Trenton leaders cut ribbon on dog park

By Crystal Burns

 

More than a year after receiving a $25,000 grant from the Boyd Foundation, Trenton leaders were finally able to cut the ribbon on the city’s dog park last week.

Alderman Bubba Abbott, the council’s representative on the park committee, addressed the long wait in his opening remarks. Abbott said the COVID-19 pandemic caused shipping delays on obstacles and other items ordered for the dog park, which is located near the Northwest Gibson County YMCA on Shady Acres Park property.

The ribbon cutting had been postponed from earlier in October due to scheduling conflicts with the Boyd Foundation. With heavy rain falling Wednesday, Oct. 28, Abbott moved the ceremony under a park pavilion.

“We’re just glad we’re getting to do this,” he said.

Abbott and Park Director Keith Reeves oversaw the project, which included fencing, signage, benches for dog owners, and obstacles for dogs. The dog park is divided into two areas – one for large dogs and one for small dogs.

Trenton was approved for the grant in July of 2019. The application process included a community component, with residents asked to post on social media using #dogparkdash while mentioning their community in the caption or description. Residents could also write letters of support to be added to the Trenton application.

Harrison Forbes, grant coordinator for the Boyd Foundation, said Trenton citizens rose the occasion. Randy Boyd, who co-founded the Boyd Foundation with his wife Jenny, was unable to attend the ribbon cutting. Forbes noted that Randy Boyd always reminds people that the Tennessee Dog Park Dash grants are competitive. The foundation awarded $900,000 in July 2019.

Abbott said his goal after receiving the grant was to make sure Trenton had the best dog park in Gibson County. The cities of Milan and Humboldt had received Dog Park Dash grants in a previous round of funding.

“We’ve been in competition with Milan and Humboldt forever, ever since I was a little bitty kid,” Abbott said. “It just pleases me well to know that we have something better than Milan and Humboldt.”

The dog park is open from dawn to dusk.