Doing the right thing is not always the easiest

I never really was a pet person. As a matter of fact, I am severely allergic to dogs. So when I got married 10 years ago, my wife’s collie would have to stay outside. I loathed having to take care of him, but he came with the wife and I wasn’t giving her up.

I wasn’t looking forward to sharing my backyard with the dog. I wanted a deck, a garden and free roam of the yard. I certainly didn’t want to watch my step when I took out the garbage. I built him a pen in the corner where he could do as he pleased. This lasted for about a day and it was my garden that ended up in the pen.

I’m not sure when all that changed, but it wasn’t long before he was my dog as much as hers. In some ways even more. Maybe it was when he would stand with his front paws on the fence waiting for me to come home. Maybe it was the way he would jump at you and swing his paw in the air like he was hitting a tennis ball. Or maybe it was when he would sit faithfully by my side as I spent hours in the woodshop in the garage. He would have more sawdust on him then me.

He was always excited when I grilled because he knew he was getting leftover bones or that burger that accidentally hit the ground. Sometimes that accident wasn’t so accidental.

Squirrels would sit in the tree or on the fence and taunt him. This drove him nuts. Every now and then, one would wander into the yard and the chase was on. I never saw him get one, but he sure scared the heck out of many.

While he chased the squirrels, he was really very kind to other animals. One time a baby rabbit from next door made its way to our yard and was trying to squeeze back through the fence. He made it half way through and was flaying its legs to get the rest of the way. The collie gently nudged the rabbit on through the fence with his nose.

Four years ago, he got sick. I remember telling myself that I used to laugh at people who spent as much money as we did to find out what was wrong. All tests came back negative and we treated the problem and he was with us four more years. I never regretted spending that money because we were not ready for the alternative at that time.

This morning was different though. We’ve noticed the last couple weeks, things were going downhill. He wasn’t drinking or eating as much and having difficulty breathing. Today, he wouldn’t eat at all. Not even being hand fed. I begged him to eat and told him if he didn’t I would have to take him to the doctor. I think he knew and was ready to go.

I took him for a short walk to the neighbors who have watched him while we were away, and then put him in the truck for the ride to the doctor. We didn’t have an appointment so they had to fit us in. It took two hours. By then, my wife and oldest daughter were there. We sat on the floor with him and held him till it was done. We know it was for the best, but we will miss him.

One of the bad things about having a pet is you are almost sure to outlive it. Doing the right thing is definitely not doing the easiest thing. Anyone who has had to do this can attest to that. Rest in peace Mufasa, we love you. You’re free to chase the squirrels you can.

It is time for a public skate park

Local skateboarders have addressed Mattoon’s council more than once about the lack of a skate park in Mattoon. Now the city is working on plans on building on at the east end of the sports complex.

The YMCA skate park closed after their insurance refused to cover it. This proposed park would be owned by the City. Most skate parks are adequately covered under standard municipal insurance policies. “It is just another piece of playground equipment” officials have argued.

The City of Charleston has no problems with their park. And the City of Sullivan is also proposing a skate park, stating it is covered under their insurance. Insurance for publicly owned parks does not seem to be a problem.

The city seems to be on the right track with their proposal. First off, the proposed location is prime for a skate park. The size of the site doesn’t lend itself too much else, and the high visibility from Logan Avenue means it is less likely to attract trouble.

They are also looking to involve local skaters in the design process. There is no better way to know what to build then to ask those who will be using it. Hopefully they will look for help from groups such as “Skater for Public Skate parks”, which a non-profit group dedicated to providing the information necessary to ensure safe, rewarding, freely-accessible skate parks are available to all skateboarders.

Skateboarding is not a sport I know very much about, so I did a little research. Did you know skateboarding is safer than basketball? The Consumer Product Safety Commission determined in 2002, the number of skateboarding injuries per active skateboarder and compared those numbers to in-line skating and basketball. Skateboarding had an injury rate of 8.9 per 1,000 participants. In-line skating was 3.9/1,000 and basketball produced 21.2 ER-treated injuries per 1,000 players. Statistically, skateboarding is safer than playing basketball.

The city is applying for a grant and estimating $100,000 for a skate park. This is a good starting point, but may be a little low in the actual cost of the park. Skate parks typically cost between $15 and $25 per square foot, and a minimum of 10,000 square feet is recommended. This puts cost estimates and $150,000 to $250,000 dollars.

One thing I was surprised about was the level of organization skate park advocates have. As mentioned, local advocates have thoughtfully addressed the council with their requests. There is even a non-profit organization geared toward skate park advocacy. The Skaters of Public Skateparks assist in advocacy, planning, and fundraising. They seem to be an excellent resource on skate parks.

Skateboarding can no longer be considered a fad. It has been around for at least a quarter of a century. A skate park is a place to skate in a controlled environment. Otherwise, skaters tend to trespass and skate in public rights of way. This is far more dangerous. The city is right in their proposal for a skate park.

Recreational requests granted

Believe it or not, one effective way to get what you want is to go to City Hall and ask for it. This is true at least when it comes to the parks.

The Mattoon City Council accepted 535 signatures from Brad Perry during their regular meeting Tuesday October 4, 2005. The signatures were on a petition for the City to repair the tennis courts at Lawson Park. “If these courts are removed, there will be no tennis courts in the City of Mattoon” Perry said during his presentation. The courts have since been repaired and are in use today.

Lea Northam fought earlier this year to limit smoking in Mattoon’s parks. She addressed the council twice and convinced them to put up signs requesting smoking be refrained from the playground equipment. The city was reluctant to take on the topic because of its explosive nature. “Just because an issue is divisive doesn’t mean it is an issue to be ignored.” Northam argued before they came to common ground.

The neighborhood around Little Kinzel Park banded together and showed their support for the park in a positive way and the city responded with $10,000 in new equipment in recent years. “The City remembers these thing when it comes to budget time” Public Works Director David Wortman explained, referring to the wide neighborhood interest and continued support.

And local skateboarders have addressed the council more than once about the lack of a skate park in Mattoon. Now the city is working on plans on building on at the east end of the sports complex.

Chere Adams, a Cunningham Park neighbor of 19 years, addressed the council about the condition of the park. She pointed out that equipment has been being removed from the park steadily since 1988. Swings, slides, teeter totters, and merry go rounds have all been removed due to dangerous conditions and nothing brought back in their place. Recently the city removed two more pieces, leaving only one piece left for children to play.

Hopefully, the neighborhood will continue their requests for improvements to this park. If past examples hold true, the city will oblige them.

Here are four good examples where the city has followed through with the requests of the community. It is highly likely; none of these projects or policies would have been put in place without public involvement. I believe, the Lawson tennis courts were slated for demolition. The smoking issue would have gone unnoticed. Smaller parks are not given priority without public interest. And without awareness to the need for a skate park, grant funds could easily go to other projects.

Congratulations to those who fought for their issues. And thank you to the city for listening to the community.

Mid-summer gardening break

As the summer rolls on and the state legislature wonders where their vacation is going, I’ll take a break from the heavy topics to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies. Every year, I can’t wait to begin enjoying the rewards of my garden. Not necessarily to feed my family or even to save money on groceries. Simply because I get enjoyment of eating something I grew.

The quality of fresh food is unmatched to commercially grown store produce. You can buy just about any food they want year-round at a grocery store where fruits and veggies are sold by the truckload. You can get grapefruits in the middle of February in Wisconsin even though they could never be grown there no matter what month it is.

Most garden plants, however, can be grown in a wide region. Strawberries can be grown from Saskatchewan to Florida. They are grown here during spring and summer but they’re shipped in from places like Florida or California out of season. The strawberries you buy in the store are quite firm and not particularly sweet compared to other varieties of strawberries. Fresh berries from a garden or “pick your own” place rarely need sweetened. Store bought strawberries just don’t compare.

Sweet corn is another good example; after being picked, corn begins to lose its sugar content almost immediately. After only 24 hours of being picked there is a notable decline in flavor. Anyone who has ever eaten sweet corn that went directly from the garden to the kitchen can tell you there is no comparison between garden fresh and store bought corn.

I don’t have strawberries or corn in my garden; they both take to much room for my small backyard. But there are plenty of berry farms and farmer’s markets to meet those needs. I have more of a salsa garden; tomatoes, peppers and onions. But I also have some beans, potatoes and cucumbers.

Another advantage to growing your own vegetables is control over chemicals and pesticides. Home gardens enjoy a clear advantage here as the grower has complete control over what they eat and may use or abstain from using any chemicals they see fit.

I have many hobbies, but my garden is one of my favorites. I’m now reaping its benefits. Beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are all starting to ripen. I recommend it to everyone. If you are afraid of being overwhelmed, I recommend square foot gardening instead of planting in rows.

Square foot gardening is a method used to maximize space and keep your garden organized and manageable. There are books and websites dedicated to it that can explain it much better than me.

It’s a little late to start a garden this year, but its not to early to start planning for next years. A successful garden can be very reward throughout the year.