Park's purpose debated

An off leash dog park takes special preparation and facilities. Areas need to be sectioned off to allow for different dog size and aggression. Double gates need to be installed to prevent dog escape while letting another dog into an area. Dog watering facilities need to be plentiful and accessible in each area. Accommodation for clean up and disposal of dog squeeze needs to be convenient and posted rules for park use need to be clear and concise. People entering and leaving the park need to feel safe from attack from strange dogs. I don't know of any place in the Augusta area ready to be called a dog park.

Teen clubs don't need to be night clubs. Even 10:30pm is too late.

The rings and jackets for the State Champion Glen Hills b'ball team is a good community investment.

The true purpose of teen night clubs is sinister. They put drugs in the drinks to render them more apathetic to government control of their lives.

Open the park, Augusta attorneys are watering at the mouth for the first mauling incident.

Why would you turn a park considered a "garden" into a dog park? Have the commissioners and recreation department head even approached all of the questions in PT's comments? It is more complicated and costly than just setting a time and a few scooping rules!!

Why in the world should the city sponsor a Barber & Beauty Bar-B-Q???????????

patricia, YOUR teens don't need to be at night clubs and 10:30 might be too late for your kids. What about kids that are 18-20, they are adults but can't get into a 21+ club. When I was a young lad I would go down to the Capri and listen to punk & metal bands until 1130 or midnight, cause that's what my parents deemed an appropriate curfew. I graduated from HS in the late 90's just to put things in perspective. I normally agree with you on most things, but I don't feel it's your place to dictate what hour is too late for everyone's kids.

PT, all April Fool jokes aside...I agree with both of your posts today. As a member of the Glenn Hills C/O '91, I am very proud of the basketball teeam, and feel that they have brought positive recognition to the youth of the city. A donation from the city to purchase rings and jackets would be great. The teen clubs should close early, especially on school nights. Actually, they shouldn't even be open on school nights because kids should be doing homework. Weekapaug05, I think the target age group for the curfew is for those that are younger than 18. Kids that are 18-20 were not mentioned and should not be effected by a new curfew. They are, however in a class of their own, as they are too old for teen clubs and too young for adult clubs where alcohol is sold. Not sure what can be done about that situation, but don't think they would be effected by a curfew.

The plan to have an off-leash dog park is a mistake,dogs will be fighting and making a mess,as the owner of a well behaved large dog I regcognize the potential exists in any dog to behave aggressively especially with other dogs.

I agree with Truckin--every other city I have ever lived in had dog parks, and they don't turn into dog fighting poop fests as some would suggest. Most of the people who use dog parks scoop their dogs' waste, and they don't generally let their dogs fight. I don't know about the location on 13th and Reynolds, but a dog park in this town is a good concept.

Project Access getting 450,000? What a joke - they don't provide services and don't care about the patients - only care the nice salaries they are getting with that money. Worst bunch of rude people that make you feel like you are nothing.

I know that they don't have to be in bed at 11, but it sucks cause a person that can vote & join the military has no club/bar/hangout entertainment option after 1030 at night. And like I said before it shouldn't be the local government's job to babysit teenagers in town. If you're a parent of a teen and you feel your teen is responsible enough to stay out until 1am that the parent's judgement. Oh yeah wait, the majority of parents don't give a (expletive deleted) about their kids and let them run wild and have no control over them so we have to call the "Big Brother" babysitter in. I'm really tired of the "Average American" that's too busy or doesn't care about themselves or their family and expect "Big Brother" to take care of them.

I think PK park would be a good place for the dog park, most people let their dogs run loose there when playing disc golf and there's plenty of room back there if they just cut out some of the brush where those trails are and the dogs would probably keep those old men out off of those trails ... you know what I'm talking about.

The postings are about a dog park?!?!? Do you realize that Project Access - a program that does NOT PROVIDE healthcare as the story states - is getting 450,000 of our tax dollars. They give hope that you can see a doctor and then you get on a waiting list, which is never ending. This is program is wasting tax dollars at its best - this would be a great investigation for Woody Merry or Scott Hudson.

Who is going to see to it that those bringing dogs also bring pooper scoopers and see that they are used?

Oh, now I feel OOOOLLLLD, I must be 16-18 years older than KingJames. I am also a Glenn Hills Alumni, but dare I say when? I must say KingJames, I thought with your maturity, fair-mindedness and wisdom, I thought you were a peer as far as our ages were concerned, or maybe even older than I. If you truly are class of '91, I am very encouraged. Glenn Hills did something right. Again. I was worried about the school while my father was substituting there and my siblings were still going there. I didn't have the problems there, that they did and Glenn Hills prepared me well enough for college. I might have done better with scholarships if I had even known what a guidance counselor was before more than halfway through my senior year.

The Barber and Beauty Bar-B-Que question reminded me of the sign on Milledgeville Road that used to advertise "Human Hair - Chicken Wings". Is it still there?

AugustaFan, I will try to educate myself on ProjectAccess. Where can we find more information about it? Most of us aren't familiar with it (I think). At least that is why I didn't comment on it. I do know about dogs, though. They tend to dig up flowers, chew them up, urinate on them and you know what else around them (their type fertilization is not good for garden soil). So why are we willingly going to bring them into destroy the gardens and waste the ton of money that was invested in the landscaping? Aren't there some less-developed open meadow-like areas that would be better places for dogs to run and play?

Baroness you took the words right out of my mouth. When King James said "class of 91'" I went Whoa~ no way!!!

Hey I think the city of Augusta should recognize the Glenn Hills and Augusta State basketball teams is some very special way. THey brought a sense of pride and recognition to our fair city. A big shout out to the coaches and members of both great school.

Glad you think so, too InChristLove and I agree with you toppergem. Congratulations to Glenn Hills and Augusta State University. Imagine!? ASU basketball team traveling and playing basketball in the city that originated the game of basketball! (Springfield, Massachusetts). I never imagined that. That is something to remember.

Baroness and InChristLove, no wonder we seem to agree on so many things! A lot of our views were probably established and reinforced by the Spartan Experience at Glenn Hills. Someone else about a month or so ago stated in a post that they were in my graduating class. My mind immediately began to wonder about who it could be. I am glad to see there are more Spartans around who are positive and who don't mind discussing the issues that concern us all. I am also just as proud of the ASU basketball team. Augusta really has the spotlight on it now, even before Masters week.

Just curious, those against the dog park - do you even have a dog? If you are afraid of dogs or don't know how to train or manage yours, please stay out of the dog park.

Get A Life, I'm not afraid of a dog park and I don't think the purpose of a dog park is to scare people or keep them out. I think a good dog park takes a lot into consideration and dog and people safety is part of it. A very friendly mastiff can crush a collie with no effort, or a knee on Aunt Bessie. Just taking the leash off of a dog and letting it run in an open area is a recipe for a law suit. I just would like to see the park given some thought before we turn all of our dogs loose in a 1 acre yard.

Somehow I knew you'd be the first to respond! The purpose of a dog park is certainly not to scare people and personal safety is most definately an important consideration. TrukinRanger and thistownisunbelievable have obviously ventured beyond the CSRA, as should you. Dog parks exist quite successfully throughout the entire United States. There is no reason the dog owners in Augusta, Georgia would be any less responsible than those in the rest of the country. If Aunt Bessie has a bad knee and is concerned, she should not visit the dog park.

Baroness - you can google Project Access Augusta Georgia and it will come up. It it a big smoke screen stating that they are providing health care - in actuality, they give money for medicine that the patients can get from free - while the docotrs who are actually giving the care do not recieve compensation from the patient nor from Project Access - speciality doctor appointments you can wait up to a year or more to be seen because there really is not many doctors participating because they see the scam that it going on - wasteful taxpayer dollars at its best.

Commissioners - your actions are well intended, and I am a huge animal lover, but why not hold off on discretionary spending and place the cash into our public safety agencies' budgets! Our deputies, firemen and paramedics deserve your support!

There has to be a better place for a dog park that isn't filled with expensive landscaping and ornamental plants. Dogs can't be dogs without injuring these plants directly or indirectly. Roses especially come to mind. They need a wide-open space to run without their owners having to worry about them chewing, digging, and their wastes damaging tender plants. I have owned several different breeds of dogs over the years and hey, dogs, are dogs. I love them, but they naturally are going to do these things. If you're going to take the risks that go along with having a dog park, at least have it be a dog-friendly space. A more centrally located place would be better, too.