The entire Sky Valley got into National Night Out Against Crime this year, with events in Gold Bar, Sultan and Monroe.
Night Out started in 1984 as a method of promoting crime prevention and fostering partnerships between the community and law enforcement. The event boasts participation in 16,124 communities across the country. Held each year on the first Tuesday of August, this year's National Night Out events were on Aug. 4.
Monroe
A collaboration between the Monroe Rotary Club and the Monroe Police Department, this National Night Out event was the largest in the valley. Monroe Rotarian Sally Petty coordinated the event at Lake Tye Park, which featured free pizza by Sahara Pizza, hotdogs, cookies and other refreshments. Nearly 75 vendors participated in this year's event, and attendance was estimated in the thousands.
"Last night was truly one of the best nights in the city of Monroe,GÇ¥ said Petty the next day. "We had a record turnout of booths, a record crowd, a great group of volunteers and spectacular weather for our 7th annual National Night Out Against Crime.GÇ¥
Gold Bar
Gold Bar's Night Out kicked off with a parade that traveled down Lewis Avenue from the Gold Bar Family Grocer to Gold Bar Elementary School, city staff and the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office organizing the event. The parade featured the newly crowned Gold Dust Royalty, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, Snohomish County Fire District No. 26 and more.
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Officer Nicholas Jorg rode in the parade with his Karelian bear dog, Colter. Colter is part of an exclusive team of WDFW Karelian bear dogs used to investigate bear sightings and poaching cases. Bred specifically to be bear-aggressive and people-friendly, these dogs are used to track animals like bears and cougars, as well as cadavers.
After the parade, the community gathered at the elementary school to enjoy free hotdogs and other refreshments. Night Out attendees interacted with a number first responders, including Jorg and Colter.
Sultan
Sultan's Night Out event was brand new this year, and coordinated by the Sultan Community Task Force, Sultan Block Watch, the Volunteers of America and the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.
Snohomish County Fire District No. 5, Snohomish County Search and Rescue and Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Railway supported the community celebration, which included free hot dogs.
The sheriff's office distributed a number of free bicycles to kids during the event, held at the Volunteers of America facility at 701 First St.
Sultan Block Watch Captain Bob Klement devised a way to facilitate a cleanup crew at the end of the evening, creating a contest for children, who earned candy by collecting garbage.
For more information about Sultan Block Watch, visit www.facebook.com/groups/SultanBlockWatch.-á
Photo by Jim Scolman Monroe Bearcat Football team members join in a drum circle during National Night Out at Lake Tye Park on Aug. 4. Attendance for the event is estimated in the thousands. Photo by Chris Hendrickson The Sivewright family carries U.S. flags during the National Night Out parade in Gold Bar. Photo by Chris Hendrickson Washington Fish and Wildlife Officer Nicholas Jorg lets children pet his Karelian bear dog, Colter, in Sultan.
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