- March 16, 2025
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Peter Larson's dog Lexi enjoyed her Friday morning at Bayfront Park.
Farrah Fawcett no longer has to wear her pink coat to Bayfront Park. Instead, she wears a scarf with her name on it.
Before Bayfront Park's dog park got resodded, the dog named Farrah Fawcett used to wear a pink jacket. File photo
Fannie Bushin and her oversized toy poodle named Miles are enjoying the resodding at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Dick Lyons' dog Farrah Fawcett and Conrad Panza's dog Oliver enjoyed themselves Friday moning at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Peter Larson's dogs Kacey and Lexi enjoyed their Friday morning at Bayfront Park.
Fannie Bushin's oversized toy poodle named Miles enjoyed himself Friday morning at Bayfront Park's dog parkr.
Conrad Panza and his dog Oliver sit on Friday morning at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Peter Larson's dog Kacey enjoyed getting some rest at Bayfront Park's dog park as Conrad Panza's dog Oliver runs into the picture.
Fannie Bushin and Peter Larson chat Friday morning at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Farrah Fawcett no longer has to wear her pink coat to Bayfront Park.
Conrad Panza's dog Oliver sits on Friday morning at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Peter Larson and Fannie Bushin chat on Friday morning at Bayfront Park's dog park.
In April, Joe Post posed for a picture with his dog Chico aka "The Godfather." Chico is considered among the locals as the mascot of the Bayfront Park dog park. "The Godfather" had a wedding to attend. File photo
Conrad Panza's dog Oliver plays on Friday morning at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Peter Larson's dog Kacey seems to enjoy the new grass at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Rose Mary Bushin and her daughter Fannie Bushin played with dogs Friday morning at Bayfront Park.
Peter Larson's dog Lexi. and Fannie Bushin's dog Miles enjoy some water Friday morning at the Bayfront Park dog park.
The Bayfront Park dog park was closed from mid-July to the end of September for resodding.
Earlier this year, Peter Larson wrote to the Longboat Key Town Commission to ask whether Bayfront Park's dog park could get resodded.
The Bayfront Park dog park was closed from mid-July to the end of September for resodding.
Peter Larson's dog Lexi enjoyed running around Bayfront Park's dog park.
Peter Larson plays with Dick Lyons' Farrah Fawcett on Friday morning.
Peter Larson and Dick Lyons chat Friday morning at Bayfront Park's dog park.
Farrah Fawcett no longer needs her pink coat during her morning visits to Bayfront Park.
Longboat Key resident Dick Lyons’ fluffy-furred friend doesn’t get nearly as dirty now that the town’s only dog park is resodded with fresh grass. Before, the dog’s pink jacket would help keep some of the dirt off her white fur.
Lyons explained how his wife doesn’t need to clean their beloved family dog as frequently.
“If I took her home dirty all the time, I’d get in trouble, so I don’t have to worry about it anymore,” Lyons said of his dog nicknamed after the glamorous 1980s TV and movie star.
Farrah Fawcett now dons a scarf with her name on it.
“She gets to meet all her old buddies, and gets to make some new friends at the new park,” Lyons said.
Longboat Key reopened the dog park at Bayfront Park at the end of September. It had been closed since mid-July for resodding.
Dog owner Peter Larson was one of the residents who wrote to the Longboat Key Town Commission earlier this year to ask whether something could be done.
“It looks like the way it looked when they opened it a few years back,” Larson said.
Streets, Facilities, Parks and Recreation Manager Mark Richardson said the town paid Bradenton-based Prestige Sod Service $6,250 for the project. Richardson has said the town plans to allocate funding to its capital budget to resod the dog park every three years. Bayfront Park’s dog park initially opened in 2017.
Larson expressed his appreciation for Richardson and the town’s efforts.
“The place looks great, and it’s such an improvement over what it was,” Larson said.
Dog groomer and toy poodle owner Fannie Bushin noticed something different about the park.
“The flies are gone,” Bushin said. “We had a lot of horse flies. That was the main thing. … It looks beautiful.
When Bayfront Park’s dog park was closed, many dog owners took their furry friends to Joan M. Durante Park. However, Durante Park requires dogs to be on a leash.
The dog park at Bayfront Park is the only public area in the town of Longboat Key that allows dogs to legally be unleashed. However, leashed dogs were still allowed in other areas of Bayfront Park when the resodding process was underway.
“It was a long summer not having the park open, but it was the right time of year to do it because it is our low season, and it’s also our rainy season, so it gave the sod the opportunity to really take root,” Larson said.
Perhaps the most important part of the reopening of Longboat Key’s park within a park is the community it brings together. The group recently held a “Yappy Hour” at the park to celebrate its reopening. Larson said they are considering holding a Halloween dog parade.
Lyons said he is appreciative he gets to see familiar faces again each morning.
“(It’s) excellent. It really is,” Lyons said. “Seeing a lot of good friends again. That brings them all together and new friends also for coming to this great park. That’s what it’s all about.”
Farrah Fawcett isn’t the only “movie star” at Bayfront Park either. Joe Post’s dog Chico aka “The Godfather” is considered among the locals as the mascot of the Bayfront Park dog park.
Dog owners told the Longboat Observer that “The Godfather” had good reason for not being in attendance on Friday morning. He had to attend a wedding.