THE LONG BEACH RECREATION DOG PARK ASSN.
NEWS FOR 2001
Last updated Dec. 11, 2001
Dec. 11, 2001
Holiday yard sale: Many a smart shopper ambled over to our sale at the California Heights home of Gerry and Sandy Facon on Saturday, Dec. 8, to pick up a few things for Santa's bag. With assistance from Audrey Mabie and Mary Drobny, the sale proved to be a winner, as the association netted about $550 after advertising expenses. And a big thanks to our donors too!
Dec. 5, 2001
Trustee to resign: Board member Gerry Facon's resignation has been accepted by the Board of Directors. Mr. Facon, who was elected to the board in 2000, was a co-chairman of the fund-raising and projects committee and the communications committee. His resignation will be effective Jan.1. The board has resolved to leave this seat open until next summer's election.
Dec. 4, 2001
Donation: The association would like to thank Justin Rudd for remembering us in his Belmont Shore Halloween fund-raising event. Several participants in the 2nd Street benefit earmarked their donations for the Dog Park and Mr. Rudd kicked in some additional funds from the take of the overall event. The association added $226 to its general fund thanks to this fine effort.
Nov. 10, 2001
Pet Promenade: About 30 more squares, which were sold for $25 each, were added to the sidewalk fund-raising project as owners paid tribute to their best friends. The pour, which fulfilled the association's obligation to those donors who have been so patient, was overseen by Fred Nicas. Buzz Minnich also proved to be very handy with the wheelbarrow. Mr. Nicas drew up the blueprint, helped get the city's approval, constructed the forms and was lead man on the work crew. About the only disappointment of the day was the weather: The cool, wet morning air kept the cement from drying until mid-afternoon. But with sticks, nails, cookie-cutters and beads, dog lovers honored their special pals.
Nov. 7, 2001
New York, New York: Dog Park regular Lillian Estrada, who has dressed many a Long Beach dog with one of her homemade bandannas, recently visited New York City where she handed out red, white and blue versions to dog owners she met in Central Park in the days following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Lillian said she found New York's dogs and their owners to be very friendly; she also expressed West Coast condolences to the city's emergency personnel. The picture at the right was taken at one of the fire stations in lower Manhattan. Donations that Lillian has received for the bandannas were given at her request to the Afghan Children's Fund in the Dog Park Assn.'s name. Thank you, Lillian!
Oct. 28, 2001
Association honored: The Long Beach K-9 Officers Assn. has presented the Dog Park association with a plaque, above, in appreciation of our recent $250 donation.Officer Andy Vanholt and his new partner Perro presented a framed K-9 unit trading card of him and his dog at our fall quarterly members meeting and provided attendees with an interesting presentation of the city's police dogs.
Long Beach lost three of its canine officers this spring:
- Rocco, a 2 1/2-year-old Dutch-shepherd mix, jumped from the roof of a building while trying to apprehend a burglary suspect, falling through an awning and then into a railing which broke his back.
- Axel, a 7-year-old German shepherd, died from an intestinal disorder May 19.
- A third dog died of an illness in April.
A trained police dog can cost $5,500 to $6,000. Officer Vanholt said that officers pay for half of the cost of the dogs themselves and that the K-9 officers association picks up the rest of the tab. If the dog is injured while on the job, the city will pay the vet bills, but any other vet bills are paid by the association. Officer Vanholt said that his partner Perro arrived recently from a training school in the Netherlands and is undergoing additional training here in Long Beach when he's not on duty. At 53 pounds, Perro is the city's lightest canine and is adept at searching attics and crawl spaces for suspects. The city has eight dogs on duty, Officer Vanholt said; it would take 12 dogs to get the unit back to full strength.
For information on the K-9 Unit's trading cards, see their Web site.
Oct. 28, 2001
Donations made: The association made $500 contributions to each of three animal-related charities with part of the proceeds from this summer's Pet Fair. Checks were presented at the October quarterly members meeting to:
- Coral Allenby, at right with president Jim Knutson, of the Volunteers of America's Companion Pet Program. The long-time charity discovered about six years ago that many of the seniors it provides hot meals for were giving their food to their pets, often their only companions. In order to provide better nutrition to the seniors and their pets, the organization developed this program, which provides pet food, cat litter and transportation to veterinarians' offices for the seniors it serves. Approximately 150 seniors in the Long Beach area are assisted by the program, which is available in 14 cities in the Southland, Ms. Allenby said.
Wendy Aragon, at right with Mr. Knutson, of the Pet Assistance Foundation, for its low-cost spaying-and-neutering program. Among other things, the organization has a spay-neuter hotline, provides financial assistance to low-cost clinics and has general counselors for humane-assistance problems, Ms. Aragon said.
- The Golden State Humane Society, to support the rescue, care and adoption of sick and abandoned animals in the city. The society also provides animal care to low-income families.
As per our charter filed with the state attorney general's office for nonprofit status, part of the funds raised each year goes to charities.
Oct. 5, 2001
Arrangement with the city: The City Attorney's Office, in conjunction with the Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine, has extended our City Agreement through Sept. 14, 2003. This document allows the association to donate materials to improve this section of Recreation Park.
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 Aug. 17, 2001
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July 21, 2001
Ground cover: With the recent spreading of 200 tons of additional crushed granite, the new ground cover now reaches from one end of the park to the other -- and was paid for by association members and our fund-raising events. City workers -- including Jose, Arturo, Herman and Alberto -- provided the labor. Thanks a lot, guys! In the future, we'll be dumping new granite in the small containment area at the west end, at the east end near the bathroom and where the initial layer has begun to thin out.This will continue to be an ongoing process. Just days before this latest delivery, Fred Nicas installed a 360-degree sprinkler at the tree stump in an effort to cover the middle of the park with water.
Aug. 3, 2001
Board of Directors: The board has welcomed its three newly elected members, Pablo Drobny, left, Shirlee Hitchcock and Buzz Minnich. Chosen as officers for the 2001-02 fiscal year are:
- President: Jim Knutson
- Vice president: Buzz Minnich
- Secretary: Jim Walters
- Treasurer: Fred Nicas
July 27, 2001
Elections: Ballots for the three seats on the Board of Directors elections have been counted with the following results:
Pablo Drobny 50 Buzz Minnich 49 Shirlee Hitchcock 48 Lori Edwards (write-in) 2 Tina McDermott (write-in) 1
July 21, 2001
Pet Fair: A wrap-up and pictures of our summer fund-raiser will be posted soon. An early estimate shows that a little over $4,500 was raised at the event. See the new side of the Bark Board at the park's entrance for dozens of photos of the event.
July 14, 2001
Thefts: Within the past few weeks at least two patron's purses were stolen out of their cars in broad daylight. Even though the parking lot is right next to the entrance to the Dog Park, do not leave valuables in your vehicle or leave it unlocked.
July 6, 2001
Welcomed repairs: If you thought things looked a little different at the park's enterance, you're right. A new $150 gate was bought by the association and installed to replace one of the old originals that finally rusted through at the bottom. The board also purchased additional hardware to enclose the other side of the Bark Board bulletin board, doubling our space. The wooden board will continue to be the place for association news and announcements while the board on the south fence is for public use. Please remember: Because the Dog Park is part of a city park, no money-making business advertisements are permitted.
July 1, 2001
Exterior decorating: If you thought the ambiance at the park was taking a turn for the better, you can thank Denis Hite for the dapper new additions. Denis donated several groovy, orange family heirloom chairs that will immediately give you that '60s airport lounge feeling and tossed in about a dozen green plastic contemporary numbers too. But wait -- there's more: Denis also gave us that right-on-the-money battery-operated clock at the east end. OK, Cody, say "I love you." ... Thanks, Denis!
June 6, 2001
K-9 Detail: The association's Board of Directors has voted to make a $250 contribution to the Long Beach Police Department's K-9 Officers Detail. The department has lost two of its dogs within the past few weeks, one to illness and another in the line of duty. Individuals who also wish to contribute may make donations at:
K-9 Detail
Police Department
300 W. Broadway
Long Beach, CA 90802
May 30, 2001
Donation: The association was happy to receive a $30 donation from Justin Rudd, whose Easter Sunday fund-raising walk in Belmont Shore was such a media hit. Justin made the association a beneficiary of the proceeds of the sale of pictures from the event.
May 13, 2001
Praise and Pillory: In an effort to fix our mud hole problem just north of the newest watering station, several volunteers pitched in over the weekend to raise the watering platform and improve drainage. Fred Nicas, Jim Knutson, Buzz Minnich and others were busy at work Sunday morning to try to solve the problem. ... Under the category of bad news, someone propped open the bathroom door Friday and the restroom was vandalized. This is why we ask park-goers with bathroom keys to lock the facility once you've used. If you'd like a key to the bathroom, just send us a key deposit -- a $5 check made out to "Recreation Dog Park Assn." -- to RDPA, P.O. Box 8337, Long Beach CA 90808. When you want to return your key, we'll give you your $5 back.
May 5, 2001
Get Ready for Your Close-Up: That woman with a camera strapped around her neck at the last monthly cleanup was Yulonda Rios, pet photographer to the stars! (Well, stars at the Dog Park anyway.) She snapped photos of pets and their owners all over the park for our first "Portraits in the Park" fund raiser. In case you missed it -- or just didn't come dressed for the event -- we're having another on Saturday, June 2. Minimum tax-deductible donation is $10. Quite a few pets were donning colorful neckwear courtesy of bandanna-maker Lillian Estrada.
May 3, 2001
Greenery: Lillian Estrada, one of our morning regulars, has given us a few helpings of MiracleGrow for the young trees at the east end of the park and in the little-dog park. The jacarandas and ficus are really leafing out!
April 19, 2001
It's in the Bag: Dr. Warren Sakamoto and his Uptown Animal Hospital have come through for the park once again. We've installed a brand-new bag dispenser next to the gate of the little-dog park, courtesy of the doctor and his clinic. While these four dispensers of scented blue bags are great for helping keep the park clean, they are more costly to stock than the three white boxes on the south fence. Park visitors are encouraged to save up their plastic grocery bags and stuff the white boxes with them from time to time. Ask your non-dog-owning neighbors for their old bags too! We never seem to have enough -- especially over the weekends. ....
Carrolisa Burgman and Gerry Facon have been kind enough to donate a total of pooper-scooper set to the park. It's difficult to believe that two of them were stolen within 24 hours!
April 3, 2001
A Tip o' the Hat: We'd like to extend our thanks to Dr. Warren Sakamoto and his Uptown Animal Hospital over on Atlantic Avenue for yet another donation of blue plastic bags for the dispensers. And we also would like to give Dan Mainzer a pat on the back for giving us a slew of tennis balls for our best friends to play with. Thank you both so much.
March 5, 2001
Cleanup Crew: More than a dozen brave soles ventured out between the series of rainstorms to help rake the park of debris in preparation for our next shipment of groundcover. Carolyn Reed and other volunteers also signed up a few new members at a swanky display table, left. A tip o' the hat to:
- Bob Crawford
- Lori Edwards
- Jerry Facon
- Chris Fielding
- Dick and Nancy Kincaid
- Scott and Wendy Lucan
- Claire McDowell
- Buzz Minnich
- Fred Nicas
- Caroline Reed
- Marcia Rohan
- Yulonda Rios
- Yori Sakimoto
- Keirsten and Tim Short
- Melinda Wallace
Feb. 22, 2001
Can You Dig It?: A big thanks to John Riperti (Jake, Ginger and Fidget), one of the local dog-walkers, who took the time to fill in holes at the park during one of the breaks between the storms. This past week's rain had left several puddles that were just too tempting for some dogs to pass up. Atta boy, John!
Feb. 10, 2001
Board of Directors: Becky Bailey (Nanook) has tendered her resignation to the board.
Feb. 3, 2001
Cleanup/membership drive: The entire park was raked of debris Saturday morning in the first regular park cleanup.
At least a dozen volunteers arrived at 8 to rake up the pine needles and leaves blown down by the recent storms and load the stuff into extra trash cans supplied by the Parks Department.
Association members have decided to make the first Saturday of every month a cleanup day with things getting under way at 8 a.m.
Lori Edwards, right with her pal Mojo, and other volunteers staffed a table at the park entrance to sign up new members for the association.
Among those taking part this past Saturday in the cleanup were:
- Bob Crawford
- Monica Daley
- Matthew Drobny
- Pablo Drobny
- Lori Edwards
- Tommy Estrada
- Gerry Facon
- Brian Farrell
- Shirlee Hitchcock
- Dick Kincaid
- Nancy Kincaid
- Clair McDowell
- Buzz Minnich
- David Senden
- Janelle Senden
- Mary Simmergren
- Don Symms
- Yulonda Rios
- Marcia Rohan
Our membership drive for 2001-02 is under way. You can join today by printing out a membership form and mailing it in.
Jan. 8, 2001
Board of Directors: The board has received the resignations of four veteran members over the past few weeks: Gary Hovanian (Mega); Barbara McPherson (Breeze, Trinket); Joan Shamitz (Jack), who served for many years as president and recently as vice president; and Miriam Yarden (Bedivere, Niniane, Smidgeon, Ygraine), right, who served as long-time treasurer.
Joining the board in interim roles are Fred Nicas (Kala, Sitka), who has agreed to take on the duties of treasurer, and Carolyn Reed (Roddy, Sarah).
Jan. 6, 2001
Yard sale: Dog-walker Karen Embree and her pals worked around the raindrops Friday night to set up for a great yard sale Saturday morning. From the looks of it, some folks just didn't find what they were hoping for few weeks ago under the Christmas tree! Scores of shoppers stopped by her Seal Beach home to browse through items donated by dozens of association members. The bottom line: A total of $569 was raised for additional groundcover at the Dog Park.
Jan. 4, 2001
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws: The general membership voted overwhelmingly -- 96% to 4% (with one vote yet to be tallied) -- to adopt a new set of Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws for the association. The vote memberships' decision was officially received and welcomed by the Board of Directors at its first meeting of the new year. The new papers will be filed with the California Secretary of State's office as soon as the U.S. Postal Service provides the association with a box number for its new mailing address. Highlights of the new documents include:
- A change in the fiscal year to July 1 to June 30 -- this means members will get a six-month "bonus" when they register for 2001-02.
- Different levels of membership, from a 20% discount for seniors to new non-voting memberships for businesses and sponsors.
- The establishment of five standing committees: projects and fundraising, maintenance and planning, membership, communications and advertising, and nominations and election.
Board --- Calendar --- Committees --- Directions --- Links --- Membership |
Aug. 18, 2001 