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Photograph by Douglas Rider
Oscar Chavez, 4, looks through his collection of 'Officer Cards' to see if he has Officer Ralph Chavez's card, at the Aug. 7 National Night Out festivities sponsored by the city of Sunnyvale at Orchard Gardens Park.
Sunnyvale residents take back the night
Citizens get out and mingle in the name of community and crime prevention
By Gretchen Knaup
Hoping to help deter crime, Sunnyvale residents came together the night of Aug. 7 to create a sense of community by enjoying social gatherings throughout the city. The city of Sunnyvale was one of 9,400 communities nationwide to participate in the 18th annual National Night Out.
The main city event took place at the Orchard Gardens Park, and approximately 100 people from the surrounding neighborhoods came to take advantage of the Department of Public Safety's hospitality. Residents ate hotdogs and listened to music played by radio station Wild 94.9 while socializing with fellow citizens.
"Mainly this event gives a chance for people to meet one another," said Lilse Cowhen, program manager at the Columbia Neighborhood Center. "It also gives us a chance to meet the residents and let them give us ideas about what they would like to see in their community ... We are trying to work together rather than separately."
Public Safety Officers echoed these sentiments.
"I think it's to get communities out and get people to meet their neighbors," said public safety officer Brad Militano. "Also [it has] the underlying purpose of taking a stand in their neighborhood against crime and drugs." Militano and other officers gave children and adults tours of city fire trucks.
The festivities also gave residents an opportunity to obtain information about community services, such as animal control, Sunnyvale's leisure services and domestic violence support.
"We are here to meet people in the neighborhood and provide them with information about animal licensing and responsible pet owning," said Michelle Morgan from the animal control unit.
There was information about children's health insurance available. "We are here letting people know where they can go in Sunnyvale for medical, dental and vision," said Veronica Fimby from Valley Community Outreach Services.
Other activities that took place at Orchard Park were face painting and arts and crafts. Volunteers handed out ice cream and drinks, as well as barbecuing. All of this was provided by the Sunnyvale Public Safety Department and free to the public.
"I have gotten some really positive feedback from the residents," said Mariana Alvarez, communication director for the public safety department. "They are really happy we came out and did this for them."
Photograph by Douglas Rider
Rafael Clemente Duenus, 4, throws his Frisbee in hopes of winning a water bottle by making the Frisbee land in a designated circle at the Aug. 7 city sponsored Night Out at Orchard Garden Parks.
Residents organized everything from block parties to ice cream socials in honor of the event in their own communities throughout Sunnyvale. According to public safety officer Chuck Eaneff, community events had a really great turnout as well. There were seven total independent Sunnyvale gatherings, and each had more than 50 people in attendance. "These are really the neighborhood associations coming out," he said.
The five-block SNAP neighborhood association in the Wrightmont area of Sunnyvale held its ice cream social on the corner of Bonneville Way and Kitimat Place. According to resident Connie Porterle, lieutenant Dayton Pang and officer Ron Locke from the public safety department helped them start out the night with the sound of the fire truck's horn. "A roaring five-person Sunnyvale police motorcycle squad captured the attention of everyone," Porterle said. "We were delighted by the attendance and mingling of various Sunnyvale Public Safety officers."
Porterle added that the 150 residents from her neighborhood showed up at the event and credited individuals within the association for helping make the function a success.
In San Jose, more than 80 neighborhoods and 5,000 people participated in the event, and more than 31 million people participated across the country.
This was the third national night out organized in Sunnyvale, and according to Sunnyvale safety officers, the number of people who turn out continues to increase.
"To me, there seems to be more people here than last year," said volunteer Yolanda Brown.
Officers commented on the large amount of people present at the events throughout the neighborhood. Most attributed it to the advertising and the fact that people are more aware of the event. The department went door to door before the event, letting residents know about what was going on in the community for the night.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
