South Main Plaza
Sponsor Stories
The fountain at South Main Plaza has become a destination in downtown Mount Vernon thanks to the financial support of sponsors who have a heart filled with love for their furry friends and our great community.
Here are some of their inspiring stories:
2019-20 MOUNT VERNON MIDDLE SCHOOL SIXTH GRADE CLASS
The fountain at South Main Plaza has been a haven for kids of all ages since its opening in the spring of 2020. Generous community donors have supported the project with interesting backstories on their selection of breed. However, it the sponsorship of the German Shepherd that is the most inspiring.
Knowing the level of interest of Mount Vernon Middle School English Teacher Trudy Debolt, and the 2019-20 sixth grade class, fountain facilitator Phil Samuell asked if they would like to be part of that project and sponsor a dog. The sponsorship at $15,000 was much more than Debolt believed they could raise, but she was willing to try for $2,000. Samuell agreed to raise the remainder to secure the sponsorship.
The class embarked on a whirlwind funding raising efforts, and after just three weeks, surpassed their goal with $2,619, allowing them to sponsor the German Shepherd they named Prince986A in honor of a Vietnam War veteran and his scout dog.
“From our town, to get that kind of money is incredible,” Debolt said in an interview with the Mount Vernon News. “Every day there would be kids that would, after lunch, bring me a dollar because that’s all they had. But they wanted to make sure they contributed something.” Ed Reeves and Prince were part of a larger reading project in which the students participated. The project began when Debolt had her students read “Cracker! The best dog in Vietnam.” The book is a piece of historical fiction and tells the story of dogs and their handlers during the Vietnam War. The discussions from that story led Debolt to create WAGS (Working Dog Awareness Group) where the students would go to the Knox County Animal Shelter and read to the dogs. Reeves and Prince became part of the project when Reeves would visit the students at the school, giving a first-hand account of the dogs’ military stories from Vietnam.
It was during one of Reeves’ visits with the students that he was surprised with the sponsorship and a trip to South Main Plaza for the unveiling.
The fountain at South Main Plaza has been a haven for kids of all ages since its opening in the spring of 2020. Generous community donors have supported the project with interesting backstories on their selection of breed. However, it the sponsorship of the German Shepherd that is the most inspiring.
Knowing the level of interest of Mount Vernon Middle School English Teacher Trudy Debolt, and the 2019-20 sixth grade class, fountain facilitator Phil Samuell asked if they would like to be part of that project and sponsor a dog. The sponsorship at $15,000 was much more than Debolt believed they could raise, but she was willing to try for $2,000. Samuell agreed to raise the remainder to secure the sponsorship.
The class embarked on a whirlwind funding raising efforts, and after just three weeks, surpassed their goal with $2,619, allowing them to sponsor the German Shepherd they named Prince986A in honor of a Vietnam War veteran and his scout dog.
“From our town, to get that kind of money is incredible,” Debolt said in an interview with the Mount Vernon News. “Every day there would be kids that would, after lunch, bring me a dollar because that’s all they had. But they wanted to make sure they contributed something.” Ed Reeves and Prince were part of a larger reading project in which the students participated. The project began when Debolt had her students read “Cracker! The best dog in Vietnam.” The book is a piece of historical fiction and tells the story of dogs and their handlers during the Vietnam War. The discussions from that story led Debolt to create WAGS (Working Dog Awareness Group) where the students would go to the Knox County Animal Shelter and read to the dogs. Reeves and Prince became part of the project when Reeves would visit the students at the school, giving a first-hand account of the dogs’ military stories from Vietnam.
It was during one of Reeves’ visits with the students that he was surprised with the sponsorship and a trip to South Main Plaza for the unveiling.
The fountain at South Main Plaza is a visual marvel with 18 dogs of different sizes and breeds spraying water toward a golden bone they have their eyes on. While the view is spectacular, it is what is underground that’s truly amazing.
Fred Hall of Modern Builders, in Mount Vernon, was the estimator project manager for re-imagined South Main Plaza. His task was to figure out the complex job of how to situate each animal on its pedestal in precisely the right location to spray water into the precise location in the fountain.
After the architect from Claude Cormier and Associates put together the plans for the fountain, it was up to Hall and his team to get the pieces in place to bring the fountain to life.
The project begins with the control panel and pumps that are located in Buchwald Center. Water is transported from there through underground pipes to the dogs.
“That was quite a situation, getting the anchorage and water locations just right so we could get the dogs on there,” Hall said. “It had to be exactly right. Each dog had its own place and they all were different. There was nothing uniform about it. Every piece was almost an individual situation of its own.”
The system was designed and built, according to Hall, so that it could be shut down and drained in the winter. Once spring rolls around, the valves are turned back on and the fountain will begin to flow.
It took several months for the planning and completion of the project, including delays caused by the pandemic, but it’s one that Hall was excited to be a part of.
“I’m very happy to have been a part of it. It’s a very unique and wonderful project,” Hall said. “This is really a first-time in my lifetime project for me that not many people have done. … When it’s all put together with the animals, it’s unique in its own way. I think it's wonderful for the city. It’s a real showplace.”
DEBBIE MASSA
As a dog lover, it was an easy decision for Debbie Massa when asked to support the idea of a fountain featuring canines in Mount Vernon. Massa was sold from the word go by Phil and Mary Samuell, who came up with the idea of the fountain after seeing one in Toronto, Canada. It was just a matter of how she could help.
The retired Mount Vernon English teacher had long supported the adoption of shelter dogs and had raised many of her own. But, after receiving the information on the dogs that would be part of the fountain in downtown Mount Vernon, there weren’t any that had been part of her family.
That’s where Earl came in.
Earl was a beagle adopted from the local shelter by Kathy Gamble, a good friend of Massa’s. Earl had become a Facebook celebrity around town since his adoption, as Gamble had posted many photos of his antics.
“(Earl) is a wonderful dog and gets into some harmless antics. Kathy posts photos of Earl regularly, so it seems like everyone knows him,” Massa said. “I decided to choose the beagle for that reason and for my friend. Kathy was so appreciative. It warms my heart.”
But, the beagle wasn’t the only part of the fountain that Massa is part of. She also helped sponsor a bench in memory of Dr. Clyde Purdy, a longtime veterinarian in Knox County.
“Dr. Purdy was a special person who showed care and compassion for my dogs, and for me as their owner. He realized they were part of our family and treated them as such. He also had a great sense of humor. Sponsoring the bench was my way of thanking him and preserving his memory,” Massa said.
She’s inspired by the fountain and the hard work the Samuells put into making their dream a reality. Massa is happy to be a part of such a unique attraction for the kids and dog lovers of all ages in Mount Vernon.
“There are so many reasons I feel this fountain is important to Mount Vernon. People visiting the area will have an attraction to visit. Obviously, it is unique and intriguing. It also is enjoyed by dog lovers and the local public in general,” Massa said. “In warm weather it offers a peaceful place to relax, eat lunch, read a book, gather to talk to friends, etc. Its design enhances the look of the downtown area and provides a novelty for children.”
MARK RAMSER
When initially approached about a new fountain featuring dogs in Mount Vernon, Mark Ramser wasn’t sure what to think.
But, after taking a second look at the project, he was hooked. And now, Ramser is happy he took part in this unique attraction at South Main Plaza.
“I think it’s a really neat project,” Ramser said. “The idea (of sponsoring one of the 18 dogs) kind of grew on me, and my wife, Denise, was fine with it.”
After deciding to get involved in the project, the Ramsers had an opportunity to see the fountain Mount Vernon’s is based on -- the Berczy Park dog fountain in Toronto, Canada. That helped solidify their choice to be part of the project.
“My wife and I had the opportunity, on a trip through Canada, to stop and see the dog fountain up there. We were kind of enthralled with it, especially with how many people stopped to see it. And the kids really enjoyed it.”
The Ramsers sponsored the two Golden Retrievers. They have had the breed since 1982 and love their gentle nature. The puppy is named for their dog, Ginger, and the other in memory of Sandy, the therapy dog loved by Phil and Mary Samuell.
The fountain has a wide variety of dog breeds, as well as a cat, pony and birds. It’s something that all animal lovers, but especially dog lovers, will enjoy while visiting downtown Mount Vernon, Ramser said.
“It’s a real natural draw,” he said. “There’s nothing else quite like it (in the United States).”
Now, Mark takes every opportunity he can to visit South Main Plaza and enjoys watching how other local residents, as well as visitor, have flocked to it.
“If I have an extra five minutes downtown, I’ll sit and take in the fountain,” Mark said. “It’s relaxing hearing the water. It’s a really nice addition to downtown. Hopefully, those people will patronize the stores and businesses while they’re downtown.”