The President's Corner
Your Porch is the Key to Safety in Old North Knoxville

 
Recently, many of your fellow Old North Knoxville residents have been working to develop a traffic calming plan for the neighborhood.  This plan's ultimate aim is to make ONK a safer place to live and raise children.  But in addition to these efforts, there is something you can do now to help promote safety in the neighborhood.  All you have to do is have a small party on Tuesday August 5th.

Would you like to:

  • Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness?
  • Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships?
  • Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back?

These are things that, by participating in National Neighbor’s Night Out, we can accomplish. 

This will be the 20th year of the big event. Last year “9,850 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide” participated. In all, 33 million people!

The annual event always includes “the traditional display of outdoor lights and porch vigils.” So, be sure to at least turn on your front porch lights that night. We are also taking it a little farther. We want everyone to get out and meet your neighbors. So, here’s the plan. One neighbor per block or street will open their porch for all the other neighbors on that block or street. It’s up to you what you do, but you could cook-out, or have lemonade and cookies, or play board games, or whatever you want. The more we know our neighbors, the better we can communicate, be aware, and make a difference. 

If you would like to be the ‘host porch’ for your block or street let me know, and we’ll help you get the word out. Call Tomica Miller at 521-7884. 

And remember, Rena Webb is the head of Old North Knoxville’s Neighborhood Watch. If you have any problems or concerns, you can call her at 546-8717.

Return to newsletter table of contents