Officer Scott Tilton shows the police motorcycle to Mike and Garrett Rogers during Monday evening’s National Night Out celebration at Ipswich River Park. (Bill Laforme photo)
Published in the August 3, 2017 edition.
By BILL LAFORME
NORTH READING – A sizeable crowd turned out for North Reading’s annual National Night Out celebration Tuesday night. The event at Ipswich River Park helped to showcase a number of the town’s organizations and the services they provide to the community.
For example, members of the fire department helped young children try out a fire hose, directing it onto a small wooden mockup of a burning building. Kids could sit on a police motorcycle or check out a S.W.A.T. vehicle, or they could jump in the inflatable bounce house and obstacle course that was set up. Various organizations and town entities set up booths to get their respective messages and educational materials out to residents.
Over at the park tennis courts, along with a free barbecue for residents, there was also an exhibit, complete with a bedroom set up on the tennis court, showing places where drugs or alcohol tend to commonly be hidden.
In a conversation this week with the Transcript, Youth Services Director Amy Luckiewicz explained that this is the third year the event has been held in North Reading, and that it is intended to highlight the resources that are available to town residents – resources that will help ideally keep them safer and healthier.
Many other National Night Out events were held across the country Monday, and on U.S. military bases as well, noted Luckiewicz.
To learn more about National Night Out, visit natw.org.
