LG-MSPD recognizes those who give beyond duty's call
The Rotary Club sponsors annual police dinner
By Leigh Ann Maze
The good deeds of citizens, business owners, volunteers and police officers in Los Gatos were recognized at the 11th annual Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Recognition Dinner on May 19. Police officers and community members enjoyed dinner and an awards ceremony at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos sponsored by the Los Gatos Rotary Club.
Certificates of appreciation went to Barry Paiga and the Shipley family, citizens who went above and beyond to assist the LG-MSPD.
Paiga, a citizen and volunteer, spends hundreds of hours directing the cast and crew at bi-weekly tapings of the LG-MSPD Police Connection television show. Aside from directing, Paiga edits and produces the finished 30-minute show.
Dennis, Patricia and Kyle Shipley saw some criminal activity first-hand on June 22, 1999, when they observed a man nearly get hit by a car as he ran across Los Gatos Boulevard from the Saratoga National Bank. Believing the man may have been involved in a bank robbery, the Shipleys followed, and when the man got into a white Honda and drove away, they took down the license plate number.
Upon returning to the bank, the Shipleys found that there had in fact been a robbery. The suspects were later apprehended by the LG-MSPD because of the information the Shipley family provided.
A handful of local businesses also receiving certificates of appreciation from the LG-MSPD were Mountain Mike's Pizza, Green Valley Disposal, Collector's Corner and CB Hannegan's. Many of the businesses were commended for their donations to the LG-MSPD's weeklong annual Haunted Forest crime-prevention event. Each year, Mountain Mike's purchases the 3,000 event programs and Green Valley Disposal purchases the 3,000 trick-or-treat bags for the event.
For the past two years Collector's Corner owners Mike Wasserman and Tim Thompson have volunteered to sell train and carousel tickets for the Haunted Forest seven days per week through the month of October. C.B. Hannegan's keeps the more than 150 volunteers at the event happy each year by donating hot gourmet meals.
Also commended for donating their time to the LG-MSPD were San Jose Sharks hockey player Ron Sutter, retired LG-MSPD Sgt. Dirk Parsons, attorney Rusty Rinehart and Volunteers in Policing participant Colleen Murphy and Homer Stennes.
Working closely with the LG-MSPD, Sutter has volunteered his time to coordinate the "Gifts for Guns" crime-prevention program each December for the last three years. The program, co-sponsored by the San Jose Sharks and the Santa Clara County Police Chiefs, has collected several hundred firearms for destruction.
Recently retired Sgt. Dirk Parsons was recognized for more than 20 years of service with the LG-MSPD. Parsons was not only recognized for the many positions he has held in the department, including community service agent, police officer and patrol sergeant, but also for providing his voice and public-speaking talents to the police department. Parsons speaks at many awards banquets, retirement functions, in crime-prevention spots for the Community Services Bureau and recently as co-anchor for the Cable TV show Police Connection.
Volunteering his time behind the scenes at the LG-MSPD, attorney Rusty Rinehart prepared all of the legal documents for the Los Gatos Police Foundation and helped the organization apply for its tax-exempt status. The LGPF provides funding for community programs and equipment and training for law enforcement, and puts on the annual Haunted Forest event.
Volunteers in Policing participants Colleen Murphy and Homer Stennes discovered a major gas leak while on a routine house check in Monte Sereno, while the owners were away on vacation. The leak could have caused a destructive explosion had it not been discovered.
Certificates of commendation also went to dispatcher Mark Wormley and Sgt. Theron McCarty.
On top of his full-time dispatching duties, Wormley volunteered to research and coordinate the laborious redesign of the department's communication center. The longtime Los Gatos resident has 20 years of experience in the communications field.
Sgt. McCarty, who has served 21 years with the LG-MSPD, was commended for helping his co-workers communicate their personal or professional problems through PEER Support Counseling. The program, which McCarty developed and implemented, provides a confidential environment for personnel to resolve problems constructively and professionally.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
