If your living space were suddenly cut in half to make room for the arrival of large numbers of loud, flea-ridden guests, would you relocate?
A number of assorted birds, long-time residents in Long Beach’s El Dorado Regional Park East, might do just that in response to the opening of the newly completed dog park.
At least 50 dogs of all shapes and sizes stampeded into the new park as local residents and hopeful politicians gathered for its official opening last Saturday at 10 a.m.
The noise of the barking from the unleashed dogs alone was enough to drive the ducks and geese away.
Combine the barking of the unleashed dogs with the imposition of easily didstracted children stomping all over the banks, and what was left was an empty duck pond for the entire second half of the day.
Of course, duck displacement is not a major issue, but as a lifetime Long Beach local, I find myself bitter at the thought of the El Dorado ducks abandoning this area of the park.
Yes, the rest of the park will most likely remain populated with birds and ducks, but I would still be pretty annoyed if a small piece of my home became off limits.
The park’s opening was facilitated, in large part, by funds designated by Long Beach City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Gerrie Schipske.
It might be a tad dramatic to put it this way, but nothing says political agenda like the dog-eat-dog world that has long-been the land ownership conflict in America.
On that note, isn’t it convenient that the completion date for this project happened to fall smack dab in the middle of campaign season?
With the large turnout Saturday, Schipske couldn’t have planned a better location for a “Schipske for Mayor” promotion table.
Why was this section of the park chosen? In an article in the Press Telegram, Schipske said “What we have is something really nice in an area of the park that wasn’t being used for anything.”
‘Not being used for anything?’ I think a park full of ducks and geese would disagree with this oversight, as they have inhabited this area of the park for as long as I can remember.
Alas, dogs are house pets, and wherever pets go, their owners go. This means the leaders of the project may also benefit if the park remains highly-populated with dogs, puppies and their owners — Long Beach residents and coincidentally, voters.
Long-standing signs around the duck pond make it no secret that Animal Control Services would prefer park guests to refrain from feeding the ducks. But what Long Beach native hasn’t spent an afternoon or two tossing bread crumbs into the pond?
Perhaps two birds were killed with one stone with the opening of the dog park. Animal Control was indeed present for this event, among other local community groups and officials.
Is it too much to say local politics might not be all they are “quacked” up to be?