Enter your dog to win a prize in one of these categories in the SomerMutt showcase at SomerFUN: a Romp for Independents, in Union Square, Saturday afternoon, June 11 from 3:00 to 7:00. It's going to be a lot of fun!

SomerFUN, presented by the Somerville Arts Council and Somerville Local First, is an annual street festival celebrating locally-owned and independent businesses, non-profits, artists and our community. In addition to som|dog RiverDog and Canis Major Herbals are participating. Don't miss the SomerMutt Showcase and Guess-the-Breed contest! In the SomerMutt Showcase (from 4:25 to 5:10) local mutts will strut their stuff across the main stage; Prizes will be awarded to the cutest dogs, the weirdest breed combination, and the dog/owner couple that looks the most alike. Sign up YOUR dog here! Attendees will be able to enter a competition as a spectator to "guess the breed". The most right answers will win a prize from SLF.

Special thanks to Hagrid (bichon frise), Cody (puggle), and Isis (maltese), our canine videographers, and to RiverDog, 321 Somerville Avenue, for use of the pet video equipment. Check out the great video the dogs shot of us walking in the Parade:

If your dog wants to make movies like this, get her (or him) an Eyenimal Video Camera for Pets from RiverDog!

Every year the Somerville Dog Owners Group makes a donation of $5 for every person who walks in the Parade with us to support the Memorial Day Parade. On behalf of the sixteen dogs and thirty-three people who love them who walked with us (and thanks to everyone contributed toward our donation), the Somerville Dog Owners Group is pleased to make a donation of $165 to the City of Somerville Parade and Memorial Restoration Fund. If you would like to make a donation in support of our parade and our memorials, you may send a check, payable to he City of Somerville Parade and Memorial Restoration Fund, to C.S.P.F Parade Committee, c/o Somerville Veteran's Services Department, 50 Evergreen Avenue, Somerville, MA 02145.

Let us know if you plan to join us! You can R.S.V.P. on Facebook or send us an e-mail.

We will be in the fourth division with other community groups and marching bands. The parade starts from City Hall on Highland Avenue at 1:00 and each division takes about fifteen minutes to get underway. We should be underway by 1:45, but we need to be in our place in queue on Putnam street when our division begins to move into place on Highland Avenue to begin the Parade.

So, to start the Parade with us, be sure to meet at 1:20 p.m. in the shade at (approx.) 55 Putnam Street.

Leashed and licensed dogs that are up-to-date on their vaccinations and enjoy the company of other dogs are welcome! If you have more than one dog, bring a friend! One dog per person, please!

We also need people who are walking without dogs to help carry our banner and to help pull the waggin' wagon with extra water for the dogs.

On Parade Day we post updates on twitter. We post updates as the divisions ahead of us get underway, as we get underway, and as we cross major intersections along the route.

If you do not want to walk the entire route, you have options: e.g. You can start the Parade with us, then pull out en route; or you can file in with us behind our banner along the route.

The parade route is 2.25 miles. It starts at City Hall on Highland Avenue and proceeds through Davis Square, along Holland Street, through Teele Square and along Broadway to Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Clarendon Hill.

It's a leisurely walk: We pause frequently along the way as the marching bands ahead of us perform songs for the spectators. If your dog knows any tricks this can be a good opportunity for him or her to work the crowd!

Our division has no cannons or guns, so we are not exposed to these noises in the Parade. All the cannons and guns are in the first, second and fifth divisions: You will hear cannons and guns if you are watching the parade go by.

It can be very warm: There's a lot less shade when you're walking in the street than on the sidewalk, and the asphalt of the street is a lot warmer underfoot (and paw) than the concrete sidewalk.

Finally, please remember that there is NO PARKING at City Hall on Parade Day!

There is, however, parking at the end of the Parade route at Dilboy Field on Alewife Brook Parkway. Consider parking your vehicle at Dilboy Field and then taking public transportation back home in the morning before the Parade. (Note: some bus routes are affected by the parade.)

Download printable Memorial Day Parade information.

Monday evening, January 31, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) convened the initial public meeting for the Fells Resource Management Plan (RMP) at the McGlynn School Cafeteria in Medford. The dates, locations, and topics of future RMP meetings are at the end of this post.

Approximately one hundred people attended this meeting, including representatives from the Fells Dog Owner Group (FellsDOG), the Somerville Dog Owners Group (som|dog), and the Callahan Dog Owners Association (CalDOG). Also in attendance was State Senator Patricia Jehlen who represents the Second Middlesex district (Medford; Somerville, ward 1, precincts 2 and 3, ward 2, precincts 2 and 3, and wards 3 to 7, inclusive; Woburn, ward 2; and Winchester).

A good third of the people who spoke were in direct support of being able to use the trails of the Middlesex Fells Reservation with off-leash dogs. Dog owners, through FellsDOG, also submitted a petition with signatures of 545 Massachusetts residents in support of legal options for off-leash recreation at the Fells.

Several people also spoke in support of expanding legal options for mountain biking in the Fells.

A common refrain among commenters was, "if it's not broken, don't fix it": Many people feel that their recreational needs are adequately addressed at the Fells and that additional rules and regulations are not needed.

However, others, in particular representatives of the Friends of the Fells, pointed out that currently there are conflicts over use because, they said, of a lack of enforcement of current regulations. One even suggested that the DCR "needs to bring the hammer down”.

The overall tenor of comments by people who enjoy using the Fells every day, however, was that better enforcement of rules that do not accommodate the needs of responsible users will not reduce conflict.

Public comments at the Fells RMP meeting on Monday evening were moderated by professional facilitators from the MA Office for Public Collaboration (MOPC). They did a good job.

The initial comment period extends through March 30, 2011. Comments may be e-mailed to MOPC, MiddlesexFellsRMP - at - umb.edu, or mailed to

Middlesex Fells RMP Comments
c/o MA Office of Public Collaboration
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd., M-1-627
Boston, MA 02125

Dog owners are also encouraged to participate in the public workshops that the DCR is hosting on various issues that will be considered in the RMP for the Fells. The complete schedule of upcoming RMP workshops and additional details are available from the DCR

Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 6:30pm: "Flora and Fauna"
Botume House, 4 Woodland Road, Stoneham

Thursday, February 17, 2011, 6:30pm "Wetlands and Water Resources"
Botume House, 4 Woodland Road, Stoneham

Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 6:30pm: "Cultural Resources"
Location TBA

Wednesday, March 2 , 2011, 6:30pm "Recreation"
McGlynn School Cafeteria, 3002 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford

Wednesday, March 16 , 2011, 6:30pm: "Education and Interpretation"
Location TBA

Wednesday, March 23 , 2011, 6:30pm: "Enforcement"
Location TBA

Alderman Gewirtz submitted the order in response to an e-mail she received from Sarah Hall who lives in Ward Six and enjoys walking her French Bull Dog, Boykins, on the Community Path.

Please join the Somerville Dog Owners Group in extending our appreciation to Rebekah and Sarah and in supporting this board order!

Send an e-mail or a letter to:

Board of Aldermen
c/o John Long, City Clerk
City Hall
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
jlong - at - somervillema.gov

DCR Acting Commissioner, Jack Murray, wrote in a letter to users and supporters of the Middlesex Fells dated January 4, 2011,

We are revising some rules so that they make better sense to users and are more enforceable. . . . As a result, I am announcing that we will be allowing off-leash dogs only in a designated area at the sheepfold, and better enforcing the leash laws elsewhere beginning in the spring.

The Somerville Dog Owners Group strongly encourages the DCR to consult with users who enjoy off-leash recreation at Sheepfold on the implementation of a designated area for off-leash recreation. This kind of government-citizen collaboration has been highly successful in the establishment of our off-leash recreational areas in Somerville.

At the same time, it should be observed that it is only a subset of the people who enjoy off-leash recreation at the Fells that in fact uses the ten-acre open meadow that is sheepfold. A lot of people let their dogs off leash on the 100+ miles of trails of the 2,575-acre Reservation and don't use sheepfold at all.

It would be a mistake, therefore, to assume that, because there is an off-leash area at sheepfold, there will be no off-leash dogs on the trails.

Assuming that the designated area for off-leash recreation is adequate and well-implemented, it is possible to make the following predictions:

1. Among people who use sheepfold and do not use the trails, compliance with the new policy allowing off-leash recreation only at a designated area sheepfold will be close to 100%.
2. Among people who use both sheepfold and the trails, compliance with the new policy will be less than 100%.
3. Among people who use the trails and do not use sheepfold, compliance will be 0%.

Throughout the Fells Trail Planning process the DCR has treated dog owners as a monolithic group of park users. Advocates for off-leash recreation who have participated in the process have tried to help the DCR to understand at the most basic level that off-leash recreation on the trails and off-leash recreation at sheepfold are two distinct recreational activities. We will continue to work for legal options for off-leash recreation on the trails during the public process for Middlesex Fells Reservation Resource Management Plan (RMP), which begins with a public meeting on Wednesday evening, January 26 postponed to Monday evening, January 31, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, McGlynn School Auditorium, Medford.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will explore the idea of designated off-leash trails at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in a Resource Management Plan (RMP), which will describe and document the full natural, cultural, management and historic profile of the Reservation and its management for all appropriate uses.¹

To participate in the public process for the Middlesex Fells Reservation (RMP), come to the initial public meeting for the Fells Resource Management Plan.

¹See Summary of Public Comment on the Fells Draft Trail Plan and DCR Response and Commissioner’s Letter Regarding the Draft Middlesex Fells Reservation Trail System Plan - January 2011.

The best part is when Tanner, the Vizsla, responds enthusiastically to his owner's suggestion that it would great to get few more dog parks!

The Somerville Dog Owners Group extends our appreciation to Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz for her comments at the regular meeting of the entire Board the following evening, saying that she will put in an order in advance of the fall to make sure that the proposed off-leash recreational area in west Somerville is addressed in due order after the Quincy Street and Cross Street park projects.

I stopped by to sneak a peak yesterday and it makes me want to jump up and down. I can't wait until the Grand Opening on Saturday morning, November 20, at 10:00 to see how Somerville dogs like it!

Bill Ritchotte, who owns Suki and Pea, has been photographing the progress of the construction project and recently sent me his pictures. I made a slide show from his photos and a couple of mine:

If that's not enough to tempt you to bring your well-socialized and licensed dog to the Grand Opening, maybe I can entice you with treats! Somerville's own Kickass Cupcakes will be providing mini "pupcakes"—for the pups, of course. Hot beverages for humans will be provided by Holiday Inn Boston-Somerville, located just around the corner from the new Community Park and Off-Leash Recreational Area, and D'Alelio Dunkin' Donuts, at Cobble Hill Plaza, is providing donuts and munchkins!

There will also be goody bags for people with dogs, thanks to the generosity of Somerville's local purveyors of pet supplies, including

• Pet Spa
• River Dog
• Union Beast - Rewards for Hard-Working Hounds
• Union Square Veterinary Clinic
• Winter Hill Veterinary Clinic

Come for the free treats, stay for the awesomeness!

The Somerville Dog Owners Group extends a heartfelt "Thank you!" to everyone who has helped turn a vacant lot in East Somerville into a community park with a state-of-the-art off-leash recreation area.

William Roche, Ward One Alderman, identified Zero New Washington Street as a prospective site for a community park and off-leash recreational area in 2005 after former Dell Street resident and visionary, Genevieve Jones, invited him and Alderman Dennis Sullivan on a neighborhood walk to discuss the need for legal options for off-leash recreation.

Mayor Joe Curtatone saved open space in East Somerville in November 2006 when he submitted to the Board of Aldermen (BOA) Finance Committee a revised proposal for the sale of city-owned property at Zero New Washington Street preserving about an acre for public open space. The members of the Committee, Alderman at Large William White, Ward Two Alderman Maryann Heuston and Ward Seven Alderman Robert Trane recommended in favor of the revised proposal, and the entire Board voted to accept it.

Many members of the general public came to meetings of the BOA Finance Committee in 2006 to save public open space in East Somerville.

Hundreds of East Somerville residents signed the petition for parks for people and pets in East Somerville.

Carlene Campbell, Director of Community Outreach, and members of the general public who have participated in meetings of the City's Dog Owners Task Force, especially, Frank Cresta, Justin Grunau, Lisa McFarren, Julie Roix, Steve Roix, Khalid Shakir, Lora Valante, and Marshall Wallace, helping to keep the project moving forward and working with Arn Franzen, Director of Parks and Open Space, and Andrew Leonard of Leonard Design Associates Inc. on design aspects of the park.

We look forward to seeing all of you—and everyone who supports and enjoys public open space—on Saturday, November 20, at the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Community Park and Off-Leash Recreational Area at Zero New Washington Street!

UPDATE 9:00 AM: Nicholas Salerno, Chairman of the Somerville Elections Department, has notified us that voters in Somerville are no longer allowed to bring our dogs (other than service dogs) with us to the polls. Please make other arrangements for your canine companions when you vote today.

UPDATE 8:30 AM: Early reports from the polling location in Ward 1, Precinct 1, the Capuano School, is that the police officer on detail is not allowing voters to bring their dogs with them into the polls. We are pursuing this with the Elections Department and will post updates as they are available. If you are voting today at the Capuano School, with or without your dog, please make a point of talking to the police officer and asking him about his understanding of the Elections Department's policy regarding dogs at the polls. The reason to do this while we are awaiting an update from the Elections Department, is to find out whether the officer was instructed to ban dogs from the polling location and, if so, by whom.

Vote today in the state election!

The City of Somerville Election Department allows voters to bring our dogs with us to the polls: dogs must be on leash, remain close to their companions at all times and must not bother other people.

Polls are open 7am to 8pm.

You can find your polling location and see a preview of your ballot from the Massachusetts Elections Division website.

Chairman Gewirtz responded by saying that it is unacceptable for the city not to provide a location in West Somerville and Alderman Heuston added that a number of tasks could still be performed without funds being allocated, urging the city to pursue a plan, even without site control. Alderman Heuston asked OSPCD to consider what is possible for a dog park in West Somerville and she expressed concern about the reasons that the city isn’t moving to immediately identify and construct a dog park.

Dilboy Field is one of the prospective sites for an OLRA in West Somerville identified by the committee in February. Dilboy Field, on the Alewife Brook Reservation, is controlled by the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The Committee is still waiting to receive from OSPCD a draft of a letter to HUD [Housing and Urban Development] regarding CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] eligibility of the proposed West Somerville Off-Leash Recreational Area (file #189736). Maryann Heuston originally requested the letter on June 7.

The Somerville Patch ran a story on the October 25, Parks and Open Space meeting last week.

The Parks and Open Space Committee meets next on Monday, November 22 at 6:00 pm.

"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." That will be true, too, on Somerville Avenue on Sunday, October 24, when dogs, in costume, can participate in the City of Somerville's SomerStreets Halloween Parade and Costume Contest!

The costume parade is for kids, adults and family pets. Starting in Union Square and led by Mayor Joe Curtatone, we will parade to Conway Park where there will be additional activities for children. The costume contest for pets will follow: Location to be announced.

Download a contest entry form today! Or pick one up at any of the following locations:

• Beacon Street Grooming, 70E Beacon Street, (617) 661-3436
• City Dog Training, 321 Washington Street, (617) 628-8862
• Huron Veterinary Hospital, 70 Beacon Street, (617) 661-9553
• Pet Spa, 669 Somerville Avenue, (617) 666-PETS (7387).
• Porter Square Veterinarian, 360 Summer Street, (617) 628-5588
• RiverDog, 321 Somerville Avenue, (857) 998-3343
• Union Square Veterinary Clinic, 37 Union Square, (617) 628-2644

Photo: The Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, the Wicked Witch and the Tin Man at the Halloween Pup Parade in Perry Park in 2008.

Everyone who enjoys visiting the Middlesex Fells Reservation with their dogs is strongly encouraged to submit written comments to Fells Trails Plan, 136 Damon Road, Northampton, MA 01060, or Fellstrail.Comments - at - state.ma.us. Comments may also be directed to Paul Jahnige at 413-586-8706 x20. The deadline for submitting comments is November 19, 2010.

In your comments you may wish to address the following issues (in addition to your strong support for off-leash recreation at Sheepfold).

• The Draft Plan includes no recommendation for off-leash trail use and specifically insists upon an "On Trail? On Leash!" policy (see sections 6.4, 6.7, and 6.10). Without options for off-leash trail use, it will remain difficult to enforce this policy. It was mentioned during the presentation that the RMP process* would offer an opportunity to continue to discuss off-leash trails. The DCR needs to hear from more families with dogs that we need legal options to enjoy off-leash recreation on the trails of the Middlesex Fells Reservation.

  Representatives from the DCR have explained that they are trying to alleviate the problem of off-trail activity—all off-trail activity by all users including hikers, joggers, mountain bikers, walkers and our pets. In your comments, you may want to invite Paul Jahnige to take a walk with you and your dog on your favorite trail in the Middlesex Fells so that he can see that, even off-leash, your dog does not venture off-trail.

• The plan recommends the evaluation, through the RMP process*, options for a day use fee at the Sheepfold (see section 6.5). Since Sheepfold is the one area at the Fells that families that enjoy off-leash recreation will be allowed to use, a fee to park at Sheepfold is, in effect, a fee for off-leash recreation. If no other areas and no other uses are subject to a fee, there should be no day use fee at the Sheepfold, either.

*A Resource Management Plan (RMP) is a framework for managing public lands based upon a comprehensive inventory and assessment of environmental and recreational resources, an identification of the unique characteristics of a property or management unit, the development of clear management goals and objectives, and an implementation plan to guide the short and long-term management of the parks, forests and reservations under the stewardship of the DCR. Resource Management Planning for the Middlesex Fells will not begin until after the public comment period for the Draft Trail Plan has concluded on November 19, 2010. Representatives from the DCR have stated that the RMP process for the Middlesex Fells will take nine months to one year to complete. A RMP process is presently underway for the Blue Hills Reservation: an initial public meeting was held July 29, 2009. In April 2010, Paul Cavanagh, Resource Management Planner, notified interested citizens and stakeholders that they would be notified when the draft is available and that a second public meeting would be held to obtain additional input. Information about Resource Management Planning is available online from DCR.