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Austintown prepares for National Night Out
By Billy Ludt
AUSTINTOWN
One night a year, communities across the U.S. and Canada leave their homes and residents to spend an evening out meeting local safety and law-enforcement personnel.
The township will have its fifth annual National Night Out event at Austintown Township Park, 6000 Kirk Road, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Admission is free and open to the public.
National Night Out is a yearly event in participating communities across the U.S. promoting stronger relationships between law- and safety-enforcement agencies and the neighborhoods they serve.
Local police and fire and ambulance first-responders will attend and interact with residents.
“[Police] would rather meet with members of the community this way than under other circumstances,” said event organizer Shawne Wilfong. “They are good, hard-working people who want to help residents in any way they can.”
Ohio State Highway Patrol, fire and SWAT vehicles will be present for public viewing, and the township police department will give a police-dog demonstration.
“The community usually doesn’t get to interact with police on this level,” said Sgt. Kathy Dina of Austintown Police. “National Night Out allows citizens to meet with police in a good way.”
Wilfong has organized each of Austintown’s National Night Out events, and she said it has grown in attendance every year.
“She took the ball and ran with it, and she’s done a great job with it,” said park supervisor Todd Shaffer.
People dressed as the Minions from Dreamworks’ movie series “Despicable Me,” Nickelodeon’s animated series “Paw Patrol,” Belle from “Beauty and The Beast” and Marvel’s Captain America will be present to take have photos taken with the children. Free crafts, a bounce house, face painting, a DJ, a live band and concessions also will be available.
“We’re trying to do some things this year that we haven’t done in previous years,” Wilfong said.
She said anybody is welcome to Austintown’s Night Out, not just residents.
For information about the township’s celebration, visit the Austintown Night Out Facebook page.