I am so happy to hear of your “great husband”, I hope you will avail yourselves of the “beach wheel chair ” at times in the Summer I know you will enjoy it.
Your statement about voting on the access for dogs to the beach is close to the reasons why many dog owners are against the referendum being sort after. I think most of us would like the rules to be enacted by the City Council, who have had access to the opinions of people using the beach, both pro and con dogs, the Task force, appointed by the Council with members pro and con dogs, and have listenened to experts of one field or another.
The Council has now settled on a new set of rules pertaining to dog access to the beach and will vote on them. If passed and over time if they need “tweaking” the Council would be allowed to do it. A referendum will not allow “tweaking” and I would think be quite divisive throughout the City.
Anthony Young

Anthony Young, Thank you for the information on the availability of a “beach wheelchair”.  I have a great husband, who is retired and he takes me where ever I want to go.  I like to look at the Ocean and we often go to Fort Williams in Cape to do that, but I don’t want to go onto any beach itself. Why I asked the question was because I would not be surprised to find out that the majority of the residents of SP don’t use the beach ever like me or have only been to the beach a very few times. If that is true, than why should my vote count on whether dogs should be allowed on the beach?  If I don’t use the beach, then my opinion should not be as important as the people who actually use the beach.  Is there any data on the opinions only of those people who use the beach?  Maybe there should be an opinion poll taken at the beach this summer.

New to SP,
  I would not have the figures that you want, but I would suggest you try the beach…......the lifeguards, there during the summer months, do have a “beach wheel chair”, and knowing SoPo people, with or without dogs, someone will assist you.
Anthony Young

I have only lived in South Portland for a little more than 2 years so this dog/beach issue is new to me. I don’t own a dog and I have never been to the SP beach and don’t plan to go to the beach because I am in a wheelchair and wheelchairs and beaches don’t really go together. I don’t know if someone has already answered this question, but I would like to know how many SP residents use the beach each year and how many of those use the beach with their dogs.

thanks Gary and Jaywalker.  Crystal Goodrich and the dog owners group have signed up on the website and started a team. 
It will be great to see these two groups walk the track to raise money for Cancer Research.  I look forward to having you and/or the Beach group sign up!
Anyone else interested, please sign up or contact me and I can help you.
thanks!

Jay walker,  Thanks for contacting us.  I will as usual donate or sponsor a team.  I do every year and will continue too.  If you remember I was the one that put up the money the first year to guarantee the city that their precious grass would get replaced if it were damaged.  That cost me a bundle but it was worth it because no grass was damaged and all the money went to the cancer research. The walk is very touching and very important so I hope many will help out.
Thank you
Gary

Hi Deni, Excellent event ! My daughter participated in the overnight relay at Mahoney last year. This is a special organization and very well run. I lost my sister to cancer when she was 23 and hope some day a cure will be found. I plan to meet members of http://www.savewillardbeach.com to sign the referendum and am sure they will be interested as well.
Thanks for the invite.

I am happy to see so many passionate people on this blog.  I would like to invite you to put some of this energy toward Relay for Life.  i am the Team Recruitment Chair this year and would really love to see some of you join us.  Our Kick-Off is just two weeks away.  Please come meet us and learn about this great cause.  This is Relay for Life’s 25ht Anniversary year and we here in South Portland are excited to be a part of it.
Please join us for this information night and recruit 8 of your co-workers, neighbors, friends, co-workers and/or family members to help you.
It’s a Relay Kickoff You Won’t Want to Miss!

What:  It’s the 2009 Kickoff for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of South Portland.  Team Captains or Representatives, Cancer Survivors, and Caregivers are all invited to attend!

When:  Tuesday, January 27th, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Where:  South Portland High School Cafeteria, 637 Highland Avenue, South Portland.  Refreshments served!

Come learn about this year’s Relay For Life of South Portland and how you can get involved in the fight against cancer.  Please bring a friend, a family member, or coworker.  Pick up your 2009 team materials and your Team Captain Relay gift!

Sign up your team today at http://www.relayforlife.org/southportlandme!

What if I told you I’m someone who would be drawn by a clean , dog free beach. Not exactly sure where willard beach is but I’m interested in finding it. What are your prices during the summer ?  Thanks, Ray

oh dear, do I really have to tell people even the most simple of things? Since Canada and the US are both part of the same continent, do you remember that from 3rd grade? That means that animals (things with fur or hair) can go on the continent (big chunk of land) whereever they can walk. You do not have to be lucky to get from Canada to Maine if you are a dog, you just have to have legs. Therefore, I have a business in Portland and I would like the Canadians to keep coming here please for whatever the reason. If you are a computer programmer or some other job that does not depend on vacationers good for you. As for me I make most of my money in the summer and I have employess who count on me for their paychecks. So will you please just let people walk with their dogs so I can keep things going? Really, it’s not a big request. I am just trying to carve out a living here. Give me a break.