We Are Official!

A meeting was held on December 8th to elect officers, appoint committee chairpersons, and adopt the bylaws for FIDO. A PowerPoint presentation was given to share pictures and informaton about potential sites. More discussion will be held at our next meeting to be held on Monday, January 12th, at 7:00 P.M. in Room 104 of the J. Harper Meredith Building. If you have any other ideas from potential sites, please bring information about them to that meeting.

Marymoor Dog Park - Dream Big!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oabd7xNpcuw

Please take five minutes to enjoy this YouTube video featuring a 40 acre dog park. Hosted by "Radar" of M.A.S.H., it's a great clip that reflects what a wonderful place our dog park could be.

Meeting Scheduled for November 3rd

Thank you for your initial support in the development of a dog park in the Fairmont area. The recent article in the Times West Virginian and subsequent meeting on October 21st has generated lots of interest.

Those attending the October 21st meeting weathered a cold and dark night. Cliff Harvey, the president of MDOG from Morgantown, gave us lots of good information to start formulating a plan for our dogs and owners. An e-mail from Cliff indicated that Stanley's Spot in Morgantown is closed right now in order to do some repairs. Also, he wanted to send his best wishes and good luck as we get started.

The next meeting scheduled for the FIDO group has been scheduled for:

Monday, November 3rd
7:00 P.M.
Eighth Street Confectionary

Kathy Riggi has kindly offered to let us meet at her place of business which is located at the corner of 8th and Virginia Streets. We will be looking over proposed bylaws as we get organized. Additionally, prospective sites will be discussed and a committee formed to visit some possible areas for consideration.

John Veasey's Notebook - 10/27/08

Received a call from David Garcia, who said that every­thing looks good thus far for the dog park following Tuesday evening’s meeting. “We had around 22 people attend the meeting,” he said, “including (commissioner) Randy Elliott and (city coun­cilman) Bill Burdick. “There’s a lot of interest in this project, and I think it will make a difference for Fairmont,” David said. Arsena McIntire says she believes the dog park is a “great idea for Marion County.” She has a 3-year-old German shepherd named Hondo who enjoys playing with other dogs but says "our leash laws prohibit that."

Times WV newspaper article - October 2008

Place for ‘FIDO’
Meeting for county dog park tonightBy John VeaseyTimes West Virginian
FAIRMONT — Are you interesting in helping develop a dog park for Marion County?A meeting for those interested is scheduled here tonight.It will be held at 7 p.m. at the No. 1 pavilion at East Marion Park.“We’re calling our group FIDO (Fairmont interested dog owners),” Dave Garcia, who is promoting the venture, said.“We want to create a fenced-in area for dogs to enter and play and have a good time,” he said. “We would have one area for large dogs and one for small dogs.”He said “it’s like a park for kids, but it’s for dogs. Morgantown has one by Decker’s Creek. And I’ve been told there have been no problems there.”Garcia said he is working with MCPARC executive director Dan Talbott on plans for the Fairmont dog park.“We would like to find a location with one or two acres,” he continued. “It could be near Rails to Trails or it could be built in one of our county parks.”“They’re definitely good things,” Talbott said Monday. “It is another opportunity to find a place for leisure activities.“Just like our youth today like many different things, older people have a need for social recreation. There are a lot of people who spend a lot of time with their pets.“Because of the leash law that Marion County has, there is not a lot of opportunity to let their dogs run,” Talbott continued. “So this gives us an opportunity to give them an alternative.“I think it’s a pretty neat idea,” he said. It was when Garcia was taking his dog Brewster to the park in Morgantown that the idea hit him.Why not try to get something developed in Fairmont such as Morgantown has? And the university city may soon have another one if the Board of Parks and Recreation commission and the Morgantown Dog Owners Group (MDOG) get their way. Garcia said that the dog owners can sit around and socialize when they bring their dogs to play.People with questions may call Dave or Kelly Garcia at 367-1184.E-mail John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

Dog Park article - September 2008

Group for creating dog park in MarionBy Paul FallonTimes West Virginian
FAIRMONT — Pets are an important component in many people’s lives.Scientific evidence indicates that people who own pets live longer than those who don’t. And now officials with the Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission are exploring a way for pet owners and their four-legged friends to have a “doggone” good time. The agency will be holding a public meeting to discuss the possibility of creating a dog park somewhere in the county. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in Room 104 of the J. Harper Meredith Building, said Dan Talbott, MCPARC executive director. “We inviting all interested parties to attend,” Talbott said. A dog park is a fenced-in area where people can take their animals to play. Since Marion County has a leash law, Talbott pointed out that it is hard for pet owner to take their dogs out and let them run free. However, dog owners will be able to let their animals off the leash once inside the fenced-in dog park, Talbott said. “The concepts of dog parks have been around for awhile,” he said. In fact, Monongalia County already has one dog park, and officials with the Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners and the Morgantown Dog Owners Group (MDOG) are in the process of creating another one, Talbott said. A group of Marion volunteers dubbed Fairmont Interested Dog Owners (FIDO), led by David Garcia, have stepped up to establish a dog park somewhere in the county. Garcia came up with the idea to build a dog park in Marion County when he started taking his dog Brewster to the park in Monongalia. While letting his beloved dog play with the other animals, Garcia began to wonder why Marion County did not have a similar facility. “We’re looking at doing some fundraisers,” Garcia said about finding financing to construct the park. He said the park in Monongalia County has two fenced in areas, one for small dogs and one to accommodate the larger of the species. However, he pointed out that although the parks are built specifically with dogs in mind, there not the only animals who benefit. “People can sit around and socialize when they bring their dogs to play,” Garcia said. He added that all sorts of activities can be held at the dog park. He pointed out that if built, are pet owners can come to the facility to participate in Walk with Your Dog Day. He also noted that members of FIDO can collaborate with area animal shelters. The shelters could bring the animals housed there to the park in order to showcase them to would-be owners. “We can do all kinds of fun things with a dog park,” Garcia said. Talbott added that he also believed a dog park would greatly benefit residents in the county. An avid outdoorsman, Talbott pointed out that in today’s society, people tend to live much more sedentary lifestyles. Building a dog park gives people yet another reason to get outside and move around, he said. Talbott said finding a suitable location for a dog park would be one topic discussed at the meeting. He added that he would like to see an area resident possibly donate land to MCPARC where the dog park could be built. “How much money we need for this project depends a lot on where it’s placed,” Talbott said. E-mail Paul Fallon at pfallon@timeswv.com.

Upcoming Meeting

FIDO is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008, at Pavilion #1 located at the East Marion Park in Fairmont, West Virginia. It is the large pavilion located to the right of the entry into the park. The meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. and be attended by members of MDOG - Morgantown Dog Owners Group. This group has successfully developed one existing dog park called "Stanley's Spot" along Decker's Creek and is nearing the grand opening of a second one at Krepp's Park. Their experience and insight will provide much needed information as we explore the possibilities for such a facility in Marion County.

Please plan to attend and show your interest in promoting a recreation facility for area dogs and dog owners.

Getting Started

Our group had a public meeting on October 2, 2008. We are starting out with a small but enthusiatic group of people who are willing to work to pursue the goal of getting a dog park established in the Fairmont/Marion County area. Look for petitions in local pet stores and veterinary offices to sign to show your interest in the development of the dog park. We hope to show officials of the City of Fairmont that there is interest in the community for this type of recreational facility.

Contact MCPARC's office for further information. 363-7037