IN THIS ISSUE:
1.
2. Needed: Your old photographs
of
3. Park design
progress
4. Playground update
5. The great dog
debate
6. Light the way!
Dear Friends of
Don’t let the fact that you haven’t seen a
1.
If you haven’t yet seen the flyer, our 2nd Annual
Park BBQ is just around the corner. In
fact, we apologize for the short notice, since it’s not much more than a week
away.
This year we decided to add something by making it a potluck
too. So, we’ll still provide the burgers, hotdogs, chips and drinks, but we
encourage you to bring your favorite side dish or dessert. Or, if the
food and company aren’t a good enough reason, come by to see the latest park
design drawings, and to learn about the fun fundraising and beautification
campaign we hope to launch in the months ahead. Event details:
For more
information, contact Reggie Parrish at 202-986-5968
(Rain date:
Saturday, October 2)
2. needed: your Old
photographs of
The
3. Park design progress
The Board continues to work toward a long-term design plan
for the park. Several design drawings have been produced over the past couple
of years, but so far none has met all the Board’s requirements for design, use,
and cost. This summer we have been very lucky to have architect and
4. Playground update
As I have explained earlier, we have not been able to
install the playground equipment we were awarded through a HUD grant because we
have been unable to secure liability insurance for the playground. We will
continue to pursue purchasing insurance on our own as well as possibly through
some sort of affinity group or other option.
More on this as it unfolds.
5. the great dog debate
If you’ve been reading the Bloomingdale community e-mails,
you have no doubt been entertained by the lively spat of recent emails on the
topic of dog poop, leash laws, and canine social behavior. First allow me to reiterate,
for the record, that (1) you must keep your dog on leash in the park, and (2) you
must pick up after your dog.
Now, because the park is private property, the Park’s Board
could decide to allow dogs to be off-leash if it so desired. The Board is
currently considering the option of having set hours for off-leash play, but
even if this option is approved, it could not be implemented before the park was
made safe for such activity (e.g., we must patch the existing holes in the
fence and buy some additional signs). Such a plan would also require some education
of dog owners who want to use the park and the development of a somewhat
organized group of dog owners who could help bring the plan to fruition.
Speaking of which, a dog-owner neighbor is organizing a
meeting of dog owners to discuss the possibility of off-leash hours in the park
and what it would require, probably on the morning of 9/25. For more
information, contact Chris at collinch19@yahoo.com.
And finally, before I close the dog poop issue, let me tell
you one of the best defenses against dog poop pollution: peer pressure. If you are in the park and notice a dog owner
leaving a dog’s mess on the ground, offer them a baggie. Once people realize
that the poop scoop law is being taken seriously and that others are watching,
they tend to get with the program.
6. Light the way!
A neighbor asked me to pass on this suggestion to others who
live on the park: Why not leave your backyard light on in the evening to
provide some additional light for the alley? Many neighbors already appear to
be in the habit of putting their front light on for some part of the evening. I suppose this suggestion is relevant for all
houses with alleys behind them, not just those on the park.
6. CONTACT US
As always, feel free to e-mail me at jacorea@aol.com if you have suggestions,
concerns, or questions about the park, or to find out how to get involved.
Also, we encourage everyone to visit our website, which is incomplete but still
informative, at www.crispusattuckspark.org.
About the Park: