West Stockbridge committee finalizes dog park grand-opening logistics despite minor construction delays

The West Stockbridge Dog Park Advisory Committee finalized plans for the park's grand opening at a virtual meeting on Sept. 27, focusing on logistics, volunteer roles and contingency plans after receiving updates on construction delays.

Michael Bolognino, who called the meeting to order, said RSVPs so far were "19 adults, 6 kids and 13 dogs" and that community interest was likely to increase. Committee members discussed final items that may still arrive before Sunday and agreed on assignments for setup, vendors and volunteer shifts.

Bolognino reported delays from Clark Construction that affect the water fountain and garbage cans but said other finishing work such as reseeding and general clean-up are scheduled to happen before the opening. He added that the round bench will be installed but other benches will arrive later; laser-cut custom bricks are expected by the end of October.

The committee reviewed and approved signage dividing small- and large-dog areas with minor edits. Jackie Murray reported that hot dogs provided by the Public Market "cannot be served due to health and safety (food temperature) regulations," and the group agreed not to grill food themselves. The Humane Society demonstration was confirmed as part of the event program.

Logistics for the day were finalized: vendors were asked to arrive by 11:30 a.m.; volunteers and key organizers planned staggered arrival times (Murray by 10 a.m.; Vidal around 11 a.m.; Orloff by 11 a.m.). Responsibilities were assigned for parking direction, donation and food tables, program distribution and other on-site tasks. The committee agreed to sell extra T-shirts for $20 and bandanas for $5 at the event.

On access and safety, Bolognino said the Planning Board has required the park be accessible at all times; the committee nonetheless agreed to procure a lock to allow temporary closure if a safety issue arises. Kramer said she would bring dog-license applications and other last-minute supplies such as water bowls; artist Vivan Outlaw was named to pull the raffle winner if present.

The committee scheduled a Saturday walk-through at 10 a.m. to finalize setup and agreed to hold a post-event debrief the week after the grand opening; the exact date and time were to be determined. The meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.

Next steps: final program print run to be sent Monday (Bolognino) and volunteer sign-up sheets to be circulated ahead of the event.