Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Mark Mulligan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Tucker, a 10-month-old Lab-heeler mix, plays with his owner, Colby Haxby, 13, Sunday afternoon at Wiggly Field Park, the new off-leash dog area at Skykomish River Park in Monroe. Mark Mulligan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Preston Marcell, 7, follows his 8-month-old dog Kitty up the agility course stairs while Alise Marcell calls Kitty's brother on Sunday afternoon at Wiggly Field dog park in Monroe. Mark Mulligan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Preston and Alise Marcell give treats to their dogs Kitty and Stewart on Sunday afternoon at Wiggly Field, the new off-leash dog area at Skykomish River Park in Monroe. (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, July 21, 2008 Monroe off-leash dog park opens By Eric Stevick Herald Writer MONROE -- Harley was a quick study. He raced up and down the 10-foot-high staircase, trotted over the balance beam-like bridge and zipped through the corrugated pipe with nary a pant. The 5-year-old black Lab mix completed the regimen efficiently Sunday afternoon at Wiggly Field, a new addition within Skykomish River Park on the south edge of Monroe along the Skykomish River. Everett resident Jennette Sutton, Harley's owner, liked the new digs for dogs. It's a place for canines to cavort off-leash. "We knew there was a park here and we knew it was dog-friendly, which was great," Sutton said. "It is so nice to be able to get them out of the house." The three-acre dog playground opened Saturday. The city of Monroe raised about $5,000 in donations from the community to prepare the site. Volunteers also pitched in, creating the off-leash area, the first such designated spot for dogs in city limits. Twenty-five volunteers worked on a recent Saturday, putting up fences, preparing the agility equipment and spreading wood chips. The project didn't cost the city any money, said Denise Jacobsen, administrative assistant for the city's parks and recreation department. The city is still seeking additional donations to create a water fountain for dogs and to build a message board. Paco, a German shepherd mix, was less impressed with the agility equipment than Harley on Sunday but seemed pleased with the grass to roam on, the patches of shade and a friendly belly scratch. "It's so great to have an off-leash park in this area," said Paco's owner, Renee Macwatters of Lake Stevens. The park received a visit from dog park expert Val Mallinson and her "Wonder Wieners" Isis and Cooper on Sunday afternoon. Mallinson, author of "The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest" guidebook, has visited more than 100 dog-friendly parks from Northern California to Canada over the years. She evaluates each park on a one- to four-paw ranking system. She was impressed with Wiggly Field on several levels. She liked the spacious grounds and agility equipment and would likely give the park three out of four paws. Ideally, as donations come in, the park will have water for the dogs, fences to prevent wanderers and a designated space for small and timid dogs, she said. "I like how it was specially designed for the dogs," she said. "It's very nice." Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara contributed to this story.

1. Fighting foreclosure: How one couple got caught in mortgage crisis 2. Easy to steal, pricey to replace 3. 155-year boys club comes to an end 4. Monroe man's family remembers a life devoted to service 5. Future Seahawk? 6. No injuries in I-5 crash 7. Woman crossing street hit by car 8. Keep on ticking after you're dead 9. Hindus pray for peace at Bothell temple 10. Many Mexican migrants are heading home broke 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Was burglary suspect burglarized? • Food banks facing hard times • Council member resigns, heading to D.C. • Edmonds closes aid car loophole • Wildcats head to state semifinals • Thanksgiving served with an outpouring of generosity • King's takes third at 1A state tournament • School closures recommended • Raising school spirit at Shorewood • Stillaguamish Tribe’s Angel of the Winds Casino opens new addition Dec. ... • Building energy independence from the ground up