I hear the cries of River residents, dogs barking in the park below, two cities at legal fisticuffs in court over it, neither city’s mayor is willing to give in or comment on the legal mess that has taken place and at taxpayers’ expense in, “River seeks injunction against dog park” Westlife 8-1-2007 by Ben Saylor.
Whenever you go to court there will always be a winner and a loser, why can’t Rocky River and Lakewood both win? They can!
You call yourselves city leaders Rocky River Mayor Bobst and Lakewood Mayor George, ‘then lead’ in a way that doesn’t have to end in court as the last resort. That only shows to the residents of both cities that neither of you can work this concern out reasonably.
Furthermore, your non response to the calls of the writer of this article is childish as the reporter relates, “Lakewood Mayor Thomas George did not respond to several calls. Rocky River Mayor Pamela Bobst declined to comment.” This simply tells me, neither of you are willing or perhaps capable to work this out together. It is time for a mediator!
May I suggest how I would reach an agreement to the Rocky River/ Lakewood Dog Park Issue?
Lakewood wants a dog park and Rocky River does not want its noise near its heavily populated border.
Those two “wants” are both understandable and reasonable and if Mayor Bobst and Mayor George work to make sure both Lakewood gets a dog park and Rocky River’s heavily populated border gets quiet, I strongly feel an agreement can be reached by both cities. So ‘everybody wins’ and taxpayers won’t have to pay court fees for this childish legal act by two elected officials that is being played out now.
That said, I would ask both Mayors to consider moving the Lakewood Dog Park to an industrial area of Lakewood, yet the city of Rocky River agrees to withdraw its injunction and let Lakewood keep the Animal Shelter a facility located near the present Lakewood Dog Park in place. (Apparently the Lakewood Animal Shelter in the park doesn’t seem to be a source of dog barking.) That way the dog barking that takes place at the ‘new Lakewood dog park’ in Lakewood’s industrial area will only stir the walls of the nearby factories and both cities have finally settled their first dispute by each giving a little and each getting a little from this issue.
So stop hiding under your desks Mayor Bobst and Mayor George and show the residents of both cities you can settle the ‘Lakewood Dog Park Issue’ once and for all. So the taxpayers from both cities will not have to pay for your ‘inability’ to keep this squabble out of court.
The taxpayers and the dogs will love you for it - and you will both be happy you did.
Fred I. Sokol - Resident – Rocky River,
Ohio - 440-521-5452 + scrdhrt2@cox.net
+ www.votesokol.com
