This is a letter from the FANS (Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park) president, Cindy Johnstone:
Dear FANS,
Denver Parks and Recreation is looking at a contract with a corporation to provide dog poo bags in the city parks. At the May meeting FANS members voted against advertising in the parks. INC (Inter Neighborhood Cooperation )is proposing an alternate plan where the community will be responsible for putting dog waste bags in dispensers on a voluntary basis. Washington Park is one of the target parks to get the corporate signs above the dog waste dispensers. We currently have 20 dog waste dispensers made by volunteers that are filled by volunteers. The plan is to have 25 dispensers made by Poo Free Parks with logos on the signs above, examples could include Pets Mart, Home Depot, Starbucks, Bill’s Plumbing and Heating.
Please go to Poo Free Parks to get more information about the program and go to the photo gallery to see an example of the dispensers and the cars that will be used to fill the dispensers. poofreeparks.com
I just received this survey from the Denver Parks and Recreation and would like for you to take the survey, one question. There are two articles attached to the survey for more information.
Thank you,
Cindy Johnstone
Sounds like a terrific idea! I am so sick and tired of those ugly pvc tubes and the fact that they NEVER have any bags in them!!! Their web site says it’s free to the taxpayers…cool!
Just remember that those tubes are a SERVICE, stocked by volunteers, as it is the owners’ responsibility to have a poo bag for their pet. Also, this project doesn’t pour funds into helping our parks. It brings advertising into the escape of natural surroundings. Just seems like grassroots efforts are more in keeping with the spirit of public parks, Greenprint Denver, and community solutions. Thanks for the comment.
The really disturbing thing to me about this idea is that it is basically bringing advertising to our parks (since each poo bag dispenser will have a sizable sign over it with the name of the company who “sponsored” it). From what I understand, there is a ban on advertising in the parks; however, to get around that ban, this is being considered “sponsorship” (ah, loopholes – it will certainly feel like advertising to those of us who see the signs!).
Wash Park is, for me, an oasis in the middle of what is often an incredibly frantic, stressful world (particularly these days, given the current economic situation!). It is the place I can go to just be in nature, and at the same time be in my community. Part of what makes it such an oasis is that it is a “commercial free” zone; for me, bringing advertising to the park will change that, because it is bringing that which I am trying to get AWAY from right into the park (ah, is there no where where we are free from advertising??).
And while I very much appreciate the point Scott made (about not liking it when those PVC tubes are empty), I really do feel that those of us who use the park should be the ones to take care of it (whether that’s through stocking the tubes or, even better, bring our own bags!). I think we already do a really great job of this (I rarely see poo on the ground in Wash Park). And personally, I’d much prefer the PVC tubes over advertising in the park.
Thank you!