GLEN RIDGE — Although National Night Out was largely observed across the country on Tuesday, Aug. 4, the borough did so the following night and, as last year, at the community pool parking lot. The annual out-of-step observance was necessary because its fire service is provided by Montclair, which could not be at two night outs on the same night.
Nonetheless, fire engines are a big attraction for the communities they serve, whenever they show up, especially with children. At the Glen Ridge event, Montclair Firefighter Franco Camerotz said this was true, about children and the vehicles.
“Personally, I think it’s the color and flashing light and the siren,” he said.
Someone suggested asking a child and pointed to twin sisters, Arnie and Andie, borough residents.
“They make sounds, they’re big and have ladders,” Arnie said, as to why she liked them.
Andie agreed that they did have ladders.
“And you can do a back flip off a ladder,” she added.
The Port Authority Police Department was on hand. Remy Guerin, a small boy from Glen Ridge, was trying on a helmet equipped with night vision goggles. There was also a tactical vest on display. An officer helped a small boy into it by lowering it over him, but the child quickly asked that it be removed, as it was too heavy, and it was lifted off.
Mountainside Hospital had a display with Becky Reyes, the director of behavioral health who said Mountainside was the local community hospital. Jonathan Miller, the director of security and emergency management, was also there. Asked if Tom Cruise, the movie star and Glen Ridge High School graduate, was born there, they said they did not think so. But Buzz Aldrin, who is the oldest living astronaut, at 97, was and his photograph hangs in the maternity ward. Cruise was born in Syracuse, N.Y. Aldrin attended Montclair High School.
Congresswoman Analilia Mejia, Dem-11th District, was at the event, as was state Sen. Britnee Timberlake, Dem-34th District.
It had started to lightly rain and Mejia and borough Councilman David Lefkovitz, under separate black umbrellas, spoke to each other. Mejia went to greet other people and Lefkovitz briefly talked about his role in borough politics.
“We’re all nonpartisan,” he said, “but we exist in a world where you have to vote Democrat or Republican. But we serve as nonpartisan volunteers. That keeps us focused on serving the people of Glen Ridge.”
Night Out was coordinated by Detective Sgt. Anthony Mazza and Detective Kendal Carusco of the Glen Ridge Detective Bureau.
“This event is about outreach,” Mazza said, adding that the bureau is involved with all community outreach efforts including the arts festival, bike rodeo, drug takebacks and coffee-with-a-cop.
Carusco, who has coordinated the event with Mazza for a number of years, motioned to the sky and said the weather is always a challenge.
The rain really started to come down and there was not a soul in the parking lot, cutting the event short. But the pool, which was open to non-members for the occasion, did not seem so affected. The adults did not budge from their tables, umbrellas and conversation and the children were in the pool anyway, splashing around.
The evening’s music was provided by Anthony Priore, a self-employed destination and travel disc jockey from Forked River, whose work takes him all over the world. He has been doing this work, he said, for 20 years.
Photos by Daniel Jackovino
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