It takes a lot of hard work by a lot of dedicated people to pull off a citywide party, but Suffolk seems to have figured out the right formula for completing the task successfully,

For the fourth time, the city has placed first in the nation among localities its size for its National Night Out celebration. This is the 11^th year in a row that Suffolk has finished in the top five in its category, communities with 50,000 to 100,000 residents.

The recognition came from judges with the National Association of Town Watch, who viewed a video produced by city employees and considered other materials presented in support of Suffolk’s bid for the award.

What may not be evident to many of those who attended the dozens of celebrations around the city on the first Tuesday night in August is the amount of planning that goes into this event.

In Suffolk, the celebration has taken the form of dozens of individual communities holding celebrations that often include cookouts, children’s activities, crime prevention awareness, entertainment and more.

The largest of those events — National Night Out at Obici, which was actually held at King’s Fork Middle School this year — was singled out for special nationwide recognition this year.

The event was one of only seven in the nation to receive an individual award and recognition, city spokeswoman Diana Klink said on Wednesday. Suffolk was the highest-ranking locality in the state this year and one of only two in the area to place nationally. Smithfield ranked No. 21 in its population category.

We recognize the commitment it takes to produce such a successful event, whether on the comparably small scale of the NNO at Obici or on a citywide basis.

Thanks to all those involved in the planning and coordination of the event — folks we know already to be setting plans into motion for bigger and better events in 2017 — and congratulations to the city of Suffolk for its honors.