Published: September 16, 2008 10:37 pm      

ENA, Edmond Sun host annual community picnic

EDMOND — Give your pots and pans a rest for the evening and join the Edmond Neighborhood Alliance and The Edmond Sun for the free All Edmond Community Picnic with hot dogs and hamburgers from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Pavilion No. 3 in Hafer Park.

“As a company, we appreciate the opportunity each year to sponsor this bridge, which enables important parts of our community to co-mingle, communicate and share in our great community,” said Steve Paterson, Sun publisher. “It enables me to meet a lot of folks and assists me in getting to learn more about my new community.”

Mayor Dan O’Neil said the picnic is a chance to meet and hear from politicians, city employees and the Sun staff and to learn about what is going on in Edmond’s neighborhoods.

“It’s an opportunity to celebrate that Edmond is unique. That we are a small town. That we are interested in our community,” O’Neil said.

The joint effort began in 1984 when O’Neil was ENA president.

“We worked it out with the publisher at that time,” O’Neil said.

Two traditions of the event are the SUNiest Neighbor Award and the Neighborhood Newsletter Contest, which will be announced at the picnic.

“They’re some of the nicest people in town,” O’Neil said.

Ed Moore, ENA president, said he will introduce picnickers to a fun game called Phantom Coin.

“It encourages people to mix,” he said. “The whole purpose is to get people to meet others.”

Moore said the event is for all ages. Children can enjoy a moon walk and face painting provided by Patricia Grimes, Sun account executive. DayZd and ConFewZd, a clown couple, also will provide face painting and balloon animals.

The Edmond Police Department will give a motorcycle demonstration and Maj. Steve Thompson will provide information about the proposed Public Safety Center.