Block Parties Bring Maplewood Neighbors Together

Ten blocks in Maplewood held block parties during the 28th annual National Night Out celebration held on Tuesday night.

The event aims to foster a spirit of cooperative crime prevention between citizens and public safety officials. Maplewood Police Chief Stephen Kruse and Lt. Mark Griffin visited every block party in Maplewood. Residents held parties on Bland Place and Bruno, Cambridge, Cherry, Ellis, Elm, Margarette, Marietta and Vine avenues.

“They were all very well attended, and considering the weather, I think that shows a good deal of community spirit here in Maplewood,” Kruse said.

(See a Facebook album of photos of the event taken by the Maplewood police.)

Maplewood police supplied literature to help residents prevent crime in their neighboorhoods. Police also supplied everything needed for a picnic, including water, soda, chips, hamburgers, hotdogs, buns, ketchup, mustard and relish.

Kruse said Sgt. Mike Martin put in many hours organizing Maplewood’s National Night Out.

Several streets south of Manchester Road combined for one big party on Vine Avenue. Ward 3 Councilman Barry Greenberg, who lives on Vine, said more than 100 residents attended the party. That party had a bounce house for the kids and Greenberg’s own band playing rock classics.

The Ellis Avenue organizer, Lynda Oliver, said about 10 families came out on her block. They've had a block party in October (when it's a little cooler) for more than 10 years. Oliver said they talked about how they keep warm from fire pits in October and how good it feels, as opposed to the August heat. But the kids got to play with hoses, she said.

Marietta Avenue had its first block party in recent memory, and every single resident came out. Folks from opposite ends of the block met each other for the first time. Marietta resident Lore Sandweg said she liked meeting the people she waves to.

“It made it like it was when I was a kid: the block parties, the getting to know your neighbors, seeing who’s going to have a baby and joining in on that expectancy of a new baby on the block,” Sandweg said. “There’s just nothing more than knowing who lives beside you, to develop that sense of community.”

The city formerly celebrated National Night Out at the Maplewood Family Aquatic Center, but it switched to block parties this year.

“The whole purpose behind this is for neighbors to get to know each other,” Kruse said. “You might have people who might have moved in on the street or because of their daily routines or jobs don’t really get to know each other. It offers that opportunity for them to get to know each other.”