Thanks to the Newark Police Department
Over the four days of the Festival, and in the weeks and months that followed, we heard from poets, teachers and members of the general public how grateful they were that the Newark Police were so welcoming and helpful.
It has recently come to our attention that the Festival was officially an “incident-free” event, and we thought it important to formally acknowledge that accomplishment, and thank Garry McCarthy, Director of the Newark Police Department, Lieutenant Robert Purcell, who oversaw the planning for the Festival, and the hardworking men and women who serve in the NPD.
Fifteen thousand attendees from forty-three states, many of whom had never seen Newark before, visited the city over the four days of the Festival. They could not have received a more gracious welcome than the one they received from the Newark Police Department. Streets were closed to create an open, walkable and safe Festival site in the heart of Newark’s Downtown Arts District, and traffic challenges were handled with calm professionalism.
But the members of the Newark Police Department went beyond being efficient and professional: they were welcoming, smiling and friendly. The Poetry Festival staff and the staff of the entire Dodge Foundation sends them, and the City of Newark, warmest thanks for helping to make the 2010 Dodge Poetry Festival in Newark such a success.
Martin Farawell
Festival Director