Dog park goes green with new sign

POLSON — The Travis Dolphin Park in Polson has recently received a new dog sign.

Eagle scout Jonathan Crosby has been posting laminated signs at the park’s entrance since its grand opening on May 30. When the wind would come and blow the signs away, he would simply make another one – but this sign isn’t going anywhere soon.

The new sign cost the city about $2,400, and is made entirely out of recycled plastic. Polson Parks Superintendant Karen Sargent said it’s money well spent.

“It pays for itself in the long run,” she said. Green signs don’t succumb to weather conditions as much as other signs, making them last longer and virtually maintenance free.

“The parks department is going green,” she said. “If this one looks good, I want to get the same sort of signs for all the parks.”

Sargent said most of the cities across the Pacific Northwest are moving away from traditional wood signs, and toward green signs.

Sargent said it was important that the dog sign not only be green, but large too.

“Now people can see it from a long way off,” she said. “They won’t have any trouble finding it.” She went on to say that she believes the sign is a good investment.

“You can call me: Karen ‘No Maintenance’ Sargent,” she said.

The dog park sits on 2.5 acres of land, and has been adopted by Boy Scout troop No. 1947.

Sargent said it has always been her intent to get the community involved in as many parks projects as possible, and said it has been a pleasure watching the boy scouts work on the park.

Three of the scouts from the troop used the park as a catalyst toward their Eagle Scout badge.

Crosby enlisted the help of his scouts to clean the park and set-up the park’s fence, after he pitched his idea of the park to the various councils. Scout Stephan McCrumb is responsible for the dock at the park – which will soon have cleats. Scout Sam Boyle’s Eagle Scout project for a bulletin board kiosk was approved by the council on Oct. 20, and he said he hopes to have it finished by early winter.

Three benches are also making their way into the park: one dedicated to Travis Dolphin, one to Judy Osborne and one to Jon Peterson.