"National Night Out" Underway at Dewy Meadow Village

Members of the community are dropping by at the renewed "National Night Out" that continues until 9 p.m. on Monday at Dewy Meadow Village.

The community get-together is offering demonstrations of firefighting, rescue squad and police equipment (including SWAT guns) at the shopping center.

A Scooby-Doo movie was about to get underway at 8 p.m. Games, free hot dogs and pizza giveways were offered to the crowd, with a huge "National Night Out" cake expected to arrive later in the evening.

Bernards Township's version of "National Night Out," co-sponsored this year by the Bernards Township Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Bernards Township PBA, is an opportunity for the community to get an up-close look at volunteer fire and emergency rescue squad equipment and members, said Township Police Det. Robert Herndon.

"For us, it's a relaxed atmosphere, the community gets a chance to see us in a little bit of a different dynamic," said Herndon, one of the organizers.

"I love it — all these big red trucks," Mayor John Malay said as he stood near the firetrucks on display. "It's a great community event," he added.

The Bernardsville/Basking Ridge Knights of Columbus also is handing out ID kits to parents to collect fingerprints and other indentifying information in case it is needed.

Al LiCata, executive director of the chamber, said the event will return next year to Dewy Meadow. "From here, we make it bigger and better next year," he said.