marty" R.I.P. (West Highland Terrier)
"Somerville must become more accommodating to dog owners?it?s a quality of life issue.
"I will work with the Somerville Dog Owners Group to create an area where dog owners can go with their dogs without fear of breaking the law."
Alderman Gewirtz identified an opprtunity for the City to partner with an institutional neighbor—Tufts University—to address open space needs:
"There used to be an area by the Tufts field where people could bring their dogs. I would talk with Tufts administration to see if there was a way to reopen the area."
Gewirtz also identified a benefit that pet dogs offer to our often anonymous and isolated urban lives: "Dogs bring people together walking down the streets."
Ward 7 - Robert C. Trane
70 Hooker Avenue
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 623-5767
RobertTrane at aol.com
with "Jasper" (Weimaraner)
"It is my hope that we can establish off leash areas in parks in various areas across the city. I have been a supporter of your group?s efforts and I will continue to support those efforts. As a dog owner I see the need for areas where dogs can get off leash and socialize with other dogs and their owners can also enjoy our city parks. One often-overlooked aspect of dog ownership is the chance it provides to meet other dog owners and form friendships. I have made many friends over the last few years and the main reason we met was because we met on a dog walk."
For Alderman Trane, the obligations of the community are not limited only to those dogs who are fortunate enough to have happy family relationships but extend also to our homeless dogs:
"I have one major concern that I believe really needs to be addressed. The condition of the so-called kennel area that is located in the DPW garage is inadequate to say the least. This area is in need of a major rehab or replacement."
The Board of Aldermen meets on the second and fourth Thursday each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber in City Hall. Meetings are open to the public and are televised live on City Cable. City Cable re-broadcasts the meeting the following Sunday evening at 8:20.
Please vote today in the