" But Charlotte, didn't you look inside those funny plastic columns here and there? The city has planted dozens of 5" oak trees at Alston.
Check back in 50 years or so - if the city gives those babies water, you may be in for a real treat.
The ugly reality is thoughtless and bizarre. Sure some of the trees were dead or dying, but most of us dog walkers couldn't help but notice the hawks perched atop the taller ones (the city has created a Vole Paradise!) and the myriads of birds - even bluebirds and orioles - in most of the now felled trees.
I can only conclude that the parks department has either too many dollars or too many employees if this is the sort of "work" they are making up to keep busy.
Or - here's the conspiracy theory - is the city driving down usage in order to revive those dormant athletic fields plans one more time? A state of the art athletic facility would certainly be of more interest to tourists than an unkempt, au naturel dog park, won't it? "

" I went on a walk in the on-leash area and was equally disgusted, but for a different reason. All along the sides and in the middle of the walking paths were dog droppings. Come on people please do not continue to make a bad name for all these dogs and the responsible owners. CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOGS! And to the horse riders please remove horse droppings from the paths! "

" Alston Park was only kept in open space for 15 years. The issue got on the ballot on a 3-to-2 vote with Mayor Ed Henderson and Councilmembers David Crawford and Harry Martin voting yes and Councilmembers Jill Techel and JoAnn Busenbark voting no. Crawford insisted on a 15 year limit - both Henderson and Martin had to accept the compromise or lose the right to put the issue on the ballot. It passed overwhelmingly. Unfortunately half the 15 years has past and the Council might be prepared to use the park for ballfield again and are just preparing the groundwork. "

" Napa is increasingly becoming anti-dog....

An animal control officer knocked on a neighbor's door and told her that she could not allow her dog to lie in her front yard, unleashed and unfenced...

She told me the officer was aggressive, and threatening, and had said he was just driving by and that there was no complaint... When he left he told her, "I'll be watching you."

Now, what do you suppose the motive is for creating an anti-dog atmosphere at Alston...??? "

" These trees get watered and I have personally watered them. It just takes a truck with a water tank on it but it gets done. Most of these trees are still alive if you take a look in the plastic tubing. City of Napa paid for the project along with all the trees planted on the creek banks between Solano and the Wine Train tracks. These trees are for erosion control and flood protection so that Solano and the train tracks don't get washed away. "

" Sharon wrote on Oct 7, 2008 8:10 AM:
CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOGS! And to the horse riders please remove horse droppings from the paths! "

I've only been to Alston park once with my dog. It was very nice but we haven't gone back. It would be ashame to lose it as a dog park.
I don't understand why people would want to ride there because as I recall it's not that big. But I'd much rather step in horse manure than dog cr@p. Ick! Huge difference. "

" Dwayne,
your neighbor should have been cited. I cannot tell you how annoying it is to walk your dog through your own neighborhood only to have off leash dogs chase you down. This can also be a bad thing for the off leash dogs. My brother has two very sweet, kind pitbulls. They are great with adults and children, but are not so great with other animals, for that reason he cannot take them to the dog park and now because of people like your neighbor, has to walk them very late at night to avoid confrontation with off leash animals. Be a responsible pet owner and leash your pets!!!
And i love the commons area of Alston Park, My little doggy had so many friends before i moved to Southern California.
Wrinkles says hi to everyone! "

" I agree with smogone, it can be a nighmare walking my dog through this town. I can't count how many times dogs have come running up to my leashed dog, and I not so politely have to TEACH dog owners that my dog is not so friendly all the time. THat's like letting a small child run across a freeway. People are really thoughtless sometimes. "

" dwayne, maybe the anti-dog sentiment is a result of the uncaring attitudes by too many dog owners...? There are many good, no, great dog owners, who abide by the city laws, have trained their dog and clean up after the pets and even when off leash, keep them under control.....but we are seeing a growing number who ignore most if not all the tenets of being a good pet owner.... "

" I was actually walking in my neighborhood and had an unleashed dog push at me and when I told the owner this is why we have a leash law I was told by her and her neighbor to learn to deal with it as the dog had all the right to run around unleashed because he wouldn't hurt anyone. These are the kinds of owners I am against. If your dog is off leash and runs out of it's yard to "great or inspect" people and other animals then your dog is technically not trained enough to be off leash. "

" Some people are just very unhappy, no, no, I mean unlucky with dogs that it seems everything under the sun happens to them.
I am well over my 40's and never, ever had an unpleasant encounter with a dog -some owners are a different story though.

Anyway, good luck to you all!

btw, I love Alston...watch your step and if you encounter some poop, just pick it up! "

" ATTENTION ALL ON-LEASH DOG WALKERS/DOGLESS PEOPLE!
I have barely seen anyone in the on-leash area with a dog, and anyone that doesn't have a dog (walkers, joggers, bikers, etc.) in ONLY the on-leash area. If you don't use it, we (off-leashers) WILL take it back again.

btw-
enough with the vicious dog stories. BARELY any dogs (off and on leash) are like this, so quit talking about it like every dog is. "

" Napa is nothing but tourist.. Who cares about Flora and Fauna? This town is going down.... what happens when there are no grapes? "

" We really have no way of knowing the usage of the on-leash area. It is a large area, so no one can see all of it at once, and no one is there from dawn to dusk. I for one would like to see a volunteer group to do a usage survey or have a sign in area to see how it is really used so we can make appropriate decisions. Anecdotal evidence is not very scientific.

And I don't think that going back to breaking the law is the way to get what you want.

For me, since I learned that my dog and I can walk at Tulocay cemetery, we go there, because I live on that side of town. There is also much less likelihood of my dog having unpleasant interactions there since no dog is off-leash to come running up to her, which she finds intimidating and reacts aggressively. "