SHS teens pitch in on dog park project

SANDPOINT — When the area’s first off-leash dog park opens this summer, pups will be able to roam and play in a safe and fun environment.

It is not, however, just for the dogs.

“The park is probably 70 percent for the dogs, but 30 percent for the people,” said project manager Steve Nybank.

For that reason, the powder-coated steel silhouettes that will be installed on the park’s fence not only feature dogs sitting, standing and playing, some of them are people-oriented as well. One of the more intricate designs, for example, features a man sitting in a wheelchair petting a dog, with a woman leaning over the pup as it looks up at her.

As the community has stepped up with donations and different contributions to the dog park project, the creation of the silhouettes is no different. Two of Sandpoint High School’s welding students have taken on the task, cutting the silhouettes on the school’s new CNC machine.

SHS senior Cameron Whittier said he and his classmate, Jordan Rodgers, have been working on the project on and off for about a month, and got the first silhouette cut this past week.

“We are still doing some fine tuning on getting (the CNC machine) all programmed,” Whittier said.

There will be 12 different images featured at the park, some of them as large as three-feet tall. They are also cutting a number of paw-shaped silhouettes, which will create a disguise for the bolts on the inside of the fence.

The idea for the silhouettes came about after Kiwanis raised more than $2,500 during a fundraiser in October. They wanted to use the funds to support the park, but the Kiwanis mission is to support local youth. By enlisting the teens to make items for the park, they were able to do both. Pacific Steel donated metal for the project as well, said SHS welding teacher Jake Stark.

Stark, along with SHS information systems technology teacher Alex Gray, wrote the grant through the state of Idaho for the CNC machine, which arrived at the beginning of the school year.

Whittier said while he didn’t know exactly what the silhouettes were for when he first accepted the project, the reason he took it on was to learn more about the CNC machine.

“I wanted the experience with the new technology and how to program everything, because I know that will help me in the future,” Whittier said.

Whittier, who has been in welding II and III since moving to Sandpoint from Lewiston last year, said he plans to continue welding after high school. Whittier said he has always been involved in the welding industry because his dad sells welding supplies. The teen worked full time over the summer at a local welding company as well, and helped with structural work on the Matchwood Brewing building.

“I’ve got quite a bit of experience,” he said.

With the silhouettes on display to the public, Panhandle Animal Shelter executive director Mandy Evans said the project will be something the students will be able to be proud of for years to come.

“I think it’s awesome that the Sandpoint High School kids are on board,” Evans said. “It’s just fun to empower youth to be part of a community project like this. Especially considering that they are going to be able to drive by and see them.”

After the silhouettes are cut at the high school, they will go to Top Dawg Powder Coating in Kootenai for finishing.

Construction is set to begin on the park as soon as the snow melts, with Nybank hopeful it will get underway by the end of the month. A public grand opening will be held by the end of June, he said.

The park is a community effort, with more than 50 organizations, construction companies, suppliers, electricians and individuals among others who have donated toward the project. The 1.8-acre parcel adjacent to PAS was donated by the shelter, and the city will maintain the area as part of its park system upon completion.

“I think it is going to be a great partnership and definitely a great community asset,” said Ponderay Mayor Steve Geiger.

The park will feature large and small dog areas with a large gazebo. The water fountains, benches and garbage cans will match the style of existing features in Ponderay and Sandpoint, specifically in blue consistent with Ponderay. There will also be agility obstacles and activities for the dogs, shade trees, a granite rock sitting wall and more. The surface will be gravel to minimize dust, pathogens and maintenance.

A trail along the outside of the fence will allow socialization for dogs who aren’t quite ready to be off-leash inside the park. The trail system will also connect the dog park to McNearney Park.

The park will also be one of the first in the country to be fully ADA compliant, Nybank said.

“We’ve considered not just the regular dog owners, but people in wheelchairs, people with incapacity in one way or another and even seniors,” Nybank said.

Some of the ADA features include a five-foot wide concrete path to the gazebo, wider gates and ADA approved fountains.

The park improvements are estimated at just under $200,000, Nybank said, and by the time the project is complete, it will be worth approximately $600,000.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.