We hosted a National Night Out event at our house (on Aug. 6). And while we wish we had a better response from our neighbors, we could not be more pleased with the City of Auburn.

Communication with Duanna Richards, Neighborhood Programs manager, and Kirsten Reynolds, Human Services specialist, was thorough and prompt. They made planning the event easy. They were organized, so picking up the banner and City-furnished “freebies” and balloons was simple. A Boy Scout even carried the case of water to my car.

We were honored to have Dan Heid, City attorney, Daryl Faber, director of Parks, Police Chief Bob Lee, and DARE Officer Jessica Smith as our guests. They were all friendly, courteous and easy to talk with.

Even though there were 60 events going on citywide, they did not make us feel like they were rushing to move on to the next one on the list. They answered questions and directed us on where to turn for follow up.

When someone is “just doing their job”, you can tell when they would rather be someplace else. But these officials seemed genuinely eager to hear about the things that were important to our neighborhood.

Thank you, City. Things like this are what makes Auburn a great place to live, work, and play.

– Ian and Cindy Barnette