For the second year, the city is encouraging residents to take part in a National Night Out from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
They are encouraging neighborhoods to have block parties and cookouts. The idea is to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships in a fight for a safer community.
Emporia Police Sgt. David DeVries saw a need for an event like this after he felt citizens were not watching out for one another or really caring what was happening in their neighborhoods.
This year, there will be many neighborhoods taking part by having their streets blocked off for gatherings. The events have also spread to the county.
With busy lives, it can be easy to not know your neighbors. But we should. Knowing your neighbors and watching out for them not only makes the community safer but also builds a better place to live.
If your neighborhood hasn’t made plans, why not round up some neighbors, have a good meal and share some fellowship?
Chris Walker
Editor & Publisher
For more information call community service officer Brendy Allison at 343-4200.
empgazfan (anonymous) says...
I don't want to know my neighbor. He smokes pot. Probably sells it too.
August 16, 2010 at 8:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
"Emporia Police Sgt. David DeVries saw a need for an event like this after he felt citizens were not watching out for one another or really caring what was happening in their neighborhoods."
DUH! Is this guy unconcious? Where the hell was Sgt. DeVries during the recent uproar over the series of articles written about deteriorating neighborhoods?
Where is Sgt. DeVries in my neighborhood where a yard sale has been going on for months? Huh?
Oh, I get it. He wants me to go over there and have a cookout with those people, get to know them, share a 6-pak, maybe pick up some pointers on selling junk.
Thanks anyway, but I keep to myself since the police told me there was no probable cause for investigating one neighbor who had many daily visitors to his house. They would leave the engine running, run in, then right back out. One right after the other. Fridays were the worst. Then on Tuesdays, like clockwork, a visitor in a Black Mercedes with Missouri plates would park on one street, and the guy riding shotgun would walk a half block over to my neighbor's house carrying a brown paper bag. Minutes later, he would walk back to the car and they'd drive away. But none of that is probable cause.
When the neighbor died, the traffic stopped and the family moved away. The house went back to the bank. They might be in your neighborhood now. Be sure to have them over for a cookout.
August 16, 2010 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
Back in the good ole days when neighbors would watch out for neighbors, penicillin would cure anything. Not today! To keep the neighbor's at a safe distance try rude insults and middle finger salutations.Tall fences and vicious dogs are all the rage in today's neighborly way.
August 16, 2010 at 9:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Maybe it's just the backwards way I was raised...you know, anti-social home-schooling and all, but I don't think it's that hard to go ring my new neighbors' doorbells and introduce myself, exchange phone numbers, learn where they work, etc. If I'm outside working and they come out, it makes striking up conversation even easier. Like I said, though, maybe it's just me.
August 16, 2010 at 10:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
You know, at one time we used to have a really nice neighborhood. We'd have twice a year get-togethers, and a large Christmas gathering at one person's big house. Then two homes sold, are still empty, another two are rentals now and weird people started moving in. Weird people have weird problems. I'm with you, REWBA, but my tall fence cost me $1500 and a raise in property taxes. Rule of nature: You can't do just one thing.
August 16, 2010 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
The dude across the street from me his kid is one of the 2 or so that shot the birds down at the zoo. The city keeps putting mow your yard signs up. 2 houses down the parents leave for the weekend and the kids party and throw trash out their cars. Use to a nice street very heavy on the use to be!
August 16, 2010 at 12:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Gee ! Speaking of the good old days, I can even remember when your neighborhood City Commission and community leaders were all in favor of not spending more than the City collected in revenues and was all for, not putting the City and the hard working taxpayers in debt, just to emulate or compete with another City. And in those days everyone seemed to have money and good times.
I can also remember when all your neighbors spoke the same language, a language you could understand and they could understand you and neighbors had respect for neighbors.
But, alas, I am afraid those days have gone the way of the dinosaur and will never be seen or heard of again.
August 16, 2010 at 1:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Matthew 5:
43"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'
44"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47"If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
It's easy to love the lovely. It's always been hard to love the unlovely.
August 16, 2010 at 2:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barefooting (anonymous) says...
oh4theluvof, I need a neighbor like you someone who will speak and be neighborly. Does that mean Im backwards also? Oh well.
August 16, 2010 at 3:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ToxicPink (anonymous) says...
My elderly neighbor gives me dirty looks, his wife waves back though when I try to greet them.
I don't think he likes me cause I don't mow my lawn twice a week like he does.
When I'm not working three jobs, I'll probably have the time.
August 16, 2010 at 3:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
Pink that reminds me of a trooper I had living next door to me (only trooper I ever knew that was a human being ) Whenever he throught I needed to mow my yard he would take his mower and cut a path down the middle of my yard. Frank was the best neighbor I ever had super nice guy sure do miss him would do anything for anyone!
August 16, 2010 at 5:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
barefooting:
The big house across the street is up for rent. Come on over!! We can turn this neighborhood backward from the norm and have the best neighborhood in town. I do need to check the phone number on the rent sign and make sure it's the landlord's and that there isn't a sublet-for-profit scheme going on. I can do that since I'm the one in the neighborhood with people's phone numbers. ☺
The one time I wasn't extroverted with the new people, it turned out to be drug dealers who terrorized the "hood" for 18 mos. That makes it easier to go out of my way to be talkative and nosy to people now, more than ever. That quality in a neighbor makes crooks uneasy and they lay lower and move out faster. It also makes it easier to be able to ask for their cooperation if something they are doing is annoying or seeing if they need help with things that aren't getting done. It's just a win/win for the people who care about the neighborhood.
I do have one neighbor I need to go meet and visit soon. His howling hunting dog, truck engine revving, and tire screeching/fishtailing are getting to me. If I do it right, I can introduce my concerns about those under the radar within the first 3 min. ☺
August 16, 2010 at 9:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Good fences make good neighbors, especially if they are renters or are deadbeats. I left the last neighborhood I lived in because of some of the bad neighbors we had. It is part of the reason for my user name on here.
August 17, 2010 at 12:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
You're so funny, oh4. I can just see you having a conversation with the guy with the howling hunting dog. Let us know how that works out for you.
I can believe the basis of your idea about being the nosy neighbor who makes crooks uneasy though. Unfortunately, when my drug-dealing neighbors suspected I was watching them, they paid me back by throwing dirty diapers and broken glass in my garden, right over the fence. Even today, those rotten neighbors are long gone, but I still work in my garden with leather gloves and I still find the glass they lobbed over the fence. Damn them.
August 17, 2010 at 8:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barefooting (anonymous) says...
I miss the days when neighbors visited with each other. Maybe we will get lucky and have friendly neighbors move in.
August 17, 2010 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
That is nice to an extent barefooting, but sometimes friendly neighbors become a burden. When people can't step out the door without instantly being joined by your neighbors, it becomes a problem for people like me. Then when you have less than desirable neighbors that are constantly visited by emergency response vehicles or have unsupervised, out of control kids coming and going all the time, it's time to move. I hated not living in town when I was in high school, I thought I was missing out on all the action. I moved in there as soon as I turned 18. I only lasted a couple of years within E-town's city limits, moving to the edge of town because I didn't like the noise and hassles in town. I eventually moved clear away from Emporia. I now appreciate my neighbors being 1/4-1/2 mile away. We are on friendly terms, speak when we see each other, watch out for each other's places and kids, help each other out when asked or when the need is observed, even better yet we respect each other's privacy.
August 18, 2010 at 12:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Admittedly, it helps to be able to display body language that sets boundaries for when it isn't a good time to chat, but all in all, it's nice to be able to keep a sporadic running dialogue across the yard(s) while doing mundane chores (weed pulling, planting/transplanting, etc.)
It's also very nice to be able to call late if you're spooked by a noise and ask if your neighbors can peek outside to see what they can see or know that if anyone is messing with your stuff, the neighbors will confront if and/or notify you immediately. To me, the overall security and friendships are worth the small effort and chances of annoyance.
August 18, 2010 at 4:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barefooting (anonymous) says...
I ve experienced the kind of neighborhoods both neighbor and oh4 is posting about. The first kind is overwhelming after a couple years, we couldnt hardly go to the car to get something or take time to hang clothes out without a lonely neighbor starting a 10 minute conversation, not only did our days get interrupted to often, but I was beginning to know more about the neighbors than I really wanted to know. Didnt need a neighborhood watch group, everyone already knew everyones comings and going and a stranger got alot of attention. The other kind of neighborhood is nice to live in, know each other well enough to be able to start up small talk. Growing up we were friends with each neighbor, even the grouch was part of the group, and even now its fun to bump into those neighbors of long ago, we have managed to keep up with what their families have done with their time, how many kids, who was successful and who wasnt, Emporia's friendly days were great.
August 18, 2010 at 4:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )