Cedar Hill residents aim to make “Night Out” neighborhood-first

by Loyd Brumfield of Cedar Hill TODAY

This year, individual neighborhoods will host their own activities, generally from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Aug. 7

Cedar Hill is putting neighborhoods out front again this year for National Night Out.

Last year Valley Ridge Park served as a clearing house for National Night Out activities, and police and fire department personnel gathered there to meet neighbors and discuss keeping neighborhoods safe.

This year, individual neighborhoods will host their own activities, generally from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Aug. 7.

“I liked it last year at Valley Ridge, but we did have a few people complain,” Cedar Hill Police Sgt. Jerry Busby said. “They said, ‘This is our event, and we ought to have it in our neighborhoods.'”

Several neighborhoods have already signed up, including parts of High Pointe, Wildwood, Bear Creek, Cedar Trails, Waterford Oaks and the senior housing community Primrose of Cedar Hill.

Several more neighborhoods are expected to sign up, Busby said.

“It always comes down to the wire,” said Busby, who has been the lead organizer for Cedar Hill's event for seven years.

“National Night Out is always a lot of fun,” he said. “It's tough to get it going, but it's always a really fun night out.”

Cedar Trails is in the planning stages of its National Night Out event, resident Clara McGinnis said. One of the ideas under heavy consideration is a neighborhood picnic.

“We'll provide the sodas if everyone brings their own picnic basket with their own sandwiches or their own pizzas or whatever they want to bring,” she said.

Cedar Trails plans to offer music and entertainment, and games for children and adults.

“We will also have a period where we stop and introduce each other and collect e-mail addresses and do what we can to get to know our neighbors,” McGinnis said.

One of the positive offshoots from the night is that it usually gets residents talking about starting up Neighborhood Crimewatch programs, Busby said.

“We have about 27 neighborhoods that have them, but probably only about seven or eight that are active,” Busby said.

In previous years, police and fire stations have been open to receive the public, but Busby said that probably won't be the case this year because they don't get many visitors.

On-duty officers are encouraged, as they patrol their neighborhoods, to stop by and meet the people they serve, Busby said.

“It's a good way to get to know not only your neighbors, but your public service officers,” Busby said.