Renovated dog park to re-open Oct. 23 in Woodbury

Highland Mills — Rebecca Halzack has combined her desire for community service as well as a love for dogs to turn the once bare-bones dog park at the Earl Reservoir in the Town of Woodbury to something akin to a canine version of Disneyland. A ceremony marking the reopening is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. Rebecca has been involved in scouting for 11 years and as a senior/ambassador girl scout she was eligible for a Gold Award, the girl scout’s highest award, “which means I take on a project that requires leadership, and will benefit the community long term,” she wrote in an e-mail exchange with The Photo News. “The project I decided to do was put equipment in the park. Previously, it was simply a bare fenced-in area, and I thought the dogs would enjoy equipment to play on and the owners would appreciate it as well.” The dog park measures 133 feet by 82 feet; a 42-foot by 32-foot section has been set aside for smaller dogs. Rebecca said the re-opening ceremony will be simple: “Ribbon-cutting and me saying thank you a million times.” She added: “As funny as this may seem, no. I don’t own a dog. But I’ve always loved dogs and I figured that this was a chance to do something for them.” If you go The Woodbury Dog Park at the Earl Reservoir in Highland Mills will reopen on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. There will also be a free raffle that day; guests can win a $50 gift card to Dog Day Aftergroom. Those who helped Rebecca Halzack said the following people and organizations assisted her in her efforts to renovate the dog park: “My neighbors, friends and family; the Town of Woodbury, especially John Burke and Bob Blair; Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Troop 484; Rainbow Play Systems, Laura Ann Farms, Dog Day Aftergroom, Beyond Signs and Graphics, Target, Central Valley Animal Hospital, and the Woodbury Dog Council.”