Bob Dyl, Bunny Miller honored with 2017 Portsmouth Award

He made sure every kid could play baseball, while she led efforts to build dog park

By Jim McGaw
Posted 6/26/17

PORTSMOUTH — Saying their tireless efforts have made the town a better place to live, the Town Council Monday night recognized Caroline “Bunny” Miller and Robert Dyl Jr. as the …

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Bob Dyl, Bunny Miller honored with 2017 Portsmouth Award

He made sure every kid could play baseball, while she led efforts to build dog park

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Saying their tireless efforts have made the town a better place to live, the Town Council Monday night recognized Caroline “Bunny” Miller and Robert Dyl Jr. as the 2017 recipients of The Portsmouth Award.

Established four years ago, the award recognizes local individuals, businesses and civic groups that have consistently demonstrated excellence in professional and community leadership.

Ms. Miller, chairwoman of the Portsmouth Dog Park Planning Committee, was the force behind the town’s first off-leash dog park, which officially opened this spring inside Melville Park.

“Caroline was instrumental and showed outstanding initiative and motivation in creating the Dog Park Planning Committee in 2013 after the tragic loss of her beloved dog Oscar,” said Town Council President Keith E. Hamilton, reading from a proclamation in Ms. Miller’s honor.

Ms. Miller was involved in every aspect of the dog park, from its location, “hiring a bunch of goats to eat poison ivy,” to leading many fund-raising activities, said Mr. Hamilton. She continues to dedicate countless hours on improvements to the site, including getting a water line installed and working toward establishing an agility course and lights put in for the winter months.

The proclamation also recognized Ms. Miller for her more than 15 years of service as coordinator of the Portsmouth Substance Abuse Task Force planning committee and for her nine-year membership on the Portsmouth Juvenile Hearing Board. She also ran the now-defunct Portsmouth Action for Youth program for three decades.

“She has distinguished herself as a prevention advocate for the children and families of Portsmouth and the State of Rhode Island for over 30 years,” Mr. Hamilton said.

Ms. Miller, in thanking the council for the honor, said she was “blessed with an organized mind, a strong back and tons of energy,” and always tried to use those gifts to help others.

Up to the Challenge

Mr. Dyl, who’s volunteered in Aquidneck Island youth sports for 25 years (17 in Portsmouth), has also been president for the past 12 years of the local Challenger league (now known as Rhode Island District 2 Challenger Division Challenger League), which gives children and young adults with disabilities an opportunity to play competitive baseball.

Portsmouth Little League players act as baseball “buddies” to their Challanger counterparts. “That has enriched lives of all those involved,” Mr. Hamilton said, adding that Mr. Dyl always was focused on helping those “who can’t help themselves.”

Hundreds of children have played baseball during his tenure, and Mr. Dyl has organized numerous fund-raisers so that Challenger players can enjoy the sport at no charge, Mr. Hamilton said.

“The team has always been funded through private donations and charity,” said Mr. Hamilton. “He has also organized trips to the PawSox and the Red Sox for the children and their families … and has helped to organize the Challenger Jamboree, an annual regional Challenger League baseball tournament and fair held at the Glen Park Sports Complex.”

About 1,000 people attend the Jamboree, which is free to all.

“The theme is a stress-free day — no stress, no money,” said Mr. Dyl after accepting the award. He, in turn, thanked all the volunteers and donors who make the Jamboree possible.

Mr. Dyl acknowledged that when he learned of the honor, “I told Keith I didn’t think it was right to get an award for doing something I love.”

Portsmouth Dog Park, Portsmouth Dog Park Planning Committee, Challenger Jamboree, Challenger Baseball

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Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.