Thanks to the dog
swim in Mount VernonThe dog swim at Mount Vernon’s public pool, held the day after Labor Day, brought almost 80 dogs to swim, chase balls into the pool, meet new doggie friends, and make their people happy. The dog swim makes dog parents almost as happy as the dogs are. Thank you to the city for this once-a-year swim therapy. I call it therapy because it can be for senior dogs (ours) and for any dog that needs non-weight bearing exercise. Just like humans. I hope city leaders realize the importance for our community of this one-day recreation event.
The news that a new pool will cost $12 million is a wake-up call. Good things cost a lot. It may cost extra to remove dog hair after the dog swim, for example. On the other hand, if we don’t have a pool at all, we have more coins in the bank. The “Friends of Coralville Lake are preparing to launch a fundraising campaign … to raise about $750,000 to … hire a planner and do community outreach” for improvements to Coralville Lake, according to the Gazette (Sept 4). Meanwhile, Mount Vernon is asked to raise private dollars for our public pool, considering that the estimated $12 million for a new pool is beyond the city’s reach. Or if it were to be bonded, no other city project would be paid for. Road improvements, for example. Can I suggest that the city redo or improve Eighth Street NW, the road with so many potholes and jagged concrete that I avoid driving it? Anyone living along Eighth Street deserves a better road, and it’s been deteriorating since we moved here in 2014.
Thank you again to Sarah Fried for all her preparations to make the dog swim a success. I was happy to volunteer with Dorothy and Lenny and meet familiar and new dogs. Near the end, my husband brought our 13-year-old shepherd to the pool for swim therapy. We were very happy for her. This joy is possible thanks to the city and the volunteers. Watching guests leave with their wet relaxed dogs was also a joy. Lots of happy families.
Gretchen Reeh-Robinson
Mount Vernon