National Night Out planned for Chicopee and Springfield

July 31, 2019 | By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com

The National Night Out logo.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

GREATER SPRINGFIELD – It’s become a rite of summer in communities across the nation. On Aug. 6, America celebrates the 36th annual National Night Out.

What began back in 1984 with neighbors turning on their porch lights and sitting out in their front yards on the first Tuesday in August to take a stance against crime has grown into annual gatherings with a single purpose: to foster positive relationships between neighborhoods and law enforcement. Organized and sponsored by the National Association of Town Watches, National Night Out events are now celebrated in all 50 states, in U. S. territories and on all U. S. military bases across the globe. Here in Western Massachusetts, a number of communities host National Night Out events annually. Check out these celebrations in a neighborhood near you:

Chicopee

Chicopee hosts its National Night Out celebration a day earlier, on Aug. 5, at Sarah Jane Sherman Park, 21 Vivian St., from 5 to 9 p.m. According to Officer Mike Wilk, public information officer for the Chicopee Police Dept., the city celebrates a day earlier than the National Night Out for two reasons – “If it rains, this gives us more time to reschedule” the enormously popular event that routinely draws up to 1,000 residents and because “there is another event for the military [on the first Tuesday in August] that we are involved in every year.

“We try to spread ourselves throughout the community,” Wilk added.

Attendees will be treated to free food and beverages, there’s an annual wing eating contest, kid’s activities such as a rock wall and bounce house, and displays by the Police, Fire and emergency response teams.

“We’ll have a cruiser, our SWAT Team, rescue boat and other special units on display,” Wilk said. “It’s a great time for the community to come out, and for kids to get to know us in a non-threatening environment.”

Chicopee’s National Night Out closes with a family-friendly Flashlight Walk that Wilk said steps off at dusk, usually about 9 p.m. “We have flashlights donated by our electric light company and we walk down Chicopee Street. The Chief leads the walk, and there are cruisers and motorcycles that escort us.

“It’s to show people that we are united against crime,” he shared, adding that the entire Police Department enjoys participating in the National Night Out event every year. “We’re looking forward to it,” Wilk said.

Springfield

With a population of nearly 155,000, the city of Springfield has multiple National Night Out events taking place on Aug. 6, hosted by neighborhood councils and other civic groups.

Tomas Picot, Neighborhood Watch coordinator for the North End said that neighborhood’s event would take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Calhoun Park, 82 Jefferson Ave. “We’re gong to have hot dogs and popcorn and games for the kids,” Picot said, adding that though the generosity of the Davis Foundation, they also have 300 free books to pass out to neighborhood children. In addition he said there would be displays by the Police, Fire and Hampden County Sheriff’s departments, and information available from non-profits including HAP [also know as Way Finders], Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) and the Western Mass office of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The East Springfield Civic Association will host their event from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Marshall Roy Park, 1473 Carew St. Kathleen Brown, volunteer president of the civic association said the National Night Out event in her neighborhood usually draws between 400 and 500 residents. “We start at 5:30 p.m. with music and hot dogs and soda and all types of food, and there’s face painting and a photo booth and we give out books to the children. She said that members of the Police and Fire departments are there with displays and to talk to the residents, especially the kids.

This year, she said Acting Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood is “planning to come.”

At 8:30 p.m, Brown said the event moves into phase two, which includes a community movie in the park experience. “We hand out chips and ice cream and everyone will settle down and watch ‘Captain Marvel’,” she said.

Brown said the two-phase National Night Out celebration makes it easy for neighborhood residents to attend as much, or as little of the event as they like. “There are people who come for the food and friendship, and for those people whose schedules are very busy, the come for the movie. It’s a lot of family fun,” she said.

Other neighborhoods hosting national Night Out events on Aug 6 include: Indian Orchard, Myrtle St. Park at 117 Main St from 4 to 8 p.m.; the South End/Downtown at Emerson Wright Park on Marble Street from 6 to10 p.m.; Mason Square at Rebecca Johnson School, 55 Catherine St., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Pine Pont/Boston Road at Nahorniak Park, 111 Seymour Ave., from 5 to 8:30 p.m.; Forest Park at Trinity Church, 361 Sumner Ave, from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., Allen Park at the Allen Park Apartments from 5 to 9 p.m.; Outing Park at 37 Saratoga St. from 4 to 6 p.m. and City View Commons at 26 Federal Court from 4 to 6 p.m. The East Forest Park neighborhood will host their National Night Out event in September. A date has not yet been set.

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