Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Several dozen aluminum fencing panels were donated to the Delta leash-free dog park by a Florida contractor. They were placed atop the knoll in the dog park, on the northeast side of Confluence Lake.

Members of the association came to Delta from as far away as Maine and Florida to donate their experience, skill, tools and time, along with some valuable materials to build almost 1,600 feet of fencing at Confluence Park.

The 1.5-acre-plus enclosure will become a leash-free dog park.

The NAFCA conducts a school each year for its members and newcomers to the fence building trades. This year, members of the association (which really seems more like a big, extended family) chose Delta as the site for their clinic.

Delta was chosen because of the association members' high regard for one of their own. He is Fred Venette, a fencing contractor who began his nationwide fence-building career in 1958 and has since retired to Delta.

According to Venette's colleagues at the weekend-long school here Oct. 21-23, the NAFCA conducted its school last year at Arlington National Cemetery. Fred couldn't make it.

So, Fred's friends in the industry decided to have their annual school this year in Delta, and make it a reunion with Venette at the same time.

According to accounts, Fred contacted Linda Sanchez at the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce about a project. Sanchez knew of the city's leash-free dog park idea, and the deal was good as done.

"We have conducted these schools all over the country," Fred explained, "and we have never had such good cooperation as we have had from the City of Delta. Everyone has been just great to work with on this project."

Working days on the job site were complemented with round-table discussions in the evening about issues that had come up, how to solve problems, and how to build fences of quality with efficiency and profit.

Delta parks director Paul Suppes explained that the city donated the chainlink fencing, steel posts, rails, and some connectors all from its own inventory on hand. The NAFCA donated most of the fittings and all the labor.

An NAFCA member contractor, Alumi-Guard of Brooksville, Fla., donated several dozen handsome aluminum panels for the front section the park.

Delta's Sawmill Outlet donated lumber supplies.

Suppes said the leash-free park is not ready for use. "There will be an announcement when it is open. This is just the start," Suppes said. "Some more work still needs to be done."

While the fencing contractors and their students (a group of 30 or more people) were here, they stayed in local motels, bought groceries and gas, and ate at local restaurants.

The NAFCA school ended with a graduation ceremony at Daveto's on Saturday night. There, the new students who signed up for their $100-per-day fence building course and who came from all over America to learn the trade, were given certificates of accomplishment.

Bill Iams and his wife, Barbara, from Amity, Pa., did all the grocery shopping and cooking for the school participants. They echoed the sentiments of others in the school saying, "We have never met such friendly people as we have here in Delta."