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StarTribune - Print Page StarTribune Washington County dog parks: Dogged determination Article by: JOY POWELL Star Tribune November 26, 2011 - 6:45 PM In Cottage Grove, officials didn't know that the community wanted an off -leash dog park. Such a project certainly wasn't in the budget. Volunteers changed all that. A new dog park opened in July, run by volunteers on farmland near Jamaica Avenue and 95th Street South. Now, Charlie, Twinkie and hundreds of other pooches romp and socialize in this 14 -acre dog park replete with woodlands, grasslands and a pond. On Monday night in the Stillwater area, another group of volunteers, led by resident Allison McGinnis, is to propose a 1 1/2 -acre off -leash park on the city's outskirts. For officials at both ends of the county, the dog parks symbolize an inspirational sign of the times: Voters collaborating with local leaders to accomplish what would never happen if left to cities alone to finance in these tough times. "Allison's a hero in this," Stillwater City Council Member Doug Menikheim said of McGinnis' volunteer efforts in leading the dog -park project. "We've just got to find a million more like her." In Cottage Grove, the dog park would never have been built had it not been for volunteers who envisioned it and saw it through, said City Administrator Ryan Schroeder. "It wasn't something that was in our plans at all, to do a dog park," he said. Highly engaged volunteers collaborated with the city and a generous land owner to open the WAG Farms Dog Park, Schroeder said. http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=134358213 Y7 At WAGS Farms Dog Park in Cottage Grove. Joey McLeister, Star Tribune From frontto back, Callie, owned by Bred Reiter of St. Paul Park; Charlie, owned by Karen Geraghty of Cottage Grove; and Zoey, looked after by Mike and Sandy Fitzgerald of Cottage Grove, ran full 6k at WAG Farms Dog Park in Cottage Grove. Joey McLeister, StarTribune At least 500 dogs visit the Cottage Grove dog park each week, supporters said. Stillwater volunteers have seen the progress in Cottage Grove's park and intend to follow suit, said McGinnis. On Monday, the nonprofit group, Friends of Stillwater Area Dog Park, will propose its site choice to the Stillwater parks commission. "We're open to everything, but right now, we're on the brink of cutting a deal with this piece of land," McGinnis said. According to the commission's agenda, it will be in the Boutwell Cemetery area. The Stillwater group has been trying for years to open an off -leash park in the area. But Stillwater officials have said there's no 1 of 2 2/11/2013 10:29 AM