By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Sections of roadways were blocked off in 16 Bucyrus neighborhoods Tuesday night. But nobody seemed to mind since it was for National Night Out.
Enjoying sunny skies and a mild summer evening, neighbors came together to catch up with one another, play games and cook out. City officials took the opportunity to get out and visit the community members and answer questions people might have.
Mayor Jeff Reser explained while visiting the block party on South East Street that he, along with City Prosecutor Rob Ratliff and Bucyrus Police Chief Dave Koepke, were going to try to make it to all 16 parties.
“We are trying to break last year’s record where I think we did 14 parties, we got 16, we are going to be trying to get to 16 parties, so just enough time to say hello thank you for what you are doing, and making Bucyrus a better place and on to the next party,” Reser said.
Anne Hartman, who helped organize the South East Street block party with Veronica Vandayburg explained that the block party was to get the neighborhood together and have a good time.
“We are just getting the neighbors together, having everybody bring a dish, and just enjoying each other’s company, and a beautiful day today,” Hartman said.
Just down from the South East Street block party the Woodlawn Street block party was in full swing with water games such as dunk tanks and squirt gun target practice. The block party also featured the classic game Jenga, but supersized with cardboard boxes.
Over at the Indian Creek Apartments neighbors were getting to know each other while having a rare cookout. Carol Schneider who hosted the block party explained that the block party was also a way to get to know the neighbors.
“A lot of us can’t have grills you know so this is one of the ways we can get together and have a big cook out, and get to know our neighbors,” Schneider said.
Sue Bollinger, who was hosting a block party at the corner of South Sandusky Street and Kilborne Avenue for the 15th year shared her favorite part of National Night Out.
“Sitting around and getting to know when somebody new comes into the neighborhood and they come, and getting to reconnect with some of the older neighbors,” Bollinger said.
Over on East Rensselaer Street hot dogs were being grilled, corn hole was being prepared for later, and the Bucyrus Fire Department was out visiting with the community. Firefighters Casey Easterday and Eric McNutt explained that they along with another duo from the fire department were trying to visit as many as the block parties as possible to answer any questions that people had about the fire department.
Over 16,000 communities took part in the 31st annual National Night Out across the nation. A photo gallery of the Bucyrus parties can be found on the Photo page.