By Gary Nager
Our heartfelt congratulations go out to the Rotary Club of New Tampa (which meets Fridays at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club) and the City of Tampa for seeing an important public-private-partnership plan through to fruition.
It may not be the long-awaited East-West Connector Rd. for New Tampa, but on May 2, the city and New Tampa’s first and still (by far) largest Rotary Club are thrilled that ribbons have now been cut at the New Tampa Rotary Dog Park (located just off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms, near the New Tampa Recreation Center & Community Park.) — giving dog owners and their curious canines alike an opportunity to socialize in a truly beautiful, tree-lined 0.64-acre setting.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and featured Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Dist. 7 Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione (who represents New Tampa on the Council), Dist. 63 State Rep. Shawn Harrison and many members of both the New Tampa Rotary Club and the WCCC.
Among those representing the New Tampa Rotary at the ribbon cutting were the club’s Dog Park Committee chair, Joyce Gunter, and her husband Gary (who is a past president of the club and the current Governor of Rotary District 6890), as well as the club’s immediate past president, Peter Gambacorta, who started the Dog Park campaign two years ago.
Buckhorn said he was proud of the city’s partnership with the club, as each side contributed $25,000 for the construction of the park that the city will be responsible for maintaining.
Gunter was thrilled that more than 100 people — many who happily brought their furry best friends, large and small, along with them, were on hand for the opening of the park. She thanked the Mayor, Montelione, the city staff, the WCCC, the architects, Gambacorta and everyone else who helped make the Dog Park a reality — including those who purchased the sold-out supply of 251 customized bricks that provided much of the Rotary Club’s half of the funds.
Montelione, who owns multiple dogs, reminded everyone in attendance, “how important socialization is for our canine companions and for their owners.”
And, whether your dog is large or small, there’s a separate fenced-in area (21,887 sq. ft. for large dogs, 5,259 sq. ft. for smaller pups) to keep your dog safe at the park. For more info about the Dog Park, visit NewTampaRotary.org.
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