Dimond Park

Mark Zinns

Diane Tebault

Maureen Dorsey

Mark Zinns
After attending the last DIA meeting, I came away with mixed feelings. I felt glad that so many Dimond residents care about their neighborhood and want to make it a better place and want to see Dimond Park a safe place for all. But I also felt sad that so few DIA members know much about the park at all. I love Dimond and I want to see it improve, but did you know:

1. We serve over 100 kids per day for pre-school and after-school activities
2. We serve over 300 kids per day during the summer
3. Dimond Park has the lowest crime rate of any park in Oakland
4. Dimond Park has one of the highest rates of calls to police in Oakland
5. We have over 50 large groups per year use the picnic areas
6. The pool (Lions) is one of the best maintained and well located pools in the bay area
7. The staff at Dimond is largely made up of young adults who have grown up in Parks and Recreation programs
8. We have the most ethnically diverse staff and clientele of any recreation center in Oakland
9. Dimond Park is a safe place for kids
10. I have seen nothing but dedication and good customer service from my staff and the Rangers. It is very easy to point out problems and negative things, but not so easy to make a difference. We make a difference in the lives of kids. I invite you to come to the park and check it out. Come look at the programs we run, the beautiful scenery and the professional staff that make Dimond Park a wonderful place to be. Mark Zinns Director, Dimond Recreation Center MZinns@ix.netcom.com  

Diane Tebault
Isn't it about time for Dimond Park to be opened up to use for the many dog owners in the neighborhood? I see the lost souls walking them on leash early mornings and at nights with their politically correct plastic bags for poop disposal. Why won't Oakland allow them to use our own neighborhood park? I personally have never used Dimond Park because I cannot enjoy a park without the company of my dog. Why shouldn't law-abiding citizens be allowed to walk through the park with their dogs???

Maureen Dorsey
This is in regards to the question about allowing dogs in parks:
The main reason dogs are restricted from parks, in my understanding, is that dogs could serve as sources of intestinal parasites that can be transmitted to children. In this area the specific pathogen would be ascarids, or roundworms. These are passed in feces and are very resistant to any environmental degradation. Introduction of the larval form can cause severe damage, especially if a child gets it in her eyes.

Dogs are allowed in non-park open space such as all the fireroads in the hills and in many areas of the East Bay Regional Park System. Dogs on leash are also allowed in the City park at King Estates on a trial basis. This park is undeveloped and does not have picnic areas etc where there might be a concern about dog waste and human contact.

There is of course, no way to restrict cat access to parks and they can also serve as hosts for roundworms and for toxoplasmosis. This is why sandboxes are best kept covered to restrict cat access.

Sincerely,
Maureen Dorsey, DVM