NATIONAL NIGHT OUT (NNO)
On Tuesday, August 1, St. Matt’s hosted its second annual neighborhood get-together. Over the course of a couple of hours, many friends and neighbors stopped by to greet, meet and eat.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a success! (I’m thinking especially of bubbles and sidewalk chalk for the kids.)
Near the end of the evening, we were visited by firefighters and police officers. The fire department showed up to check out a fire alarm in the school building. We learned that some kids had broken a window in the school, messed around, and pulled the alarm. (School personnel are working with police, as there’s a video record of the intruders.)
At the same time, two police officers stopped by as part of NNO. (Note that one of the original reasons for NNOs was to improve neighborhood safety.) We consulted with the officers about a recent intrusion in the Parish Center building. No window was broken, but an air conditioner was damaged. As with the school building, there was some messing around. Fortunately, there was no substantial damage. And, no one was hurt in either case.
We learned from the police officers that “urban explorers” are a thing these days. Apparently, some young people find adventure in trespassing. I’m saddened. There are far better ways to spend time, e.g., by helping people instead of breaking and entering.
I’m glad that we’ll be installing cameras soon, as well as a door access system. In the meantime, we’ve taken to keeping the Parish Center’s front door locked. (If visiting, please ring the bell.)
SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL CLEANOUT
Thank you to the volunteers who did such a great job cleaning out parts of the school building. By providential good fortune, the cleanout was the morning after the school’s break-in. Special thanks to Tom, Tony, and Al for securing the broken window in the school.
Thank you for your support, and have a great week!
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