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NEWPORT TWP. &#8212; Some were in attendance because they were part of Glen Lyon&#8217;s Crime Watch.Others were there simply to support their community.Each of the approximately 40 people who came to the second meeting of the Newport Township Crime Watch meeting Thursday at the community room of the municipal building walked away feeling they are making their community safer.Newport Township consists of unincorporated communities: Alden Station, Glen Lyon, Lee, Newport Center, Sheatown, and Wanamie. Glen Lyon&#8217;s crime watch, which has been in existence for more than 20 years, will now be folded into the all-encompassing Newport Township Crime Watch &#8212; once the 501-3c has legally changed the name.&#8220;We don&#8217;t want you (Glen Lyon Crime Watch) to fail,&#8221; John Zyla, the Newport Township Board of Commissioners vice president, stressed.After Zyla and Newport Township Police Chief Jeremy Blank outlined their wishes for the crime watch &#8212; keeping the Glen Lyon by-laws in place and having a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer as well as block captains &#8212; representatives of state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, and state Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, stressed both legislators are behind the group.Zyla and Blank then left the community room, leaving those in attendance to form some semblance of leadership. Mary Kashatus and Heidi Jarecki, who were instrumental in Glen Lyon&#8217;s crime watch, took to the front of the room to start the leadership process, answering questions and bringing together those in the room.Quickly Jerry McMahon of Glen Lyon was voted president, Kashatus also of Glen Lyon became vice president, Amy Soroka of Wanamie was voted secretary, and Jarecki of Glen Lyon treasurer.&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to watch out for our neighbors,&#8221; Kashatus said.Once the new leadership took to the front of the room, the block captains, whose jobs will include reporting anonymous tips to the police or the leadership, forwarding community bulletins and assisting in block party formations, started to form.Soroka agreed to be watch captain of Wanamie, alongside her job as secretary.&#8220;We need to take back our towns,&#8221; Soroka said.Glen Lyon will have two block captains &#8212; Krissy Blank and Vern Treat. Sheatown&#8217;s captain will be Nicole Borick. Kevin Barrett will represent Alden. Colleen Shepanski will be Ridgeview&#8217;s captain. The Lee community still needs representation.Meetings will be at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month. The next meeting will be on Feb. 11 at the municipal building.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Melanie Mizenkommizenko@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>The next meeting of the Newport Township Crime Watch meeting will be 7 p.m. at Feb. 11 in the municipal building, 351 W. Kirmar Ave.</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</shirttailMeta></div>

Newport Township Crime Watch expands