The Dog Run at 105th Street was once a lilac garden, then a rose garden, then a patch of crab grass and broken askphalt surrounded by a fence. That's when dog owner, looking for a place to play with their dogs safely, took it over.

The run remained a derelict spot for years. Our seats were tree stumps and we constantly fought the battle of keeping the place free of broken glass. But, the dogs loved it, so we endured the lack of amenities.

Those days are gone and the run has been transformed (with a great deal of work from Terry Fontfville and John Herrold) from the eyesore that it was to the comfortable, functioning run it is today. We have ample seating for dog owners, lots of space for the dogs to play and running water (from April through October) for those dogs who build up a thirst by running and wrestling.

After the renovation the one thing the dog run was missing was a wet bar. Eventually we even got one of those, in the summer, at least, when the Hudson Beach Cafe opened right across the promanade. Now, if we could just get the heated shelter for the winter.........