Taylor Daily Press: National Night Out nets neighborhood niceties

National Night Out nets neighborhood niceties

A little evening shower was no match for the slew of block parties occurring Tuesday night as part of the 25th annual National Night Out. Police, firefighters and neighbors kicked back to get to know each other at 14 parties scattered throughout Taylor.

Neighbors cooked up barbecue, gumbo and hot dogs, to name a few delectible delights, while kids were allowed to check out fire trucks, police cruisers and the local armory’s Humvee.

At the Holly and Donna streets party, resident Tim Morgan made sure everyone was welcome with a persistent smile and the block’s “famous” cook, Henry Dunn, tended to a the block’s community barbecue pit cooking scores of chickens, giant sausages and brisket.

“A little rain ain’t gonna drive us away,” Morgan said as the showers picked up slightly in intensity.

At the Sunset Apartments’ block party, a dozen or more children rushed back and forth between a police cruiser and fire truck eager to sound the sirens, turn on the lights, blare the near-overwhelming fire truck horn or use the PA system.

Twelve-year-old Sunset resident Russell Montgomery sat in the fire truck’s seat with his head barely cresting the steering wheel while another boy proclaimed everyone at the party under arrest from a Taylor PD police car.

“I can drive this,” Montgomery said, grinning.

Taylor Police Capt. David Clawson toured the parties with event organizer Beth Wilkes. Wilkes had planned on donning the McGruff Crime Dog costume but Thorndale High School mascot Holly Clawson offered her expertise instead.

Kids continually gravitated towards McGruff, Sparky the Fire Dog and Taylor’s H-E-Buddy pitched in with its own costumed bag of groceries.

Taylor Police Chief Jeff Straub said the parties allowed neighbors who normally stay indoors at night an opportunity to get to know their neighbors.

Knowing one’s neighbor can prove a valuable crime fighting tool for police and the citizenry. By learning names, cars and habits through time, crime and criminals are much more easily spotted, Wilkes said.