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National Night Out Lit Up Our Streets（英文）

By Venita Lake, Richard Lake

1985年9月

此内容暂无简体中文译文，以下为英文原文。

Historical September 1985 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

“National Night Out” was observed throughout the Skinker-DeBaliviere area on August 13 as neighbors turned on their porch lights and went out into a typical St. Louis summer night to help “take a bite out of crime.” As part of a national project supported by Operation Safestreet and the SDCC Safety Committee. many blocks in the area planned special activities which became the focus of local news media looking for examples of citizens concerned about neighborhood security and safety. Residents of the 5900 and 5800 blocks of Pershing and Waterman formed a parade of enthusiastic bicyclists, parents, and babies, led by mounted policeman Don Hall. Bikes, big wheels, and even roller skates were decorated with streamers at the starting point near Pershing and Des Peres as SDCC Executive Director Nancy Farmer inflated and tied dozens of balloons to add to the fifty she had filled with helium, provided by Gregory’s Flowers on Pershing, earlier in the day. Excitement mounted as Rose Flynn, the parade organizer, produced the “Love Thy Neighborhood” banner which she had made.

The unfurling of the banner coincided with the arrival of television cameras and the parade began. Among the 60-70 participants were Joseph McNeal of the 5900 block of Pershing and his sister Corrine, whose pink and blue tricycle matched her shorts and top, with their mother Kalyn. Ann Decker of 5900 Waterman accompanied son Charlie, who pulled a candlelit shoe box with decorative cutouts, making it the only “float” in the parade. (Ann hopes someday to have a whole parade of shoe boxes.) The parade’s youngest participant was six-week-old Caroline Holler of 5800 Waterman who brought her mother Janet and older brother David with her.

As the parade ended, participants headed for refreshments provided by Safestreet block captains Christine Smith (5800 Pershing) and Ruby Brown (5900 Waterman). Other blocks planned events as well.

The 6100 block of Westminster arranged to have the block closed between the official National Night Out hours of 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. and grilled hot dogs to accompany soda and beer.

The kids took the opportunity to use the “safe street” to race their bikes.

On 6100 Kingsbury, residents gathered in front of Tom and Karleen Hoerr’s house where they welcomed Dan Shea and Kathleen Williams back from their sabbatical in England and tried to figure out who had lived on the block the longest. Elsewhere, Kingsbury Square’s banner and Bill Christman’s styrofoam block at 6000 Kingsbury proclaimed “Block Party Night” and participants met for ice cream socials. Everywhere neighbors relaxed, introduced themselves to newcomers, and generally agreed that keeping outside lights on is a good crime prevention idea especially since it only costs $1.25 per month.

Many felt that their blocks had already been participating in the “Streets of Lights” campaign which encourages turning on porch lights from dusk to daylight.