Volunteers Help Orangetown Night Out

The Orangetown Police Department organized the fourth annual Orangetown Night Out Tuesday in Veteran's Memorial Park in Orangeburg.

They had plenty of help, starting with the New York State National Guard and Counter Drug Task Force.

"Without the National Guard, we don't have an event," said Orangetown Police Det. Frank Buhler. "They bring the rock wall. They bring the personnel for it. They bring the portable skate park. The provide the personnel for that and set it up. That's the big draw for the kids.

"The local volunteers come up big."

That includes Orangetown's volunteer fire departments and ambulance corps.

"The town departments kick in," Buhler said. "Highway is here with recycling stuff. It's a mix of everything and we try to make it a good night for the kids.

"The Blauvelt Lions Club is very generous with the food they provide. We allow local businesses to come and give out promotional stuff. I should mention RSVP, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. They had clowns here earlier. We tap into these low-cost and volunteer services that make the whole event affordable."

Budget constraints did remove one item from the event -- the car seat installment was cancelled last week.

"We can't make it too much bigger with the budgets as tight as they are," Buhler said. "It's a couple of months of planning."

The event began with the work of former Det. James Nawoichyk four years ago. It was held at Tappan Zee High School for two years before moving to Veteran's Memorial Park .

"We thought it made more sense to do it down here," Buhler said. "Aric Gorton (Orangetown Director of Parks and Recreation) was more than cooperative helping us do that."

"This is a great event," Gorton said. "It's really a perfect setting for an event like this. We can accommodate this and then we have another big one coming up Friday with our movie night."

In addition to the fireworks provided by Garden State Fireworks, the skate park and rock wall, there were bouncy castles for the younger kids, an electrical safety demonstration by Orange & Rockland and tours of some of the ambulances and fire engines.

National Night Out Against Crime is a national event in its 28th year, focusing on crime prevention and strengthening the connection between local law enforcement officers and their communities.