On this page, you will find recent news. Click on the tabs above for past news, for more information, to join us, to view events of interest to Somerville dog owners, for parks and maps and to enter our discussion forum. Information about park neighborhoods in Somerville, MA can also be accessed from the sidebar to the right.
June 23, 2009
Congratulations Somerville: All-America City
Somerville has won the All-America City 2009 Award.
The All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States.The award is the oldest community recognition program in the nation and recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results (wikipedia).
In its award-winning presentation to the judges at the All-America City 2009 Awards in Tampa, FL, the City highlighted the Green Line Extension to represent the way that government, business, and the community work together to make Somerville a great place to live. The Green Line Extension is just one example of the many ways that Somerville tackles community-wide challenges and achieves uncommon results.
The City's nationally acclaimed Shape Up Somerville (SUS) program is another:
In a community where 44 percent of children are overweight or at risk of being overweight, the average youngster here gained roughly 15 percent less weight than the typical peer in the control group ("Fit City," by Irene Sege, Boston Globe, December 2, 2008).
The story of Somerville's off-leash recreational areas is another of the many examples of how we work together to come up with creative solutions to difficult issues. In five years, Somerville went from being a city in which people with pets were banned from all parks to a city with two off-leash recreational areas, two additional off-leash areas in planning and numerous parks across the City that people may enjoy with leashed pets. And all this is just a small part of a larger story about how Somerville, the most densely-populated city in New England, is creating more open space.
These are the success stories of a city where government, business and community recognize our common interests and work together to accomplish our shared goals.
June 22, 2009
MassDOG: Coalition of Massachussetts Dog Owner Groups
The Coalition of Massachusetts Dog Owner Groups comprises community-based dog owner groups in Massachusetts. The Somerville Dog Owners Group is proud to be working together with dog-owner groups from across the state to make the Commonwealth a great place to live with dogs!
June 2, 2009
Community Bulletin Board at Nunziato Field
A community bulletin board has been installed at Nunziato Field in the double-gated entrance to the off-leash recreational area on Summer Street! Community bulletin boards are also being installed at Perry Park, Trum Field, Seven Hills Park, Conway Park, Lexington Park, Lincoln Park, and Hodgkins-Curtin Park.
The City of Somerville has established the following policy for posting notices on the new community bulletin boards:
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD POSTING POLICYSIGN REQUIREMENTS:
- Posting date printed or written onto all signs, oldest signs will be removed as new ones are added
- All notices should be professional in appearance
- Sign size not to exceed 8 ½ “ x 11”
ALLOWED:
- City and school officials can use boards to promote school and/or City-sponsored events/programs
- Residents and community organizations publicizing, advertising, or promoting non-city sponsored community activities that serve a cultural, social, or educational purpose by strengthening personal or community life in Somerville
- Non-profit and/or for-profit organizations publicizing, advertising, or promoting non-city sponsored activities or services that serve a cultural, social, or educational purpose by strengthening personal or community life in Somerville
- Advertising services/events (babysitting, dog walking, yard sales, music lessons, etc.) are allowed but should be as localized and community-specific as possible
PROHIBITED:
- Advertising or promoting businesses, group fundraisers or events that do not serve a cultural, social, or educational purpose and strengthen personal or community life.
- Blatantly commercial postings
- Political notices/petitions
- Personal notices
- Offensive language and images
The City of Somerville does not, by approving a posting, authorize or endorse any non-City event or activity. All similarly situated entities will receive similar treatment under this policy.
To have a notice posted on the community bulletin board at Nunziato Field, send a copy of the notice by e-mail to nunziatobulletinboard - AT - somervillema.gov.
May 24, 2009
Somerville Celebrates Memorial Day
Nineteen people walked with eleven dogs in the Parade! The Somerville Dog Owners Group will be making a donation of $95 to the City of Somerville's Memorial Day Parade Fund.
Thanks to everyone who walked with us and everyone who came out to see the parade and cheer us on along the way!
Nimitz, wearing a sailor cap, was in the Memorial Day spirit.
Mother nature was in the spirit, too. As if to inspire the the color guards and the reenactment groups for their gun salutes, there were several loud thunder claps while we waited on Putnam Street for our turn to start the parade. The thunder did not upset the dogs too much.
For the first time this year we used Twitter to announce our location along the parade route and coordinate with our reinforcments who joined us near Davis Square.
The Somerville Dog Owners Group also thanks Somerville's Animal Control Officer, April Terrio, and her four-year-old son, Gavin, who walked with us in the parade, and Frank Senesi, Director of Veteran's Services, for organizing another great parade!
Photos of the Somerville Dog Owners Group in the Memorial Day Parade are also available on Flickr.
May 21, 2009
Follow somdog on Twitter
We will be posting our progress in the Memorial Day Parade, Sunday, May 24, on Twitter: http://twitter.com/somdog.
Come out and see us!
