reprinted courtesy Maui News 3/18/07
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Wailea
park going to the dogs, owners WAILEA – A park just for dogs has been built in Wailea. “There are a lot of dogs on island and a lot of people who love dogs,” explained Bud Pikrone, the Wailea Community Association general manager who spearheaded development of the Kilohana Dog Park. Located on Kilohana Street near the Wailea Fire Station, the Kilohana Park Playfield was restored and expanded with the Wailea Community Association putting in approximately $75,000 for the work that added the dog park. “Hopefully it gives people a safe place to play with their dogs,” Pikrone said. The Wailea Community Association announced that a blessing will be held for both the playfield and the new dog park at 11 a.m. Saturday. Canines and their owners are welcome to attend, Pikrone said. For information, call 874-6866. Working on the Kilohana Park Playfield, association crews filled holes in the field grass, spruced up the irrigation system and cleared off overgrown brush surrounding the playfield. “We kind of cleaned it up, fixed it up and made it better,” Pikrone said. A contractor was hired to install fencing. On the mauka side of the playfield by a water tank, overgrown brush was “grubbed out” to make way for barbecue grills, picnic tables, and water fountains for humans and dogs. The park for the dogs is a fenced area measuring about 70 by 90 feet. The dog park was completed about a week ago, although there are still a few minor touch-ups to be done including the planting of shower trees for shade. Pikrone said signage explaining the rules of the dog park has been posted, and disposable poop bags and trash cans are provided for canine owners who want to bring their dogs in to play off-leash. “I hope to see families use the park more,” he said. Canines in the dog park may go unleashed but may not be left unattended, according to Pikrone. “That’s the whole point of the park. Your dog can roam freely and it’s all fenced in,” he said. County ordinances requiring dogs to be leashed in public parks and on beaches remain in effect. With news out on the dog park, Pikrone has received at least three inquiries from groups interested in developing the same type of facility in another part of Kihei and perhaps Upcountry. He said the idea of building a dog park came about when soccer coaches at the Kilohana Playfield mentioned to the Wailea association that the fields are frequented by canines and their owners. Being a dog lover himself, Pikrone said, he hopes the idea of a park for dogs will catch on. “I think it’s great for the island and it’s great for the people in this area,” he said. Claudine San Nicolas can be reached at claudine@mauinews.com. |
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reprinted courtesy Maui News 3/18/07
original story at: http:// mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=28657
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