Persbericht Kids in the City, 2.10.2006, Den Haag, Nederland
Tijdens de boekenmarkt in het Atrium van het stadhuis, op 15 oktober a.s., wordt het Haagse boek 'Meneertje Hond - Dear Mr Dog' gepresenteerd. Doel van het boek is kinderen bewust te maken van het belang van een groene, schone stad. Met name aan het hondenpoepprobleem wordt in het boek aandacht besteed, onder meer in een geïllustreerd verhaal over 'meneertje Hond' en door de publicatie van gedichten en tekeningen van kinderen rond het thema hondenpoep. Bijgaand treft u het engelstalige persbericht van de Stichting Kids in the City over de lancering van het boek.
Stichting Kids in the City zet zich - namens Nederlandse en buitenlandse kinderen die in Den Haag wonen - in voor een groene, schone stad, met veel plek op te spelen en zónder hondenpoep.
News Release Kids in the City 2.10.2006, The Hague, The Netherlands
Local canine hero and Hagenaar 'Dear Mr Dog', one of ADO's rising young talents, striker Eljero Elia and illustrator Claire Bennett will sign the Meneertje Hond - Dear Mr Dog book at 14.30 at the Kinderboekenmarkt at the Stadhuis, in The Hague on October 15th.
The warm, colourful and good spirited book "Dear Mr Dog" is to be let loose in the Atrium of The Hague City Hall with Mr Dog in attendance. The Good Green Witch and her face-painting cronies will be at the Kids in the City - American Book Center stand, from 11 am until 5 pm. Join them at the poetry table, colouring corner and take a look at the American Book Center's latest kid's books and magazines.
The Kids in the City Foundation and The American Book Center invite all kids to celebrate the launch of the Dear Mr Dog Book by dressing up as dogs, fairies, princesses or football players: there will be freebies for great costumes on the day!
This years book fair theme is all about animals so the environmentally active Mr Dog will be fully "paws on" with his official book signing due to take place at 14.30. Joining The Hague's sweetest, greenest and cleanest canine will be the up and coming football player, striker Eljero Elia of the ADO football club, on hand to promote a clean green city where kids can get out and play football. Eljero is a local who has played for Ajax and been selected for the Dutch national youth team that plays against Denmark on October 10.
ShowTime with Mr Dog - 14.00
At 14.00 the Kids in the City dancers take to the floor to perform The Do The Doggy Doo Doo, choreographed by Bessy Jansson, formerly a teacher of dance at the Swedish National Ballet in Gothenburg.
Actor Ed Balsters will be joined by the Limelight Kidz Workshop Drama Workshop Group for a reading in Dutch and English to be followed by 'Poetry from the Fair' read by Richard Tucker.
The Book
The bilingual 60+ page book is written by Kids in the City and beautifully illustrated by Claire Bennett of www.red-hair-claire.com. It has something for every age group including a story (3 years +) about Mr Dog, Anna and Tom who live on the Nassaulaan in The Hague and go to the Queen's park for a fun afternoon out.
For children aged 8 + there's weird and wonderful facts from around the globe and for pet owners, information and advice about caring for your dog. Mayor Deetman has written the foreword and there's a word from councillor Rabin Baldewsingh, the ADO football club and Greenpeace. A limited amount of copies signed by Mayor Deetman will be available.
Also included, of course, are the 22 winning illustrations and poems from the children of The Hague that tell us what kids want in terms of a green and clean environment. Mr Dog gets to have his say and there are handy addresses to help everyone become environmentally active by doing school projects.
Check www.abc.nl for news of their special offers.
Dear Mr Dog also celebrates a clean green city on Wednesday October 18 at the Paagman Book Store in Statenkwartier - dress up and join the Kids in the City dancers for a fun afternoon of music, colouring and dogginess!
For more information phone Kathy Voyles 06 24215449 Kathy@kidsinthecity.org
www.kidsinthecity.org Interview, review copy, publicity photographs and graphics from the book available to the media on request.
Kids in the City Foundation Welcomes Initiatives for Cleaner Streets - Great News but Concerns Remain!
The Kids in the City Foundation welcomes Councillor Wilbert Stolte's suggested reforms about dog-fouling with great anticipation and is delighted to hear that 12 new poop vacuum cleaners are to be purchased for The Hague. Kids in the City is also extremely pleased to see that The Hague will be smartened up with high pressure cleaning machines and that there will be 300 new dog poop bins. And it's great news that there will be extra emphasis on keeping areas around schools, play-areas and care centres cleaner.
"It's just about all we could have wished for in terms of the dog mess problem", according to Director Kathy Voyles at present on Waiheke Island in New Zealand on a research and family visit.
When and if, these rules come into being it will be up to every dog owner in The Hague to clean up their dog's mess wherever they are, including in "dog toilet" areas. Furthermore, dog-owners will have to be in possession of something such as a bag in order to clean up.
"We think this is good news indeed and will clear up misconceptions within the dog owning community but we are worried that some dog owners may take some convincing. We think a well thought out public education campaign should accompany these wonderful new initiatives which must be dynamic and fun. It would be a great pity if dog owners weren't brought on board as to why and how they can be a part of a bright, clean safe city. It's great that there will be a new brochure but more will be needed", says Kathy.
We are a little concerned about who will be enforcing any new bylaws as the police seem unable or unwilling to deal with dogfoulers. And we are also convinced that the proposed fine of 30 Euros will hardly cover the costs of the paper work involved. If the fine stays at 30, this would be one of the lowest in the developed world, for instance dog foulers face a hefty NZ$300 or 160 euros on Waiheke.
Since arriving in New Zealand Kathy and family have been scanning for dog mess along the beaches and streets of Waiheke Island "So far we have seen 8 dog messes, which averages about seeing one eighth of a dog pooh everyday. This is a beautiful Island with lots of green but even here with a population of 8,000 in an area of 25 kms squared, the laws need to be enforced and dog owners reminded".
Kathy has also been talking to Auckland City Council's Animal Control Services about their bylaws and campaigns and is researching New Zealands approach to litter problems and use of urban space particularly in view of space set aside for playgrounds.
"Dog owners must clean up here and have a means of doing so about their person just as in Councillor Stolte's proposals," she says. Animal control officers enforce the laws but social control plays a huge part and dog owners are for the main shocked that a small minority don't take responsiblity and give dogs a bad name. As one local poodle owner told Kathy: Of course we clean up, who wants to step in excrement - that's crazy!
Phone Kathy Voyles on 00 64 9 372 7114 (12 hours ahead of local time) or email kathmike@bart.nl for comment. In The Hague phone Kids in the City's media director, Jenny Huttinga: email jennyhuttinga@tiscali.nl or Acting Director Karen Thirlwell: kthirlwell@wanadoo.nl
See our Dear Mr Dog Competition for local kids at www.kidsinthecity.org
Invitation in PDF for the Friday September 23 launch event of this website.
Press release in Dutch in PDF
Haagse expats in actie tegen Hollandse hondenpoep
Persbericht 20 September 2005
“Wij willen een schone stad!”
Haagse expats in actie tegen Hollandse hondenpoep
Hondenpoep in parken, speeltuinen en straten? “Binnenkort is het verleden tijd!” Dat zegt Kathy Voyles, voorzitter van de stichting Kids in the City. Vrijdag lanceert de stichting, die zich namens expats én lokale Hagenaars beijvert voor een schone stad, haar gloednieuwe website. Hoofd beheer Erik Meijs van de dienst Stadsbeheer,stadsdeel centrum geeft bovendien het startschot voor een wedstrijd voor kinderen. Onder de titel ‘lieve meneer Hond’ worden kinderen uitgedaagd een creatieve oplossing te bedenken voor het hondenpoep-probleem. Volgend voorjaar verschijnt een boek met de leukste inzendingen.
De stichting Kids in the City werd dit jaar opgericht door een aantal expats, die zich – Haagser kan het niet – groen en geel ergeren aan de hondenpoep in de stad. Het streven van de stichting: samen met ouders, kinderen, de gemeente en vooral hondeneigenaars, de stad schoner en leefbaarder maken. De stichting zoekt nieuwe creatieve oplossingen voor het hondenpoep-probleem, onder meer door kinderen, kunstenaars en onderwijzers mee te laten denken. Tegelijkertijd wijst Kids in the City op de gevaren van de vervuiling door hondenpoep. Vrijdag lanceert de stichting www.kindsinthecity.org. Op de site is onder meer Nederlands- en Engelstalige informatie te vinden over Toxacara T Canis, een parasiet die voorkomt in hondenpoep die al wat langer op straat ligt. Vooral voor kleine kinderen kan deze parasiet gevaarlijk zijn.
Op de website is binnenkort ook informatie te vinden over speeltuinen in Den Haag. Ook wil Kids in the City binnenkort een gids uitbrengen waarin de speeltuinen van de stad gewaardeerd worden op veiligheid, schoonheid en ‘fun’. Bovendien verschijnt volgend voorjaar het boek ‘Lieve meneer Hond’. Naast een grappig verhaal, bevat het boek voorbeelden van hoe kinderen het hondenpoep-probleem denken op te kunnen lossen.
Tijdens een feestelijke bijeenkomst op vrijdag 23 september, kunnen kinderen deelnemen aan een workshop voor het ontwerpen van posters. Aansluitend wordt de website van Kids in the City gelanceerd en wordt het startschot gegeven voor de ‘Lieve meneer Hond’ wedstrijd. De pers is van harte uitgenodigd hierbij aanwezig te zijn. De bijeenkomst vindt plaats van 17.00 tot 19.00 uur in de speeltuin Cantaloupenburg, Cantaloupenburg 26a in Den Haag.
Noot voor de redactie: Voor meer informatie over dit bericht kunt u contact opnemen met de stichting Kids in the City, Kathy Voyles, 070 3459893, mobiel: 06 24215449, e-mail: kathy@kidsinthecity.org.