Holyoke residents invited to annual Night Out Against Crime

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

HOLYOKE Mayor Michael Sullivan and Police Chief Anthony Scott have a simple request for Holyoke residents on Aug. 5: come to the city's seventh annual "National Night Out Against Crime" from 5 to 7 p.m. and turn on one's porch lights at 8:30 p.m.

"Every citizen of Holyoke is asked to turn on their porch light and house lights at 8:30 p.m. as a sign of solidarity against crime. Meet your neighbors, get involved and remember together we can make our community strong,"Sullivan said.

The event will be taking place at Crosier Field at the corner of Beech and Northampton Streets and will be presented by Scott, Sullivan, Fire Chief David LaFond and Dr. Bill Cosby. The emcee for the evening will be Brad Shepard.

The Night Out event will feature:

free gun locks

the fingerprinting of children and the distribution of identification kits by the Holyoke Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel

helicopter, bomb robot and canine demonstrations by the Massachusetts State Police

bicycle safety checks by Highland Hardware Bicycle Shop and free helmets from the Police and Fire Departments

face painting provided by the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside

informational booths from the Holyoke Council on Aging, Holyoke Early Childhood Development Council, Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke Public Schools, Holyoke Visiting Nurses Associations, Hampden County Sheriff's Department, Girls Inc. and Holyoke Gas and Electric.

There will also be free hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, cookies, soft drinks, water and ice cream for participants.

A number of free prizes ranging from two flat screen television sets to golf equipment, MP3 players and a digital camera will also be given away.

Over 10,000 communities across the United States and Canada have participated in the National Night Out Against Crime program.

"Making the community safe is a group effort. The participation of all city departments is essential in making a community healthy and safe. The Fire and Police Departments depend heavily on the city departments such as health and building inspectors, the Council on Aging and Parks and Recreation to assist with making citizens safe and to enhance the quality of life," Scott said.