Casco National Night Out builds connections in the community
- Julie Cowie
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
When Allegan County Sheriff's Sgt. Ben Haas rolled up 66th Street with the Allegan County SWAT truck late Tuesday afternoon, the excitement heightened at the inaugural Casco Township National Night Out. The huge rig found a place with South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) fire trucks and Casco Deputy Zack Hoyt's patrol car at Station One as the event focused on building relationships between safety officials and the community got underway.
A crowd of about sixty people gathered during the two hour event to meet firefighters from SHAES, the Casco Deputy, and representatives from the Allegan County Sheriff's Department.
Resident Willie Dubas was happy for the chance to meet Casco Deputy Zack Hoyt. "We had a [criminal] event near us not too long ago," Dubas explained, saying he wanted to ensure his neighborhood was safe for children at play.
The event included the debut of a new safety directory for Casco Township seniors. Developed by the Casco Township Senior Advisory Committee, the booklet outlines ways Allegan County Senior Services, Senior Services of Van Buren County (SSVBC), SHAES, and the Casco Deputy can be of assistance to Casco seniors. The booklet was laid out and printed by Senior Services of Van Buren County.
SSVBC Executive Director Diane Rigozzi and Tracie Wheeler, Grants and Fund Development Manager, attended the National Night Out event. Along with distributing the safety directory, SSVBC awarded door prizes to three lucky residents: Peggy Gould, Earl Lash, and Jean Ruppel.
The National Night Out event in Casco Township was the vision of local resident Linda Teeter, who had attended similar events in Kalamazoo. She approached the Casco Township board for support, resulting in a night of appreciation for public safety officials; a free simple dinner of hot dogs, popcorn, and ice cream; and a chance to catch up with neighbors and meet new ones. Teeter, who managed the kitchen, received assistance in planning the event from Casco residents Debbie Weaver, Jamie Walle, and Julie Cowie.
Numerous volunteers helped. The Casco United Methodist Church loaned tables and chairs, hauled by Earl Lash, who also helped with parking. Regina Lash and Vicki Lash helped bus tables. Earl Lash jr helped with setup and clean up and photographed the event.
Peggy Gould and Casey Berens helped serve food, and Bob Sherwood delivered meals to election workers, as August 4 was also the Primary election.
Melissa Catt and Jan Vander Ploeg ran activities for kids, including temporary tattoos and stickers. Miami Park resident Nadine Godin-Nassaney served popcorn from a popcorn machine provided by SSVBC.
Christina Fleming greeting the community at the registration table. Kelly Hecker provided information about the Casco Township "Back to the Beach" campaign to restore public access at the Casco Township Nature Preserve, and sold t-shirts for that fundraising campaign.
SHAES staff was ready for the crowd. Retired SHAES Chief Ron Wise prepared the station and set up a PA system for the event, which featured comments from firefighter Wise, Deputy Hoyt, Supervisor Allan Overhiser and acknowledgement of residents who serve on Township boards and committees. Firefighter Ron Ridley, who officially retired from SHAES in 2024, has recorded over 45 years of service with the department, and also staffed the event.
Several who attended were happy to see the inside of SHAES Station One. Some of the younger attendees were happy to see the interior of the Allegan County SWAT truck, which was open for inspection.
The Casco National Night Out was held on Tuesday August 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Station One on 66th St in Casco Township. The National Night Out event is held on the first Tuesday of August.
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