Sidney's South Paw Dog Park Grand Opening Held Aug. 16

Sidney Girl Scout Lauryn Barnhart received her Girl Scout Gold Award during a ceremony on August 16. The ceremony was also the grand opening of Barnhart's Gold Award project, the South Paw Dog Park. The South Paw Dog Park is located next to the South Park softball complex on 22nd Ave NW, Sidney.

The creation of the South Paw Dog Park took Barnhart over a year to complete.

As part of her project, Barnhart raised funds, coordinated and developed the park herself. Her troupe held the Neon Glow Doggy Dash on June 2, 2018 to raise funds for the park. They also sold memorial bricks to be placed along the walking path for pet owners to honor their cherished pet that has passed away. Barnhart created a "That's My Brick" web page to sell the personalized bricks for $50 each.

After presenting a proposal to City of Sidney Park Department, she worked with them extensively to find a suitable location for the park. Many locations were suggested and ruled out until the current spot was decided in March. "After about a year of trial and error with the Park Department, it took 15 minutes for the city council to approve," stated Barnhart. White Drug donated two concrete benches, Signs of Sidney created the signs Larry Christensen laser cut the 22nd Ave sign and J&L Fencing did the work on the fencing.

Barnhart is a 13-year member of Girl Scout Troup 2433. She has completed all levels of Girl Scouts and is a 2018 Sidney High School graduate. She will be attending MSU in Bozeman this fall.