Annual National Night Out event explodes in Franconia
James Leary the win.
The next matchup, between Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman Josh Shapiro and District Attorney Risa Vetri FHrPDn, wDV dHFODrHd D WLH by finLVh OLnH MudJH HDWfiHOd SROLFH ChLHI Mark Toomey, but when the medals were later handed out, Shapiro was ruled the winner.
Those two races were new addLWLRnV WhLV yHDr. 7hH finDO rRund, WhRuJh, FRnWLnuHd WhH bDWWOH IRr bragging rights between the Franconia Township Police Department, represented on the pedals by ChLHI -RVHSh .R]HnLHwVNL, Dnd Perseverance Volunteer Fire ComSDny RI SRudHrWRn, wLWh -LP GDOODJhHr, WhH IRrPHr firH FRPSDny president, spinning the wheels. ,n Dn DddHd WwLVW WhLV yHDr, .R]HnLHwVNL Dnd GDOODJhHr OHDrnHd DV they were about to start that they’d have to race this year while wearing goggles used in simulating drunk driving. With a little help IrRP D WrLR RI SuVhHrV, GDOODJhHr took this year’s race, putting the firH FRPSDny DhHDd 3-1 Ln WhH IRur years the race has been run.
7hLV wDV WhH 16Wh yHDr FrDnFRnLD took part in National Night Out, which was Tuesday, Aug. 7.
According to the National Night Out website, the evening is designed to “heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; genHrDWH VuSSRrW IRr, Dnd SDrWLFLSDtion in, local anticrime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partner- ships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that nHLJhbRrhRRdV DrH RrJDnL]Hd Dnd fiJhWLnJ bDFN.”
In recent years, the police deSDrWPHnW hDV DOVR hHOd D IRRd drLvH IRr ORFDO IRRd bDnNV wLWh drRSRIIV DvDLODbOH durLnJ -uOy DW buVLnHVVHV Rr RrJDnL]DWLRnV Rr DW the park on National Night Out. The total amount collected was nRW yHW NnRwn WhH nLJhW RI AuJ. 7, but was expected to be close to 1,000 SRundV.
“Hopewell [Church] was the wLnnHr IRr WhH IRRd drLvH by IDr,” said Janice Frary, Franconia’s National Night Out coordinator. There was a tie between Bergey’s Automotive and Peter Becker CRPPunLWy IRr WhH drRSRII WhDW brRuJhW Ln WhH VHFRnd PRVW IRRd, she said.
This year’s National Night Out DOVR LnFOudHd WhH 5. NNO .LFNOII Run, hHOd WhH SrHvLRuV nLJhW Dnd RrJDnL]Hd by DDn BHdHOO, D Souderton Area High School studHnW whR dLd WhH run IRr hLV VHnLRr project.
7hHrH wHrH 90 runnHrV Ln WhH 5., whLFh wDV D IundrDLVHr IRr WhH IRRd banks.
“WH rDLVHd $915 WhDW wH’rH JLvLnJ WR WhH IRRd bDnNV, SOuV WhH IRRd,” FrDry VDLd.
7Hn IRrPHr FrDnFRnLD SROLFH RIfiFHrV Rn hDnd IRr WhH 50Wh DnnLvHrsary celebration were introduced in a short presentation during the National Night Out activities.
“We gave them some memorabLOLD IrRP WhH SROLFH dHSDrWPHnW Dnd VhDrHd D ORW RI ROd VWRrLHV,” .R]HnLHwVNL VDLd.
.Hn GrDy, VDIHWy dLVWrLbuWLRn PDnDJHr RI LHhLJh VDOOHy DDLrLHV, representing the American Trucking Association, brought a tractortrailer to the National Night Out WR VhRw SHRSOH WhH vLHw IrRP WhH driver’s seat.
New technology in truck driving includes electronic logbooks that JLvH PLnuWH-by-PLnuWH GPS LnIRrPDWLRn Dnd wLOO VHnd dLVSDWFhHrV HPDLO PHVVDJHV LI WhH drLvHr LV speeding or brakes hard, he said.
“,I LW’V LnvROvHd Ln Dn DFFLdHnW, this thing has a black box recorder Ln LW,” GrDy VDLd.
Convex and additional mirrors DOVR Ddd WR WhH VDIHWy by hHOSLnJ the driver see what were once blind spots, he said.
“Since we’ve put these on the trucks, we have no more sideswipe DFFLdHnWV. 7hHy’rH JRnH,” GrDy said.
Fire, police, ambulance and other emergency services vehicles and equipment were also on display, DORnJ wLWh D .LdV Fun ZRnH, .LdV FLrH SDIHWy HRuVH Dnd WhH 11Wh Dn- nual custom car show, hosted by Rayco Productions.
In Franconia, National Night Out activities started as a drive-through RI VRPH RI WhH nHLJhbRrhRRdV, WhHn grew into the present event held at Franconia Community Park, .R]HnLHwVNL VDLd.
“,W hDV MuVW WurnHd RuW IDr bHyRnd whDW wH hDd HvHr LPDJLnHd,” hH said.