Northside Dog Park Opening Saturday

The department will open its third public dog park on Saturday, August 18, with a celebration from 9 a.m. to noon that will include food, music, prizes, canine demonstrations, activities and treats for all. All dogs that are spayed or neutered and their owners are invited to attend.

     The Northside Dog Park is located behind Henderson Middle School at the end of Forest Lawn Drive. A map locating the park and much more fun information can be found online at http://northsidedogpark.com. 

     The new dog park includes two sections, one for large dogs and one for small dogs, and has ample parking, park benches and picnic tables. It was built with volunteer help from the Friends of the Northside Dog Park, who were instrumental in organizing support for the park and determining its location. Organized as a 501-C3 under the Enrichmond Foundation, the Friends of the Northside Dog Park are also sponsors of the opening celebration and have developed the website at http://northsidedogpark.com to continue to raise support for the park.

     The dog park’s hours will be from sunrise to sunset, and is free for anyone to use. The park rules are posted at the site.

     “We are very pleased to see the opening of this new city dog park,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. “With our other dog parks, Barker Field located in Byrd Park and the Church Hill Dog Park located beside Chimborazo Park, this helps us round out our services to our canine friends and their families. We are most appreciative of the Friends of the Northside Dog Park, who have helped make this possible.” 

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City Celebrates Re-Opening of Forest Hill Lake

Celebration to Feature First Annual Regatta on Restored Lake

May 18, 2010
City Celebrates the Re-Opening of Forest Hill Lake

Richmond, VA - The city of Richmond and the Forest Hill Neighborhood Association will hold a ribbon-cutting and a regatta on Saturday, May 22, to celebrate the re-opening of the restored lake in Forest Hill Park. The event will kick off at the lake’s gazebo at 2:30 p.m. with remarks from Mayor Dwight C. Jones, City Council President Kathy Graziano, and J. R. Pope, director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities.

The lake restoration, which began in May 2009, was completed ahead of schedule and came in under budget at $1.4 million. Once a site that attracted visitors, the lake had become overgrown with vegetation and clogged with silt washed downstream by Reedy Creek. Now dredged and restored to its original beauty, it is once again attracting many to fish, stroll and jog along its shore line.

“I am very proud of the fact that we were able to restore one of Richmond’s forgotten treasures,” said Mayor Jones. “Bringing the lake back to its original beauty gives the city of Richmond a park setting that any tier one city would be proud of.”

“This was a project the department really wanted to undertake,” said Pope, “Great parks make great neighborhoods. They bring people together, they give us a place to exercise, a place to have fun, and a place where we can interact with and enjoy nature.”

Following the ceremony, the newly-formed Forest Hill Yacht Club, the only neighborhood yacht club in the city, will hold its first annual regatta. The event will include a solo kayak/canoe race, a dual kayak/canoe race and a youth boat race.

Also included in the day’s fun will be a dog swim, a best decorated boat contest, a remote-control model boat competition, and a no paddles neighborhood vs. neighborhood six-person canoe race.

For more information or to register in advance for one of the races, visit www.foresthillneighborhood.com or call (804) 233-3748.

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