National Night Out Brings a Crowd

As part of the National Night Out, Phoenixville’s own chapter of Town Watch hosted a multi-location community event on Tuesday evening.

The event took place at Reeves Park, Andre Thornton Park and Royal Bank America. Attendees were treated to a free barbeque with food donated by Bridgeside Deli and Acme, along with live music, face painting, an appearance by Chester County Sheriff Carolyn Bunny Welsh and a chess tournament.

Town Watch President Michael Hill explained his organization aims to have community members “meet the police and get them feeling more comfortable with calling the police in an emergency.”

The local Town Watch chapter, of which Hill has been president since January, serves all of Phoenixville as a whole, whereas formerly there were separate chapters for the north and south sides.

“We really banded together as a communty for the good of everyone,” Hill said.

Hill’s message to the community? “Call the police if there is a problem, because if not, nothing gets better. If we can all band together with Town Watch, there are voices in numbers.”

Sheriff Welsh arrived later in the evening to discuss the role of a sheriff in today’s modern world.

“When you hear the word ‘sheriff,' what’s the first thing you think of? Probably an old Western film, right?” she joked, going on to explain the differences of her role and that of her deputies from that of the John Wayne characters of yesterday’s cinema.

As she put it, “If you see a deputy sheriff show up at your door, it isn’t good news.”

The biggest hits at the Reeves Park gathering had to be the face painter as well as the band, fronted by Paul Wentworth. The group had never played together prior to the event, but kept the crowd smiling and the kids dancing as the sun went down and the event drew to a close.

Town Watch, which hosts the event annually, was thrilled to receive a $600 grant from Target for this year’s festivities, as well as the delicious food donations from Bridgeside Deli and Acme.

Phoenixville Town Watch is a volunteer-driven organization, meeting on the first Wednesday of every month at the Baptist Church on the corners of Gay and Church streets at 7 p.m.

To get involved, simply attend their next meeting in September, follow the group on Facebook, or keep up with their events calendar on the Borough’s website or here on Patch.