The evening of Tuesday, Aug. 5 saw Glen Cove's downtown Village Square alive with families, elected officials, police officers and civic and social organizations for the city's second annual National Night Out celebration. National Night Out is a national 25-year-old event that encourages communities to come together to take a stand against crime, demonstrate crime prevention education, and open channels of communication between the police department and the community. It is also an opportunity to gather with neighbors at a party with refreshments, giveaways and entertainment.

The evening was sponsored by the Glen Cove PBA, the Glen Cove Housing Authority, the Downtown BID, local businesses, government officials and religious organizations, among others. The hardest-working group of teens around, members of Glen Cove's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), kept busy setting up, working the booths and handing out balloons because, said Danielle Bellidoro and Amanda Reynolds, "What kid doesn't like balloons?"

In addition to the festivities in the square, the police department was running Operation Safe Child in City Hall and a children's ID program, as well as a taser demonstration, in the police station.

Speakers included Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi; Glen Cove Police Sgt. Chris Ortiz, Sgt. Pat Hall, and Chief William Whitton; Judge Richard McCord; Senator Carl Marcellino; Assemblyman Chuck Lavine, and the evening's honoree, Presiding Officer of the Nassau County Legislature and Glen Cove resident Diane Yatauro. Unbeknownst to him, the police chief was also honored with a citation for his hard and successful work with the department, presented by the sergeants who represented the force. The chief, in turn, thanked Sgts. Ortiz and Hall for their work in organizing the event.

Mayor Suozzi presented PO Yatauro with a citation from the city, and she stated that she was "lucky to live in this community" and commended Mayor Suozzi for "making National Night Out happen." She added that with her honor, she was "in good company, as Sen. Marcellino was last year's honoree." Glen Cove is a safe and close community, she said, "because we all stick together and look out for one another."

Sen. Marcellino reminded the crowd that, "This is not a one-night cause. It is our job to look after each other 365 days a year, 24 hours a day."

Assemblyman Lavine summed up the importance of community concern for the city's youth by quoting the late Robert F. Kennedy: "We never stand so tall as when we stoop to help a child."