COUNCILOR’S CORNER
By Christopher M. Crean – Councilor Ward 6
Lately much of the concern expressed to me from the residents of Ward 6 has been about the proposed dog park at Paper Mill Elementary School. On February 9th the Parks and Recreation Commission conducted a public meeting on this issue at city hall. I would like to thank the commission for conducting this meeting as well as all the residents who came out to attend this public hearing in order to express their opinions and concerns.
The residents who attended expressed support for a dog park in Westfield but had legitimate concerns about placing a dog park in the playground area of Paper Mill Elementary school. As a result of this meeting a special committee has been authorized by City Council President Christopher Keefe. The purpose of this committee will be to study the feasibility and location of a dog park in the City of Westfield. This committee has scheduled its first public meeting for Thursday March 26th, 6:30 pm at City Hall.
It is important to note that the city is providing no financial funding for this project. The group that is proposing the Dog Park is called the Westfield Dog Bark Friends and they have agreed to finance this project through fundraising and then supervise and maintain the park. This is a group of all volunteers who are working to bring a safe, social, off leash Dog Park to the city of Westfield.
If you like to learn more or are interested in helping this group please go to their website at WestfieldDogBark.com. The Westfield Dog Bark Friends will be sponsoring a fund-raising event on Saturday May 12th at 10:00 am. This event is called, Strut with your Mutt, it’s a dog walk that starts at Whitney Field and goes through downtown. There will be contests and raffles so please go to their website for more information on this event.
In closing, it is a pleasure to serve as the Ward 6 City Councilor. As a City Councilor, communication is a vital part of my job. Should you ever have a concern or issues please don’t hesitate to contact me via e-mail at [email protected]. or call me at home at 1-413-562-4195.
