Despite the freezing cold weather, the February RAG meeting was red hot, as neighbors got together to discuss what is happening, and what should be happening. As always, if you're reading this and have always wanted to come to a meeting, put it on your calendar NOW for the end of the month. You will be so glad that you did. This past meeting we had several guests brave the cold to talk to us.
NEW MAYOR'S REP, CLEMENT SREET SPACE: Mayor's representative Elizabeth Weiblen came to introduce herself. She is the new liaison to the major's office... our direct pipeline right to the top. One of the items we discussed was the Clement Street Lot at 604-608 (3 house lot). Should it be a parking lot? Green space? New housing? Elizabeth and others worked with Councilman Ed Reisinger to come up with a compromise solution to this debate. Half of the lot will be going to the parking authority, the other half to recreation & parks; _ parking, _ green space.
ARSON IN THE PARK: Deputy Major Bevelacqua gave us an update on arson in the park: all initial suspects have been ruled out; 3 other names have come up which are being investigated. THERE IS A $500 REWARD...IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, PLEASE CALL THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT STATION AT 410-396-2499!
BUS STUDY: There is a citywide Bus study happening to improve our city bus system. It's the first such study to be conducted in over 20 years. The purpose of ongoing meetings is to gather ideas, and to share the MTA's Bus vision. The goal of the study is to improve the bus system by Fall of 2005. The items being examined included real ridership patterns, locations, and routes; and destination surveys of riders to assess preferences, etc. Changes that may result from this study include:
† Simplification of routes.
† Consideration of markets for new services (free shuttles, elderly buses, etc.).
† Development of main "spine" corridors for centralized paths.
† Application of standards for bus stop spacing (key in our parking programs!).
† Improvement of time schedules and bus timing efficiencies.
At our last meeting, Deputy Major Bevelacqua spoke about dogs off leash in Riverside Park as the police have received some complaints. The law states that dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet. With all of the new dog walkers in the park, I thought it was time to remind people of some simple rules of doggy etiquette:
Rain, snow, sun, knee deep in mud…pick up after your dog. Think of the park as your own yard, because it is.
Your dog should never approach a dog on a leash unless invited by that dog’s owner.
Your dog should never approach people walking through the park without their invitation.
Dogs who play too aggressively (growling, biting, etc.) can be frightening to passersby. The dogs should be separated and/or play should be moved to the lower field.
If your dog breaches etiquette, a simple reprimand to the dog and a sincere apology to the other person will usually diffuse the situation. (Saying “he won’t hurt you” only makes people angry).
The only way for everyone to enjoy the park is to respect the personal space of others. You wouldn’t run up to a stranger in the park and jump on them (hopefully), so why should a dog. I think that I have the sweetest, friendliest dog in the world but I know that just because I love him, doesn’t mean that everyone else will or should love him. We are fortunate to have a large, wonderful park in which we can exercise our dogs, and following these simple suggestions will help to continue everyone’s enjoyment of the park
