Citizens hit the streets for block parties
Hundreds of people made friends and met neighbors Tuesday night as Webster Parish observed “National Night Out.”
Many of the block parties combined an anti-crime theme with visits from law enforcement and elected officials. Others were excuses for neighbors to get together for an evening of food and fellowship.
In Minden, nine block parties were registered with Minden City Hall. This year’s theme was “Give Neighborhood Crime & Drugs A Going Away Party.”
A party at Anna Bell Walker’s Claiborne Street home brought strangers together and made them friends.
“I love doing things like this,” Walker said. “I’ve met neighbors that I haven’t met before and I love that. When people eat, they are happy.”
And eat they did. About 40 people from the neighborhood area dined outdoors on fried fish, French fries, hushpuppies, pizza, finger foods and desserts.
“I’ll have a party each year for as long as I can,” said Walker, a 56-year resident of Claiborne Street.
In Minden’s Historic Residential District, resident’s “met their neighbors in the park.”
About 30 people gathered at Academy Park to enjoy company with friends and new neighbors, as well as eat burgers cooked by grill master Scott McCullough.
“A lot of exciting things are happening in the neighborhood,” Leslie Rainer, president of the historical residential district said. “We have a lot of renovations going on and new residents in the district. It’s nice to see all the familiar faces and new faces.”
Across town on Crichton Street, neighbors gathered at the home of Camilla Law for good food and fellowship. Law said it’s an event she looks forward to each year.
“I enjoy doing it every year, and have been doing it since they started it,” she said. “They always go very well and I always have the police and firemen show up.”
In Sibley, the Sibley Police Department hosted a town-wide party at town hall. Sibley Mayor Jimmy Williams said he was please with Tuesday’s turnout.
“Every year it gets bigger and bigger and it’s unique because we are small enough to have people from all over town come,” Williams said. “The police department does a great job at orchestrating everything.”
National Night out is a campaign established to bring communities across the country together with local law enforcement.
