How many of us have the patience and drive to spend 12 years trying to get a dog run installed in our neighborhood — and then maintain it once it's built?
The original designs for the Lodati Park Dog Run that Duro gave the Parks DepartmentThings were finally moving along for Lodati. And then, around 2008, the recession happened.
By 2010, they had $1.4M in funding secured, with approximately 30% going to the Parks Department for administrative costs. But because it was discretionary funding, they had to wait another year before they could touch it. In 2011 they went through a nine-month bidding process with construction companies. After that, construction took another year. All that effort paid off in June 2013, when the Lodati Park Dog Run — which technically doesn't have an official name, even now — finally opened.
While she was happy to find a dog run in her neighborhood, Willard was alarmed by its condition: there was "black stuff" coming up through the gravel. The city directed her to, a public-private entity through the City Parks Foundation that serves as the liaison between public volunteer groups and Parks. She learned how discretionary and Capital project funding works, and how to organize cleanup efforts. She was able to borrow shovels and wheelbarrows from Partnership For Parks.
"My nights and weekends are spent researching grant opportunities, coming up with fundraiser ideas," she said. "It's been a challenge to keep the community involved ... because people move in, they move out, it's pretty transient. So it's kind of fallen on my shoulders to really research, get things done, keep people motivated, update our Instagram. I built out our website.
The city calls that labor "volunteer appreciation and stewardship, but we're working for the city for free," she said. "If we want to have a dog park, it's really up to the community to keep it going. And if our conditions got really bad, because none of us were doing anything, I don't know if they would step in or close it up."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Aniak child survives attack by two dogsAlaska State Troopers said one dog dragged the child over to where another dog was tied up, and both dogs bit the child
Read more »
Chain saws recalled because they may keep running after they are turned offRecalled is the DeWalt DWCS600, an 18-inch corded chain saw.
Read more »
Azle 7-year-old nearly mauled to death by neighbor's dog“He kept asking if I was there. He said, ‘Mom, the dog used me as a chew toy, it hurts, it hurts.’”
Read more »
Chicago Man, Bright Ibeh, Charged In Andersonville Urine AttacksEach attack targeted people walking their dogs, CBS 2's Tara Molina reported last month.
Read more »