August President s Message

Transcription

1 President KEVIN PERHAM 1 st Vice President MANNY GOMEZ 2 nd Vice President JAMES FEY Sergeant-At-Arms MICHAEL SWEENEY Treasurer JOHN M. MURPHY Executive Secretary JOHN W. KENNA jwkenna@queensda.org Presidents Emeritus *GERALD E. McCARTHY JOSEPH J. GANNON Board of Directors ALBERT S. BECKER Chairman KEVIN FITZGERALD 2016 JOHN P. McCANN 2016 JAMES J. COLEMAN 2015 EDWIN CUEBAS 2015 ARTHUR LYNCH 2014 J. KEVIN VAUGHN 2014 Historian JAMES J. GRANT Committees Audit JAMES J. MESKILL Webmaster YAO LIANG Information Sytems DAN MULVEY Interstate Liaison RONALD T. SULLIVAN Intrastate Liaison KEVIN A. NULTY Law Enforcement Liaisons ROBERT J. CREIGHTON CORNELIUS J. DOUGLAS Legal THOMAS A. McSHANE, Esq. Membership I. AMY BONDEROW EDWARD GANNON DAN O LEARY Private Sector Liaison MICHAEL SWEENEY Program CHARLES H. BOKLAN KEVIN GREEN Public Relations EUGENE J. BURKE DONALD J. MCGUIRE Welfare JOHN F. STEWART August President s Message As I write this, it seems as though we find ourselves in between heat waves. I hope that everyone had a great and memorable July 4 th celebration with family and friends, and are now readying for the dog days of August. We had two quality events in June Kevin Vaughn s golf trip to Shawnee and Presidents Night at Battery Gardens. Rest assured that your Board has met in July and will do so again in August so that we can bring you a great September Picnic and meetings throughout the fall that you will enjoy. Speaking of the picnic, it is a little known fact that the newest Board member Mike Sweet Spot Sweeney is a nationally ranked Baggo Champion, having competed at the highest Baggo levels since his days at Texas A&M University. There will be an opportunity to take on Mike as well as your fellow NLEA ers this year through Mike s contacts at Baggo Inc., who will be providing all of the equipment necessary to field numerous Baggo teams free of charge due to Mike s role as Baggo Inc. National Ambassador. Great job, Mike. So enjoy your August, and I look forward to seeing as many familiar faces in September, along with some new ones, so make it your business to bring someone along to introduce them to the organization. Once they come and enjoy the day, the people and the stories, they will be as hooked as we are. *For those of you who don t know, Baggo is a bean bag toss game. Pictured above is Mike s Baggo Board he used at Texas A&M University. * Deceased

2 Summer Picnic The Annual Summer Picnic will be held this year on Friday, September 13 th at Alley Pond Park, and it promises to be quite a day. This event is always well attended, and is the perfect way to open the NLEA event season while taking advantage of the normally great September weather. There will be plenty of great food, as we are bringing back the caterer we had last year. Those who were in attendance last September know what we are talking about! Don t forget to loosen up your arms, as Kevin mentioned earlier, Mike Sweeney, our Sergeant-at-Arms, will be taking on all challengers in Baggo. And, of course, we will be providing our signature item, chilled lobsters to all members who prepay for the event. Please see the attached flier at the end of the newsletter for more details. Hope to see you there. * Alley Pond Park, Queens President s Night On June 11 th we held the President s Night Dinner at Battery Gardens Restaurant. The event was well attended, as friends gathered to honor the organization s Past Presidents, and to commemorate the start of summer. During the evening, outgoing President Al Becker was recognized for his outstanding service, and was presented with a plaque by our new President, Kevin Perham. For the second year in a row, we were forced to hold the event indoors, as the weather forecast called for showers. However, unlike last year when we were greeted by drenching down pours, the weather held out. By the end of the evening, many in attendance took the party outside to the outdoor patio, where cordials and cigars were the order of the day. Of course, the view of New York Harbor and Lady Liberty at sunset was a beautiful and inspiring sight, as some of us contemplated her 127 th Birthday. It really was a nice way to start the summer season. The Board would like to thank all who stopped by to help make the event such a joyous occasion. All-in-all, ten Past Presidents of the NLEA were in attendance, and they were so recognized by being called to the podium during current President Kevin Perham s commencement speech (see the photo below). The Board would like to thank the Battery Gardens Restaurant staff for their outstanding food and service. Let s hope next year we have a typical, sunny June day so we can have an outdoor barbeque. 2

3 *View from Battery Gardens Dining Room, showing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in the background *Current President Kevin Perham provides outgoing President Al Becker with the NLEA s Oustanding Service Award. 3

4 *Kevin Perham with the Ten Past Presidents in attendance. From left to right: John Fox (2010), John Reilly (2006), Donald Kasten (2000), Jack McCann (2002), Joe Gannon (1992), Rocco Minardi (1991), Donald McGuire (1987), Al Becker (2012), Ed Cuebas (2008), Joe Galligan (2001) Nicholas Finelli Condolences The NLEA regrets to announce the passing of Police Officer Nicholas Finelli. For the past two years, Nick had been battling with a cancer related to the World Trade Center attack of September 11, Nick succumbed to his illness on June 8 th of this year. Nick was 60 years old at the time of his passing. Nick proudly served in the United States Army from 1975 through 1978, and worked in the 43 rd Precinct for over thirty years at the time of his passing. Nick was a dear friend of longtime member John Valles. The NLEA sends our condolences to Nick s family and friends. 4

5 *Nick posing with John Valles (left) and NYPD Police Commissioner, the Honorable Raymond W. Kelly. As pictured, Nick is wearing the Metropolitan Police Uniform from the 1870's, at the Cypress Hills Memorial Ceremony. Best of Luck The NLEA Board would like to wish longtime member Bob Creighton the best of luck in his pursuit of the Office of Supervisor for the Town of Smithtown. Bob is an extraordinarily accomplished individual. Bob has been a Councilman for the Town of Smithtown since Bob is a former Police Commissioner for the Suffolk County Police Department, as well as a former Chief Investigator for the Suffolk County DA s Office. He has held various management positions in the private sector for companies such as American Express and Visa International, and served as an Adjunct Professor at several local universities, and also ran his own security company. Bob resides in Kings Park with his wife of 54 years, Geraldine. They have five children and nine grandchildren. Good luck in November, Bob! 5

6 Troopers Announce Upcoming Examination New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D Amico announced an entrance exam for the New York State Police. Exams are scheduled for October 5, October 12, October 19 and October 26, 2013, and will be offered at several convenient locations around the state. Several technology improvements have been added to the application process for Applicants can now use PayPal to pay for the application fee in addition to Visa or MasterCard. The application has also been optimized for mobile devices such that anyone who wishes to use their phone or other portable device will find the process user friendly. To help reduce paper and mailing costs, applicants with military service can now upload their supporting documents as PDF or scanned images directly into their application. Lastly, applicants that provide an address will receive confirmation of their application submission. Notifications will also be sent when updates - such as changing a testing location or date - are made to their on-line application. Opportunities within the State Police include training and potential membership in specialized units, as well as opportunities for advancement through the State Police ranks. Some of the specialized areas of expertise include positions such as: Crime Scene Evidence Technicians; Field Training Officers; K-9 Handlers; Firearms Instructors and Motor Vehicle Collision Reconstructionist. Troopers are also eligible for assignments to specialized details and units including: the Aviation unit; the SCUBA Team; the Special Operations Response Team, the Gun Investigation Unit; the Community Narcotics Enforcement Team; and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit. Troopers may also pursue assignments as investigators in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation or in a variety of other specialized units. Currently, a Trooper s starting salary is $50,374 during Academy training. Upon Academy graduation, the salary increases to $66,905, and after one year to $71,261, with additional salary steps during the first five years of service. After 5 years, a Trooper s salary increases to $84,739, with additional longevity payments through 25 years of service. Additional location compensation is provided for troopers assigned to NYC, Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. Those who have friends and family members interested in becoming a Trooper can inform them to apply on-line at: On-line applications must be submitted by 2400 hours on September 8, Results from the examination will establish an eligibility list that may remain in effect for a maximum of four years. Applicants must be 20 years old by September 8, 2013 and not have reached their 30 th birthday to be eligible to take the exam. Candidates must be at least 21 years old and not have reached their 36 th birthday to be appointed. For a list of other requirements, please visit the website provided above. 6