DARE programs recognized

---

    President's Message

At our next meeting on Monday August 10th, we will hold our bi-annual elections.  I have asked Vice President Tom Carton to step up and take my place as President.  I will remain on the board as Past President and Founder of the Lodge.  Tom Carton has the same goals for this lodge as I do, remembering our fallen heroes and rewarding officers who live or work in the area who do a good job. Since the lodge has started, we have rewarded 28 officers for making a difference in their communities. In February, we presented a plaque to Major Martin and the members of Troop F in memory of Trooper Nathaniel Burroughs who gave his life protecting a motorist on Route 17.  That plaque was placed in the lobby of Troop F headquarters in Middletown so Trooper Burroughs' sacrifice will never be forgotten.  We became incorporated as a not for profit lodge with the help of our attorney Richard Liberth.  In March, we entered our first parade - the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Cornwall.  Close to twenty departments came out to show their support and were treated to breakfast and refreshments by the lodge. In May we had lodge jackets made up and we went to Hicksville to remember those officers who gave their lives in the line of duty, who included Trooper Nathaniel Burroughs and Patrolman Jason Conklin for whom our lodge is dedicated.  We placed wreaths also at the Rockland ceremony.  Thanks to Elisa Hirth we now have a webpage and email address.  The lodge has property which has been purchased or donated which will be inventoried by our Trustees.

---

     THE GOLF OUTING

The first annual Jason D. Conklin Golf Outing was held July 13th at the Stony Ford Golf Course in Montgomery. The Fraternal Order of Police were on hand to assist the family for this memorable event which was sold out. The Conklin family did an outstanding job and a good time was had by all. Senator Bill Larkin came and offered his support for future events. Vice President Ton Carton made arrangements with West Point for cannons and with the State Police for a helicopter.

 

     DARE PROGRAMS RECOGNIZED

The Monroe-Woodbury DARE program has received recognition at a meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge in Monroe. The Lodge honored Village of Monroe Officer Robert Compasso and Detective Marc Miller, as well as Town of Woodbury officers Richard Campora and Warren Decker.  All four officers teach the DARE drug and alcohol resistance program to students in the Monroe-Woodbury School District. According to Compasso, more than 5,000 Monroe-Woodbury students in grades 6, 7, and 8 haev graduated from the DARE program in the past five years. Compasso explained that the program is not a scare-tactic program, but rather one that teaches children to resist peer and media pressure. In addition to receiving plaques from the FOP, the four officers also received citations from State Senator Bill Larkin, who was on hand to discuss a bill his is trying to pass that would require mandatory fingerprinting of all school employees. Larkin said the bill has been passed in the State Senate, btu it meeting resistance in the House due to beliefs that the bill will infringe on people's rights. Larkin pointed out that if fingerprinting is mandatory for all law enforcement officers, the same should apply to school employees. Following the award presentation, members of the Conklin family presented a $2400 Jason D. Conklin Memorial Scholarship Fund check to Town of Plattekill Officer Steven Annacone, who recently completed the Rockland County Police Academy. The scholarship was the third awarded this year in memory of Tuxedo Park Police Officer Jason Conklin, who was killed in the line ofduty last summer.

---

return to top