MASON CITY – The Mason City Parks Board approved a fence for a long-sought-after dog park on the city’s North End.
The dog park, located on Elm Drive and 13th Street NE, will have 3,000 feet of fencing, according to City Official Bill Stangler. The overall cost of the fencing will be $32,265, paid for equally with city funds and donations raised by dog park supporters. Mr. Stangler indicated Tuesday morning that after the Mason City Council approves funding at their next meeting on August 20th, the fence will be installed in the “latter half of September” as city workers finish up other necessary minor work on the park and the surrounding area.
“We’ll open the park as quick as we can,” Mr. Stangler said.
The dog park will be divided with fencing; a section will designated for dogs over 30 lbs. and another section for dogs below that weight.
“Friends of the dog park” describe the park as “An accessible fenced-in, off-leash dog park where well-behaved canine citizens can exercise in a clean, safe environment with their owners without disruption or endangerment to the citizens, wildlife, or property within the Mason City community.”
Friends of the dog park Co-Chair person Laura Grommesh attended the Parks Board meeting and described some rules that will be enforced at the park. Children under the age of 8 will not be allowed in the park, for example, and police will be called if persons with aggressive dogs do not comply when asked to leave.
Janice Easley of Mason City raised concerns about the dog park. She said she was concerned about liability issues and the spread of disease.
Another Mason City resident informed NIT Tuesday morning that “You just wait and see because there’s going to be dog attacks/ deaths and diseases! BAD IDEA.”
Ms. Grommesh informed the board that dog parks are a popular amenity in cities all over the country and the region; Albert Lea and Cedar Falls, for example have dog parks.
How many of you have ever been to a dog park. don’t raise your index finger to share your intelligence. A well thought out dog park is a nice community amenity. unfortunately most readers of Nit are so negative. I rarely ever see any readers offer meaningful positive dialogue. You continually show off your ignorance and unwillingness to look at the possibilities that our community can develop. Are you all retreads from the packing plant, cement plants and days that are never coming back?
Put both hands behind you, bend slightly at the waist and carefully pull your head out of your ass. The fresh air might do you good.
Mason City needs a dog park about as much as it needed those statues. Mason City is a filthy, dying town that is trying so hard to emulate larger, more successful communities that it has lost sight of what makes a real town alive and vibrant. MC has a hospital that tells the city what to do, local businesses that tell the city what to do, and a population that doesn’t seem to care. Plus an EDC that reminds me of an actor who has read too many of his own reviews, and is starting to believe them. On second thought, maybe we do need a dog park as this town is going more to the dogs every day.
I totally disagree with you. Mason City is on it’s way back. The downtown is looking better than ever. We have wonderful City parks.Many great places to eat and shop. This dog park will just add to the momentum. Kind of like the Prairie Playground. This will bring in people from all over I think.
@ Reggie (Red)-I respectfully disagree with YOU. Although the downtown does look better (At a lot of cost) everytime I go downtown there are only a handfull of people there and mostly in front of the bars. The mall is basically deserted except for Christmas and the bars downtown at night have been taken over by a bunch of thugs from out of town. The Park Inn only has people staying there when a tour bus comes through and as the newness wears off it will get worse. Then we have the ugly statues that cost almost 50K that everyone just laughs about. Then of course we had a beer garden (not a bad idea) except the police used it to target people who came there. Our city council is a farce (in my opinion) and is nothing more than a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” political tool for the elite’s to get what they want. No where near as rosey a picture as you paint is it?
LVS all these things you mention are byproducts of past failures. Things don’t change overnight but I think they are slowly getting better. If the national economy ever gets back to where it was prior to 2007 then Mason City is primed to reap its just reward IMHO.
A pit bull killed a chihuahua this year at the Austin, MN dog park. It’s the owner’s fault, not the pit bull’s. So why do we euthanize the dog? Just askin’.
I’ll take my pooch to the park until I see a pit. Then I’m never coming back.
I thought police Inforced laws not rules.
What law is broken when some one under 8 is in the park, or when someone has a. Dog there someone does not like.
Who will be in this park to Inforce these rules ?
If the law is Inforce, they will Enforce it.
Why don’t we spend more money on trails and the other parks like playgrounds stuff for our kids dog parks are for lazy people who don’t want to walk there dogs you say there are a lot of trails well there are some but lets get more variety we need more for our kids it. Really seems like the generation that is running things is more concerned about there age groups restore this and save this building come on people a dog park is just a stupid idea but o well I moved my family away from this place and enjoy the small towns they are more of a family oriented place
Talk about a lack of basic writing skills. You could have just as well left out the one period you decided to use. It’s out of place in the rest of the rambling mess.
Thank you for caring so much about my writing skills and wasting that minute of your life to criticize me I don’t have time to care about how its wote just read it and shut up remember when you type that after a period its two spaces to start a sentence not one oh yeah forgot but I devolped these fine skills at mchs baby
It is hard to take anyone seriously when they can’t formulate a meaningful sentence nor use punctuation so that it is understood. Wth….I hope you didn’t go to school in MC.
How much did you contribute to the discussion about trails and sidewalks that is happening now in Mason City. It’s been publicized here on NIT. Or are you content to sit back and complain?
Yeah I went to mc schools ben what the hell do you think mchs is? First off I said nothing nothing about sidewalks second off I heard nothing about trails being done on here. My biggest thing is that there is not enough things for family’s to do. Your worried about the dogs having somewhere to go and do something.
How many of you naysayers have ever been to a dog park? To hear you talk you’d think you’d find nothing but blood and gore!
A well-exercised and well-socialized dog is a happier and healthier dog. Dogs socialize with each other through subtle displays of posture and behavior that can only occur when they are not impeded by a leash. A leash limits a dog’s natural movement and can even cause some dogs to become territorial, protecting the area to which the leash confines them.
One measure of an under-socialized dog population or lack of responsible dog ownership is the rate of reported dog bites. Communities with off-leash areas for dogs typically report dog bite rates that are less than 60% of the national average.
Mason City should have an interest in dogs that are well socialized and dog owners who understand the basic responsibilities of dog ownership. New dog owners often learn these important skills from other dog owners while visiting an off-leash area.
So stop complaining and catastophizing over something you obviously know nothing about and come September grab your dog and head over to the dog park. You’ll no doubt be disappointed to hear how quiet it is when dogs play with each other off lead.
*DogParks USA – Susyn Stecchi
Obviously you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Read this and take some advice from a professional.
http://leerburg.com/pdf/dogparks.pdf
Yeah, I can Google, too. You should have read the entire pdf. I also find it interesting that you ignored the other “professional’s” opinions that supported dog parks.
HA That’s why the article was written to begin with to educate WHY its a bad idea. A well written article would be considered biased if they didn’t add the advantages AND disadvantages. I also find it interesting that you ignored the “Title” of the pdf.
My 2 cents:
I have dog. I have been to dog parks. Once in while someone will show up with a dog an aggressive dog. When that happens others in the park a quick to tell that person to get their dog and keep them away from the others.
I have seen a dog fight or two but they are always broken up quickly. If someone brings an aggressive dog to the park and has repeated problems, they are barred from the Dog Park.
Nothing is perfect, but the Dog Parks that I have used have always been good for my dog.
I know the Dog Park will work out! They have in all the other areas that have Dog Parks. Mason City won’t be any different.
seldom do I agree with what you have to say but you are spot on here. MC has needed a dog park for a long time. Thanks to Laura Grommesh and the others for all your hard work. Keep it up.
What a shame you don’t agree with me. Our country would be a much better place if you did.
If you and your liberal Democrats and liberal Republicans wold join me we would have more jobs, more freedom, more money in our pockets instead of the government fleecing us so severely out of our money.
Why you folks like being a tax slave is beyond me. When you work over half your day before you make anything for yourself is just plain stupid.
There would less welfare and more people feeling good about themselves because they work for what they get instead of having to beg and take it away from others.
You left wingers have done a real good job at killing incentive, the work ethic, and a hope for a better future while plunging America into so much debt that bankruptcy is certain in the near future.
Think about it!
@????? That will teach you to agree with Watchdog.
On one of my daily walks through East Park, I happened to walk by a couple of park employees working by the duck pond. While chatting with them about the parks, I got the impression that the park department didn’t have any money to buy tires for their equipment/vehicles, to do their jobs efficiently. Before giving money to somebodies pipe dream, I would think that the park department should have the money it needs to maintain the the property it already has. It will be interesting to watch this dog park grow, or not. I’ll have to change my walking route to include 12th and elm drive. I wonder if we can get some sidewalks up there that are wheel chair accessible, for safety of course.
Personally, I have a dog and am not in favor of a dog park. I don’t think ANY taxpayer dollars should be used to build or maintain this park. I too foresee problems, liability and more taxpayer dollars for maintaining and policing.
I want to pop some corn and watch what the north end does with a dog park. This should be interesting.
So what happens when an idiot with 3 pitties show up at the dawg park? We saw that happen at recent city council meeting. Known felon walks in with big mean loud dawgs. Other dawgs go nuts bark like mad. This dude is a mess, like I said known felon, aggressive and his dawgs were muscular aggressive pitties. What in god’s earth this piece of wrk was doing there is any bodies guess. I’ll bet the fram this dude shows up at the dawg park and he aint nearly as nice as was that night. Be careful y’all.
THIS IS NOT A BREED ISSUE! STOP BLAMING THE BREED! BLAME THE OWNERS! THANK YOU
Dog park on north end. I thought dog fighting was outlawed? What’s next, a sponsorship from Michael Vick?
Ms. Grommesh,and park board’ are you aware that ALL dogs (big or small)are packs? Do you understand pack structure? That being said,This clicks into high gear when dogs are taken into a park with other dogs this is viewed as territorial aggression and could lead into fatal attack’s,Will you and the park board be held responsible if this were to happen? You’re creating a disaster waiting to happen. Do you really believe that everyone who enters this park will have UTD shots on their dogs? You’re foolish if you do. Even if a dog does have all their shots it still creates a problem because if a dog isn’t properly vaccinated as a result it could lead to many diseases like for one Parvo.(which could be very deadly)
Are you or any of the park members going to be standing at the entrance all day checking everyone for vaccinations? As much as you and the board members want this to work I’m sorry to say, its not going to. AND, don’t go be blaming the dog when a possible attack happens! It seems like Janice Easley is the ONLY one with common sense here.
There better not be any pit bulls n rotties in that park! They attack!
Here we go with the pit bulls again. Save it!
Any dog can attack and that’s exactly what will happen because of “territorial aggression” and who’s going to end up paying for that in the long run? yup, THE DOG! It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the out come of all this.
Hey Ms. Grommesh, you might want to put in a security camera for many reasons and add that in to the $32,265 cost that way you, the park board and police will have evidence for when shit hits the fan!