Hot Sheet Jun 2016
the Hot Sheet
Washington State Retired Deputy Sheriffs and Police Officers Association
P.O. Box 1805, Sumner, WA 98390
Website: www.wsrdspoa.org
June – August 2016
President
Mike Clements, Richland P.D.
Vice Presidents
West: Ralph Waddle, King Co S.O.
East: Don McCabe, Spokane Co S.O.
Secretary
Stan Reider, Lincoln Co S.O.
Treasurer
Tina Waddle, King Co S.O.
Executive Board
West Side Members At Large: Ron Johnston, Tukwila P.D.; Doug Partlow, Tukwila P.D.;
Mike Chaney, Des Moines P.D.
East Side Members At Large: Diane Erickson, Spokane; Dennis Hooper, Spokane P.D.;
Felix Ramon, Grant Co. S.O.
Meeting Schedules
Puget Sound Area 2nd Tuesday of the Month
Black Bear Restaurant
32065 Pacific Hwy S.
Federal Way, WA
11:00 AM
Spokane County
Retired Sheriff Deputies, Employees and Spouses Association
1st Monday of the Month at 11:30AM
Darcy’s Restaurant
10502 E Sprague Ave.
Spokane Valley, WA
WSRDSPOA ANNUAL CONVENTION
September 15 -17 2016
Kennewick, WA
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Hello, fellow W.S.R.D.S.P.O.A. members,
I know most of us are aware of the effort to merge the Teachers retirement system with the LEOFF1 system.
There have been some comments about signing off on an agreement to partially let some of the excess go in order to prevent further runs via the legislature to take some of the overage go to the teachers pension.
It is my suspicion that any such move might open LEOFF 1 I can assure you, we shouldn’t even consider such a move unless we have fully investigated the ramifications.
I do have a legal opinion that seriously disputes the legality of any changes to the existing LEOFF1 pension law.
Make no mistake the State of Washington legislature will make a similar effort this coming year.
Sincerely,
Mike Clements
President
Thank You
Kim Bruce, Executive Assistant to Behind the Badge Foundation, sent a nice thank you letter to Mike Clements, our WSRDSPOA president. Our association made a generous donation of $500 to Behind the Badge Foundation.
The Medical Corner
Gerry Drake submitted the following article. It is published here for your information. As Gerry says, he is not a doctor, if you have any medical problems make sure to see your doctor to get a proper diagnosis.
Hydrocephalus
You’ve heard the word, likely recognize it is a medical malady, but…. ??
Doubtful you know or have known anyone who suffers from it? Now you do. Me!!
*** I am not a medical professional by any stretch, and emphasize that if you have any symptoms mentioned here, see your doctor and inquire about Hydrocephalus.
My diagnosis was a matter of my GP putting together several seemingly unrelated maladies we have been addressing, and ordering up an MRI/MRA of my brain. Best hour in a tube I ever spent. The key factor discovered was the ventricles (areas in and around the brain filled with CSF-cerebrospinal fluid) were dilated, or enlarged. Excess CSF. Pressure on the brain. He then referred me to a neurosurgeon who read the images, evaluated several of my symptoms, and scheduled my surgery (March 22nd, 2016).
The Surgery:
Cut a nickel size hole in the top rear ‘corner’ of my skull, insert a small tube between lobes, about 2-1/4” into the center (liquid core). A small diaphragm valve connects that tube to another that is snaked under my skin, down past the ear, ultimately to a hole they cut in my belly. It goes into the open area of my abdomen and goes drip, drip, drip. The 4 psi valve is small, and just outside my cranium. This is a permanent implant. Couple nights in the hospital, and I am home. Several symptoms are either gone or decidedly abated. This drain is called a shunt.
The Symptoms: (details in my particular case)
Headache – chronic low level, running from ear to via across the base of my skull.
Nausea – not severe, but prevalent on standing or laying down.
Light-headed – on standing, laying down or turning abruptly.
Blurry vision – not often, but a loss of focus, perhaps for 15 minutes, then okay. Twice a week +/- ?
Diabetes or pre-diabetes – Often goes away after surgery
Bladder control problems – urgency and dribbling on occasion. Bowel urgency, though rarely.
Thinking and memory problems – Having always been ‘the memory guy,’ my perceived memory loss caused us to consult a neurologist 6 months ago. No early onset Alzheimer’s or similar dementia. Okay.
This is oft the last to reverse, or doesn’t.
Walking and gait – Over the past several years, having had 2 knees and a hip replaced, I attributed my unsteadiness and side to side sway to those and age. I am 71 and a good 100# heavier than my doctors want.
Back pain, balance – For 5 years or more, the small of my back, all my waking hours, has felt like I just spent hours digging ditches. Standing at retirement parties and dinner gatherings has been impossible for more than a minute or three. Walking any time/distance was impossible unless draped over a cart at the grocery store. Then, not even comfortable. Now, 30 minutes in one spot, no problem.
The back pain, that I have found as yet, is not listed as a symptom, but mine has seemingly disappeared. As the CSF not only surrounds your brain, but fills your spinal column, it seems that it too has been dilated, swelling against vertebrae, getting pinched, thus pain. I will discuss this with the neurosurgeon.
Post-surgery, in many ways related to my symptoms, I feel 10 years younger, after 2 weeks.
Now, knowing a bit more (compared to nothing) about Hydrocephalus including that it oft appears around 60 or 70, we are certain my father was an undiagnosed victim of it for at least the last 7 or 8, if not more, years of his life. He had several of these seemingly unrelated symptoms. NPH, normal(?) pressure hydrocephalus.
Think about yourself, family and friends. Diagnosed, it can be reversed.
Misdiagnosed or not putting together the several symptoms can lead to missing it.
Probably the best description I have found is at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hydrocephalus.html
Notice: they say that if left untreated, it is usually fatal. FATAL!!
Another link worth reading. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hydrocephalus/detail_hydrocephalus.htm
** Once again, I have no medical training, consult your doctor **
Gerry Drake
Ed. note: The following article was published by FoxNews.com May 09, 2016. It shows where we are headed in this country with our political correctness.
DOJ to Nix ‘Felon,’ ‘Convict’ Terms Deemed Stigmatizing
By Cody Derespina Published May 09, 2016 FoxNews.com
A Justice Department division will no longer refer to people released from prison as “felons” or “convicts” because of the stigmatizing effects of the terms, an agency official announced in a Washington Post editorial Wednesday.
Instead, Assistant Attorney General Karol Mason said the “disparaging labels” will be replaced by “person who committed a crime” or “individual who was incarcerated.” The new lexicon is set to be utilized in “speeches, solicitations, website content and social media posts” emanating from the Office of Justice Programs.
“I have come to believe that we have a responsibility to reduce not only the physical but also the psychological barriers to reintegration,” Mason wrote. “The labels we affix to those who have served time can drain their sense of self-worth and perpetuate a cycle of crime, the very thing re-entry programs are designed to prevent.”
OJP is responsible for research and development efforts to fight crime, but takes no direct law enforcement actions. The agency also works with state and local authorities.
But not everyone is on board with the shift in vernacular.
- Christian Adams, an attorney and ex-DOJ official, said the move is the latest attempt by the Obama administration “to destigmatize the most abhorrent behavior.” Referring to ex-cons as “felons” is a good thing, Adams told FoxNews.com.
“It helps people make important decisions about hiring, about renting, about associating with people who have shown a proclivity to break the law,” he said. “Shame is not a bad thing. It’s helped civilization rise. And people who cannot be trusted, who have committed violent crimes in the past, there’s nothing wrong with calling them exactly what they are – and that is felons.” Mason, who has headed OJP since 2013, wrote the editorial on the heels of National Re-entry Week, last week’s attempt to bring attention to the plight of those recently released from prison. A set of measures to make it easier for ex-cons to obtain state IDs once released from jail was announced in April as part of the initiatives.
The American Bar Association documented nearly 50,000 “collateral consequences of criminal convictions” during a four-year period, Mason wrote, citing penalties such as employment and voting issues that plague ex-prisoners years after they’ve been released. Experts believe that number may be low, given that local ordinances also often present barriers for ex-cons to gaining employment.
“Our words have power,” Mason wrote. “They shape and color our estimations and judgments. They can build up or tear down.”
The OJP move is certainly not the first time officials have tried to rebrand convicts in an attempt to make their return to civilian life easier. In October 2013, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter proposed amending the city code to replace “ex-offender” with “returning citizen.” He had already issued an executive order making the language swap mandatory for city employees.
Adams said it may be easy to shift the recent tide of softening language if a leader with “courage” is in place. But he’s not necessarily optimistic about the prospects.
“In the past this has been a one way ratchet, that every time these attempts to delegitimize American society are put in place, nobody has the courage to reverse them,” he said. “They don’t want to be criticized.”
Change in WACOPS
The following letter is from Craig Buckley, WACOPS President. It is being reprinted here for your information.
Dear WACOPS members,
It is with mixed emotions that I write to you to report that our Executive Director Jamie Daniels is stepping down. She has accepted a position serving as District Director for Congressman Dan Newhouse of the 4th Congressional District.
Jamie has lead and guided our organization for the past nine years. With Jamie’s wisdom, this organization has grown and done some amazing things. She helped developed the Government Relations Committee, as well as the Labor Defense Group (LDG). These programs have provided many benefits for our members.
Through the use of strategic planning, Jamie has kept WACOPS on track and moving forward. Her ability to build and maintain great relationships with legislators, on both sides of the aisle, has given WACOPS the ability to have great success in the legislature. Jamie has a fantastic strategic mind and has provided us with advice that has allowed WACOPS to be the premier law enforcement voice in Olympia.
As you all know working with cops can be challenging, Jamie has been able to adapt and learned to speak “Cop Talk.” She has been a great resource for our members and has been there in times of need. Jamie has also developed a strong staff that has helped WACOPS accomplish our goals.
With Jamie’s proven record working at the state level, there is no doubt she will experience success at the Congressional level. I wish Jamie all the best on her new endeavor! Jamie’s last day with us will be April 1 so please take the time to call, email, or stop by the office to congratulate her.
As we move forward we will begin a selection process to find our next Executive Director. I have asked Dennis James (Bellingham PD), Neil Martin (Vancouver PD), Chris Tracy and Darell Stidham to join me on the selection committee. We will begin this process right away and we are looking for input from you. The job announcement will be out shortly. If you happened to know someone who you think could fill the position please reach out to me or another WACOPS Board member. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or email.
With Regards,
Craig Bulkley
WACOPS President
Exercise Your Rights
Ladies and Gentlemen as you well know this is an election year with many local and national offices and issues coming up to a vote. Please, if you have not registered to vote, please do so soon. Make sure that you are informed on all the issues and candidates so you can make an informed decision.
On the state level, your vote could mean the difference between having our pensions stolen or not. Our newsletter will do its best to keep you informed on what is going on with issues dear to our hearts as well as where our legislators stand on these issues. This looks like it will be a big year as far as our pensions go. There is a very strong possibility that the legislature will once again look at the LEOFF 1 and TRS 1 merger. Once again we all, both LEOFF 1 and LEOFF 2, need to band together to do what we can to stop this as it starts to work its way through the system.
Your vote does make a difference so make sure to exercise that right.
I Won’t Be That Victim
Author unknown
I stand behind you in line at the store with a smile on my face…and a gun under my shirt and you are none the wiser, yet you are safer for having me next to you. I won’t shoot you. My gun won’t pull its own trigger. It is securely holstered with the trigger covered. It can’t just go off. However, rest assured that if a lunatic walks into the grocery store and pulls out a rifle, I will draw my pistol and protect myself and my family and therefore protect you and your family…. I may get shot before I can pull the trigger…but, I won’t die in a helpless blubbering heap on the floor begging for my life or my child’s life. No, if I die it will be in a pile of spent shell casings. I won’t be that victim. I choose not to be. As for you, I don’t ask you to carry a gun. If you are not comfortable, then please don’t. But I would like to keep my right to choose to not be a helpless victim. There is evil in the world and if evil has a gun, I want one too…
You know you’re a cop when…
- You’ve thrown a recently purchased beverage out the window because you just got a hot call.
- You’re the only person at the party who is introduced to others by your profession.
- You’ve had a cold beer after getting home from work, even though it’s seven in the morning.
- You’ve had pizza (or some other food) delivered to a cordoned-off crime scene.
- You’ve eaten a sandwich next to the coroner, while they’re examining the body on the slab.
- You’ve got a permanent “farmer’s tan” on your left arm.
- You regularly pay the check BEFORE the meal arrives in case you have to leave for a hot call.
- You’ve said to a colleague, “Things with me and my ex-wife / ex-husband are awful right now…” and your partner replied quickly back, “Be more specific. Which one?”
- You’ve heard more than one person say, “You’ve got to believe me. These aren’t my pants.”
- You’ve heard a parent tell a kid, “You’d better behave or that police officer will take you to jail.”
- You’ve brought a new gun to work, showed it off to your colleagues, and you didn’t get fired.
- You’ve knocked on an elderly person’s door — doing a welfare check a half hour before the end of your shift — muttering under your breath, “Don’t be dead, don’t be dead, and don’t be dead.”
- You’ve heard “I only had two beers” from more people than you can count — and every last one of them had way more than just two beers.
- You’ve responded to a citizen claiming to have “had only two beers” by saying, “Yes, the first and the last, but how many beers were in between?” and/or “How big were those two beers?”
- You’ve added the following line of inquiry to your field sobriety tests: “This question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?”
Annual Convention
Don’t forget, the annual convention in Kennewick, make your reservations now. This will be an important event as we vote on the proposed by-law changes. If you don’t RV there are motels in the area available. This is always a great event as it allows us to see folks we haven’t seen since last year, and don’t forget the golf tournament for you golfers. There will be a banquet, general meeting, a luncheon, wine tours, a pot luck dinner and executive board meeting.
2016 Annual Convention
September 15-17, 2016
Columbia Sun RV Resort
103907 Wiser Parkway
Kennewick,WA
855-833-3886 or 509-420-4880
http://columbiasunrvresort.com/
For those without an RV, the resort has one Rental RV that they will setup for you to rent. If you are interested give them a call now before someone else rents it out.
I-82, 5 miles south & west of Kennewick
Full hookups at every site
Free Wi-Fi and Direct TV
Picnic tables
145 total sites on 25 beautiful acres
70 large sites for Big Motor Coaches
When making a reservation, be sure to let the resort know you are attending the annual WSRDSPOA
Convention or “The Old Cops”. Fifty sites have been set aside for our group. That block of sites will be held until July 1st. After that date, the remaining sites will be opened to the public.
WSRDSPOA CONVENTION GOLF
John Beard the Convention Golf Coordinator informs us all that there will be nine holes of tournament golf played this year. This is an effort to attract more participants. For those that wish to play eighteen holes you may continue on after the first nine. If there are not enough members to hold a tournament, players will just enjoy the game. Please contact John at (509) 932-4081 or johnmyra@smwireless.net before Sept.1st for Tee Time and location.
CONVENTION ACCOMMODATIONS
There are accommodations nearby for those not planning to stay in a Recreational Vehicle. In order to receive a group rate from the hotel below, reservations must be made before July 1, 2016. Mention that you are with the WSRDSPOA or “The Old Cops”. Ten rooms have been set aside at the hotel.
Best Western Plus – 4001 W 27th Avenue, Kennewick, WA, 99337, Phone: 509 586-1332
Newsletter
Once again I want to thank those who sent me items for this newsletter. If there is anything you run across that you think might be interesting for us please send it to me and I will try to get it in.
Zbig Kasprzyk
Around the Beat
Welcome to our newest members.
Michael and Debra Janasz – King County Sheriff’s Office – They love to RV, travel, are big Seahawks fans,
Editor’s note: Go Packers!! Mike is a city council member for the town of Skykomish and loves to read.
William and Donna Verran – Yakima Police Dept. – William and Donna love to travel and winter in Arizona.
Gary and Kathryn Fox – Kent Police Dept. – Gary and Kathryn love traveling, boating and fishing.
Buzz and Cindy Yohann – Renton Police Dept.
Jim and Mary Andrews – Toppenish Police Dept.
Douglas Scribner – Tukwila Police Dept. – Doug is back with us after catching up on his dues. Welcome back!
Myron and Cheryl Smith (Bellevue PD) say Hi and thanks to the various associations and what they do for us retired cops.
Trish Berg writes that hubby Lee (King County SO) fell and broke his hip but is doing well with rehab and hopes to be back on the boat and fishing soon.
Bill and Barbara McReynolds (Pierce County SO) say Hi and thanks to the WSRDSPOA folks.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Mike Clements, President: jmclements_1@msn.com or call (509)-521-2974 (C) (509)-545-6199
Ralph Waddle, Vice President West Side: deputyduck2@gmail.com or call (253) 863-9188 (C) (243) 241-0729
Don McCabe,Vice President East Side & Website Administrator: don.mccabe41@gmail.com or call (509) 951-0399
Stan Reider, Secretary: standyr@mail.asisna.com or call (509) 725-3721 (C) 509 721-0765
Tina Waddle, Treasurer: tew1215@hotmail.com or call (253) 863-9188
Ronnie Johnston, West Side Executive Board Member: r7t9@aol.com or call (206) 595-6819
Doug Partlow, West Side Executive Board Member: dougpart@aol.com or call (509) 698-4648
Mike Chaney, West Side Executive Board Member: 6dmike@comcast.net or call (206) 926-0760
Felix Ramon, East Side Executive Board Member: framon2@dishmail.net or call (509) 762-5973
Diane Erickson, East Side Executive Board Member: derickson024@gmail.com or call (509) 255-9156
Dennis Hooper, East Side Executive Board Member: derickson024@gmail.com or call (509) 255-9156
Zbig Kasprzyk, Hot Sheet Editor, zkkasprzyk@gmail.com or call (360 825-2892