Small Town News

A park I think is made for barking

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Do you want to be the one to explain to Coby why he can't go for his daily walk at Tim-berlake Park anymore? Not me.

Coby is a golden Labrador, owned by Chuck Klein, who has been a resident of the South Cove neighborhood for 23 years.

"He's 13 and he's been walking in here every week all that time," Klein told me on one of their recent walks. "Four or five times a week in the summer, and two or three times the other eight months of the year."

So, on the conservative side, that's 1,820 walks in Coby's lifetime. No dogfights. No altercations. No dog poop left behind. Just a happy puppy that grew into a happy old dog with his human, out for some much-needed exercise in the perfectly wooded park.

I'm not going to break the news to Coby. Any volunteers?

"The picnickers don't even come here eight months out of the year. They've totally disenfranchised the primary user group," Klein said.

In a half-hour visit Aug. 19 to photograph newly posted signs, I counted five park users and their humans, despite the new signs.

"NO DOGS ALLOWED" it says at four locations. And just for good measure, there's a picture of a big German shepherd's silhouette, in aggressive posture, with a circle and slash through it.

Funny, but it didn't seem to be a place where people have been bringing their big, aggressive German shepherds.

"We've lived here 10 years and nobody ever complained until this year," said a couple with their dog. "We walk the dog morning and night, and 90 percent of the people using this park in the winter are with their dogs."

"I thought from doing my research it was a total dog park," said a woman out with her little dog. "I bought my house here two months ago because of this park, and now it's gone -- you're not supposed to have your dog here."

Here is how your humble dog-and cat-loving correspondent feels. There are many parks throughout Issaquah, old and new, devoted to families of parents and children, with playground equipment, picnic benches and bathrooms.

With so many youngsters squealing, laughing and running around at these places, and with some children afraid of dogs, I agree that a ban on dogs makes sense there, because dogs could become excitable or confused by all the noise and activity.

There are times and places, such as Salmon Days, where our four-footed friends don't need to accompany us.

But Tirnberlake Park consists of only a tiny parking lot on the south end, and a little trail stretching north to the lakeshore, where the beach is maybe 60 feet wide. It's 24 acres of woods, in a skinny strip about 2,200 feet long and 350 feet wide.

The city says in a press release that "it was designed and built specifically for humans." Really? Five parking spaces, no playground, no bathrooms and one picnic bench? It sounds like the only park in the city that was made specifically FOR dogs and their owners on walks.

And it was designed and "built," left wooded, that is, decades ago by King County, and dogs on leashes weren't banned by that jurisdiction. A 2006 annexation made the park part of Issaquah.

Anyway, there will be a meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Tib-betts Creek Manor, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The city sounds open to public input. Come! Shake hands! Sit! Speak! Staff people will collect feedback from people favoring and opposing the ban, listen to options from residents and review other cities' rules about pets in parks.

Many things are "going to the dogs" because of lack of care. This park should go to the dogs because of our extra care. Coby and many of his friends will lick your faces with thanks.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.



Copyright 2009 The Issaquah Press, Issaquah, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 The Issaquah Press Issaquah, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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