Do you have any thoughts about the City of New Westminster's off-leash dog areas?
The city is encouraging dog owners - and non-dog owners - to provide feedback on a survey about its off-leash dog area.
The purpose of the survey is to determine if the city needs more off-leash dog areas, what kind of off-leash areas the community would like and where new off-leash areas might be located.
The information will help establish overall management guidelines pertaining to off-leash areas and to hear any community concerns that may exist with off-leash dogs.
In addition to the paper surveys that are available at the city's recreation facilities and city hall, people can also take a survey on the city's webpage until May 12. It is found at www.newwestcity.ca.
The City of New Westminster is also holding a community open house on Tuesday, May 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Century House in Moody Park.
Get cooking
Family Services of Greater Vancouver is seeking participants for a foods skills program for families.
The program, which is for families with children up to age 12, includes six healthy cooking sessions. The sessions will run on Thursdays from April 25 to May 30.
During the sessions, participants will learn how to prepare tasty meals using fresh whole foods, meet other parents, have fun in the kitchen and learn how to budget, plan meals and save money when grocery shopping. Childcare is available.
The sessions run from 9: 30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. at Shiloh Sixth Avenue United Church, 1111 Sixth Ave. A six-week commitment is required for participants.
To register, call Pat at 604-764-1358.
Plant sale
The Kiwanis Club is preparing for a plant sale that will help raise money for projects in the Royal City.
The club is holding its annual hanging basket sale on Saturday, May 11 - the day before Mother's Day. The baskets are $25 each.
Marge Ashdown, president of the Kiwanis Club, notes the profits from the sale will benefit the Lord Kelvin Elementary School's breakfast program, the St. Barnabas Church community lunch program, Monarch Place transition house for women and children fleeing violence, the New Westminster ambassador program, the Lower Mainland Purpose Society, a bursary at New Westminster Secondary school, and more programs.
The hanging basket sale takes place on May 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the parking lot of the Terminal Pub at 115 12th St.
In addition to the hanging baskets, the New Westminster Kiwanis Club is also selling cherry tomato plants.
"We are having a cherry tomato growing contest," Ashdown wrote in an email to The Record. "One cherry tomato plant costs $10. You can grow your plant until harvest time, Sept. 8."
For those who can wait until harvest time before enjoying the tomatoes, the plant with the most cherry tomatoes will be deemed the winner.
If people want to support another community project, they're invited to donate the cherry tomatoes to the local Plant A Row/Grow a Row pro-gram.
The Kiwanis Club of New Westminster invites people to attend its new meeting time. The group gathers on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Waves Coffee House at 715 Columbia St.
Have an item for Around Town? Email the information to reporter Theresa McManus at tmcmanus@ royalcityrecord.com.
