Town Watch spent three years planning and raising money; dedication planned for July 15
By: Sue Kramer
LAMBERTVILLE It’s taken three years of planning, fund raising and hard work for members of Lambertville’s Town Watch, but the Cavallo Park lighting project is now complete, and the group is ready to celebrate the event at an official lighting ceremony and plaque dedication Sunday, July 15.
Town Watch President Joyce Fry said the ceremony would begin at dusk when the 12 newly installed lights will be lit, and a plaque commemorating Town Watch and the contributors to the project will be dedicated.
Although the official lighting won’t be for another few weeks, the lights already are illuminating the park for the enjoyment and safety of residents. And safety is what Town Watch is all about.
While Town Watch members have a visible presence during events such as the Cavallo Park lighting project, Shad Festival and Mischief Night, they go unnoticed on a daily basis as they keep a wary eye on Lambertville, acting as the "eyes and ears" of the Police Department.
As members stroll through town, they look for things that might signal a problem such as open doors, keys left in cars or suspicious activities such as money changing hands on the street.
On their own block, members keep an eye on their neighbors’ property and look for unusual activity, strange people hanging around or strange cars just driving around without any obvious purpose.
"Be the eyes and ears for the Police Department. That’s it," Ms. Fry emphasized of Town Watch’s involvement in these activities. "Don’t approach anyone. If you see something, go in and call the police at 397-3132, and they’ll get there as soon as they possibly can. Don’t approach anyone."
Other things members do is keep on top of emergency happenings. Ms. Fry begins a phone chain to alert block captains to different situations. As an example, several years ago, a strange man in a vehicle exposed himself to schoolchildren near the elementary school. Town Watch members were alerted and given the description of both the man and his car and helped the police by looking for the vehicle.
Another Town Watch activity is the annual National Night Out. This year, it will be held Aug. 7, and residents will be asked to stay outside and keep their outside lights on from 7 to 10 p.m.
"It’s a great way to meet your neighbors," Ms. Fry said.
Town Watch members also are planning some new projects for this year, with the help of police liaison Detective Jeff Jones.
"We plan on having Town Watch go out on Bridge Street with messages about jay-walking because there’s an awful lot of jay-walking," Ms. Fry said.
Town Watch meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Lambertville Police headquarters. There is no July meeting.
Ms. Fry encourages people to come to the Cavallo Park lighting ceremony.
"It’s a good chance for people to come out, meet us, ask questions and learn about Town Watch," she said.
Ms. Fry said new members are needed to meet the ideal goal of having a block captain for each street in town.
"We need block captains. They usually take one block, and they go and introduce themselves, tell who they are and what they’re representing to any new people in the house that just moved in. I always tell them garbage time, recycling time and sweeper time," she said.
For further information or to join Town Watch, Ms. Fry can be reached at 397-8533 or by e-mail at [email protected].