Reader Report: Events in Spyglass weave a sense of community

The fourth annual Spyglass Hill National Night Out was nicely and warmly celebrated Aug. 2 by close to 300 community residents and their children and grandchildren at Spyglass Hill Park.

This event, just like those the previous three years, was planned by a group of neighbors whose mission is to bring back a sense of community. And in this mission, the event was a total success.

The growth of this event in just four years is promising. And this year we all had the privilege and pleasure of welcoming our congressman, Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa), and several members of the Newport Beach Police Department, including Chief Jon T. Lewis, Deputy Chief Dennis Birch, Lt. Keith Krallman and Officer Jeremy Duena. Newport Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon and Susan Kang Schroeder, chief of staff to the district attorney, also joined us.

A generous donation from the city of Newport Beach, through our city councilman, Keith Curry, was appreciated, as was the support and presence of most of the View magazine staff, local vendors and sponsors.

Interesting and lively kids’ activities, including face painting and potato sack races, brought smiles and laughter to many, strengthening the bonds of community among many residents and their officials.

These gatherings play an important role in the health, wealth and well being of any community. We live in an era where sometimes our cold affinity with the “things” that we, ourselves, have created is more than our natural and vital affinity with our family, neighbors, community and officials.

These “things” are mostly technology-based and are designed and manufactured to make our lives better. However, we do perhaps need a paradigm shift and should maybe start looking at them as a means to the end.

I humbly submit this idea to you since I have been in the high-tech business for close to 35 years. This closeness to tech has made me believe that our relationships with others are much more important than the ones we have with our computers, phones, tablets and TVs.

Tech-based relations cannot replace human relations. The ever-growing gap between us needs to be looked at carefully, and with events such as the annual National Nigh Out, it must be shrunk and eventually closed.

Fortunately, in addition to this annual event, the “front porch party,” Neighborhood Watch and garden club have brought back the once-forgotten sense of community in Spyglass Hill.

It is a simple fact that knowing and helping each other in this “me-first” era of individualism can help each and every one of us. We owe a lot to the planners and organizers of such a successful programs in the Spyglass Hill community, and I wish and am hopeful other communities will start and/or continue their own programs.

Special thanks are due to those who are bringing back the sense of community to the communities. We are grateful to the organizers of Spyglass Hill community programs, including the picnic committee: Therese Loutherback, Faye Amsted, Patience Bethel, Mark Hennessy, Brenda McCroskey, Roya Mehrfar, Jasmine Moini, Lydia Sharp, Sandy Stransky and Lore and Fred Waechter.

K.E. MEHRFAR lives in Newport Beach.