As part of an ongoing effort to promote responsible dog ownership, the South Portland Dog Owners Group (SoPoDog) will host another in its series of SoPo Dog Ambassador workshops on Thursday, July 28, at 8 a.m. at Willard Beach. Additional Ambassador training workshops will be held next month.

According to a July 15 press release from the group, “The Ambassadors program is designed to be entirely flexible, with no required commitment to a defined schedule. We hope that beach regulars will be willing to act as ambassadors, cheering on people who demonstrate good dog and dog owner citizenship, and helping to educate (in a friendly, encouraging way) those who do not. Our goal is for our ambassadors to model and communicate a set of shared expectations for those new to the beach, new to off-leash dog areas, and/or new to dog ownership.”

Representatives from SoPo Dog will lead the workshop, which will include discussion about the following topics:

● Voice control. Does the dog hear its owner and come to them immediately when called? Really? Or does the dog need more training to respond to voice command?

● Sight control. Is the dog under visual surveillance at all times? This means that the owners are not talking with others or looking at their phones, and that the dog is close enough that corrections can be made immediately when necessary.

● Dog Behavior. Is the dog beach-ready? People who are against dogs being off-leash consistently point to behavioral issues as the issue. Behavioral issues aren’t limited to whether a dog is aggressive or snippy; friendly and exuberant dogs can cause trouble, too.

● Human Behavior. Does the owner pick up after the dog every time? Does the owner respond politely to others pointing out behavior issues with a dog, like romping through protected dunes, running up to people, or jumping? Are owners prepared to speak up politely when an inappropriate behavior is observed?

● Know the Rules! Are owners familiar with the South Portland dog ordinances, including the recent changes that went into effect at the end of June? The Ambassadors can get owners up to date.

According to the group, “We are fortunate to be able to enjoy our beautiful Maine summer on the beach with our pups, and we remind dog owners again that this prized privilege can be jeopardized by bad dog owner behavior. We also remind dog owners to license their dogs if they haven’t done it already – it’s easy, and it’s the law.”

SoPoDog is a grassroots organization that promotes responsible dog ownership and community service and advocates for the preservation and expansion of off-leash access in open spaces. For more information, visit the SoPo Dog Facebook page or email southportlanddog@gmail.com.

University of Maine announces spring dean’s list

The University of Maine recognized 2,951 students for achieving dean’s list honors in the spring 2022 semester. Local students named to the dean’s list are:

Cape Elizabeth: Theo Brucker, Sierra Galgano, Ethan Gillespie, Brenden Goss, Anna Hayes, Isabella Herrick, Ben Hoyt, Nick Leschey, Lilia Membrino, Luke O’Kelly, Sara Taylor, Jack Vose-Gimbel, Mary Isabelle Wisell and Christian Zucchero.

South Portland: Ryan Boles, Fischer Bourassa, Sam Brown, Taylor Davis, Lauren DiBiase, Nick Duffy, Michael Feely, Anna Folley, Josh Frank, Brayden Gilbert, Jason Halvorsen, Emily Hobbs, Sam Holbrook, Allison Holt, Simona Ickia Ngaullo, Aleksandar Kaurin, Chloe MacVane, Mia Quint-Wood, Jules Selser, Sydney Sherburne, Madison Smith, Jacob Solomon, Andrew Varipatis, Caleb Viola, Molly Walker and Jackson Wilson.

ecomaine accepting designs for Recycling is a Work of Art contest

ecomaine will select as many as six winning entries to turn “silver bullet” recycling containers into something more colorful with a recycling message. The public has been invited to enter a design for a metal canvas measuring 22’ 6” by 6’ 10 inches and ecomaine encourages individuals, community groups, and schools to submit designs centered around reduction, reuse, recycling, and sustainability.

ecomaine is accepting submissions until 5 p.m. Aug. 23 for its Recycling is a Work of Art painting contest.

Winning designs will be selected by company’s Outreach and Recycling Committee in September, to be painted in the fall. Painters will receive a $500 stipend as well as reimbursement for up to $500 in supplies. The containers will be shipped around Maine and New Hampshire to collect community single-sort recycling.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to provide this canvas to local artists again this year” said Michelle Radley, ecomaine’s acting communications nanager, in a July 18 press release. “Our focus with this initiative is to promote recycling and display how it encourages fun, educational, community building.”

To be eligible, artists must live or work in one of ecomaine’s member communities and designs must be submitted on templates provided by ecomaine. For templates, rules, guidelines, and timelines, as well as examples of past winners, visit www.ecomaine.org.

 

 

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