Walking the pup down pathway of poetry

Walking the pup down pathway of poetry

Canine-themed writing contest aims to enhance future dog park.

Creating a beautiful community lies in helping hands and creative minds — at least that’s the premise of a poetry contest hosted this year by the city of Kenai.

The Pathway of Poetry Contest aims to both spruce up the natural beauty of Alaska while also giving the upcoming Kenai Dog Park an added boost of momentum.

The poetry contest is themed “Man’s Best Friend” and winners of the contest will have their work displayed at Daubenspeck Family Park in midtown Kenai, which is being revamped as a future dog park.

City of Kenai Parks and Recreation Director Bob Frates said the idea originally came from the Alaska State Parks organization, and the city ran with it.

“For me, it’s a way we can integrate art into the public realm, or a public space,” Frates said. “This makes the trail a little more interactive, because trails are pretty passive by nature.

“We’ve been generating a lot of interest and momentum with the Kenai dog park, so we thought, ‘Wow what a perfect match’.”

The deadline to submit entries is Monday, Sept. 30. Winning entries will be announced Oct. 12 at the Kenai Pumpkin Festival, and winning poems will be displayed on a trail surrounding Daubenspeck.

Frates said three years ago, the city of Kenai put on a poetry contest for elementary school children, tapping into the various schools around the central peninsula. With a winner picked from each grade level, 12 poems were ultimately chosen to be presented on a plaque in the park.

“That was wildly popular,” Frates said. “We thought for the next one, we’d do the same with adults. It’s really a matter of finding a suitable place.”

This year’s canine-themed contest will reward 10 winners, Frates said, which will be mounted on posts along the trail that winds its way through the park.

One of the more intriguing features will be audio recordings from the poets themselves reciting their material. Frates said each post will feature a small barcode below the poem that can be scanned with a smart phone, which will subsequently play a recording.

Frates thanked the Kenai Community Library, the Friends of the Kenai Community Library organization and the Kenai Senior Center for helping the project along.

Adults 18 years or older are invited to participate. Deadline is Monday, Sept. 30 Notifications will be Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Kenai Pumpkin Festival. Registration forms are available at: Kenai Senior Center and Kenai Community Library or online at www.kenai.city/parksrec/page/parks-and-recreation-forms. For additional information call 907-283-8262.

More in News

Shrubs grow outside of the Kenai Courthouse on Monday, July 3, 2023, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchor Point man indicted for 3 shootings at Homer family planning clinic, recovery center

The grand jury returned 12 counts total for the three shootings

The entrance to the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center is barricaded on Overland Avenue in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Citing dangerous drivers, Kenai closes one entrance to visitor’s center

The barricade will be removed temporarily on Friday for Christmas Comes to Kenai festivities

A Kenai Peninsula Food Bank truck in the Food Bank parking lot on Aug. 4, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Food bank seeks turkey donations as Thanksgiving nears

The local food bank is calling for donations of $25 to “Adopt-A-Turkey” for a local family in need

Seward City Hall is seen under cloudy skies in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seward budget hearing covers bed tax, wages, emergency medical services

The Seward City Council on Nov. 12 considered a series of legislative items connected to 2025 and 2026 budget

The results of ranked choice tabulation show Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, winning reelection in the race for Senate District D. (Screenshot/Gavel Alaska)
Bjorkman, Vance win reelection after tabulation of ranked choice ballots

An effort to repeal ranked choice voting and the open primary system was very narrowly defeated

Jacob Caldwell, chief executive officer of Kenai Aviation, stands at the Kenai Aviation desk at the Kenai Municipal Airport on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Aviation, Reeve Air submit proposals to bring air service back to Seward

Scheduled air service has been unavailable in Seward since 2002

Erosion damage to the southbound lane of Homer Spit Road is seen on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, following a storm event on Saturday in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
City, DOT work to repair storm damage to Spit road

A second storm event on Saturday affected nearly a mile of the southbound lane

Kenaitze Indian Tribe Education Director Kyle McFall speaks during a special meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Charter school proposed by Kenaitze Indian Tribe given approval by school board

The application will next be forwarded to the State Department of Education and Early Department

Suzanne Phillips, who formerly was a teacher at Aurora Borealis Charter School, speaks during a special meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Aurora Borealis charter renewal clears school board

The school is seeking routine renewal of its charter through the 2035-2036 school year

Most Read