Design of the Bruce King Memorial Dog Park should begin soon, following the El Cerrito City Council's approval of funding and location and making the name official.

The park, between Lexington Avenue and the BART Ohlone Greenway and bounded north-south by Blake Street and Potrero Avenue, was approved unanimously Monday. With a $40,000 price tag and $15,000 in donations received for it, the council allotted $25,000 from Measure WW funds to make it a reality.

It was named for Bruce King, a beloved city employee who died April 17 from a brutal robbery-related beating two weeks earlier in his El Sobrante home.

The 56-year-old Berkeley native was the maintenance and engineering services manager for the city of El Cerrito for 24 years.

The next step will be to hire a designer for the park, public works Director Jerry Bradshaw told the council. In late October he forecast that it would be open within three months.

"I want to thank the council. It would mean so much to Bruce," said longtime friend Mindy Charlup, who confirmed Mr. King owned 11 dogs.

"I couldn't even have imagined something like this."

Mae Ritz of the El Cerrito Garden Club presented a plaque honoring King and announced the group had "collected funds for a memorial for Bruce in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It's part of reforesting burned areas," she explained.


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