Post by michele5611 on Sept 18, 2013 13:00:07 GMT -5
www.yakimaherald.com/news/yhr/wednesday/1511048-8/yakima-council-may-consider-reversing-pit-bull-ban
Yakima City Council members, responding to public comment, agreed to look into reversing a decades-old ban on pit bulls within city limits.
Several residents from Yakima and elsewhere voiced their opinions on the issue at the meeting, and council members responded that the earliest the item could come up would be November.
Yakima has had a ban on pit bulls in place for more than 25 years. Some questioned the need for the ban last month when three dogs, described as pit bulls or pit bull mixes, viciously attacked a man and his dog.
Some have said the ban needs to be more strictly enforced, while others have said the city has a problem with dangerous dogs regardless of the breed and the ban has done little to stop the threat of attack.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the general consensus among those who spoke against the ban said the issue of a dog’s aggressiveness falls more on the owner.
Elaine Henderson, speaking on behalf of the group Yakima BSL Change Now, said various studies and general opinion point to living environment and “socialization” as the reasons why a dog would become vicious, not because of its breed.
“This dog, this type of animal, has been so negatively impacted that this animal — a dog that was once a symbol of American strength and pride — is totally reversed now for some reason,” Henderson said. “That’s because of us. We make them fight, they don’t want to fight.”
In other business, the council agreed to endorse two local agencies in their efforts to win as much as $12 million in federal Head Start funds.
Both Educational Service District 105 and Inspire Developmental Centers have tried gaining an edge over the other by gathering support from local cities and organizations. The council voted 4-1 in favor of giving them letters of support. Council members Sara Bristol and Rick Ensey were not in attendance.
A federal contractor was brought in this spring to take over Yakima Head Start centers when local agency EPIC was forced to relinquish its operations after a 2012 federal audit found financial mismanagement. Now, that money — used for low-income early childhood education services — is up for grabs.
Both ESD 105 and Inspire are well-known early childhood providers in the Yakima Valley. ESD 105, a nonprofit umbrella organization that provides services to the area’s school districts, wants to get back into the Head Start game. Under the ESD 105 proposal, EPIC would operate the child and family services while ESD 105 would run the administrative and financial branches.
Inspire, on the other hand, wants to expand its Head Start services into the city of Yakima. The nonprofit, formerly known as the Washington State Migrant Council, is the largest provider of pre-kindergarten services in the state and has various sites in other Yakima Valley cities.
While other cities had already made recommendations on the issue, Yakima council members were hesitant.
Councilman Bill Lover, the sole “no” vote, said despite the agencies’ good presentations to the council weeks ago, the council has no say in how the money is distributed.
“My opinion is we don’t have any business in this,” said Lover. “This is a highly competitive bid for an RFP that hasn’t even been issued yet.”
However, the consensus among the council was both ESD 105 and Inspire demonstrated the best intentions for the students and should be supported.
“Both of them are fine organizations,” said council member Kathy Coffey. “We are supporting and welcoming one or both of them to the community because we are confident after hearing their presentations that they would, either one or both, be an asset to our community.”
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Yakima City Council members, responding to public comment, agreed to look into reversing a decades-old ban on pit bulls within city limits.
Several residents from Yakima and elsewhere voiced their opinions on the issue at the meeting, and council members responded that the earliest the item could come up would be November.
Yakima has had a ban on pit bulls in place for more than 25 years. Some questioned the need for the ban last month when three dogs, described as pit bulls or pit bull mixes, viciously attacked a man and his dog.
Some have said the ban needs to be more strictly enforced, while others have said the city has a problem with dangerous dogs regardless of the breed and the ban has done little to stop the threat of attack.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the general consensus among those who spoke against the ban said the issue of a dog’s aggressiveness falls more on the owner.
Elaine Henderson, speaking on behalf of the group Yakima BSL Change Now, said various studies and general opinion point to living environment and “socialization” as the reasons why a dog would become vicious, not because of its breed.
“This dog, this type of animal, has been so negatively impacted that this animal — a dog that was once a symbol of American strength and pride — is totally reversed now for some reason,” Henderson said. “That’s because of us. We make them fight, they don’t want to fight.”
In other business, the council agreed to endorse two local agencies in their efforts to win as much as $12 million in federal Head Start funds.
Both Educational Service District 105 and Inspire Developmental Centers have tried gaining an edge over the other by gathering support from local cities and organizations. The council voted 4-1 in favor of giving them letters of support. Council members Sara Bristol and Rick Ensey were not in attendance.
A federal contractor was brought in this spring to take over Yakima Head Start centers when local agency EPIC was forced to relinquish its operations after a 2012 federal audit found financial mismanagement. Now, that money — used for low-income early childhood education services — is up for grabs.
Both ESD 105 and Inspire are well-known early childhood providers in the Yakima Valley. ESD 105, a nonprofit umbrella organization that provides services to the area’s school districts, wants to get back into the Head Start game. Under the ESD 105 proposal, EPIC would operate the child and family services while ESD 105 would run the administrative and financial branches.
Inspire, on the other hand, wants to expand its Head Start services into the city of Yakima. The nonprofit, formerly known as the Washington State Migrant Council, is the largest provider of pre-kindergarten services in the state and has various sites in other Yakima Valley cities.
While other cities had already made recommendations on the issue, Yakima council members were hesitant.
Councilman Bill Lover, the sole “no” vote, said despite the agencies’ good presentations to the council weeks ago, the council has no say in how the money is distributed.
“My opinion is we don’t have any business in this,” said Lover. “This is a highly competitive bid for an RFP that hasn’t even been issued yet.”
However, the consensus among the council was both ESD 105 and Inspire demonstrated the best intentions for the students and should be supported.
“Both of them are fine organizations,” said council member Kathy Coffey. “We are supporting and welcoming one or both of them to the community because we are confident after hearing their presentations that they would, either one or both, be an asset to our community.”
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I look forward to learning much here