Photos: Plenty of free barking in Bloomington

One of the most frequent complaints about Bloomington that I hear from folks is that there’s not enough barking.

There’s just no place to bark, they say. And when you do find a place to bark, there’s a barking meter with jammed coin slots, so it accepts only credit cards or pay-by-app.

I have checked out this complaint, using all of my watchdog journalistic powers. After an initial investigation, I don’t think the complaints about a lack of barking in Bloomington have much merit.

There is plenty of free barking space up on the north side of town.

Here’s photographic evidence from the city’s Ferguson Dog Park on Sunday.

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Jordy the courthouse dog hits half-decade mark, confirms he is a good boy

Pup Parade for Jordy’s fifth birthday party. He’s the golden retriever flanked by David Arthur and Olivia Bounds who are holding his leash. (Dave Askins/Beacon)

Jordy inside the Switchyard Brewery, with Olivia Bounds looking on.

Jordy’s handler Tia Arthur (left) with an earlier ICAN trainer, Moe Kiley. (Dave Askins/Beacon)

Switchyard Brewing on Walnut Street, a couple blocks north of the square in downtown Bloomington, markets itself as “dog friendly.”

On Sunday a couple of people with their dogs were soaking up a cool, sunny fall afternoon at the brewery’s outdoor tables—and they’d have been there anyway, even if a Jordy, a local canine celebrity, was not celebrating his fifth birthday inside.

Jordy’s birthday celebration coincided with a regular Sunday Switchyard event—a gathering of the BYOD (Bring Your Own Dog) Walking Club.

The now five-year-old golden retriever works with the nonprofit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to help comfort kids when they have to participate in stressful legal proceedings. Continue reading “Jordy the courthouse dog hits half-decade mark, confirms he is a good boy” →

Monroe county’s commissioners: GO, dog. GO bonds!

The largest dollar-amount item on the regular meeting agenda for Monroe County commissioners on Wednesday morning was approval of a $5.17 million general obligation (GO) bond, to pay for a raft of projects. The two commissioners present on the three-member board—Julie Thomas and Penny Githens—approved the bond issuance.

Also at the meeting, a few ordinances regulating behavior on the courthouse grounds were revised, to add some additional punishments for violating the existing county laws on hours of operation, littering and camping. The new penalty allows for an escalating series of bans from the property, in 30-day increments.

The ordinance revisions were made, because of persisting “incidents of alcohol consumption during the day, fighting, and the deposit of trash, garbage, human waste, and used syringes on the Courthouse grounds,” according to the resolution approved by commissioners.

A separate ordinance revision, also related to the courthouse grounds now allows dogs on the grounds, if they’re on a leash and under control.

Downward dogs will also be allowed as a result of the approval commissioners gave to a contract to with a yoga teacher to give classes to county employees at no cost to them.
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