Aug. 3 set as fourth annual National Night Out

Date: 7/19/2010

July 19, 2010.

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW -- The town of East Longmeadow is gearing up for its fourth annual National Night Out (NNO) event.

The NNO, an event that has been running nationally for 27 years, is designed to be an opportunity for residents to get to know and be comfortable with their local first responders, such as police and fire rescue personnel.

According to the NNO Web site, over 36 million people took part in the event in various communities throughout the United States in 2009.

This year's event is scheduled for Aug. 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the East Longmeadow High School football field.

"People love this event," Susan Grimaldi of the East Longmeadow Rotary Club said. "Last year people didn't want to leave, so this year Police Chief [Doug] Mellis extended the event by a half an hour."

According to Grimaldi, the NNO had transformed into something more than just a safety event. The Night Out has expanded over the years to include not just demonstrations from the local safety departments, but also other town groups.

"Especially with so many people moving into the town, it's become a great opportunity for people to get comfortable with the community and see what it has to offer. A lot of times people are so busy that they don't have time to see what the rest of the community is up to. This offers that opportunity." Grimaldi said. "We're incorporating more churches and organizations to really make this a family event."

Public safety officials will be performing safety demonstrations as always. Last year's demonstrations included one from the fire department simulating an extrication from a car that was in an accident.

The Life Star helicopter has also been known to make an appearance if available.

An added draw to the festivities will be the car show being organized by Tony Bordoni of Bodyworks Unlimited on Elm St. and East Longmeadow Police Officer Stuart Strohman.

Last year's car show featured over 100 cars and more are expected this year.

"It's a really great part of the Night Out and it's a lot of fun," Grimaldi said. "There are all kinds of prizes for the winners and it has been a really big draw for the Night Out last year."

Strohman said information has been getting out about the car cruise by word of mouth and people shouldn't hesitate to tell those who might be interested in participating about it.

"It's a national event with not a large budget, there's not a lot of money to go around for publicity, so word of mouth is important," Strohman said. "Most of the cars are from the local area, but some do come from outside of the state."

For more information about the NNO, contact Officers Strohman and Joseph Barone at the East Longmeadow Police Department's non-emergency line at 525-5440 or Susan and Al Grimaldi at 525-3188.