IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

By PAMELA GRANT

Cove Leader-Press

 

Tuesday night, Copperas Cove celebrated the 32nd annual National Night Out (NNO) from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Cove’s NNO focused on heightening crime and drug prevention awareness, strengthening neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership, generating support for local anti-crime programs, and sending a message to criminals that our neighborhoods are organized and willing to fight back. Block parties took place in a number of Cove locations including, but not limited to the Robertson Avenue Baptist Church, the 700 block of South 11th Street, White Mesa Circle, Jase Court, and the Cove Terrace Dollar General. Members of the Police and Fire Departments showed up to many of the block parties. “Any time the kids see the fire truck, they get excited. I was the same way when I was a kid,” said local fireman, Dwane Cummings, as he and his fellow firemen showed off their firetruck and firefighting equipment to enthusiastic children. “We’re just happy to be here. We love being a part of it.” “I love that the Fire Department is at all the events. I always see them there…I love it,” said Patty Sullivan who brought her son Stephen (4) to the event at the Robertson Avenue Baptist Church. “He loves fire trucks! And now he says he wants to be a police officer,” said Sullivan about her son. “The kids love it, especially when that thing comes,” said Cecil Burrows as he gestured to a fire truck flocked by excited children. Burrows is a sound man for the Robertson Avenue Baptist Church who helped organize the church’s block party. He said that they held the event last year, and plan on holding the event every year from now on. “The customers have been loving it,” said Deborah Gallagher, the manager of the Dollar General #693 in Cove Terrace. The Dollar General held its own small block party with free snacks and goodies. Gallagher said that for her, her customers are her family and that she really likes the idea behind National Night Out. She said that it helps people identify their neighbors and let them know that they are looking out for each other. For Gallagher, though, the most important thing about the night was the fact that it brings people together. Brandi Clark brought her four children, Chloe (9), Lilly (8), Sawyer (6), and Joseph (2) to the South 11th block party. Clark’s children had a blast at the event as they eagerly explored the fire truck at the event. “That was the best thing EVER!” shouted young Sawyer after checking out the fire truck and getting to sit inside of it. “It was so amazing!” The NNO event at South 11th 700 block not only celebrated NNO, but it also celebrated their own personal triumph as a neighborhood. About 50 people showed up to their block party. Debbie Burrows, Jeff Schmad, and Stephen Secrest have been working together with some of their other neighbors to get rid of criminals in an alleged drug house on their street. Thanks to their efforts, there were 16 arrests from that house since April of this year. Just recently, they finally succeeded in their efforts and the house has been sold. “If you’re going to send a message out to the community at all, encourage people to be brave and stand up against drug addicts,” said Secrest. “It’s the only way you’ll solve that problem.” “We just want people to know that we can make a difference,” said Schmad. “We, the average citizens, can do it.”