Boyceville holds second annual National Night Out

By Cara L. Dempski

BOYCEVILLE — Boyceville area residents kicked off the final month before school starts with a National Night Out party at Pafko Park last Tuesday.

The August 1 celebration was part of a national movement promoting positive relationships between law enforcement and communities. Boyceville police chief Greg Lamkin was present, along with officers Corey Maxon and Peter Rud. Dunn County deputy Matt Feeney was also on hand, as were representatives of the Boyceville Community Fire Department, Boyceville Community Ambulance District, Community Action Club.

Community members in attendance were treated to a meal of hamburgers or hotdogs, potato chips, cookies, and water while enjoying each other’s company and touring the police cruisers, fire trucks, and ambulance on site. Children were treated to “junior firefighter” hats and water guns/cannons for a water fight.

Approximately 75 people attended, with more arriving later in the evening as high school athletes trickled over to the park from the high school after the first 2017 football and cheerleading practice sessions.

National Night Out was introduced by the National Association of Town Watch in 1984 as a way to connect communities and law enforcement in a positive setting. The first annual National Night Out involved 2.5 million people across 400 communities in 23 different states. The events are held the first Tuesday in August in most states, though there are some areas that do not hold the celebration until October.

Boyceville joined the community of National Night Out celebrants in 2016. This year, there were approximately 38 million people in 16,000 communities holding NNO events across the United States.