Puptown Needs Your Support
Bernie Heidkamp
I'm writing a friendly reminder to ask you to join or renew your annual
Puptown Dog Owners Group (P-DOG) membership for 2009, which you can do at
http://www.puptown.org/membership.html
The suggested dues are $30, although don't be afraid to give more. All dues
and donations are tax-deductible.
To simplify our bookkeeping, your tax-deductible donation to Puptown is good
for the year in which it was made. So if you haven't made your membership
donation since Jan. 1, 2009, consider your membership up for renewal.
Why join the P-DOG? The reason is simple. The dog park is not maintained by
the Park District. Rather, it is maintained by all of us, the users of the
park. The Park District will meet us halfway on major capital improvements,
but the day-to-day, year-to-year upkeep is dependent on the money raised
through membership.
To let you know where those membership dollars went in 2008, here is a list
of repairs and enhancements P-DOG made during the past year:
- Replaced worn equipment and purchased new tools and supplies.
- Repaired our masonry knee wall and added a decorative and functional brick
barrier along the front of the park.
- Installed new plantings in the center planting bed.
- Held a spring clean-up and power wash.
- Completed bi-weekly cleanings May through October.
- Printed and posted new signage to promote park safety.
- With help from the Park District, we fixed the problem of water leaking
from hose spigots.
-We applied for and received a Purina Grant in the amount of $2,500. The
grant and an anonymous donation paid for the installation of protective mesh
that prevents small dogs from escaping. It also covered the paved trim along
the sidewalk outside the park and new flowering vines.
We also lobbied for lighting at the park and for a protective barrier at
Lake Shore Drive, just north of the park. These are items we will continue
to work on in 2009. Other goals, besides park maintenance and repairs,
include:
- Address park crowding and enhance park safety.
- Pool resources and share knowledge with other DFAs (dog friendly areas); a
city-wide DFA conference is in the works.
- Develop more comprehensive signage, including possibly an information
kiosk.
We realize people become members at different times of the year. Many
members, for example, have made it a practice to renew during our big
Howl-O-Ween festivities each October. And that's still OK. But we'll keep
making membership pitches throughout the year to remind everyone just how
important their donation is.
Please consider giving right now, before you forget:
http://www.puptown.org/membership.html
As always, we welcome everyone's input and participation. Thanks for being a
big part of what makes Puptown great.
-Bernie Heidkamp
Volunteer board member of P-DOG, the Puptown Dog Owners Group
P.S. Reserve the date now for the next P-DOG meeting on April 8 at Margate
Field House!