Night to Unite 2017: Neighbors Joining Together
Night to Unite (formerly National Night Out) is held each year on the first Tuesday in August. Neighborhoods are asked to turn on their outside lights and spend the evening getting acquainted with each other. Whether you are an organized Neighborhood Crime Watch (NCW) group, or just thinking about organizing, it is important to talk with your neighbors to find out what is going on. This is an evening when neighbors throughout the city, state and country gather to get to know one another and promote Community Safety.
If neighbors organize their efforts to be vigilant of each other’s property, it will likely result in the reduction of criminal incidents. You can send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and looking out for one another. We, at Gaughan Association Management, support this effort and hope many of our communities choose to come together on this night in some way. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate party or gathering, but here are some ideas of what other communities are doing:
- Ice Cream Social
- Bike Parade- Have the kids on your street decorate their bikes and parade them through the neighborhood at a specified time.
- Pot Luck Supper
- Ask people to contribute $5.00 per person and order pizza.
- Bubbles and Sidewalk Chalk
- Inflatables and a DJ
Whatever is appropriate for your demographic and budget- it doesn’t need to be elaborate. The point is to come together and get to know each other.
Check with your city to see if they participate in Night to Unite, as many cities do, and they will even have the Fire Department, Police Department, and other city representatives attend your party! You may need to register your party with the city, but what a great way to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. Also check with your local businesses as many sponsor or will donate money or items towards Night to Unite parties.
Hope to see you all out getting to know each other on Tuesday, August 1st!
Prepare for Summer with these Spring Cleaning Tips
It’s that special time of year in Minnesota when the sun starts to shine a little brighter, a little longer and a little warmer. Spring is here! While everyone is enjoying the weather, many are also anxious to get their home ready for summer. While spring cleaning the inside of your house is good, spring cleaning the outside is equally as important.
On the outside of your house, remove all of your holiday decorations and lights as the weather permits. One of the best components of an association is the feel of a close and well-kept community. If it applies, a good outdoor spring cleaning might include washing all exterior windows to get rid of any dirt on the outside and cleaning cobwebs off of light fixtures. Lastly, to prepare for the coming summer weather and activities, clean up the grill, wipe off all outdoor furniture, and prep the garden by tilling.
With summer around the corner, people are more likely to entertain inside, too. Now is a great time to scrub all walls and baseboards to give each room a fresh feel. Replace water and air vent filters in order to get rid of what has built up over the last year. In the same way, it’s important to clean out all faucets and showerheads of rust and calcium deposits with a water and vinegar solution. Also, remove lint from the dryer vent inside and outside. This is one good prevention against residential fires. Most importantly, test all of your smoke alarms.
For more tips on what to clean, how to clean, and what products to use, check out this article from the Today show and this article from the DIY Network.
-Sarah Crawford
