Area residents enjoy night out’ parties
Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 11, 2001
AMY SZPARA
PHOTO 1: Children at the Night Out Against Crime party on Annex Street in Reserve wait their turn Tuesday to get a chance to jump in one of the two Space Walks set up at the block party. (Staff Photos by Amy Szpara)
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LAPLACE – Despite the dark clouds and drizzle, there were good turnouts Tuesday at two of the St. John the Baptist Parish “National Night Out Against Crime” parties.
Rising Star Baptist Church on Cardinal Street in LaPlace had just wrapped up an afternoon of Vacation Bible School, when “Sparky,” the mascot for the LaPlace Volunteer Fire Department, announced himself and the other volunteers via siren as they arrived on a big, red fire engine.
Children went wild for Sparky, hugging him, petting his faux fur and asking him questions. As their parents participated in Bible study with the Rev. Donald August, pastor of Rising Star, the children took turns climbing into the back of the fire truck and examining the insides of the gleaming machine.
According to August, his church has been participating in National Night Out Against Crime for four years. The congregation barbecued, had Bible Study and let the children play in the church yard.
“It helps bring community awareness,” said August. “It builds community unity. I think what it allows, also, is more involvement with our neighborhoods and the police.
“It helps with perception of the police, and it gives us a good working relationship with the sheriffs office and parish president.”
August said that his church and the neighborhood his church is in have experienced a lot of positives lately, including some of their young people making good grades and getting accepted into colleges.
“What we want to do is get the young people involved. The police can only do so much, but we have to take responsibilities for our actions. Just about everyone in this neighborhood knows everybody else. If there is a bad element, we know relatives who can intervene. Thats what the church is for,” said August.
The church and small community is closed in between two sets of railroad tracks, making it an enclosed area. According to August, that makes the people of the area very tight-knit.
“If we can raise our children right, we wont have to get them off the street corners or out of jail. We have to teach them about responsibility and accountability. They have to learn it early on,” he said.
Rising Star Baptist Church was Sparkys second stop on a list of eight places to visit. Four units had eight spots each to visit, according to the volunteers making the rounds. Mary Alice and Nolan Landeche were sponsoring their own Night Out Against Crime festivities a few miles away on Annex Street in Reserve.
The party brought out great numbers of people, and aside from enjoying food and music, there were also two spacewalks set up for the children to enjoy.
“This is our first year spearheading this,” said Nolan Landeche. “We wanted to kick it off to get neighbors together, to get everyone to know each other. We hope it leads to a Neighborhood Watch.”
Alice Landeche added, “Its a good opportunity for neighbors to come together and get to know who is around. We plan to do it every year. Its turning out to be beautiful. Later on, well dance in the streets.
“The rain doesnt bother us. Its just God giving us more blessings.”
Several people and local companies joined to sponsor the event on Annex Street by helping with food, water and other donations.
National Night Out Against Crime is celebrated annually throughout the country as communities come together in unity against the threat of crime in their quiet neighborhoods.
In St. John Parish, parish administration officials, Sheriff Wayne L. Jones and several of his deputies and officers made the rounds visiting the various parties.
