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April 05, 2006
City Opens Off-Leash Dog Recreation Area At Nunziato Park
April 9th Opening Will Feature Refreshments for Dogs and Their Owners
SOMERVILLE – Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that the city will be opening its first off leash recreation area at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 9th at Nunziato Park on Summer Street, just three blocks from Union Square. The new recreation area will provide a safe, secure environment for dogs and their owners to exercise and interact without disturbing others or worrying about auto traffic and other potential hazards.
“When they are properly planned and sited, off leash areas can be a genuine win for everyone in the community,” said Mayor Curtatone, himself a dog-owner. “They reduce the need for leash law enforcement and they provide a designated area for dogs and their owners so that they don’t have to compete with other park users for the open space they need and deserve.”
The new facility is the result of a planning and fund-raising effort led by the Somerville Dog Owners Task Force, a working group created in August 2004 by the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (SPCD).
“We’ve been working with the City to build awareness and understanding of the ways that families with dogs – and our dogs – can live in harmony in the community and contribute to the city’s livability,” said Task Force member and Somerville Dog Owners Group co-founder Michele Biscoe. “This off leash recreation area is one of our most important achievements to date, and we’re looking forward to working with more neighborhoods to find other appropriate locations throughout the city.”
“I’m very excited to have the City’s first off leash recreation area here in Ward 3,” said Ward 3 Alderman Tom Taylor. “I trust this new addition will work well for both dog owners and the general public.”
“The opening festivities will feature refreshments for people and for dogs, too,” said Carlene Campbell, who serves as SPCD’s liaison to the Dog Owners Task Force. “We hope many dogs will join us, rain or shine, at 11 a.m. – and that they’ll all bring their humans.”
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