Maitland City Talk

There are many ways we can connect with our communities. Attending local events such as farmers markets and art shows, going door-to-door during a campaign, holding town hall meetings and now communicating via any one of the many social networks are all ways of communicating more effectively with our neighbors.

But one way, which stands the test of time, is just a good old-fashioned neighborhood party. On Tuesday, Aug. 3, National Night Out represented one more reason for neighborhoods throughout Florida to get together to socialize and communicate.

National Night Out began in 1984 as a crime prevention event where crime watch groups and law enforcement agencies banded together to bring a national focus to making our communities safer. It grew, incredibly, to a network of more than 6,500 crime, drug and violence prevention organizations.

The event is a traditional 'lights on' front porch-type gathering that has expanded over the years to include block parties, cookouts, parades, festivals, neighborhood walks, safety fairs and even visits from police and elected officials.

Today, the event has grown to include nearly 40 million people in more than 11,000 communities in every one of the 50 states.

In Maitland, the Windgrove neighborhood took the National Night Out to new heights.

When I heard that Windgrove was celebrating with their neighborhood, even though I had another event to attend that evening, I knew I did not want to miss this one.

When I arrived, nearly every neighbor was already celebrating by the grill with a cookout to match all cookouts. Everybody gathered around the grill and enjoyed delicious hamburgers and hotdogs, with all the chips and soda you could ask for.

This event was unlike any I had attended in the past in that there was a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and many giveaways during the course of the evening. And even though it was a typical summer evening, I enjoyed tossing the football with some of the kids and parents. Councilwoman Bev Reponen also attended, took in the festivities and enjoyed the fun. But everybody participated in some way, making this event a symbol of how all neighborhoods should celebrate any gathering, let alone a once-a-year National Night Out.

In the past, neighborhoods like Dommerich Estates and Winfield have also participated in the great opportunity to gather with our neighbors, but because of a slow economy, fewer and fewer people seem to have the time to volunteer for their neighborhood associations.

Please encourage your neighborhoods to participate in National Night Out, whether you have a formal homeowners' association or not, this is an opportunity you don't want to miss out on. Of course, any opportunity to gather and enjoy your neighbors' company is something you won't want to miss, no matter what the time of year, month or day.

I hope to see you at your next neighborhood event!