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As a crowd gathered around 6:00PM, members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 495 led the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the National Anthem. (Here is video.)
Please listen to the welcoming speech by Ms Susan Johnson, the chairman of our National Night Out subcommittee.
It was an extremely hot and muggy day! Our sponsors helped us get a thousand units of bottled water and we kept it cold to help the crowd beat the heat.
Quite a crowd it was, too. Probably there were around 200 or so people in attendance at any time during the event.
Refreshments were served from the Alvin Robinson Memorial Picnic Area, only yards away from the shrine marking the spot where the Aspen Hill Snipers slew Ride-On bus driver Conrad E. Johnson, here seen decorated with balloons next to the mounted Park Police.
Only in America! Here is one of the Panamanian dancers conversing with one of the Boy Scouts troop leaders. And here is the same Scout conversing with State Delegate Carol S. Petzold.
Several distinguished personages were at this event, and gave some brief speeches, available here in MP3 audio format:
Various groups performed their arts for the attendees. Small children got their faces painted, some people were taught how to make birdhouses. Perhaps the high points were the various dance groups.
Seen above are Grupa Folkorica Panama. You can also download some Video (24 megabytes).
Seen above are Caporales San Jose, from Bolivia. There is Video (43 megabytes) or an MP3 audio-only file (3.0 megabytes). The music is very happy, and the dancers are very energetic, considering the heat of the day and their exertion.
Seen above are more dancer for the group Caporales San Jose. The men are very gothic in their dark clothing and scary shiny masks! You can see Video (81 megabytes).
Also, the Wheaton Woods Baptist Church Steppers group did a gospel steppin' routine. Please see Video (38 megabytes).
Displays and Agency Presence
A variety of agencies of the State and County government were in attendance. Many of the County's outreach and assistance programs are accessible on the InterNet, but this part of Aspen Hill is one of the least-internetworked parts of Montgomery County. Also, many of the residents most in need of specialized services may be the least able to speak English, or to read in any language. Rather than have potential clients not know where to look for services of which they have no concept, events such as this one provide an excellent opportunity for service providers to go to where their clients are found. For example, the Housing Opportunities Commission set up a display which can inform potential clients of opportunities and alternatives for housing. Similarly, we see an informative display providing information to future clients and volunteers for the Montgomery County Mental Health Association.
Other non-governmental organizations were represented as well. For example, the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department sent out several firefighters and also sent out Engine Number Two.
The event went off quite well, as a whole. Here are the closing remarks and thank-yous from Ms Connie Caldwell (in MP3).
Keeping in mind that this event was organized to "take back the streets" in a part of Montgomery County mostly known for the high levels of crime, including theft, robbery, and violence, it's no surprise that for some reason there was a bit of fighting after the event officially closed. Interested parties may view a 17 megabyte video of The Aftermath. Attentive observers will probably be rather dismayed by the sarcastic and deprecatory remarks made, by one of the neighborhood attendees, in the closing moments of this clip.
We hope to repeat this event next year, with results comparable or better. Also, if circumstances permit, as the Parks Department continues to transform this park, from a de-facto "wilderness preserve" isolated in the heart of suburbia, into a genuine urban park -- characterized by few hiding places, easy accessibility, and high visibility all combined with improved and diversified recreational facilities -- we can have other events which could bring together the neighbors in a way that promotes harmony and accord for the benefit of all.
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