Day: March 24, 2011

News and Messenger:

WOODBRIDGE, Va. —
The crowd at the Prince William Park Authority Board meeting Wednesday night erupted in applause and cheers after the board took the first steps towards opening a dog park in the county.

The Park Authority Board unanimously voted to approve an agreement with Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association to lease 8.5 acres near the intersection of Minnieville Road and Colby Drive to open a dog park.

The Park Authority will pay $1 a year for the land, near the intersection of Minnieville Road and Colby Drive.

Park Authority Board members said that no public money will be used for the dog park. All of the money needed will have to be raised by a dog park support group.

According to a Park Authority staff report, the proposed park will be a fenced in area with a double-gated entrance. Cost for the fence is estimated at $12,050.

Before the dog park can open, it has to be approved by the county’s planning department. The Park Authority also has to develop a master plan for the site.

“This is really the beginning of that process,” Park Authority Vice Chairman Brant Wickham said to dog park supporters after the vote. “It’s really important that you all stay supportive and be visible during the process.”

After the meeting, dog park supporters said they were happy with the board’s vote, but understood that this is just the beginning of the process

So, with all the other pet projects and perks people and groups get in this county, why must the dog people have to raise the money for their project? If each supervisor kicked in a couple grand, they would have the park paid for.

This is the problem with the discretionary funds the way they currently are dispersed. If the supervisors aren’t interested in a dog park then it goes unfunded, regardless of the wishes of the constituents.

I think a dog park is every bit as important as many of those things on the list that were provided yesterday. If you are a dog person, your dog is as important as someone else’s horse. The BOCS needs to just pony up and give the dog folks the money needed and then change the way business is done in PWC. Enough is enough.

All kidding aside, when some of our politicians making snide remarks about Lame Stream Media, they really need to take into consideration that many reporters are in harm’s way.  We had reporters seriously injured in the latest uprisings in Egypt.  Gaddafi is known for his human shields.  Michael Kelly was the first journalist who died in the second invasion of Iraq.  Olaf Wiig and SteveCentanni were  kidnapped a few years ago and then there was Daniel Pearl who was beheaded on TV.  David Bloom died from an embolism in Iraq and lets not forget Bob Woodruff who suffered a severe head trauma wound.  Shep Smith stayed in Toyko even though the radiation readings were getting higher and there were still strong quakes in the area. 

Like it or not, all the cable news channels are mainstream.  They are on too often not to be considered mainstream.  The jobs our correspondents are doing are dangerous and fraught with peril.   Perhaps we should think before we make Lame Stream and other snide remarks.  Some slob sitting in his underwear putting news on a website just isn’t the same thing as getting rushed by a mob of angry Egyptians who want to beat your brains in.