Artesia to observe National Night Out

ARTESIA — Artesia will join communities throughout the nation today in celebrating the 30th anniversary of National Night Out with a full slate of activities at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex.
The annual event, which began as a symbolic gesture in which citizens turned their porch lights on at a certain time as a reminder of the importance of community vigilance in fighting crime, has expanded over the years. Many of the 15,000 cities in all 50 states as well as Canadian provinces and military bases that participated in last year’s National Night Out campaign – up from 400 communities in 23 states during the event’s inaugural year in 1984 – organized large community events, such as block parties and safety fairs. … For the rest of the story, subscribe in print and on the web.