Twenty Del Ray residents and other volunteers spent Nov. 4 cleaning up and sprucing up the dog park at Simpson Stadium Park and planted a weeping willow.

The cleanup was organized by members of the Del Ray Dog Owners Group.

Local company Personal Touch Landscaping, headed by Steve Jackson, delivered the willow and donated several hours to the cleanup effort.

Alexandria maintenance staff brought in truckloads of gravel and assisted volunteers as they went about the maintenance work.

A new memorial bench in remembrance of Arthur Tucker, a long time dog park user who passed away unexpectedly in July, was also dedicated on Nov. 4. Members of Tucker’s family and park volunteers gathered around the new bench and read the memorial plaque, which reads, “In memory of our good friend Arthur W. Tucker.”

Several other local businesses sponsored the cleanup, including: 

• Bobi Bomar, Weichart Realty
• St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub
• Wholistic Hound Training and Behavior Services

For more information on Alexandria dog parks and future Simpson Dog Park events, visit the Del Ray Dog Owners Group on Yahoo or contact Sandy Modell at smodell@comcast.net.