Just one comment. Instead of saying that a majority of Sharon voters rejected a ban, you might want to clarify that a majority of the approximately 250 voters at Town meeting rejected such a ban. That certainly doesn't represent the voice of the community.

Why is Sharon's Memorial Park Beach the only freshwater swimming beach in Massachusetts where dogs are allowed? Do we really want to expose our kids to dog feces when they go to the beach?

Part 1 You would think that when voters at a town meeting vote overwhelmingly against a ban, in this case, a ban against dogs at Memorial Park Beach, that the subject would be put to rest. After all the people have spoken. That dosen't count for much in Massachusetts. Here we have the Health Board trying to trump the voters wishes with their concern about dog feces on the beach Of course the Ducks and Geese who visit our lake each Spring and spend the Summer attaking swimmers have guts filled with Avian Influenza Viruses. When was the last time you saw a member of The Board of Health forcing Ducks and Geese off of Lake Massapoag? Yeah, I didn't think so.. What is also typical is the $25, $50 and $100 dollar fines that are being thrown around. I have an idea, Why don't you fine the people who don't clean up after their dogs. If you don't pick up after your dog fine that person. Of course that would mean that the Board of Health would actually do something besides pontificating new rules from their lofty heights. In truth the vast majority of dog owners are responsible people.who vote, pay taxes and are tired of this crap. As to the woman who stated that their was no majority because only two hundred and fifty people voted, well that is Democracy. If the other 18000 residents of Sharon refused to go to the town meeting, that is their right.

As a voter, taxpayer citizen and dog lover, I am tired of end runs around the voting public..The voters of Sharon voted and they want their dogs to be able to join them on Memorial Beach and if the Health Department in their high minded concern against anything at all in the world that might inconvenience anyone or put any of us at risk disregards what the voters have said, they will be voted out of office in the next display of Democracy
Kevin Lyons
39 Essex Road
Sharon Ma 02067
norbu2008@ymail.com

S . Rosen ! LEAVE THE DOGS OF SHARON ALONE OR RESIGN !

A reminder: please keep comments civil.

"Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth..."

--Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1

Less than two weeks after town meeting vetoed a proposal to ban dogs walking on the path at Memorial Beach, the Sharon Board of Health is considering passing a prohibition against dogs at the beach or swimming in the lake. I am not taking issue with the concept but rather the means. It is a violation of the tenets of democracy for a non elected body to specifically bypass the decision of the people and enact their own views. If the Board of Health and other boards feel it is an important issue, they should respect the people of Sharon enough to bring it up at a town meeting and let the people decide.

If your angry that the Sharon Board of Health is attempting to disregard your Town Meeting vote and keep dogs from being allowed on Memorial Park beach, then give them a call.
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NAME TERM PHONE ADDRESS
Andrew Stead Dec. 2012 781-784-4828 25 Morse Street
Stanley Rosen,CHO Dec. 2014 781-784-8988 9 Marie Avenue
Susan Osgood Peck,Chair Dec. 2013 781-784-4287 1 East Street
Jay S. Schwab,Vice-Chair Dec. 2012 781-784-7160 34 Mallard Drive
Edward Welch Dec. 2013 781-784-5366 281 Mountain Street
Sheila Miller, RNC, Public Health Nurse 781-784-1500 ext. 1141
Linda Rosen, Health Administrator 781-784-1500 ext.1140
Bridget L. Sweet, Health Agent for Sanitary Inspections and Enforcement 781-784-1500 ext.1206
Jim Andrews, Health Agent for Engineering 781-784-1500 ext.2317
Linda Callan P/T Admin.Asst. 781-784-1500 ext. 1206

Since the Board of Health has decided that any decisions that the taxpayers make at a Town Meeting is something that they can just disregard, because of their belief that their decisions carry more weight than the voters, then residents of the Town of Sharon should just ignore them. Bring your dog to the beach. You won the vote. They and their committee lost. A committee is an animal with four back legs.
John Le Carre

THE BOARD OF HEALTH MUST BE STOPPED FROM SHOVING DOWN THE THROAT OF THE COMMUNITY A DOG BAN ! WHY DO THEY THINK THAT THEY ARE ABOVE TOWN BYLAWS ?

Jackie--
Thery think they are above Town by-laws because ins some ways they are.

The Selectmen, in their capacity as Park Commissioners, decided in 2010 to allow dogs and their inevitable urine and feces at Memorial Park Beach, the most sensitive recreational area in Sharon. Prior to that, dogs had not been allowed at the beach for public health reasons since it was set aside as a public park in the 1960's. After all, who wants their child to step in dog feces with their bare feet, or swim in a lake where those feet have been washed? Dogs are banned from other, less sensitive recreation areas and ball fields in Sharon, where "No Dogs Allowed" signs are posted.

Several hundred thousand dollars of public funds have already been spent on the beach for beautification and erosion control. Yet the Selectmen, in their capacity as Park Commissioners, have elected to cater to vocal dog owners despite the establishment of a separate dog park on town-owned land in Sharon.

Cliff Towner, Chairman
Lake Management Committee

Cliff , QUIT NOW IF YOU CAN NOT FOLLOW TOWN BYLAWS ! The bylaws should be enforced thats all .

The members of the board of health who think they are a dictatorship must be fired immediatly !

Hi Pat Z:
Pat the issue is public health and protecting the Lake.
We are not a democracy, we are a republic governed by laws not majority votes at Town meeting.
The real issue is the Selectman broke the law with their dog policy.
The Board of Health by State statue is charged with protecting public health in Sharon.
They each took an oath to do just that and the laws are quite clear.
Let’s hope Town meeting does not vote to sell the Lake or rescind all traffic laws.
Town meeting can vote anything but the vote must be in accordance with State laws.
Cliff Towner

Cliff's response proves that this initiative is about banning dogs from the park area of the beach, not protecting the lake water as they claim. The statement about swimming in water that dogs have swum in is laughable. How many dogs swim in the lake? Do you really expect us to believe that IF a dog MIGHT have stepped in feces that this is now contaminating the lake? How about lake water that is contaminated by gasoline engines, sewer and pesticide run off from neighboring homes, bird droppings, dead fish, children peeing in the lake and what falls out of their diapers? If lake water quality is REALLY the issue - ban all use at the lake! BTW, the dog park is designed for dogs to play with each other not a place to walk your dog. Not all of us wish to have our dogs play with other strange dogs, but would like to be able to walk our dog at a public park.

Sharon policemem gave me permission to walk Buffy in memorial park .

Wow..some of these comments are totally ridiculous ...I think what Cliff is trying to say is that The selectman could have possibly overstepped their bounds by changing the policy. in which case...the article at town meeting was moot. I believe the Board of health is taking a step back and taking a good look at exactly what has gone down here and correcting an oversight.
The Bottom line is that a problem at the lake has been identified and and I'm sure everyone who has responded here agrees that folks not picking up after their dogs is NOT a proper thing. Nevertheless everyone has put their agenda to the forefront and really doesn't care that dogs defecate on the beach and pathway and that is shameful. On my walk today down at the beach..I found 10 different "fresh" instances of dog owners not doing their duty and picking up after their pets....
The question should be...what do we do about that if in fact a ban of dogs is too extreem? Do we just turn our heads to it?..Ignore it?...Maybe everyone here should be part of the solution rather than being part of the problem and save the 3rd grade comeback for....3rd graders....!!!!
Somewhere here there is a compromise...maybe that's where all should be looking too., including our Board of selectman who should be at the forefront of acknowledging that an obvious problem exists!!!

Mr Arnold you insult children , SHAME !

Mr Arnold , you made me cry , i am not total joke !

A reminder: stay on topic.

Todd , The lake is a treasure for Sharon for all to enjoy and you have resorted to insulting anyone who does not agree with you even children . Sharon is a wonderful town !

A question for the floor, on all sides of the issue: do you plan to attend Tuesday night's health board meeting and the upcoming conservation commission meeting to voice your opinion?

As Chairman of the Sharon Board of Health I can state with certainty that the Board does not view itself as above town bylaws. The reason the Board of Health did not act on the proposed regulation the night it was brought up was that the majority present felt that it would be improper to act on such a regulation without giving town citizens notice that it was being considered and a chance to comment. We postponed it until Tuesday at 7:30 (probably 7:45 because of another meeting with the Selectmen at 7:20). . If you have comments on either side of the issue, please attend the Board of Health Meeting and share them.

Susan Peck, Chair Sharon Board of Health

Some very voluble residents of the town would like to feel free to go round, with their pets, to anywhere in the town. They would like all other residents of Sharon to feel the same way they do.

But this is not fact. Some residents simply do not like animals, are afraid of them, or worry about the health consequences of pet parasites and pet waste. Some pet owners understand this and do not ask for their pets' unlimited presence in all places of the town.

Clearly, these views need to engage civilly in using the civic commons. My junior high teacher used to say, Your freedom ends where my nose begins.

There are strong feelings that things have perhaps gone too far out of balance in this community, discomforting others, flaunting an attitude of disregard.

The Board of Health has health concerns about public beaches. I concur, and would like to add,
playgrounds. There are no official signs restricting pets at the Ames Street Playground. A small obscure sign says, No dogs permitted in the sandy area. But the playground is not securely fenced in or separated from the baseball fields.

One Sunday, two dogs and their owner, two feet from a play structure, ignored my request to withdraw. Another trotted over the sand on the way to the ball game.

I accept that I'll meet with pets on the streets, trails, and most parks in Sharon. But I'd also like to enjoy some pet-free time with my grandchildren in a few public spaces where they play. Can you see that?

THE ISSUE IS THAT PEOPLE ON LAKE BOARD HATE DOGS AND WOULD EVENTUALLY LIKE TO BAN THEM FROM TOWN !

Please stand up and fight now before all the rights of the residents are taken away . This is how bad things start !

Regardless of how the ban of dogs at Memorial Park & Beach turns out, it demonstrates that we have problems in this town. We have a Health Department that thinks that it is first among equals on any issue.and a Conservation Commission that has been utterly inept.in their handling of this problem. Many people in this town wonder if their vote counts for anything. We have selectmen who won't step in and even tell us who is in charge when it comes to this issue. Apparently even the police don't know what to do. So I have no doubt that in the end Health and Conservation will get there way and make Sharon safe for everyone once again. Elections will once again will come around and if people still feel strongly about this issue you will be voted out. Unless of course you have a way around that vote as well Kevin Lyons norbu2008@ymail.com

Please, everyone: keep your comments to the topic. There's plenty to debate here without getting personal, OK? Anyone who has an issue with that, or has concerns about a particular comment, should contact me directly. Thanks.

You can call it tunnel vision if you like. As for the overall issue, I just happen to believe that voting is an important part of a democracy and when the voters wishes are disregarded, it makes me upset. Here in Massachusetts we do this often with our ballot initiatives.I don't expect to win this argument. I don't expect that dogs will be allowed on the beach, but you act as if this was your finest hour.You call people third graders who don't agree with you but, you won't entertain the notion that mistakes have been made and that things should never have gotten out of hand as they are now. Kevin Lyons

The Board Of Selectmem were elected by the residents os sharon and they have the power control the board of health which defies the voice of town .

Dr Ratner--
No ,the selectmen do not always have the power to controll the board of health.
MGL Ch 110, MGL 111

The Board Of Selectmen appoints the Board Of Health and control who serves on it .

If the Board of Health and the Conservation commission have a problem with dog debris on the sand and grass areas and visitors not following the current policy - that is a legitimate discussion. However, alternatives to outright bans should be discussed and proposed (more recepticles, getting the DPW to empty the recepticles already there, better education via media and postings, etc.) They should NOT try to solve the litter/feces problem by using the excuse that it is a water management problem (e.g., dogs are dirtying the water) in order to get their real intent accomplished. What is really the issue? If it is water quality, then why isn't the board of health concerned with dirty diapers, goose dropings, and other health hazards in the water? I don't hear any talk about banning kids from swimming or motorboats. Dogs are already banned during the summer months when people are at the lake and using the sand/water. That seems sufficient. What else will be banned in town under the guise of doing so for our own good?

I took my dog to the beach this evening. I followed the sign instructions that said that "you can walk your dog on the path if the beach is not staffed.. Sadly I did see some dog turds on the path.Whoever is not picking up after their dog is doing a disservice to those people fighting to allow dogs on the beach. This problem could be alleviated with accessible dog mitts. On another subject, maybe there could be an area of one of the two beaches that could be set aside for dogs. I don't go along with the argument that dogs are inherently dirty, and they will pollute the lake.Its easy to say something and it's another thing to back it up with facts. After all we have geese in the lake all year around and we know that they carry disease in their guts. So now the ball is in the BOH court and the other principles involved in this disagreement.. Lets see if a compromise can be reached. Lets see if they are reasonable

The Sharon advocate editorial strongly opposed the dishonest tactics of board of health which is determined to get their way no matter what !

Just wondering: do any of you plan to attend Monday night's health board meeting (7:30 p.m. at town hall) to voice your opinions?

I will ignore any new regulations and take the Town of Sharon to court !

The Board Of Health is a dangerous dictatorship that will not listen to anyone . Please selectmen HELP !

Max: Who says the board of health "will not listen to anyone"? That's a pretty strong statement.

Michael , Talk to Linda , Stanley , or Jay and you will agree my statement is acurate !

Max: I'm saying that making such statements here -- including using terms like "dangerous dictatorship" -- without following them up with a source is wrong. Please -- and this applies to everyone: focus comments on the policy issue, not the people.

Water Quality did not make case for dog ban so board changed to dog poop to justify a dragonean rule . Make rules that are reasonable and the good residents of Sharon will follow them . The pooper scoop laws should be strictly enforced with harsh fines !

People of course can do what they want however, I don't think that attending the Sharon Board of Health meeting is such a good idea. Of course on the face of it the meeting would be a forum where people could talk and work out our differing views about allowing dogs on the beach. At the end of the meeting the BOH would say that they had looked at this problem from different angles and that unanimously they had reached a decision in favor of public safety. No Dogs on Memorial Park Beach
The Sharon B.O.H has no intention about reaching an accord with anyone on this issue so why bother attending Kabuki Theater. Apart from it doing nothing to change their minds, it gives them the façade of really caring about anyone’s point of view but their own. The Board of Health is very aware of this argument. They have been reading the Sharon Advocate and the Sharon Patch for two weeks like everyone else so, what’s to explain to them?

The real question is....when the BOS changed the policy that had been there for decades.....did they violate the law in doing so?....

Todd,

The meeting is Monday. The board met last Tuesday because Monday was Memorial Day. The meeting agenda is here: http://www.townofsharon.net/Public_Documents/SharonMA_Calendar/S018D66A8-018D66AC?formid=161

The Town Of Sharons is against the dog ban shoved down our throat by small minority . Put the question on the ballot in next election as we our a democracy !