With reference to the above article recently published in The Free Press, how temporary is a $16,000 to $18,000 fence? Does Mr. Dupont have a hidden agenda and hope that the temporary fence will become permanent? Surely donated funds should not be used for a temporary structure but could be better used to speed up the assessment on the proposed area between 4th and 13th Street.
As residents of the Annex we see the current "temporary" off-leash area used by many groups, including dog-walkers, soccer players, Frisbee throwers and children playing. So far, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no reason or conflict to justify a fence. In fact, because it has been a multi-use area, the dog owners have to be responsible for their pets. Why now do we need to fence this area? A vet once told us that a fenced off-leash area allows pets to practice bad habits.
If responsible dog owners feel their pets need a fenced area they could use donated funds for a more permanent and secure area in another part of the city.
Peter and Sue Butler