Discussing how to stop bullying and overcome addiction during the Williamstown National Night Out celebration on Aug. 5 were members of the Monroe Township Municipal Alliance: Richard Lo Russo (left to right), Melissa Quiles, Stacy Eimer, Stephanie Duncee and Sherrie Kennedy.
Hundreds of people parked their vehicles in the high-school lot on the warm summer evening of Aug. 5 and walked into Owens Park – and a flurry of activity – during Williamstown’s National Night Out.
“This is a wonderful, educational event with lots of family fun,” Councilwoman Denise Adams said while looking over the crowd of children, teenagers and adults at the annual celebration.
“It’s a chance for residents to meet police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel in a friendly environment,” noted Councilman Brian Cope, as he looked forward to the Monroe police K-9s who would demonstrate their abilities to sniff out objects strategically placed on the football field.
Behind the field, kids enjoyed inflatable water slides and bounce houses, while adults browsed vendor tables and information booths.
National Night Out is hosted by the police and the Monroe Township Municipal Alliance to strengthen relationships between residents and law enforcement.
Alliance chair Sherrie Kennedy and vice chair Stacy Eimer, along with Melissa Quiles, Stephanie Duncee and Richard Lo Russo, talked to people about the group’s anti-bullying program and efforts to prevent substance abuse disorder as they handed out information to residents at their booth.
Tiffany Carney, Olivia Marella, Harper Carney and Joe Bruno represented the Monroe Township Clean Communities and parks and recreation programs and offered helpful hints about how to protect the environment and enjoy nature in Gloucester County’s many parks.
Providing residents with schedules of upcoming events were community affairs director Donna Park, supervisor Brandee Derieux and volunteers Deb DeFelice and Jaci Derieux.
The nationwide celebration of National Night Out began in 1984 and was the brainchild of Matt Peskin, who volunteered in the late ’70s for a community watch program in his neighborhood of Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. While looking for story ideas for his community watch newsletter, he realized that hundreds of groups like his had no shared platform to connect, according to the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), which Peskin founded in 1981.
Besides providing support and resources to town watch programs, Peskin and the NATW leadership decided to launch the first National Night Out to encourage camaraderie between municipalities and their local law enforcement. Some 2.5 million people in more than 400 towns and cities in 23 states joined with a simple concept of turning on porch lights and sitting outside.
Since then, local versions of the celebration have included some 20 million participants at block parties, festivals, parades and cookouts.
A huge crowd gathers to watch the Police K-9 demonstration.
Distributing information about the Monroe Township Clean Communities and Parks and Recreation programs during the Williamstown National Night Out celebration on Aug. 5 are Tiffany Carney (left to right) Olivia Marella, Harper Carney and Joe Bruno.
Having a great time are members of the Department of Community Affairs, including Director Donna Park (left to right), Deb DeFelice, Supervisor Brandee Derieux and Jaci Derieux.
