Date: January 28th, 2010

Dear Somerville Dog Owners and Friends of Somerville Dogs,

The public meeting for the Middlesex Fells Trail Plan will be on Monday evening, February 8, from 6:30 to 8:00, in Medford at the McGlynn School Auditorium, 3001 Mystic Valley Parkway. We surpassed our goal in getting ten Somerville Dog Owners to write letters in support of off-leash recreation at Sheepfold and on the trails of the Middlesex Fells. Now we need people to come to the meeting and make sure that off-leash recreation is included in the Plan! Every comment in support of legal solutions for off-leash recreation counts! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! (If people start saying, "we know that you want to let your dog off-leash," that will be a strong sign that our voices are being heard! Don't let them silence you!) If you need a ride to the meeting, or if you can drive other Somerville dog owners to the meeting, please let me know (michelebiscoe - AT - somervilledog.com). There is more information from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) a
bout the public meeting at the end of this message.

I would also like to take this opportunity to announce the City's next Dog Owners Task Force Meeting and to report on the som|dog meeting about off-leash recreation in West Somerville as well as the Free Recall (Come When Called) Clinic at Powder House Park.

The next Dog Owners Task Force meeting is Thursday, February 11, from 6:30 to 8:00 at City Hall in the third-floor conference room. The DOTF meets on the second Thursday every month. All are welcome. For more information contact Carlene Campbell, Community Outreach Director, at (617) 625-6600 ext. 2615 or ccampbell - AT - somervillema.gov.

Nine people attended the Somerville Dog Owners Group meeting on Monday, January 25, at the Nathan Tufts Field House in Powder House Park to discuss options for off-leash recreation in West Somerville. Our goal is to get nine more people to write letters to the Board Of Aldermen for the BOA meeting on February 11 thanking them for approving Alderman Gewirtz's order "that this Board requests that the Administration work with the Ward 6 Alderman on locations for an Off Leash Recreation Area for dogs and if necessary, to create a Task Force to advise the city" (file #188468).

Letters received by Wednesday, February 10, will be docketed on the agenda for the meeting on February 11. Please reference the file number of Alderman Gewirtz's order, #188468, and include your name and street address in correspondence to the Board of Aldermen and send your letter to:

Board of Aldermen
c/o John Long, City Clerk
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
cityclerk@ci.somerville.ma.us

Finally, be sure to look at the pictures from the Free Recall (Come When Called) Clinic with City Dog Training that took place at Powder House Park on Sunday, January 17. Co-sponsored by the Somerville Dog Owners Group and the Somerville Youth and Recreation Department, this was the second in a series of free dog-training clinics that are being offered in parks around the city. Families learned how to play the "Get It" game with their dogs to train them to come when called every time. Pictures are on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/somervilledog/sets/72157623105581643/.

With a playbow to your dogs from Strummer,

Cheers,
Michele
Chairperson
Somerville Dog Owners Group (som|dog
www.somdog.org

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Preliminary Agenda from the DCR for the Fells Trail Planning Meeting/Workshop:
- Overview of Trails Planning Process
- Brief Overview of Fells Trail Conditions and Issues
- Q&A (time limited)
- Stakeholder Workshop: Attendees will participate in small group discussions during which they will review maps of the trail system and add their input as to access points, desired routes, potential connections, trail issues and problems, and potential solutions. Their input will be reported out to the group-at-large.
- Next Steps

The draft trail plan is anticipated to be completed by April of 2010.

For additional information and updates, please see http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/publicmeetings/greenwaysfells.htm.