National Night Out
BUTLER TWP — Residents of the Meadowood neighborhood thanked police officers for their service while children took turns in the driver's seat of a fire truck Tuesday during the township's fourth annual National Night Out event.
Aspen Road was closed for the event in which police, volunteer firefighters from the South Butler station, township commissioners and administrators came to meet residents, answer questions and listen to concerns.
No complaints or concerns were brought up. Instead residents used the opportunity as a meet-and-greet to get to know township officials.
“The biggest thing we're getting is appreciation that we're out here,” said John Hays, chief of the township police department, who attended with three officers. “They're just expressing gratitude for doing what we do. It's a really good way to meet the people we actually work for.”
Children had fun getting into a police vehicle, learning about the equipment officers use and turning on the emergency lights.
“They're getting into the car and running the lights. They enjoy it,” Hays said.
Dave Zarnick, president of board of commissioners, said Hays is the most popular person at the National Night Out events.
“Everybody wants to meet the police chief and shake his hand and see the police car,” he said.
In addition to Zarnick, commissioners Joe Lokhaiser, Fred Vero and Sam Zurzolo attended, along with Tom Knights, who was recently hired as township manager, Assistant Manager Cheryl McNeill and Fire Marshal Chris Switala.
“There's a lot of goodwill here tonight,” Vero said.Zarnick said he likes meeting residents outside of commissioners' meetings.“It's another opportunity to be available to the public. What's nice is it's on their time and not at a commissioners' meeting. This started four years ago. I thought it was a good idea to go out in the community. Turnout has been good. People appreciate it. We'll do it again,” Zarnick said.Assistant Fire Chief Dave Smith said children and adults asked many questions about the equipment and trucks firefighters use and the number of firefighters in the department.Children asked why the trucks are yellow and not red and some even asked how much fire trucks cost, he said.“It's a nice event,” Smith said.One of McNeill's goals was to encourage residents to use the township website to read the newsletter, which the township is no longer printing and mailing in order to save money.“We're trying to drive people to the website to see the newsletter,” McNeill said.The Facebook page also directs people to the website to view the newsletter, she said.
