---

Herald Interactive Tools View Graphic Version Email to a Friend Sign Up for Home Delivery SEARCH: Enter keyword(s) allany relevancedate

Recent Opinion & Letters Out with the new, in with the old Just give her peace Safety Corner: Plan your own fire escape Letter: Will regs ruin Mt. Misery? Letter: Public input is necessary

Dog regs are much needed
By Jay Hersh/ Guest Commentary
Thursday, March 31, 2005

My wife and I moved to Lincoln five years ago and have been a regular reader of the Journal in that time. I make it a point to read Neil's column and we often find ourselves agreeing with him, which from what some folks in town tell us puts us in a minority. But after reading Neil's comments on the newly imposed leash rules at Mt. Misery we have to say it's Neil who should be muzzled.
     My wife and I originally became aware of Lincoln some 9 years or so ago as cross country skiers who utilized the guide service when we lived in various communities further east of here (Medford, Somerville, Arlington). We used to ski here often before we became residents and considered ourselves lucky to find a house here we could afford. However within a year or two of moving here we found that dog feces on the trails had become so prevalent that we pretty much gave up skiing here in Lincoln. Instead we took to paying to use the trail system at Great Brook Farm State Park which has a leash rule and is feces free.
     Our reluctance to use the trail system in Lincoln is not however limited to winter months. For while it may be easiest to visually notice the dog feces against the contrasting white of snow, the amount of this objectionable substance present on the trails is much worse at other times of the year when weather leads to increased use, and this noxious substance is less visible. Unfortunately at those times the increased prevalence and lack of visibility of this nuisance only makes one's chances of having an unpleasant encounter with it even higher.
     While I can't speak for Neil's experiences, if he hasn't seen or stepped in dog waste on the trails of our town then he's a lucky guy and should be playing the lottery more often. Nor does it seem that Neil has ever had to encounter the angry libertarian tirades brought on by even the mere suggestion to those walking their dogs on our trails that it would be polite of them to clean up after their dogs.
     Though neither myself or my wife attended the meetings at which the new rules were decided upon, nor made any comment to the Conservation Commission regarding them, we are quite heartened to see them put in place. Unfortunately Neil's framing of this issue as one of the rights of Lincoln residents vs. non-residents, or dog owners vs. non dog owners is thoroughly wrong headed. This isn't an issue of who should be allowed to use the trails or for what purpose. It is an issue of the disrespect of one group of users of the trail system, or at least a sufficient number of them, impacting the enjoyment of it's use by everyone else who uses them.
     The fact that the commission decided such rules needed to be imposed is more symptomatic of the fact that a small segment of those using the trails has had a negative impact on the enjoyment of them by the entire community of users. An impact so large that people such as us have literally chose to stop using them rather than put up with the foul consequences of other's inconsiderate behavior. Of course given there seems to be no enforcement effort accompanying them, we are not convinced that the rules will have any true effect. Still perhaps the posting of these rules will at least serve as a reminder to some of the more courteous dog loving users of the trails that they are a place to enjoy nature and not a means to avoid cleaning up after one's pet.
     Jay Hersh is a South Great Road resident.
     

[ contact us ] :: [ print advertising ] :: [ online advertising ] :: [ Browser Upgrade ] :: [ Jobs ] :: Click here for home delivery or call 1.800.722.1914 © Copyright of CNC and Herald Interactive Advertising Systems, Inc. No portion of townonline.com or its content may be reproduced without the owner's written permission. Privacy Commitment

0.017255