Noche Para Familias

       A noche para la familia, or family night, aimed at building a bridge between the Spanish and English-speaking communities in East Hampton, will be held in the East Hampton High School auditorium on Friday, Nov. 22, at 6.

       “There’s no trust between our community and the authorities,” said Oswaldo Palomo, a pastor with the Vida Abundante New York church in Wainscott, who is one of the organizers. “We have to build trust.”

       Organizers plan to honor East Hampton Town Police Chief Eddie Ecker Jr., who will retire at year’s end, and Isabel Sepulveda, a community leader and publisher of Voz Latina, a bilingual newspaper. Mario Castro, a former Costa Rican government auditor who works with Focus on the Family, an evangelical nonprofit, on its outreach in Latin America, will also take to the stage.

       Representatives from the East Hampton Town Police, East Hampton Fire Department, East Hampton Town Ordinance Enforcement Department, MetLife Insurance, and East Hampton High School plan to attend. A panel of speakers will discuss community issues, and there will be food, music, and dancing.

       Though the conference will be conducted in Spanish, portions of it will be translated into English should a considerable portion of English speakers attend, Mr. Palomo said.

       This will be the first of three planned conferences, with the other two taking place early next year. In later months, Mr. Palomo hopes to tackle such issues as bullying and suicide prevention. Issues related to poverty and immigration will also be discussed.

       “The aim is to give them the resources so they can be healthy families,” said Mr. Palomo. “That’s our main goal.”