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CommunityCommunity shows appreciation
County declares May 13 as ‘Peace Officers’ Memorial Day’
Friday, May 16, 2008
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
Calvert County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Clas and his fellow law enforcement officers stand at attention for the National Anthem Tuesday to open the Law Enforcement Memorial and Appreciation Ceremony at the Calvert Pines Senior Center.
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State’s Attorney Laura Martin, the guest speaker, said she was ‘‘extremely honored” to speak to the crowd of both uniformed officers and community members who were assembled to acknowledge and thank the officers for their dedication to serve the community.
‘‘I’ve spent my entire career working for law enforcement officers,” she said. ‘‘I know the hours you keep and your dedication.”
Police officers are heroes, Martin said, and there are a lot of kinds of heroes. Three kinds of heroes come to mind when thinking about law enforcement officers, she said.
First is the super hero, the one that rushes into a dangerous situation when everyone else goes the other way, she said.
‘‘They get recognized and people congratulate them.”
Second, the quiet hero, who comforts a lost child, does patrol checks, educates school children and tediously investigates the smallest case, Martin said.
‘‘The quiet hero makes victims and families feel better about the criminal justice system. I’m grateful for both these heroes,” she said.
And thirdly is the type of hero who never gets an award, who doesn’t wear a uniform, badge or carry a gun. These heroes are the families of the law enforcement officers, the spouses, parents and children, Martin said.
‘‘My husband is in law enforcement,” Martin said, of her spouse who is a federal officer in Washington, D.C., and she recalled the apprehension during Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when she had not heard from her husband for 18 hours.
‘‘You hope and pray and wait until you get a phone call learning they are OK.”
The third hero, the family, is so important, as their support and love allow officers to do their jobs day in and day out, Martin said.
‘‘Calvert County is a beautiful place mostly because of the job you guys do,” she said acknowledging the officers in the audience. ‘‘Take pride in that.”
President of Calvert County Board of Commissioners Wilson Parran (D) took the stage and said the county would like to thank and recognize all four organizations that protect its land and water.
‘‘We appreciate all the families and all the sacrifices they make,” he said.
Parran read a proclamation making May 13 ‘‘Peace Officers’ Memorial Day” in Calvert County in honor of federal, state and local officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
The four leaders of the agencies accepted the proclamations on behalf of their officers; Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Mike Evans, Maryland Natural Resources Police Lt. Col. Alfonso Hawkins, Maryland State Police Prince Frederick barrack Lt. Homer Rich and Office of the State Fire Marshal Southern Region Deputy Duane Svites.
The master of ceremonies, Brian Davis, coordinator of the Calvert Juvenile Drug Court, smoothly paced the program introducing guests and performers while adding footnotes.
Calvert High School’s Jazz Ensemble, conducted by Patricia Fraley, performed before the ceremony began, and highlighted the ceremony with ‘‘Sunny Side of the Street” as senior Hanna Berens professionally crooned the crowd.
Sunderland Elementary School students also thanked the police officers with a PowerPoint slide presentation and personal remarks. Pictures of officers flashed before the screen to a chorus with lyrics saying ‘‘I’m a Man of My Conviction,” a Toby Keith song.
Fifth-grader Brianna Courchene said the students were there to honor and thank police officers for being dedicated members of public service. She titled her speech, ‘‘Respect for Law” and listed many duties the officers perform. She said she is grateful to them for their service.
Fourth-grader Marc Hood said, ‘‘Police officers are the greatest heroes in the world.” Hood, who said his dad was a police officer in Washington, D.C., said police officers have dangerous jobs and they deserve respect.
‘‘Police officers keep us safe from all kinds of dangers,” fourth-grader Brendan White said. His father was also a police officer and he thanked him and all the officers, and then added, ‘‘But sorry, dad, I still want to be a hockey player.”
Third-grader Julia Gray thanked all the police officers for keeping everyone safe, adding they are so important. ‘‘They protect me and the country,” she said.
Two Calvert High School seniors studying criminal justice, Mary Biscoe and Mitch Cook, acknowledged and thanked officers present and those who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Police officers perform their job every day unselfishly and are a great help and service to the community, Cook said. ‘‘They serve us and put someone else’s safety in front of their own.”
Cook said he has ‘‘wanted to be in law enforcement ever since [he] was a little kid.”
Police officers are the backbone of law enforcement, Biscoe said. Biscoe, who will attend Frostburg State University in the fall as a pre-law major, said people see police officers every day, but they don’t take the time to thank them. ‘‘Take time to thank a police officer,” she said.
Evans took the stage afterwards to pray the Policeman’s Prayer, but first said he wanted to reiterate what Martin said about families supporting police officers.
Evans acknowledged several families with more than one member serving on the force. He acknowledged brothers on the force; Rick and Brian McCourt, Craig and Joe Kontra, Matt and Chris McDonough and the father⁄son pair of Gene and Glen Libby.
Two husband⁄wife teams also serve the sheriff’s office, Todd and Shirley Ireland and Roscoe and Jess Jones, he said.
Evans added that his wife has himself and two sons serving the sheriff’s office.
‘‘I thank everybody who supports someone in law enforcement.”
Before giving the benediction, sheriff’s office Chaplin Dave Mohler reminded the audience that May 15 is National Law Enforcement Memorial Day, a day to remember all those who have sacrificed for their community.
‘‘Thank you for the nation’s heroes, heroes in this room and heroes in the wings,” said Mohler, concluding the formal ceremony and saying a blessing for the luncheon.
