This Web site has been adrift for nearly a year now, and much has changed. We now have a one-year respite from the leash law on the city-owned Festival Lands, and the most important thing we can do to hold on to it is to avoid bad publicity. Dog fights and attacks on humans will be lethal to our efforts.

The big question is how to get the State Park system to follow Common Council's lead, and relieve us from their own leash law so that we can continue to loop without looking over our shoulders. This is an area where there is, unfortunately, room for disagreement. The Executive Council of TCDOG has taken the stance of "encouraging" adherence to all current regulations, especially those with safety implications such as requirement that dogs remain leashed in the parking lot. They are unwilling, however, to get involved in enforcement or even to say that compliance with the law be mandatory for members.

My own recommendations are as follows:

• Contact the EC and demand that compliance be made mandatory.
• Help form a Watch Dog committee to advise new doggers, monitor compliance, and be prepared to offer emergency assistance.
• Participate (and urge others to participate) in public events, including First Sundays and the TCDOG Halloween Party.
• Let the Common Council and Mayor Peterson know how much you appreciate and depend on our multi-use Off-leash Recreational Area at the Festival Lands.

More soon.

Seth Sicroff, Webmaster
Contact: sicroff@gmail.com

Display the bumpersticker!

This image has been made into a bumpersticker which is available for $2 at Beads! on The Commons.

Albany Office
Room 409 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
(518)455-2366/Fax (518)426-6953

District Office
119 Fall Street
Seneca Falls, NY 13148
Toll-free 1-888-568-9816/Fax (315)568-2090

Strategic Note: Sen. Nozzolio is on the Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development Committee, which has oversight over most, or maybe all, of the NYS Parks functions. For example, they have to approve the members of the Regional committees that used to actually run the show and that still have to approve local regulations like the Finger Lakes Region leash regs. So that probably is the most important committee for our purposes, and Nozzolio is on it.

Senator James L. Seward
Senate Insurance Committee Chairman
51st Senate District

Albany Office
Room 917 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
(518) 455-3131

Senator George Winner

Albany Office
Room 802
Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2091
Fax: (518) 426-6076

Elmira District Office
228 Lake Street
Box 588
Elmira, NY 14902
Phone: (607) 732-2765 (Ask for Sperry Navone)
Fax: (607) 732-2832

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton

DISTRICT OFFICE
106 East Court Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-277-8030

Email: liftonb at assembly.state.ny.us

Note: Lifton represents the city of Ithaca but you can check for other representatives at: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Note from Liz Constable:

PLEASE...send your letters using "snail mail" if possible since I believe these get read and Email may not.

Just let them know there IS a need for a dog area at Treman and it must have access to the water area.

Assemblywoman Lifton and Senator Winner have already expressed that they would work with us on this but it can't hurt to show them that there are many of us who want the park legalized.

I also think it's OK to mention that Barbara Lifton and Sen. Winner are receptive and try and encourage the other representatives to join them.... Our "bipartisan dog initiative"...

If you have questions, you can contact me: lizconstable at twcny.rr.com