Suffolk County Legislature

.12/19/2017 – Suffolk County Proclamation To Honor LI-DOG President

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Suffolk County Proclamation To Honor LI-DOG President
Tues., Dec. 19th, 9:30 AM
Suffolk County Legislature
Smithtown, NY

Please join LI-DOG at the Suffolk Legislature on Tues., Dec.19th when Ginny Munger Kahn, president of The Long Island Dog Owners Group (LI-DOG), will be honored with a Proclamation from Suffolk County Legislator Steven Stern and his colleagues on the Suffolk County Legislature. The Proclamation thanks Ginny for her work helping to create dog parks and dog-friendly park policies in Suffolk County. For more information please see Suffolk County Proclamation Honors LI-DOG President!

12/19/2017 – Suffolk County Proclamation Honors LI-DOG President

This entry was posted in Latest News Archive and tagged Dog Parks Ginny Munger Kahn LI-DOG LI-DOG President Proclamation Honor Steven Stern Suffolk County Legislature Suffolk County Parks on by

LI-DOG President Ginny Munger Kahn with Her Two Dogs

Suffolk County Proclamation To Honor LI-DOG President!

Tuesday, December 19, 2017, 9:30 AM

Suffolk County Legislature

725 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Smithtown, NY (GOOGLE MAP)

Please join LI-DOG at the Suffolk Legislature on Tues., Dec.19th when Ginny Munger Kahn, president of The Long Island Dog Owners Group (LI-DOG), will be honored with a Proclamation from Suffolk County Legislator Steven Stern and his colleagues on the Suffolk County Legislature. The Proclamation thanks Ginny for her work helping to create dog parks and dog-friendly park policies in Suffolk County.

“By expanding access to and enjoyment of Suffolk County’s beautiful parks and open spaces, Ginny Munger Kahn has helped to materially improve the quality of life of thousands of current and future Suffolk County residents,” states the Proclamation. “In recognition of [that work], we, the members of the Suffolk County Legislature, do hereby honor Ginny Munger Kahn.”

Since 1998, LI-DOG has worked with elected officials and Parks officials to create 10 dog parks on Long Island (seven in Suffolk County including an off-leash beach) plus dozens of on-leash dog walking trails.

Among the Suffolk County Dog Parks LI-DOG has helped create are:
• Blydenburgh Dog Park in Smithtown
• Cherry Avenue Dog Park in W. Sayville
• Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach in E. Patchogue
• Robinson Duck Farm Dog Park in Brookhaven
• West Hills Large Dog Park in Huntington

These dog parks are the result of Ginny’s work with individual elected officials plus legislation passed in 2007, for which Leg. Steven Stern was the lead sponsor. LI-DOG worked closely with Leg. Stern on the legislation, while organizing support for the new policy among dog owners.

More recently, as LI-DOG’s representative on the Huntington Greenway Trails Citizens Advisory Committee, Ginny worked on the committee’s recommendation to adopt uniform park standards for leashed dogs in Huntington Town Parks. The recommendation was designed to align Town parks policy with Suffolk County, which allows leashed dogs throughout its 48,000-acre park system. On August 15th, the Huntington Town Board unanimously passed the resolution that opened virtually all Town parks to leashed dogs.

Ginny and LI-DOG continue to work with Suffolk legislators and the Suffolk Parks Dept. to make sure the County’s dog parks and the County’s dog-friendly park policies work well for park users.

“These wonderful amenities for dog owners–off-leash dog parks and on-leash access to virtually all Suffolk County parks–demonstrate how much communities can benefit from collaborative partnerships between engaged citizens and local government representatives,” said Ginny. “These policies are a great example of local democracy in action and we are very thankful to Leg. Steven Stern and his colleagues on the Suffolk County Legislature for making it happen!”

 We hope that you can join us to help Ginny celebrate this honor!

.11/28/2016 – Suffolk Parks Commissioner Approved

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Suffolk Parks Banner Image 

New Suffolk Parks Commissioner Approved in Oct. 2016. New Commissioner supports continued on-leash access throughout Suffolk County parks. Commissioner also addresses temporary closing of large dog park in West Hills County Park in statement to LI-DOG and the Suffolk Legislature’s Parks Committee. Get the details at Suffolk Parks Commissioner Approved.

11/28/2016 – Suffolk Parks Commissioner Approved

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New Suffolk Parks Commissioner Approved in Oct. 2016

New Commish Supports Continued On-Leash Access to County Parks

Suffolk Parks Banner Image

Suffolk County got a new Parks Commissioner on Oct. 5, 2016, when the Suffolk County Legislature approved the appointment of Philip Berdolt to head the Parks Department. Berdolt was previously Deputy Public Works Commissioner when he was appointed to the Parks position by County Executive Steve Bellone. The Suffolk Parks Dept. oversees the management of 46,000 acres of public parkland including six large dog parks and off-leash areas and miles of dog-friendly on-leash walking trails.

In response to questions submitted by LI-DOG to the Suffolk County Legislature’s Parks Committee, Berdolt said that as a dog owner he “fully appreciates that almost all Suffolk County parks are available to on-leash dogs” adding in a written statement, “it is important for parks to be accessible not only to all our residents, but to our four-legged ones as well.” The new Parks Commissioner also expressed support for the county’s off-leash areas, saying he understands how valuable the county’s dog parks are to its residents. He noted he sees the Cherry Ave. dog park every day since it’s so close to the Parks Administration headquarters in W. Sayville. Leg. Bill Lindsay III, chair of the Parks Committee, echoed that support, saying that the Cherry Ave. Dog Park is “a real asset to the community.” Leg. Lindsay’s father, past-Leg. William J. Lindsay, sponsored the resolution that secured the funding to create the Cherry Ave. Dog Park in Aug. 2011. (To see a picture of the dog park ribbon cutting with then-Leg. William Lindsay and read all about how the dog park came about, go to Cherry Avenue Dog Park Now Open!)

Commissioner Berdolt also addressed the temporary closing of the large dog park on Sweet Hollow Road in West Hills County Park, because of alleged illegal dumping near the stables. In his statement, Berdolt said the dog park would have to remain closed while the situation was under investigation by the District Attorney’s Office. In the meantime, he said, provisions would be made for large dogs at the small dog park on High Hold Drive in West Hills County Park. (To read more about the dog park situation in West Hills, go to West Hills Large Dog Park Closed Temporarily.)

At the conclusion of the Parks Committee meeting, both Commissioner Berdolt and Parks Committee Chair Lindsay offered to meet with LI-DOG to discuss the county’s ongoing support for dog parks and dog-friendly policies in general. LI-DOG will set up such a meeting in early 2017.

As always, if you get a chance to meet Leg. Lindsay or the Parks Commissioner, let them know how much you appreciate Suffolk County’s dog-friendly parks policies! You can email them anytime at William.Lindsay@suffolkcountyny.gov and scparks@suffolkcountyny.gov.

Thanks for your support!