Dogs, unleashed

The topic I am about to tackle is bound to rattle cages. There seems to be no subject that provokes more interest or controversy than dogs. And no doubt I’ll get some strongly worded feedback on this one, which is greatly encouraged.

I was overjoyed when the city finally renovated Latrobe Park last year. It was a real treasure that had been sorely neglected over the years. And one of the biggest problems was the dog waste around the playground left from stray dogs as well as neglectful owners. When the city enclosed the playground with a fence and posted the NO DOGS ALLOWED sign I was very optimistic that the problem was solved. But neither the fence nor the sign has been a deterrent to some dog owners who seem to think any public space is available to them to do as they want.

I know that confronting people who are acting in a less than desirable way, such as asking people to please watch their language around the kids on the playground, usually gets you nowhere but in a situation where tempers and voices get raised. As the mother of a 4-year-old I’ve always been cognizant of this fact and have tended to shy away from approaching people when my daughter is with me.

But last week was it for me. The playground in Latrobe Park is heavily used, not only by neighborhood kids but also by nearby Francis Scott Key School for recess and gym classes. And last Wednesday was no different. Between a class of approximately 30 kids from the school and several other younger age children, the playground was packed. I was there with my daughter when I spotted a woman enter the park with a large dog about the size of a lab that was also off its leash. Although the dog did not seem like a threat it did startle several kids who were on the see saw who didn’t expect to see a dog in the park, particularly one not leashed looking like a possible stray that had wandered in through an open gate.

After waiting for several minutes to see if the woman was going to leave, I politely approached her and asked if she knew that dogs were not allowed in the playground. She admitted that, yes, she had seen see the NO DOGS ALLOWED sign and knew very well they weren’t allowed within the fenced area. She just didn’t seem to care. She offered no explanation as to why she would deliberately bring the dog in when she knew it wasn’t allowed, except to say that he wasn’t hurting anyone. Eventually she left with the dog, but not willingly. It took the manager of the rec center who had to ask her to remove the dog from the playground. That was after I asked him to intervene.

Now, I love dogs, all animals in fact. At one time or another, I’ve owned almost every possible species of domestic animals, from my first dog when I was 8-years-old, a scruffy white poodle named Duffy, to the 13-year-old tabby I currently have. So my beef isn’t with the dogs but the dog owners who think that since they love their dogs that everyone else should too. Now you may own the friendliest, cutest most loveable pooch in the world. And you may be the most diligent owner when it comes to cleaning up after them. But not all dog owners are created equal.

I have one point to make. Latrobe Park is a good size park, especially when you count the athletic fields that run behind the bathhouse. I’d say there is more than ample space for dogs to run. The playground, in comparison, does not even take up a quarter of the open space available to dogs. Why can’t we have an area set aside for the kids to play without them stepping in dog waste or worrying about which dogs may be friendly or not. I don’t think it’s a lot to ask. And to the dog owners out there who respect that the park is for everyone to enjoy and not just them and their dogs, thank you for being civic minded and responsible. If only everyone were. I know I am not the only parent who feels frustrated by this. I’ve talked to many parents on the playground who feel the same way but are intimidated to confront a stranger. Does anyone have any similar stories to share or any ideas as to how we resolve this problem? Email me at soboblog@baltimoreguide.com. All ideas from either side of the fence are welcome.

On the happier side of animal topics, a few Federal Hill animal lovers are hosting a toy and donation drive for homeless animals at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS). Drop off your old towels, sheets, blankets, pet toys, crates and collars at Captain Larry’s, 610 E. Fort Avenue, on Monday from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. Jackie McGee, Patty & Ivars Balodis and Mara Householder are hosting the event. Come for a good cause and stay and socialize with some fellow animal lovers from the neighborhood. But if you can’t stay there will be a truck parked outside Captain Larry’s to drop off your donations.

Yes, you may have to see it to believe it, but work has finally begun on the reconstruction of Andre Street. If you are a Locust Point resident like me, then no doubt you use this convenient hidden passage between Fort Avenue And McComas Street like it’s your own private entrance in and out of the neighborhood. And you also know that for some time the road more closely resembles an exploded mine field.

Tangled in a lawsuit with CSX over the Howard Street tunnel fire that happened in 2001, Baltimore City said it could not start reconstruction of Andre Street near the CSX-owned railroad tracks until the suit was settled. That finally came in February 2006. And the residents of Locust Point have been waiting so very patiently ever since. We were starting to feel like our date had stood us up on prom night as we got word from the City of delay after delay. But we kept the faith, thanks to Delegate Brian McHale who helped push this project through and get it done correctly. Expect a four to six week closure of the road and please, no parking between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. We don’t want anything else getting in the way of this project.

And some good news on the Federal Hill business front, two new businesses have moved into the neighborhood. The newest, Ace Hardware, has moved into the building where the old Dollar Store used to be at 1214 Light Street. Not only does this store fill a glaring vacancy in a busy business corridor but also brings a badly needed hardware store to the neighborhood. Locating a hardware store within a community of 100-year-old rowhomes can’t be a bad idea. And husband and wife owners Gina Schaefer and Marc Friedman and store manager and partial owner John Elliott want to know the kinds of items that would be most in demand in the area. “To start with we’ll have a certain amount of open space in the store and we’ll be asking people what they think we should carry,” Schaefer said. They already have in stock a number of small bath vanities to fit in narrow spaces because of all of the renovations taking place. Schaefer and Friedman, who also own three hardware stores in Washington D.C., will open today and have a reception in the store from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday. Stop by and introduce yourself: they want to hear from their neighbors.

Next we have SOHO Eatery, owned by Jillian and William Hwang. SOHO, a quaint little restaurant that just opened a few weeks ago at 1504 Light Street, has something for everyone. Korean and Japanese food, including sushi, seems to take up the bulk of the menu. But you’ll also find smoothies, wraps, salads, lattes and cappuccinos. There’s even a small selection of snacks on their late night menu that is offered Fridays and Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

On a more serious note, I want to put a word of caution out there. Apparently a couple of scam artists have been spotted in the neighborhood going door to door trying to con people out of money by making up a story of car trouble and needing a few bucks for cab fare. Both a woman and a man have been seen separately doing this. There’s not much of a description to go on for either of these two people. Warn your neighbors and if a stranger knocks on your door asking for money don’t hesitate to call police.