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Plentiful sunshine. High 86F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..
Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Children and parents play miniature golf on the lawn of Robertson Avenue Baptist Church in Copperas Cove Tuesday evening for the 39th annual National Night Out. The church has been hosting a block party for around a decade.
A couple dozen residents of Guy Circle in Copperas Cove near South Park congregate for a National Night Out block party Tuesday evening. Robin Spencer, the organizer of the block party, said it is the first time the neighborhood has participated in National Night Out since the late '90s.
A member of the Copperas Cove Explorers Program shows a child how to work the brake on a go-kart at the National Night Out kickoff party in downtown Copperas Cove Saturday.
Children and parents play miniature golf on the lawn of Robertson Avenue Baptist Church in Copperas Cove Tuesday evening for the 39th annual National Night Out. The church has been hosting a block party for around a decade.
A couple dozen residents of Guy Circle in Copperas Cove near South Park congregate for a National Night Out block party Tuesday evening. Robin Spencer, the organizer of the block party, said it is the first time the neighborhood has participated in National Night Out since the late '90s.
A member of the Copperas Cove Explorers Program shows a child how to work the brake on a go-kart at the National Night Out kickoff party in downtown Copperas Cove Saturday.
Copperas Cove police officers and firefighters made their rounds Tuesday evening as five neighborhoods celebrated the 39th annual National Night Out.
According to the police department, National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership; and send a message to the criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
At Robertson Avenue Baptist Church, attendees enjoyed traditional block party fare — hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. — as children played miniature golf or threw a flying disc around.
“We do believe in authority, so of course we believe in order; it’s a biblical principle,” said Joshua Morrison, pastor of Robertson Avenue Baptist Church. “We believe in supporting our law enforcement and we pray for them on a daily basis.”
Morrison, who has pastored the church for two years, said he uses the block party as a ministry opportunity.
“I get them and I preach to them. I witness to them and invite them to church and things like that,” Morrison said. “So we use it as a community outreach, not only as a way to intive them to the church, but as a way to let you know we care; and people are hurting.”
On Guy Circle, children played soccer in the street, and the neighborhood got a visit from McGruff the Crime Dog.
Robin Spencer and her husband, Jeff, organized the block party — the first National Night Out block party for the neighborhood since the late ‘90s.
“I sent a little flyer to every (house). I went door-to-door and put a little flyer up saying we’d like to do this,” Robin Spencer said.
The neighborhood response was good. Out of 15 houses, Spencer said all but three participated.
She explained why she feels like the block party is important.
“We don’t really spend enough time outside anymore,” she said. “So we don’t get out. You know, we see some of the kids on the street, but we don’t all get together.”
Prior to National Night Out, last Saturday, the police department hosted its 24th annual National Night Out kickoff party. Hundreds of children and adults alike converged on downtown Copperas Cove to enjoy events such as a dunk tank, bounce houses, cornhole, live entertainment, and shooting sports, to name a few.
Among the hundreds of attendees were a couple who came to the event for the first time.
Elmira Matavitski, a four-year Copperas Cove resident, came to downtown for the kickoff party with her neighbor and coworker, Denise Erickson.
“I love it,” Matavitski, a native of Belarus, said. “I didn’t know that this small town had that (many) people in here, and so much is going on.”
She said the community atmosphere in Copperas Cove is much different than in Belarus.
“People here are nicer,” she said. “Like, everyone is smiling.”
Also enjoying the kickoff party was Tabatha Matthews, who watched her son play Jenga with local 5-year-old Joah Jericho.
“It’s actually really good,” she said. “I think this one’s very small-town set up, so I like it.”
Matthews said she has been wanting to get involved with more community activities. The kickoff party was a good one to expand her horizons in Copperas Cove.
“I think it shows how much the community cares about people that live in the city,” Matthews said. “And it’s more community-involved.”
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