CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Dog homeowners now have extra locations to play fetch with their furry greatest mates after the Directorate of Public Works not too long ago opened three new canine runs right here.
The mission was a part of a yearlong effort to revamp a vacant space within the former Hawk’s Way housing space, which additionally features a almost half-mile walking path for group members.
Andrew Malinich, chief of the Building and Grounds Branch at DPW, mentioned the mission concerned a number of groups and took over 12,000 man-hours to finish.
“It’s really great to see a project of this size and for us to be able to do it in-house versus sending it to a contractor,” he mentioned. “Our guys have a lot of skills, and they are able to show it in instances like this.”
Malinich mentioned the realm, referred to as Hawk’s Way Dog Park, has three fenced-in canine runs for small, medium and huge dogs, together with pet water fountains to make sure dogs keep refreshed as they run round.
U.S. Army Garrison Japan officers initially deliberate the shared group house after 16 fourplex buildings have been demolished a couple of years in the past, clearing a parcel of land on the set up’s MacArthur Road.
“The idea is a community area for everybody to go to and just enjoy themselves and let their dogs off leash in a controlled environment,” mentioned Michael Hammond, the garrison’s set up supervisor.
Previously, the one canine runs on the set up have been positioned additional away subsequent to the water remedy plant behind Zama Middle High School.
Hammond additionally mentioned dogs should not allowed in group areas, similar to Dewey Park, as a consequence of well being and security guidelines.
“So, there wasn’t really a [dedicated] place for people to walk their dogs,” he mentioned.
The new park lets group members carry their canine to the picnic areas and footpath, which has pet reduction stations with baggage equipped by DPW.
“All we ask is that people pick up after their pets and keep the area nice [so that] everybody can enjoy it,” Hammond mentioned.
The timeline for your entire mission was a bit expedited with assist from an Air Force accomplice.
To save funds on the park, garrison officers reached out to surrounding models to see if they may help with supplies for the footpath. The 374th Civil Engineer Squadron at Yokota Air Base had simply completed crushing concrete for one more mission and volunteered to donate and ship it to Camp Zama.
Malinich estimated that the unit offered about 80% of the fill materials for the walking path.
“If it wasn’t for them doing that, we would probably still be working on the path,” he mentioned. “They saved us that much time and money.”
Malinich additionally mentioned he was impressed by the willingness of DPW workers to go above and past on this mission in addition to others they sort out frequently.
“A lot of these things are thankless jobs,” he mentioned. “They’re just out there plugging away and they’re not looking for a pat on the back. But it’s always nice to recognize them and thank them for what they do.”
Related hyperlinks:
U.S. Army Garrison Japan information