Verona gets beautification boost through business, foundation partnership
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A Verona business has partnered with a local nonprofit to help rid the borough of dog waste.
Four waste stations, complete with plastic bags and a reminder to “please clean up after your dog,” were recently installed as part of a beautification project from Etta’s Blvd Doggy Daycare and the Lower Valley Athletic Association.
One is on the corner of Arch and Grant streets near Riverbank Park. Another is behind the pavilion in Railroad Park. The other two are along Second Street and Athletic Avenue outside Cribbs Field.
“They are getting filled up rather quickly,” foundation President Vince Flotta Jr. said. “They are getting used a lot and people like them. They were definitely needed.”
They made the pitch for the project to council a few months ago and it received overwhelming support.
“I think they’re being used very well because they’re very full,” council president Nancy Carpenter said.
Stefani Garibay, manager of Etta’s Blvd Doggy Daycare, said she and her fiance, owner Chris Wilson, came up with the idea shortly after the shop opened about seven years ago.
“We always talked about doing something for the community, and (dog waste bins) was one thing that we always wished was around,” she said. “We have dogs ourselves, and walking around carrying poop isn’t always the funnest. We happened to hear some conversations about the poop that was happening at Railroad Park and we thought let’s cash in on our idea and put those up.”
Flotta said former Councilwoman Rhoda Worf had PVC tubes installed around Cribbs Field to help give out dog waste bags, but there were no trash cans to go along with them.
“I thought it was a really good idea and a cause our foundation would get behind,” Flotta said. “If they weren’t getting used, that poop would be in the parks.”
Garibay and the foundation split the near $830 cost. More stations might be added to the upper and lower sections of Verona.
“I know we put out a questionnaire on Facebook and asked around and everybody said (put one on) every street that they live on,” Garibay said.
The cans are emptied at least once a week and the daycare has a dumpster dedicated to dog waste.
Garibay said she reached out to Oakmont officials to see if they would like bins in that borough.
Oakmont council has not taken any action on the proposal.