The Becker Police and Fire Depts. had numerous fulltime and reserve officers at the park and on the trucks and vehicles that traveled throughout the city to meet and greet people. Kolbinger Park saw dozens of people attend their picnic as hotdogs and chips were served along with juice. 

 

Members of the Becker Fire Dept. were on hand at the park and on the road to explain the potential of their trucks and allow the little ones to climb into the seats of the big rig and pose for pictures.

 

At the park, officers allowed licensed and non-licensed individuals to don the “drunk goggles” to see if they could navigate a curvy course drawn up on the grass outside the pavillion. The goggles have special lenses in them to give the person wearing them the feeling they have impaired vision.

 

Joey Sieg, 10, got to drive a golf cart “under the influence”, along with officer Johnathon Batterberry. When finished, Sieg appeared to be grateful to be no longer behind the wheel.

 

“It was weird,” he said. “Now I know how it is to feel drunk.”

 

Heidi Paumen, along with her daughter Amara (6) and son Tanner (8) also took turns driving the carts and seemed to enjoy the light-hearted fun all the while learning about the dangers of driving while impaired.

 

Night to Unite is a national celebration of community and communities across Sherburne County gathered to talk about such things as crime and drug prevention awareness, generating support for anti-crime programs, commune with local police and fire officials and enjoy great food and drink.

 

Night to Unite is a chance for neighbors — at least once each year — to get together, connect with each other and get to know one another a little better. The object of the event is to have fun, but also to make communities a little safer. Sherburne County has a tradition of strong participation in Night to Unite, stretching back to when it was known as the National Night Out.

 

Busy schedules often don’t allow neighbors to interact as much as they’d like to and Night to Unite is designed to allow for that while creating safer communities.

 

Night to Unite is sponsored in part by the Minnesota Crime Prevention Association (MPCA), AAA or Minnesota/Iowa and local law enforcement agencies.

Citizens of the Autumn Ridge and Nature’s Edge developments hosted parties as well as neighborhoods on Edgewood and 173rd along with Woodbriar Apartments.

 

Police had a standing display at Kolbinger park that explained some of the things the department does in the community and the BPD had a table that featured plenty of giveaways for the youths including frisbees, pencils and pens, shirts, stickers, wristbands, lip balm and jar openers.