ARLINGTON – Coinciding with election night this year, many Arlington community members elected to get outdoors to visit with neighbors and guest public safety officers and dignitaries to celebrate National Night Out Against Crime.
Eight neighborhoods participated this year, with police and fire personnel, city elected officials and directors splitting forces into two teams to stop by the locations.
Among them, the Twin River/North West Avenue Neighborhood Watch gathered at the Haller Park picnic pavilion, Gleneagle met on the golf course clubhouse patio for a helicopter airlift landing and lots of fun activities, while the Crown Ridge neighborhood had all the makings of a mini-festival.
In the basketball park at Crown Ridge Boulevard and Vista Drive north of Arlington High School, about 40 neighbors munched on pizza and kettle corn, with a face painting station for children. Kids played basketball, rode around on bikes and scooters and climbed on rocks, while all ages chatted with elected officials and police officers, including a meet and greet with Arlington’s crime-sniffing K9, Tara.
Mary Levesque, Crown Ridge HOA president, said the neighborhood has participated as far back as she can remember. To give turnout a little boost, the association springs for the pizza and water.
“It’s a great time to talk to neighbors, meet new neighbors, chat with police and fire personnel, and help build new relationships,” Levesque said.
The focus of the event now in its 35th year is to help build strong partnerships between police and the community, and to help make neighborhoods safer for residents.
