Xyxy

     By Chris Jones
     View staff writer
      Thunder and lightening are usually enough to keep most people indoors. But the threat of bad weather wasn't enough to keep scores of Henderson residents from celebrating National Night Out on Aug. 1.
      While activities like barbecues or Neighborhood Watch gatherings weren't limited to a central location, many locals chose to take advantage of free access to music, food and swimming at the Black Mountain Aquatics Complex.
      Among those participants was Judy Alewel, who took a group of eight Tiger Cub Scouts from Vanderburg Elementary to the National Night Out celebration in lieu of the children's regularly scheduled den meeting.
      "I thought it would be a wonderful thing to take them here and let them learn about safety while joining in the spirit of a community event," Alewel said. "The more you can make these kids aware of what's going on when it comes to safety, I think everyone can benefit from it."
      Like Alewel, Alex Smith said she brought her 2-year-old son Eli to the event to better familiarize him with members of the Henderson Police Department. Although Eli's still quite young, such interaction can play an important role in shaping his opinion of the police later in life.
      Henderson police officer David Wilson said he enjoys opportunities to interact with residents, especially children, in such a relaxed setting.
      "(Police officers) have some areas of the community we go to where we, unfortunately, have a lot of police involvement, and some of those kids don't look at us as their friends," Wilson said. "Things like this can hopefully promote (better relationships)."
      Others came out to enjoy the recreational opportunities, including Henderson resident Maryanne Knowlton, who brought her granddaughter Chelsea to the aquatics complex so she could socialize and swim in the pool.
      "We wanted (Chelsea) to have fun and interact with other kids during the summer break," Knowlton said. "As soon as she finishes in the pool, we'll take her over to see the police demonstrations."
      Anna Youngblood and her three children bypassed the pool -- initially -- to check out the anti-drug message shared by members of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.
      "I teach my kids not to use drugs, but (11-year-old daughter) Emily is going to middle school this year, so I constantly try to have her around people who promote saying no to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and stuff like that," Youngblood said.
      Once their serious chores were accomplished, the Youngblood clan headed straight for the water.
      "With the hot weather we can't wait to enjoy the pool," Youngblood said. "And it's free, so the price is right."