July 24
Neighbors – Our Family Movie Nights have been very successful – great turnout, the kids are having fun, and families are enjoying time with their neighbors. We want to continue to create safe and fun events for all. We also want you to know that our second family movie night on July 21st didn’t end as we all would have hoped:
- At the end of the film, someone in the audience hacked the electronic system that relayed the audio and took control of the sound
- The projectionist took the mic and expressed his outrage at having his system hacked
- An audience member then confronted the projectionist
- The confrontation turned into a physical altercation
- Police arrived and they diffused the situation
We apologize to those who attended, particularly those parents who now have to explain to their children why adults behave this way. We do not condone violence and ask that whether at movie night, while driving your car through the neighborhood, or dealing with a noisy neighbor – AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, DECIDE TO DEESCALATE. If the hackers had anticipated that their decision could trigger an intense response and if each subsequent response had been appropriate, proportional, and civil, we wouldn’t have to make the decisions we now have to make.
We are assessing whether we can continue in August – along with some new rules. We will let you know as soon as we can whether the August event can happen and will communicate the new rules as soon as we can.
UPDATE: AUGUST 8:
Our third and final movie night for this summer is Thursday, August 18th at Robinson Park. We invite you to bring your children to see The Secret Life of Pets 2 and to enjoy the evening together. There were some tense moments at the end of the last film and so we’re asking those who are coming to the park to set the best possible example for your children and your neighbor’s children. Keep alcohol consumption in check, be courteous and patient with one another, pick up after yourselves, have fun, and remember, the kids are watching and whether you know it or not, they are learning what kind of people they should be when they grow up.
We appreciate the support from our neighbors who attend these movie night events and we hope that we can continue to provide safe and fun events for our Hilltop neighbors.
Hilltop Neighborhood Association Board of Directors
[email protected]
