Update, 7/15: The dog park has its own Facebook group page if you'd like to keep track of updates.
The city's first fenced dog park is one volunteer effort away from officially opening its gates, and a Volunteer Fix-It Day has been scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 27, for those willing to pitch in.
Fencing is already up at the park, located on Arctic Blvd. between 31st and 32nd avenues. Although it's not officially opened yet, the initial reports I've heard is that it's absolutely fantastic. There's green grass and lots of trees, and the area is plenty expansive for dogs to burn off energy.
This park is the result of a community council setting out to find a way to reclaim their park and make it vital and safe for children and families in the area. An incredible amount of volunteer hours and fundraising have been put in to make this dream a reality for the community and for dog lovers throughout the city.
But much work remains. Here's a note from organizers who are soliciting help:
The Volunteer Fix It Day for Arctic Benson Park is on Saturday. July 27th, from 9 am to noon. We need lots of people to show up both to help transform this park AND because the Rasmussen Foundation is giving the park money for improvements for every volunteer that shows up.
Volunteers don't need to bring any tools -- just clothes that can get dirty and a readiness to have fun and work hard! Josh assessed Arctic Benson today and identified the following needs for the fix it day. If you have other ideas please email him at DurandJ@muni.org so he can incorporate them into the work plan.
The fence looks great, but there are some small gaps between the fence and the ground. We need volunteers to fill in the gaps and adjust the grade to ensure that dogs can't dig under and get out. This is important for safety and long term sustainability.
* Install the official dog park sign
* Install the dog poop bag "mutt mitt" station
* Sand and paint benches
* Spread topsoil and reseed grassy open section around playground
* Re-level the gravel in the playground and make a nice defined edge around the perimeter
* Paint the blue part of the playground, and touch up other parts that need to be repainted
Anchorage