(Diane Courtney Photo)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Over 300 residents came together to enjoy a night of fun and community spirit during the third annual National Night Out at Lynnfield Middle School on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
National Night Out is a community-building event that promotes police-community partnerships and camaraderie with citizens that is held on the first Tuesday of August. While police departments around the country have been holding National Night Out events since 1984, the event was first brought to Lynnfield three years ago.
A Healthy Lynnfield and the Police Department co-hosted the third annual National Night Out once again, and this year featured the largest community turnout since the event’s inception.
“National Night Out is an awesome community event,” said A Healthy Lynnfield Program Director Diana DeLeo. “We have been able to add something to it every year. We have been able to make it a little different every year, which is great. The community loves it. There is something for everyone. It’s a great community event.”
Police Capt. Chris DeCarlo agreed.
“It went very well,” said DeCarlo. “We had a great turnout and people really enjoyed themselves. It was a great event.”
Police Chief Nick Secatore concurred with DeCarlo and DeLeo’s point of view.
“National Night Out is awesome,” said Secatore. “It was bigger this year than it has ever been. It gets better every year as we get more people interested in it. It’s an awesome fun event, and that is what it is all about.”
National Night Out began with a community softball game that featured Lynnfield Police Officers versus Lynnfield Youth Softball (LYS) Coaches at the LMS baseball field. The first two years featured a basketball game played between Lynnfield Police Officers versus Lynnfield Youth Basketball Coaches at the LMS outdoor courts.
“The police officers talked about wanting to play softball instead of basketball to get more people involved,” said DeCarlo. “We switched it up to see how it would go, and everyone enjoyed it.”
DeLeo said switching sports was the right decision.
“I liked it because we were able to include a different youth sports organization with Lynnfield Youth Softball,” said DeLeo. “It allowed kids to watch their mom or dad play. It just expands the reach of National Night Out a little more. It was nice to try something new.”
The Lynnfield Youth Softball Coaches defeated the Lynnfield Police Team 14-13.
The Lynnfield Youth Softball Coaches featured Alycia Angilly, Nick Bello, George Brooks, Mike Conlon, Stacy DePalma, Dave D’Onofrio, Micah Esposito, Sean Flynn, Sean Ferguson, Sheri Gentile, Don Gentile, Ryan Jennings, Dan Kent, Rich Mckanas, Michael Palmer and Kelly Pavao.
“This game put on by A Healthy Lynnfield was such a great idea and so much fun for the LYS coaches,” said Pavao. “We have been coaching the girls for years, but we never get to actually play in the games. It was nice to dust off our cleats and feel young again! We may not be able to walk tomorrow, but it’s totally worth it! A huge shout out to A Healthy Lynnfield for pulling this event together. Softball has become a huge presence, not only in the country with just getting picked up by MLB, but in the Lynnfield community. Registration has been at an all-time high these past few years, and we hope events like this continue to get more girls playing, bring the community together and create healthy relationships with our kids and the Police Department. Really a fantastic night.”
D’Onofrio, who is president/director of Lynnfield Youth Softball, noted that Palmer organized the coaches and Flynn and McKanas both hit home runs. He said Sheri Gentile received the game ball for “her great play in both the field and at the plate.”
“We have such appreciation for those in public safety,” said D’Onofrio. “It was great to have fun with them for a couple hours — the most fun part, of course, being that we got the win. If they want redemption and a rematch next year, we’ll absolutely be there!”
The Police Team featured DeCarlo, Secatore, Patrol Officer Danny Ashwell, Patrol Officer James Caponigro, Patrol Officer Marco DePalma and his son Luca DePalma, School Resource Officer Alex Doto, Patrol Officer Scott Fitzemeyer, Patrol Officer Nick Goodwin, Dispatcher Rich Palumbo, Patrol Officer Gianfranco Pisano, Sgt./Detective Jared Provost, Clinical Psychologist Mike Lawrence, Firefighter Michael Mansfield and Police Sgt. Jon Santos.
“It was a great game,” said Secatore. “It was a lot of fun to get together with everybody and play. A lot of people haven’t played in a long time, and we all had a great time.”
Essex County Deputy Sheriffs Todd Nestor and Shane Tobyne conducted a K-9 demonstration with their dogs, Apex and Ryder, on the middle school softball field. The two deputies conducted an obedience session and an apprehension session with Apex, and a narcotics evidence search demonstration with Ryder.
“National Night Out is always fun,” said Nestor. “Interacting with the public and letting everybody see what we do allows us to educate people more about the role of dogs and police work in what they do in reality versus what people have in their minds when they think of a K-9.”
Tobyne also had a great time at National Night Out.
“We had a good crowd,” said Tobyne. “It was a lot of fun.”
National Night Out also included children getting their faces painted or getting temporary henna tattoos by A Healthy Lynnfield Youth Council members.
Realtor Ellen Crawford also sponsored the bouncy houses provided by Total Entertainment that kids had a blast jumping inside of while they were set up on the LMS softball field.
“I want to thank Ellen Crawford for sponsoring the bouncy houses,” said DeLeo.
Cervizzi’s Martial Arts Academy also set up a board breaking demonstration in order to teach attendees karate skills. A Healthy Lynnfield and the Health Department’s inflatable Mega Brain was set up next to the bouncy houses in order to teach attendees more about the brain.
The event’s attendees also enjoyed a cookout. Kayem Foods donated hot dogs for the cookout while Bianco & Sons donated sausages. Louis Bianco, Adriana DiCorato, Dispatcher Mike DiCorato, Firefighter/Dispatcher Steve Groussis and Ryan Kyes cooked the hot dogs and sausages at National Night Out.
“We are so grateful for everyone who helped cook,” said DeLeo.
Lynnfield resident John Micieli’s company, Cool Cow Ice Cream, served dessert for National Night Out that was sponsored by the Hixon + Bevilacqua Home Group.
“I want to thank the Hixon + Bevilacqua Home Group for sponsoring the Cool Cow Ice Cream truck,” said DeLeo.
New England’s Best DJs also played music for townspeople attending National Night Out to enjoy
The Police Department’s Community Outreach Team also set up a table to inform attendees about mental health and substance use support services that are available to residents who need them. ABA Therapies set up a table as well and Health Director Coral Hope passed out tick removal kits.
A Healthy Lynnfield Chair Phil Crawford was thrilled with the turnout for the third annual National Night Out.
“Our third National Night Out was a great success that was enjoyed by hundreds of residents,” said Crawford. “This year, we had an exciting softball game that came down to the last out with the Coaches Team beating the Police Department 14-13. I would like to thank our A Healthy Lynnfield Executive Director Diana DeLeo and Police Capt. Chris DeCarlo for putting together another fantastic community event. I also would like to thank the Lynnfield Police Department, all the coaches that participated; Mike DiCorato, Steve Groussis and Louis Bianco for doing all the grilling; Bianco and Kayem for donating the food; the Essex County Sheriffs Department for the K-9 demonstration; the LHS Youth Council for face painting and henna; Realtor Ellen Crawford for the bouncy houses; New England Best DJ’s for the music; Hixon + Bevilacqua for the ice cream truck; ABA Therapies and Cervizzi’s Martial Arts for the kids activities and, lastly, all the residents that came out to make it such a memorable night.”
DeLeo recalled that, “National Night Out is an event that promotes the importance of public safety.” She said having A Healthy Lynnfield and the Lynnfield Community Outreach Team participate in National Night Out is “just awesome because it shows people the resources that we have in town that are available to them.”
“We are showing the community that we are one community,” said DeLeo. “Together, we can make our community safer.”
DeCarlo said National Night Out is “a great way to give back to the community and interact with the community.”
“We have a good turnout every year,” said DeCarlo. “We have been doing it for a few years now, and people always come. It’s great.”
Secatore noted that DeLeo “put most of this event together.”
“Diana deserves a lot of credit for putting National Night Out together,” said Secatore. “A Healthy Lynnfield has been the best partner for us.”
DeCarlo also commended DeLeo’s work in making the third annual National Night Out a huge success.
“Diana does a lot of work for this event,” said DeCarlo.
DeLeo thanked DeCarlo and the rest of the Police Department for helping her organize National Night Out.
“I want to thank the Lynnfield Police Department and Capt. Chris DeCarlo for working with A Healthy Lynnfield on this event,” said DeLeo. “I started it with him a couple of years ago. It’s fun working with him. He is open to trying new things, and it is easy to plan with one another. I enjoy working with him and the entire Police Department.”