NEW MIDDLETOWN Date set for village event to honor crime prevention

Officials are seeking participants for the parade.
BY MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- The village will again celebrate National Night Out on Aug. 5 with a parade, cookout and fireworks.
Sgt. Ken Goist, New Middletown police community coordinator, said the local event is part of a national crime prevention event aimed at building neighborhood unity and strengthening police and community partnerships.
The event is locally sponsored by the police department and nationally by the National Association of Town Watch.
From 7 to 10 p.m., residents here and across the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police.
The parade starts at 6:30 p.m., proceeding from Springfield High School to St. Paul the Apostle Church. After the parade, a cookout will be held at the village municipal building with music, bike safety demonstrations, a Life Flight raffle and other activities. At 9:15 p.m. there will be a flashlight walk from the police station to the high school for 10 p.m. fireworks, which have been donated by B.J. Alan Fireworks.
Contact info
Anyone who would like to be in the parade should contact the police department, Chief Bill Morvay at (330) 542-2846 or Goist's voice mail at (330) 613-0583. Participants need not be village residents.
Line-up for the parade will start at 5:30 p.m. at the high school.
National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anti-crime efforts, strengthen community spirit and the police/community partnership and let criminals know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
This, the 20th annual National Night Out, will involve just over 9,400 communities from all 50 states and Canada, U.S. territories and military bases. S.C. Johnson is the lead, national corporate sponsor. It is also partly supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.