| Current News |
FOLF BOARD...
FOLF board members (and their dogs) are: Betsy Firebaugh (Sadie &
Maggie), Mike Tilson (Cibo), Kristi Bittner (Kate), Bev Tracey (Roxie),
Bob Campbell (Shayna & Zeke), Matthew Cocchi (Gunner), John McGuire
(Gracie & Rosie), and Zee Zaballos (Bandit & Cuba). Look for
these folks at the Field or to contact the board, please email Fire78_b @ yahoo.com; Betsy Firebaugh.
 FOLFers Stephanie, Cynthia and friends Carley and Brooke (with Maggie, Lilah Jean & Riley) won first place in Aptos!
FOLF UPDATES...
FOLF
volunteers participated in three community events: Pooches in the Park,
the Annual C-Dog Parade in Aptos, and the Human Race. Thanks to those
many volunteers including Diane, Steven, Lisa, Jeanne, Sandy, Andy, and
Cecily who talked to so many people to explain what is happening at LHF
(and to hand out free "I like dogs and I vote" bumper stickers).
Hundreds of letters & signatures have been collected so far in
support of continued off-leash access and they were sent to city,
county and state officials. See below for how you can do more to help
out!
There
were over 50 people who came to the March 6 Parks & Rec meeting to
speak in favor of keeping LHF off-leash. Thanks to all who came - This could not happen without YOUR SUPPORT!
In
conjunction with CitySERV, FOLF had an LHF Trail Repair and Clean-up
Day. Thanks to Cris Murren who offered 10 tons of gravel for the
trails! And HUGE thanks to Susan, Jean, Winnie, Candice, Bev for
organizing the clean-up and over 50 volunteers who came out to help
with their generous spirit and involvement!
FOLF
surveyed 3rd District County Commissioner candidates regarding
off-leash access. Based on their answers, FOLF endorsed and actively
campaigned for winning candidate Neal Coonerty. This strategy will be
repeated for the Fall election. The FOLF board has also been actively
meeting with city and state officials to maintain off-leash access at
LHF. The board has written up sample form letters, basic "barking
points" and is also drafting a position paper. To help, see the "What
you can do" section below.
BUMPER STICKERS
The
"I Like Dogs and I Vote" bumper stickers are freely available to
anyone! Show your support! Get your own by contacting a board member,
or sending your request to FOLF, 849 Almar Ave., Suite C-PMB414, Santa
Cruz, CA 95060. Donations welcome!
LHF PARK FACILITIES – WATER FOUNTAIN!
The
LHF restrooms and water fountains are being upgraded. During
construction, porta-potties will be provided and, thanks to efforts by
Zee Zaballos, the old water fountain has been reactiviated and made
available. We've all enjoyed the human/dog water fountain, so let's
help out the city by raising money to replace the old water fountain!
See below for what you can do to help.
OTHER NEWS
PETITION...
Sandi
Pensinger of Living with Dogs started a petition to encourage the Santa
Cruz County Parks Commission to expand the open space and opportunities
for off-leash recreation. The goal is to have 1,000 signatures by
August 31, 2006. There is a short summary and a full one-page petition
online at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/657449927?ltl=1152403666.
The FOLF board supports the need for all kinds of off-leash recreation,
fenced or unfenced, developed or natural, and we support this petition.
You can make a difference! |
| Lighthouse Field Friends |
"It
is important that we all work together as a team in order to focus on
what is truly at the heart of this - keeping the park off-leash for our
furry little friends." -- LeSanne
 |
Look
at those happy faces at LHF! This is LeSanne, baby Tobias and Tamale
(aka Molly). They are at Tobias' favorite spot in LHF - the bench in
the middle where he can climb around, play in the dirt and love on ALL
the dogs!
LeSanne,
who has been going to LHF for 10 years, was the founding mother of FOLF
in 2001! She was involved with Lighthouse Dogs, a community of people
that use LHF, and agreed with others that LHF needed to continue to be
off-leash. She gave FOLF its name, obtained folf.org, got others
organized (some of those folks are on the present FOLF board) to speak
to city leaders and politicians.
LeSanne
and her partner Brad are still regular LHF users. Besides Tamale the
Rottweiler, they also have Ethan the Australian Shepherd, and Marmalade
the Dachsund-Pitbull.
LeSanne has just started a new business, the Spiritual Abundance Network (SAN). Check it out at www.SpiritualAbundanceNetwork.com. Look for LeSanne, Tobias, and pups at LHF before 10a.m. and after 4p.m.
|
| What You Can Do |
Water Fountain
FOLF is raising funds as a contribution to Lighthouse Field State Beach
to replace the human/dog water fountain in conjunction with new
bathroom facilities. Help us make this happen. Contact: Zee Zaballos; zee @ zna.com for more information.
Spread the Word!
We need people willing to hand out the newsletters (and other flyers) occasionally. Contact: Kristi; kbittner @ cruzio.com
Act Politically!
Help FOLF with candidates in the next local election. Contact: Matt; cruzan60 @ yahoo.com. Team up with other FOLFers to educate and advocate with city and state officials. Contact Betsy; Fire78_b @ yahoo.com .
Clean-up!
Volunteers
are needed to organize monthly LHF clean-ups. This entails working with
the park to choose dates, sending out notices to the media, and
supervising the day of the clean-up.
Of
course, volunteers are always needed for 1-3 hours each month for the
LHF clean-ups. Check the FOLF website for dates for upcoming clean-ups.
Bags
We've
all been there - puppy poops and the bag dispenser is empty. Bring your
plastic grocery bags to share and recycle. Please drop off bags at any
of the stations in the parks.
Write letters!
City and State Officials give strong consideration to letters from local citizens! John Laird said, ”Anyone
who takes the time to write me a handwritten letter means that person
cares enough about an issue to take the time to express their wishes …
that really impresses me.” They need to keep hearing from us
until they promise continued off-leash access at LHF! Please continue
to communicate your wishes to our elected representatives. See www.folf.org for mailing addresses. Also please continue to write letters to the editor of The Santa Cruz Sentinel. |
| Paw Prints Calendar |
FIRST TUESDAY - Pet Parenting Support
6:30
PM, Live Oak Senior Center, 1777 Capitola Road (near 17th Avenue),
Santa Cruz. This free, drop-in group will coach you in training your
newly adopted dog and helping you overcome some of their challenging
behaviors and common problems. These sessions are for people, so please
leave your dogs at home. Reservations required: 831-475-1580. Sponsored
by: Bed and Biscuits, Lori Katz of Kindred Spirits Dog Training, and
the Santa Cruz SPCA.
2ND & 4TH WEDNESDAY - Grief Support Group
7
PM, 2701 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz. The group is based on the belief
that grief needs to be shared in order for healing to happen. We are a
story-telling and listening group. Contact the Santa Cruz SPCA at (831)
465-5000 for more information.
SUNDAYS - Dog Agility
Every
Sunday from 3-5 PM at Wilson Vet Clinic parking lot, 24900 Highland Way
(off Summit Road) in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Contact Kristina Irvin
or just show up. Items to bring besides your dog - leash, treats, toy
and enthusiasm. Cost: donation, the money will go for more equipment.
For more information call Kristina Irvin at 408 353-5358 or
408-506-8670 or IN8RUNNER @ aol.com.
WEEKLY - "K9Cast with Tara and Walter"
A
podcast about dogs, dog training, rescue, shelters, adoption and more!
Weekly podcast on dogs and training promoting positive reinforcement
training. Check out http://www.k9cast.com for more info.
AUGUST 5 - SF Giants Dog Days Game
Take your dog to the ballpark! Saturday, August 5 at 6p.m. at PacBell Park in SF. Contact Sally Stephens at 415-664-3460 or stephensfw @ mindspring.com
ASAP! Tickets go fast at $24 each! Send your name, address, daytime
phone number, breed, age (dogs must be at least 6 months old), rabies
tag number and year vaccinated, and whether the dog is male or female.
AUGUST 15 - Oakland A's "Bring Your Dog to the Ballgame"
7:05
PM, McAfee Coliseum, Oakland. Bring your dog to the Oakland A's game
when the A's play the Seattle Mariners. Applications will be accepted
through Friday, August 11th on a first-come, first serve basis for the
first 500 dogs and their owners. Each dog will receive an A's bandana,
courtesy of Nylabone and Four Paws. Price: $15 Plaza Reserved Tickets
for fans with dogs ($5 fee per dog will be donated to Dogs4Diabetics,
Inc.); $10 Plaza Reserved Tickets for extra fans without dogs. For more
information see the A's website.
AUGUST 23 - C-DOG meeting
C-DOG
(Coastal Dogs) will be having a meeting to discuss upcoming events
(Howl-oween!) and volunteer opportunities. The meeting is at Cafe Lido
in Capitola on Wednesday, August 23 at 7p.m. C-DOG does not do
political stuff, just fun stuff like the Dog Parade in Aptos.
AUGUST 26 - National Dog Day
Celebrate your best friend and donate to a local shelter. Check the website for more info: http://www.nationaldogday.com.
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH:
http://www.wagntrain.com/Events.htm - A list of all kinds of fun activities for you and your pooch all around the Bay Area.
NEWSLETTER TEAM (and dogs): design: Whitney Wilde (GiGi) editorial: Kristi (Kate), Jill (Charlotte) and Stephanie (Maggie & Lilah Jean the Puppy Queen)
FOLF • 849 ALMAR AVE • SUITE C-PMB414 • SANTA CRUZ • CA 95060 • www.folf.org |
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