Upfront
Dogs (continued from page 3)
among more skittish pets and owners. Some dogs become anxious when on-leash. Owners have taken to illegally letting their dogs run off leash at parks and schools, group members said. But other park and field users aren’t happy with that. Some dogs are aggressive; others are friendly but exuberant and frighten people, group members said. “The status quo is not a good situation,� Hoffman said. Hoffman is a former soccer coach whose children played in Palo Alto parks. He has witnessed the problem from both sides since 1988, he said. The group wants a collaborative rather than adversarial approach to the problem, he added. “It’s not just about ‘my dogs’ or ‘our dogs’ but the whole community. We have to have more off-leash options that comply with the law. I don’t expect it will eliminate all of the violations, but it will greatly reduce them,� he said. At Nealon, a fenced baseball field is accessible for off-leash dogs Mondays through Fridays from 8 to 10 a.m. The off-leash gatherings have become one of Menlo Park’s strongest community activities, according to The Dog Owners Group of Menlo Park (DOGMA) website. Each weekday, dog owners congregate to share stories and neighborhood news and to meet others. But even a larger park won’t stop problems if an owner isn’t responsible, though. A woman who was maimed by a German shepherd filed a lawsuit Dec. 4 against the dog’s owner, who allegedly dropped off and left her dog unattended while she talked on her cell phone outside the fence. The victim said she was bitten after she tried to separate her dog from the shepherd, which had grabbed her smaller dog around the throat, according to the Weekly’s sister paper, The Almanac. Palo Alto Dog Owners members
Evermen (continued from page 7)
players who are not from Evergreen Park. Stanford students and others often show up to play Go in the back room at Antonio’s, alongside where the Evermen meet. Amid the graffiti-covered walls and under a Go poster the group tacked to the wall, Moroney was ready to settle into a game after a second beer. “To take the edge off losing,� he said. James Brown music pumped in the background, and the guys settled into the games. Casually, they alternated fingering Go stones and popping peanuts, adding shells to the ever-growing collection on the floor. Matheson took in the scene, looking relaxed. He bobbed his head to the music and smiled. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.
said everyone must act responsibly, and rules should be in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable space for everyone. And that includes picking up after one’s pet. Users at Nealon organize a “clean� sweep of the field after each session, searching the park sector by sector to remove any animal waste, according to DOGMA. Les Ezrati of the Palo Alto group suggested following the Nealon Park example. Randy Hoffman recommended that when people register for a dog license, they could make a volunteer contribution to pay for a professional field-cleaning service. She also said using a park early in the day would not conflict with other users’ needs. “If the dog park is open between 7 and 9 a.m., it wouldn’t interfere with soccer, baseball or camps,� she said. Palo Alto advocates have sought a dog park in the northern part of the city, which has none. A designated area in El Camino Park was under consideration, but that plan is in jeopardy. The city’s Planning
and Transportation Commission in April recommended against the dog run due to lack of space. The dog owners are also eyeing the city’s upcoming “Parks, Trails, Open Space and Recreation Master Plan,� which is expected to be ready for public study by December 2014, according to Greg Betts, director of community services. The plan will identify gaps in programming and city facilities. Betts said dog areas exemplify the need for a master plan. Currently, the city might try to shoehorn a dog area into a park where it doesn’t serve anyone well. “It’s so small that it’s more of a dog closet than a dog park,� he said. Currently, there are 5,600 licensed dogs registered with Palo Alto Animal Services, according to Connie Urbanski, the interim superintendent. That figure might represent about 25 percent of the city’s dog population, she added. So far, about 80 people have signed up on the new group’s website, www.PaloAltoDogs.org, according to Hoffman. N
CityView A round-up of
Palo Alto government action this week
City Council (June 17) 567 Maybell Ave.: The council voted to rezone a site at 567-595 Maybell Ave. to “planned community� to enable construction of a 60-unit apartment building for lowincome seniors and 12 single-family homes. Yes: Unanimous Housing: The council approved the Housing Element for the 2007-2014 planning horizon. Yes: Unanimous
Board of Education (June 18) Budget: The board approved a budget for the 2013-14 school year, which proposes $171.3 million in operating revenue, mostly from local sources, and $169.1 million in spending, mostly for staff salaries and benefits — up about 4 percent from last year. Yes: Unanimous Garland lease: The board approved an extension of the Garland School lease to the independent Stratford School until June 30, 2015. Yes: Baten Caswell, Emberling, Tom, Townsend No: Mitchell
Architecture Review Board (June 20) Mayfield: The board held a study session on the 2005 Mayfield Development Agreement. Action: None 2500 El Camino: The board held a preliminary review of a proposal by Stanford Real Estate for a four-story development with 70 units of housing. Action: None
LET’S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at PaloAltoOnline.com
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