Family Fun Night Draws Crowd to Reed Intermediate School

By Andrew Gorosko

The Newtown Parent Connection attracted a large crowd on the night of Friday, September 19, to its Family Fun Night event held at the cafetorium of Reed Intermediate School.

The group is comprised of concerned parents and informed citizens who address the problems of substance use and substance abuse among young people in the community.

The event included a ziti dinner with dessert, plus a magic show, music, and face painting.

At the session, police Officer Andrew Stinson and police dog Baro demonstrated how police use a dog in law enforcement.

With police Officer Leonard Penna playing the role of the bad guy, Officer Stinson put Baro through his paces, showing how the dog is used to apprehend criminal suspects.

Officer Stinson fielded questions from those present, explaining the value of having a German shepherd for police work. The officer noted that he feeds Baro two pounds of raw meat daily to keep him primed for police work.

Also, to give the young people an approximation of the effects of drinking alcohol on a person’s equilibrium, police allowed them to wear sets of distortion goggles of varying intensities.

The youths would then attempt to walk a straight line marked on the floor while the goggles distorted their visual perception, creating a sense of disorientation.

The Newtown Prevention Council supported the Family Fun Night event with partial funding.