The article in the June 18 Portland Press Herald about the sculpture of the young boy and his dog that was placed on the Riverbank Walk by Cornelia Warren awoke many of my fond memories.

I was raised on the banks of the Presumpscot River and “walked the walk” often. When I was just a child, in the late 30’s, my grandfather took me to see the sculpture and I remember petting the dog and enjoying the fountain. I attended Brown Street Grammar School for a year and crossed the “black bridge” twice a day, often stopping to see how the boy and his dog were doing. In the late 40’s, when the Cornelia Warren Pool was built, we walked that way often to take swimming lessons and enjoy the water. We always stopped by to see the statue.

When my husband and I were “courting,” we often walked the river pathway at night, because it was usually private and we could both “pet the dog,” Hmmm!

Since the sculpture has been there for some 85 years now, and it was intended to honor John Warren, who planned the Riverbank Walk, why would we want to move it? Cornelia Warren had it put there for a good reason. Why change?

Evidently it can be restored to its original good looks and it would certainly be a wonderful incentive for folks to park their car and take a walk along the river path to see it, and perhaps even “pet the dog” or something.

Dianne LeConte

Westbrook