Joan Cergol


.07/07/2023 – LI-DOG Dog Water Fountain Opening in Heckscher Park

Photo Credit: Jackson Shrout

LI-DOG’s Dog Water Fountain Donation to Huntington’s Heckscher Park Celebrated on July 7th!

It was a hot and sunny day when Huntington Town Councilwoman Joan Cergol joined LI-DOG, other dog owners and their pups to celebrate the grand opening of a new dog water fountain donated by LI-DOG to Huntington’s Heckscher Park. The donation is part of an effort by LI-DOG to enhance the enjoyment of dog-friendly parks on Long Island by dog owners and their dogs. LI-DOG also made the donation in grateful acknowledgement of the Town of Huntington’s decision two years ago to allow on-leash dog walking in the town’s signature community park. To get details on the grand opening and LI-DOG’s donation, go to LI-DOG’s Dog Water Fountain Donation to Huntington’s Heckscher Park!


07/07/2023 – LI-DOG Dog Water Fountain Opening in Heckscher Park

 

LI-DOG’s Dog Water Fountain Donation to Huntington’s Heckscher Park Celebrated at Grand Opening on July 7th!

 

Photo Credit: Danielle Fliller

On a hot and beautiful July day, Huntington Town Councilwoman Joan Cergol and other Town officials joined LI-DOG, other dog owners and their pups to celebrate the grand opening of a new dog water fountain donated by LI-DOG to Huntington’s Heckscher Park!

LI-DOG has dedicated the dog water fountain to “the dogs and people who love Heckscher Park.”

The donation is part of an effort by LI-DOG to enhance the enjoyment of dog-friendly parks on Long Island by dog owners and their dogs. Two years ago, LI-DOG donated a park bench to the new dog run at dog-friendly Belmont Lake State Park in Babylon.

LI-DOG also made the donation in grateful acknowledgement of the Town of Huntington’s decision two years ago to allow on-leash dog walking in the town’s signature community park. That effort was led by Councilwoman Cergol who sponsored the resolution to allow on-leash dog walking in the park and oversaw the successful pilot program that led to the Town Board’s unanimous decision in Nov. 2020 to make Heckscher Park permanently dog-friendly. LI-DOG worked with Councilwoman Cergol to make sure dog owners were aware of the commonsense rules for walking dogs in the park such as keeping dogs on-leash and picking up after them.

The opening ceremony on July 7th was a great opportunity to thank Councilwoman Cergol personally for her leadership on this terrific accomplishment!

The stainless steel dog water fountain, which was made by Washington State-based Dog-On-It Parks, is located at the northwest corner of the Harry Chapin Rainbow Stage along the path. It features a slow-draining dog water bowl as well as a water faucet so people can fill their dogs’ own bowls with water.

On the water fountain is a silver plaque that reads:

Donated by LI-DOG (lidog.org)

For the Dogs and People Who Love Heckscher Park

The Town’s Dept. of General Services installed the dog water fountain and will maintain it. (It will be shut off during the winter.)

The day for the grand opening was sunny and hot. By the time the speeches were over and the water fountain was running, the dogs in attendance were eagerly drinking from the fountain—a good sign that it will be put to good use by people and their pups!

To see photos from the water fountain opening, go to the LI-DOG Dog Water Fountain Opening album on our Facebook Group.

 

 

 


.07/07/2023 – Dog Water Fountain Opening at Heckscher Park

 

LI-DOG Dog Water Fountain Opening at Heckscher Park!

Friday, July 7th, 12:30 p.m.
25A & Prime Ave., 11 Prime Ave.
Huntington Village

You and your dog are invited to join LI-DOG on Friday, July 7th at 12:30 p.m. as we celebrate the Grand Opening of a new dog water fountain donated by LI-DOG to Huntington’s Heckscher Park! The donation is part of an effort by LI-DOG to enhance the enjoyment of dog-friendly parks on Long Island for dog owners and their dogs. The donation is also being made in thanks to the Town of Huntington for making its premiere community park dog-friendly two years ago. For details on the Grand Opening, go to Dog Water Fountain Opening at Heckscher Park!

 


07/07/2023 – Dog Water Fountain Opening at Heckscher Park

 

 

Heckscher Park, Huntington

LI-DOG Dog Water Fountain Opening at Heckscher Park!

 

Fri., July 7th, 12:30 p.m.

25A & Prime Ave., 11 Prime Ave.

Huntington, NY 11743

(Google Maps)

How to Find Us: Look for the dogs and people by the back of the Chapin Rainbow Stage.

Please join LI-DOG on Friday, July 7th at 12:30 p.m. as we celebrate the Grand Opening of a new dog water fountain donated by LI-DOG to Huntington’s Heckscher Park! LI-DOG is dedicating the dog water fountain to the people and dogs who love Heckscher Park.

The donation is part of an effort by LI-DOG to enhance the enjoyment of dog-friendly parks on Long Island by dog owners and their dogs. The donation is also being made in thanks to the Town of Huntington for making its premiere community park dog-friendly two years ago.

LI-DOG has worked on the water fountain project with Councilwoman Joan Cergol who sponsored the resolution to allow on-leash dog walking in the park and oversaw the successful pilot program that led to the Town Board’s unanimous decision in Nov. 2020 to make Heckscher Park permanently dog-friendly.

The opening ceremony will be a great opportunity to thank Councilwoman Cergol personally for her leadership on this terrific accomplishment!

The stainless steel dog water fountain, which arrived in Huntington in early June and is made by Washington-based Dog-On-It Parks, features a slow-draining dog water bowl as well as a water faucet so people can fill their dogs’ own bowls with water.

On the water fountain is a silver plaque that reads:

Donated by LI-DOG (lidog.org)

For the Dogs and People Who Love Heckscher Park

The Town’s Dept. of General Services will install the water fountain and maintain it. The water fountain is expected to be installed along the path near the back northwest corner of the Chapin Rainbow Stage.

We are inviting all dog owners who love Heckscher Park to join us on Friday, July 7th to celebrate the grand opening of this new amenity for the park and to thank Joan Cergol, other members of the Town Board and the Huntington community for their support in making Heckscher Park dog-friendly!

To RSVP, go to:

LI-DOG on Meetup

LI-DOG on Facebook

or email us at lidog_news@yahoo.com

We hope you and your dogs can join us to celebrate the opening of the dog water fountain in Heckscher Park! We’ll have extra water bowls on hand! 


05/09/2023 – LI-DOG Set to Donate Dog Water Fountain at Heckscher Park

 

Huntington’s Heckscher Park to Get Dog Water Fountain Donated by LI-DOG!

 

In grateful acknowledgement of the Town’s decision two years ago to make Heckscher Park dog-friendly and in an ongoing effort to enhance the enjoyment of dog-friendly parks on Long Island, LI-DOG is set to donate a dog water fountain for the dogs and people who enjoy Huntington’s Heckscher Park.

LI-DOG is working on the project with Huntington Councilwoman Joan Cergol, who sponsored the resolution to allow dogs in Heckscher Park and oversaw a successful pilot program that resulted in the Town Board’s unanimous decision in Nov. 2020, to permanently allow on-leash dog walking in Huntington’s main community park.

The stainless steel water fountain, which is made by Washington-based Dog-On-It-Parks, features a dog water bowl designed to drain slowly so dogs have a chance to drink as well as a water faucet so people can fill their dogs’ own bowls with water.

The water fountain is expected to arrive in late May. The Town’s Dept. of General Services will install the fountain and maintain it.

A resolution to accept LI-DOG’s donation will be introduced at the Town Board’s May 9th meeting at 2 p.m. Anyone who’d like to join us at the meeting to accept our donation is welcome to come!

LI-DOG will also work with Councilwoman Cergol to schedule an official opening of the dog water fountain once it’s installed in the next few weeks.

We hope you’ll be able to join us!


.11/27/2020 – Huntington Town Board Makes Heckscher Park Permanently Dog-Friendly

Huntington Town Board Votes to Make Heckscher Park Permanently Dog-Friendly!

The Huntington Town Board voted unanimously on Nov. 19th to permanently allow on-leash dog walking in Huntington’s Heckscher Park. The vote came on a resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Joan Cergol who led the effort to allow on-leash dog walking in Huntington’s signature community park. It followed an almost year-long, successful pilot program in which on-leash dog walking gained broad support in the community. For more information on how it happened, go to Huntington Town Board Votes to Make Heckscher Park Permanently Dog Friendly! 


11/27/2020 – Huntington Town Board Makes Heckscher Park Dog-Friendly For Good

 

Huntington Town Board Votes to Make Heckscher Park Permanently Dog-Friendly!

 

Unanimous Decision Comes After Successful Year-Long Pilot Program

Photo Credit: Johanna King

The Huntington Town Board voted 5-0 on Nov. 19th to permanently allow on-leash dog walking in Huntington’s Heckscher Park! The vote at a virtual Town Board meeting came on a resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Joan Cergol and seconded by both Supervisor Chad Lupinacci and Councilman Eugene Cook.  Councilwoman Cergol has led the year-long effort to add Heckscher Park to Huntington’s townwide dog-friendly parks policy. Council members Mark Cuthbertson and Ed Smyth also voted in favor.

In seconding Councilwoman Cergol’s resolution, Supervisor Lupinacci noted that the Town Board had gotten “a lot of emails and support” for the resolution and that “it was nice to see [such support].”  Thanks to everyone who responded to LI-DOG’s emails and contacted the Town Board urging them to make Heckscher Park dog-friendly for good!

Thank you also to fellow Huntington dog owner Karen Thomas who created the online petition in Aug. 2019 that got this all started. Also, a big thank you to our volunteer Park Ambassadors—dog owners who helped spread the word about the pilot program and the rules in the park–including Michelle Troiano, Wendy Tullo, Johanna King, Sharyn Julino, Laurence Foray, Elizabeth Madden, Erich Preis, Loary Milanese and Michelle Factor Noonan.

“Walking our dogs on-leash in Heckscher Park is something Huntington dog owners have wanted for years. We are thrilled this has finally happened thanks largely to the efforts of Councilwoman Cergol and our fellow Park Ambassadors,” said LI-DOG President Ginny Munger Kahn.

The vote to permanently allow on-leash dog walking in Heckscher Park came after a successful, almost year-long pilot program in Huntington’s signature community park.  The pilot program was launched by a resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Cergol in Oct. 2019 and renewed three times by the Town Board. It  created a public education effort to bring dog owners in the park up to speed on the new rules for on-leash dog walking, while allowing for an Oversight Committee chaired by Councilwoman Cergol to make adjustments to the program in response to input from the community.

The Oversight Committee included representatives from LI-DOG and the Citizens Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities, volunteer Park Ambassadors, and staff from Huntington’s Dept. of Public Safety and the Division of Animal Control, among others.

LI-DOG noted that Councilwoman Cergol’s responsiveness to concerns raised by the community by adjusting the rules, working with the Dept. of Public Safety, Animal Control and General Services to get the resources needed to respond to these issues, and then Park Ambassadors stepping up their public education efforts were key to the success of the pilot program.

As a result, not only did the pilot program operate successfully through all four seasons of the year, but the policy of allowing leashed dogs in Heckscher Park gained broad support in the community. “Even people who were initially uncomfortable about allowing on-leash dogs in Heckscher Park ended up supporting making the policy permanent,”  noted LI-DOG in a Nov. 2nd Email to the Town Board: Please Support Adding Heckscher to Dog Friendly Parks Policy.

In a significant development on Nov. 5th, the chair of the Huntington Greenway Trails Committee on which LI-DOG serves and which in 2017, recommended opening virtually all Town parks to on-leash dogs, endorsed adding Heckscher Park to the town’s broad dog-friendly parks policy.  In 2017, the committee had exempted Heckscher Park from its recommendation because of concerns about overcrowding. Now, “The Huntington Greenway Trails Committee…unanimously agree[s] that the on-leash dog walking program at Heckscher Park has been extremely successful [and] supports…a change in the town code to allow on-leash dog walking in Heckscher Park.”

The effects of the pilot program on Heckscher Park were summarized in the final Park Ambassadors Report submitted by lead Park Ambassador Karen Thomas and LI-DOG. Among the key findings:

  • Dog owners have been responsible about picking up after their dogs and dog waste is not a problem.
  • Off-leash dogs are a rare occurrence.
  • The dog population is consistently low—usually under 6 dogs throughout the park at any one time.
  • There have been no complaints in recent months about dog owners failing to yield to others on the paths.
  • Complaints about dogs on benches were addressed by updating the rules prohibiting dogs on benches.
  • Goose droppings on the paths have been reduced because of the presence of leashed dogs.
  • Park ambassadors continue to receive very positive feedback from dog owners about how happy and grateful they are to enjoy Heckscher Park with their canine companions.
    • As one Park Ambassador put it, “In addition to meeting neighbors and making new friends, I’ve become healthier and created an amazing routine with my dog. For the first time since moving to Huntington, I feel a sense of belonging here.”

Councilwoman Cergol summarized her take on the success of the pilot program in a Nov. 21st Facebook post. Since creating the pilot program a year ago, she wrote, “we taught both the public and our pooches new tricks about safety and co-existing in harmony during a tumultuous year when peace and harmony were often hard to find. We did that by abiding by the mindset that if we respected everyone’s right to enjoyment of this downtown signature park…we would create a walking path for all to come together. For me, this may be one of the most important lessons of this humble pilot program and of this very challenging year,” she wrote.  “For that, I could not be prouder.”

Even though the pilot program has ended, LI-DOG’s President assured the Town Board before the vote that Park Ambassadors would continue to keep an eye on dog owner activities in the park. Once the threat of the coronovirus is contained, public education days will be scheduled when Park Ambassadors once again hand out flyers and talk to dog owners about the rules in the park. If any issues arise, dog owners will reach out to Councilwoman Cergol for her help in resolving them, she said.

Dog owners need to be aware that restrictions on dogs, both leashed and unleashed, remain in place for specific areas of Heckscher Park and other town parks. Among these are:

  • All playgrounds
  • Picnic areas
  • Park benches
  • Active recreation areas such as tennis courts and sports fields
  • All town camp or licensed education areas
  • Beaches, except for paved areas and boardwalks, and
  • The temporarily fenced area around Heckscher Park’s Harry Chapin Rainbow Stage during performances. This last restriction was added to the Town Code as a result of the licensing agreement the Town has with the Huntington Arts Council. Dog owners are still allowed to bring leashed dogs outside the temporary fencing.

What You Can Do: If you have not already done so, let the members of the Huntington Town Board know how great it is to finally be allowed to walk your dog(s) on-leash in Heckscher Park. Don’t forget to thank them for unanimously approving making Heckscher Park dog-friendly for good!

Members of the Huntington Town Board:

Hon. Chad A. Lupinacci, Supervisor, Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743 Phone: (631) 351-3030 clupinacci@huntingtonny.gov

Hon. Joan Cergol, Councilwoman, Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743 Phone: (631) 351-3173 JCergol@huntingtonny.gov  (Remember to thank Councilwoman Cergol for all her work on behalf of dog owners!)

Hon. Mark Cuthbertson, Councilman, Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743 Phone: (631) 351-3172 MCuthbertson@HuntingtonNY.gov

Hon. Edmund J.M. Smyth, Councilman, Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743 Phone: (631) 351-3175 ESmyth@HuntingtonNY.gov

Hon. Eugene Cook, Councilman, Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743 Phone: (631) 351-3174 ECook@HuntingtonNY.gov

Thank you for your support!


.11/19/2020 – Heckscher Park Vote Nov. 19th!

Vote to Allow Leashed Dogs in Heckscher Park For Good Set for Thurs. Nov. 19th!

A resolution to finally add Heckscher Park to Huntington’s townwide dog-friendly parks policy is up for a vote by the Huntington Town Board on Thurs., Nov. 19th.  The resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Joan Cergol comes on the heels of an almost year-long pilot program that was successful and gained broad support in the community. To get all the details on this momentous vote, go to Vote to Allow Leashed Dogs in Heckscher Park!


11/19/2020 – Heckscher Park Vote Nov. 19th!

Vote to Allow Leashed Dogs in Heckscher Park For Good Set for Thurs., Nov. 19th!

 

Vote Comes On the Heels of an Almost Year-long Successful Pilot Program

Moose by the Pond in Heckscher Park Photo Credit: Johanna King

A resolution to finally add Heckscher Park to Huntington’s townwide dog-friendly parks policy is up for a vote by the Huntington Town Board on Thurs., Nov. 19th! The vote, which will take place at a virtual meeting starting at 2 p.m., comes almost a year after the successful launch and operation of a pilot program in Huntington’s premiere community park.

The resolution to add Heckscher Park to the town’s dog-friendly parks policy is sponsored by Councilwoman Joan Cergol. Councilwoman Cergol has championed allowing leashed dogs in Heckscher Park ever since an online petition asking for on-leash access to the park quickly gathered more than 2,500 signatures last fall.  In October 2019, Councilwoman Cergol introduced and the Town Board approved a resolution to allow leashed dogs in Heckscher Park on a pilot program basis.

At the Nov. 4th Public Hearing on this latest resolution–which went smoothly with no one speaking in opposition–LI-DOG President Ginny Munger Kahn noted that not only has the pilot program operated successfully through all four seasons of the year now, “but the policy of allowing leashed dogs in Heckscher Park has gained broad support among dog owners and the community. Even people who were initially uncomfortable about allowing on-leash dogs in Heckscher Park, “ she said, “now support making the policy permanent as dog owners are following the rules and the pilot program has been responsive to any issues raised by local residents.”

In a key development, the proposal to allow leashed dogs in Heckscher Park for good has gained the unanimous support of the Huntington Greenway Trails Committee on which LI-DOG serves and which in 2017 recommended that the Town open virtually all its parks to on-leash dog walking.  At the time, the Trails Committee recommended exempting Heckscher Park from the broad policy because of concerns about overcrowding in the park. Now, however, as the Chair of the Committee noted in an email to the Town Board, “The Huntington Greenway Trails Committee…unanimously agree[s] that the on-leash dog walking program at Heckscher Park has been extremely successful [and] supports…a change in the town code to allow on-leash dog walking in Heckscher Park.”

In its email to the Town Board Urging Support for Adding Heckscher to its Dog Friendly Parks Policy, LI-DOG noted that much of the credit for the success of the pilot program should go to the Oversight Committee formed by Councilwoman Cergol late last year, which includes volunteer Park Ambassadors (dog owners who volunteered to help public education efforts in the park), representatives from organizations like the Citizens Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities and representatives from Huntington’s Dept. of  Public Safety and the Division of Animal Control. The Committee was responsible for monitoring the pilot program and making adjustments based on input from the community.

Whenever issues were brought to the attention of Councilwoman Cergol and the committee, Park Ambassadors would step up public education efforts in the park to make sure everyone knew what the new rules were. Thank you so much to all the Park Ambassadors who committed their time to making sure the pilot program was successful!

The results of these efforts and the effects of the pilot program on Heckscher Park are summarized in the final Park Ambassadors Report submitted by Karen Thomas, creator of the petition that made the pilot program possible, and LI-DOG. Among the key findings:

  • Dog owners have been responsible about picking up after their dogs and dog waste is not a problem.
  • Off-leash dogs are a rare occurrence.
  • The dog population is consistently low—usually under 6 dogs throughout the park at any one time.
  • There have been no complaints in recent months about dog owners failing to yield to others on the paths.
  • Complaints about dogs on benches were addressed by updating the rules prohibiting dogs on benches.
  • Goose droppings on the paths have been reduced because of the presence of leashed dogs.
  • Park ambassadors continue to receive very positive feedback from dog owners about how happy and grateful they are to enjoy Heckscher Park with their canine companions. As Park Ambassador Johanna King put it, “In addition to meeting neighbors and making new friends, I’ve become healthier and created an amazing routine with my dog (that’s Moose in the photo above). For the first time since moving to Huntington, I feel a sense of belonging here.”

The bottom line is that the on-leash dog walking program in Heckscher Park has been a success and Heckscher Park should be added to the town’s broad dog-friendly parks policy, the report’s authors conclude.

Dog owners need to be aware that restrictions on dogs, both leashed and unleashed, remain in place for specific areas of town parks. Among these are:

  • All playgrounds
  • Picnic areas
  • Park benches
  • Active recreation areas such as tennis courts and sports fields
  • All town camp or licensed education areas
  • Beaches, except for paved areas and boardwalks, and
  • The temporarily fenced area around Heckscher Park’s Harry Chapin Rainbow Stage during performances. This last restriction has been added to the proposed change in the Town Code as a result of the licensing agreement the Town has with the Huntington Arts Council. Dog owners are still allowed to bring leashed dogs outside the temporary fencing.

How You Can Help:  If you have not already done so, please email the Town Board and urge the Board to add Heckscher Park to Huntington’s townwide dog-friendly parks policy! Even if you don’t own dog, let them know how great it is to see people walking their leashed dogs in the park! At this point, simply send your email to Town Clerk Andrew Raia at araia@huntingtonny.gov. His office will distribute all communication they receive to the Town Board members.

Thank you for your support!

 

 

 

 

 


.10/26/2020 – Public Hearing Leashed Dogs in Heckscher Park Nov. 4th

Public Hearing on Proposal to Allow Leashed Dogs in Heckscher Park For Good Set for Nov. 4th!

A public hearing to consider adding Heckscher Park to Huntington’s townwide dog-friendly parks policy will be held on Wed., Nov. 4th starting at 7 p.m. The resolution introduced by Councilwoman Joan Cergol builds on a successful almost-year-long pilot program in the park. Please email or call Huntington Town Board members TODAY and urge them to support the resolution to allow on-leash dogs in Heckscher Park for good! For details and links to contact Town Board members, go to Public Hearing Nov. 4th on Proposal to Allow Leashed Dogs in Heckscher Park For Good!