By Bella Osgood
EAGLE TIMES STAFF WRITER
NEWPORT — Three years after winning a contest to build a community dog park, the project to build a dog park and community garden is moving forward with the hiring of a contractor.
In 2020, Economic Development Director Christine Benner told the town about a Community Dog Park Contest and residents helped the town rack up the votes it needed to win. The non-profit David’s Dawgs sponsored the contest application for Newport. After the success, David’s Dawgs decided to include a community garden, organized by Stacey Hammerlind, as part of the project.
In addition to sponsoring the entry, David’s Dawgs provided letters of recommendation “as to why a dog park would be important to the town,” said David’s Dawgs member Annette Menard. They also won the approval of town officials, once they completed the qualification stage.
Interim Town Manager Paul Brown has hired an engineer for the project, which will be located in the field behind Advanced Auto Parts. The park will include flower beds, walkways, benches and an area for dogs to play. The garden will include fruit trees and planting beds for community members to plant their own flowers and vegetables.
“We would like to thank Christine Benner for all the hard work and dedication to get this whole project going for us and the numerous businesses that wrote their letters of recommendations, along with the selectmen for approving the rest, as well as everyone that voted for the project,” Menard said.
“The location allows people with no car to walk to the park/garden and is conveniently located [to] allow people from all walks of life to connect and enjoy these great additions,” she said.
Local animal rescue centers will be able to use the enclosed area for dog training, Menard said.
David’s Dawgs is now raising money for future park maintenance. If they raise enough money, they hope to be able to provide community members with financial assistance to help individuals pay for yearly shots for their pets.
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