Toys for Tots

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This year, BKMO3 partnered with the Hazelwood and Florissant Police Departments collecting unwrapped toys to be donated to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots. Our BKMO3 member Tim Green, an officer with the Florissant Police Department, spearheaded the collection by challenging their neighbor city, Hazelwood, to see who could collect the most toys. The Hazelwood Police Department was by far the most successful, collecting an entire box truckload of toys for donation. On Friday, December 18, members of the two departments, escorted by members of the Blue Knights, caravaned their loads of toys to the Marine Corps drop off point. What an extraordinary effort this was on the part of all the Law Enforcement personnel involved.

Warm Springs Ranch Ride

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Once again, our Road Captain Dave Mills, has put together another great ride!

We are planning another BK MO III destination ride for 2018, and it appears the most interest is in Warm Springs Ranch, home of the Budweiser Clydesdales . They have 1.5 hour tours daily at 10AM and 2PM through the end of October. (This is a walking tour on flat ground.) Several other area MCs have made this ride and it gets great reviews.

Space is limited to 65 persons and the cost is $15 each (children under 2 are free). Reservations are required.

Here is the tentative schedule:

Meet location: Shell station at 5952 MO-94, Weldon Spring, MO 63304 (just NE of I-64)
Kickstands Up: 9:30 AM
Ride duration: 2.5 hours (taking a scenic route out MO-94) (It is 1 hour 40 mins taking I-70)
Lunch Stop: @ 12:00 – location TBD
Arrive Warm Springs: 1:30 PM (25270 State Highway 98, Boonville, MO 65233)
Tour: 2:00-3:30PM
Depart/return on your own

I will likely ask my wife Mary to drive so we have an alternative for any passengers that do not feel like spending 5 hours in the saddle in addition to the tour.

Warm Springs still has 50 slots available for Oct 14, but I am told they typically sell out. We can also consider October 7 or 21 as alternative dates if necessary. For MCs the make an exception to their cancellation policy and allow cancellations 48 hours in advance if we decide to waive off due to weather.

We’ve done several “destination” or “event” rides in the last year and they have been a great time. You get to hang out with your fellow BKs in a way that club meetings and lunch rides just don’t let you do. So come hang out and check out some of the most awesome horses in the world!

Since reservations are required, I’ll need a headcount. An advance payment may also be necessary.

Please respond to this email by Friday, September 21 if you intend to join in, and let me how many persons. I will confirm plans with everyone who responds before making reservations.

RWP!

Dave Mills
MO III RC

Spring 2019 MWRC

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The St. Louis Metro Chapter of the Blue Knights Missouri III proudly hosted the Mid-West Regional Conference June 6 – June 9, 2019. The MWRC covers the geographical area of eight Midwest states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota) and Manitoba Canada.

There were approximately 200 in attendance representing 37 chapters from 17 states. Chapters represented at the conference were Arizona VI, Arkansas II, Florida XVIII, Illinois 1, Illinois V, Illinois XI, Illinois XII, Illinois XIX, Illinois XX, Illinois XXVI, Indiana III, Iowa I, Iowa III, Iowa VI, Louisiana IX, Kansas I, Kansas III, Kansas V, Minnesota I, Minnesota II, Minnesota IV, Minnesota V, Minnesota IX, Missouri I, Missouri III, Missouri X, Nebraska I, Nebraska II, Ohio, X, Oklahoma I, Oklahoma II, Pennsylvania X, Texas XXXI, Virginia V, Virginia XIII, Wisconsin V and Wisconsin VI.

BKMO3 president Doug Casteel said, “The members of MO III pulled together to make sure all of our guests had a good time.  We fed them well and had several guided tours of the area roads that many riders raved about.  When the riding was done we made sure they had plenty of beverages with a DJ each night…Ride with Pride!”

Thank you to all who made this conference possible and a huge success.

Road Rules

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1. Ride in a precise formation as road conditions permit.
2. Execute signs and turns properly.
3. Do not fool around. No horseplay when riding with the group. Any member observing another member fooling around in formation should discuss it with that member and attempt to clear up the situation. If it should persist, bring it to the attention of the Road Captain (R/C) or one of the Assistants.
4. Riding Positions:
a) While on any run, the R/C or his assistant will ride in front. The President may rid along side or just behind the R/C depending on the formation in use. In the absence of the R/C and/or the assistants, who ever the R/C or President appoints will ride point.
b) The assistant R/C will ride at the rear unless otherwise directed by the R/C.The assistant will be responsible for holding lane open while making a lane change. He will also assist any member who may break down or fall behind. The R/Cs will operate as a team and watch for problems within the group. Watching for all signals and seeing the need for changes are major parts of the assistant R/Cs job.
c) Line up for a ride as follows: R/C, President, full color wearing members, followed by Sgt-at-Arms, prospective members and non-members. Bringing up the rear, the assistant R/C and the Tail gunner. Once you are in a position, keep it for the remainder of the ride.
d)The R/C will give instructions to all riders prior to the start of a ride. This will include, if known, the name, address, and phone number of the destination. When you arrive at the destination point, check in with the R/C.
e) Each member shall make it his business to know the route to be taken.
5. Use common sense at all times:
a) Anticipate your next move as well as those of the group.
b) We are all aware of the proper safety procedures and the need for them. Let us exercise caution at all times and obey all traffic regulations.
c) With regard to remaining alert, as one of a group, you must remember that the R/C from time to time will be giving a hand signal to execute a maneuver (pass slow moving vehicle, make a turn, etc.) He will be taking into consideration the size of the group and the distance necessary to get the club from one lane to another safely. Each member’s assistance in executing the maneuver safely and smoothly will be of great help. Rear R/C(s) will help the group by getting out into the lane following the forward R/C’s signal. By doing this he will help secure the chance to execute the maneuver freely and safely. Stay in position during any lane change or direction maneuver.
6. Leaving the Group: If stopped, let your intentions be known to the R/C or his assistant(s). The convoy will be pulled into the nearest and safest rest area. The R/C will then decide when to get the group on its way as soon as possible and make arrangements to have the stopped rider and his bike taken care of, if necessary.
7. Gas Stops: Get to know your machine’s cruising range with regard to gas. Running out of gas or making gas stops with large groups is time consuming. Therefore everyone will arrive for the rides with a full tank of gas and will top off their tank at every gas stop, no matter how small the amount. This will avoid staggered gas stops and possibly save time.
8. Bike Maintenance: Maintain it carefully, this is considered a must. One person failing to check for loose wires, shorts, dead batteries, worn tires or worn chains/belts can take away from the pleasure of the club ride.
9. Wearing Apparel: It is strongly urged that on club rides each member wear his club colors. He/She should also wear the proper clothing when riding. Helmets are preferred. Strict adherence to these guidelines will provide for a long, successful and safe riding season.

Names

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Blake Snyder Collage

This post is copied from it’s original site at corleyfoto.wordpress.com where I participate in a weekly photo challenge. The photo of this week’s challenge was Names.

Names. Those etched in stone, those etched in our hearts. One name of many: Blake Snyder. Husband, father, son, brother, officer, friend.

The year 2016 saw a 56 percent increase in law enforcement gun deaths from 36 deaths in 2015 to 64 deaths in 2016. Each and every one of those officers, along with 76 other officers who lost their lives in 2016 while performing their duties, are memorialized on the Officer Down Memorial page as well as in the hearts and minds of those of us in the “blue” community. Whether we are active law enforcement, retired law enforcement, or the parent, spouse, child or friend of someone in law enforcement, the impact of these deaths are crushingly the same.

Metropolitan St. Louis had to face this tragedy when St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder was shot and killed in the line of duty on Thursday, October 6, 2016. Metropolitan St. Louis had endured other officer involved tragedies in 2016 with one officer shot and paralyzed and another officer partially paralyzed in a traffic crash, but the shooting death of Officer Snyder drove home the fear that lurks just beyond the surface for those of us in the “thin blue line”.

By all accounts, Officer Snyder was the epitome of what a law enforcement officer should be. He was a husband to a woman he adored and a father to a two year old son who was the light of his life. He was active in his church and spent many hours coaching soccer, a game he loved and played for many years. Quotes from different sites describe Officer Snyder as “faithful, reliable, and a man of great character (Pastor Stern, Destiny Church)” , “…always happy when he was helping or serving others (Wesley Strowmatt, lifelong friend)”, “highly talented and creative graphic artist…an individual who gets the job done right the first time…responsible person…committed to task on hand (Linkedin)”. Officer Snyder came to law enforcement at the relatively late age of 28 after graduating from Rank Jordan Technical College. He met his wife through his church where he was employed in graphic design and her father had been a St. Louis County police officer prior to his death from cancer. Her brother is also a member of the St. Louis County Police Department.

Blake Snyder was the type of man we all want our sons to be like. We want our daughters to marry a man like him and we want our fellow police officers, those who have our “Six” to be like him too. The name Blake Snyder won’t soon be forgotten.

So, what’s in a name? Here are 140 names, lost in the line of duty in 2016.

Cpl. Harvey Snook, III, Arlington Co. VA;
PO Thomas W. Cottrell, Jr. Danville PD, OH;
PO Douglas S. Barney, III, Unified PD of Greater Salt Lake, UT;
Corr. Officer Adam Conrad, Marion Co SO, IL;
SA Scott McGuire, US Dept Homeland Security;
Sgt. Jason Goodding, Seaside PD, OR;
Dep. Derek Geer, Mesa Co SO, CO;
Dep. Scott Ballantyne, Tulare Co SO, CA;
Sr. Dept. Mark F. Logsdon, Harford Co SO, MD;
Sr. Dep. Patrick B. Daily, Harford Co SO, MD;
Maj. Gregory E. Barney, Riverdale PD, GA;
PO Jason Moszer, Fargo PD, ND;
SA Lee Tartt, Miss. Dpt. Public Safety, MS;
Cp. Nate Carrigan, Park Co. SO, CO;
Off. Ashley Guindon, Prince William Co, PD, VA;
Dep. Travis Russell, Las Animas Co SO, CO;
Off. David Hofer, Euless PD, TX;
Off.Scot Fitzgerald, South Jasksonville PD, IL;
Trooper Sean E. Cullen NJ State Police NJ;
Dep. John Robert Kotfila, Jr., Hillsboroough Co SO, FL;
Off. Nathan Taylor, California Highway Patrol;
Officer Jacai D. Colson, Prince George’s Co PD, MD;
Off. David Ortiz, El Paso PD, TX;
Sgt. Joseph G. Portaro WV State Police, WV;
Trooper Thomas L. Clardy, Mass. State Police;
Officer Allen Lee Jacobs, Greenville PD, SC;
Dep. Carl A. Koontz, Howard Co SO, IN;
Off. Susan Farrell, Des Moines PD;
Off. Carlos Puente-Morales, Des Moines PD;
Trooper Jeffrey Nichols, Texas Dept. Pub Safety;
Trooper Chad Phillip Dermyer, Virginia State PD;
Off. Steve M. Smith, Columbus Div of Police, OH;
Border Patrol Agent Jose Daniel Barraza, Homeland Security, Border Patrol;
Sgt. Jorge Ramos, FL Dept of Corrections;
Inv. Anthony “TJ” Freeman, Bibb Co SP, GA;
Det. Brad D. Lancaster, KCPD, KS;
Off. David Van Glasser, Phoenix, PD;
Off. Ean R. Johnson, Hilliard Div of Police, OH;
Off. Ronald Tarentino Jr, Auburn PD, MA;
Dep. Michael A. Winter, Branch Co SO. MI;
Sgt. Derrick Mingo, Winnsboro PD, LA;
Sgt. Verdell Smith, Sr., Memphis PD;
Off. Narasha Hunter New Orleans PD;
Deportation Off. Brian Beliso, Homeland Security;
Officer Endy Niddiobong Ekpanya, Pearland PD, TX;
Off. Michael J. Katherman, San Jose PD;
Off. Zachary Larnerd, Gainesboro PD, TN;
Sgt. Stacey A. Baumgarner, Patton Village PD,TX;
Dep. David F. Michel, Jr., Jefferson Parish SO, LA;
Dep. Martin Tase Sturgill, II, Humphreys CoSO. TN;
Sgt. David Elahi, Sterlington PD, LA;
Dep. Paul Clark, St. Francois Co SO, MO;
Off. Calvin “Mark” McCullers, Southern Methodist Univ. PD, TX;
Off. Michael Leslie Krol, Dallas;
Sgt. Michael Joseph Smith, Dallas;
Off. Patricio E. Zamarripa, Dallas;
Off. Brent A. Thompson, Dallas;
Sr. Cpl. Lorne B. Ahrens, Dallas;
Off. Michael J. Ventura, Salem PD, WI;
Security Supervisor Joseph P. Zangaro, Berrien Co SO, MI;
Ct. Off. Ronald Eugne Kienzle, Berrien Co SSO, MI;
Off. Marco Antonio Zarate, Bellaire PD, TX;
Corr. Off Mari Johnson, Texas Dept. Crim Justice;
Cpl. Montrell Lyle Jackson, Baton Rouge;
Dep. Bradford Allen Garafola, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Dept.;
Off. Matthew Lane Gerald, Baton Rouge PD;
Corr. Off. Kristopher D. Moules, Luzerne Co. Ciorr. Facility, PA;
Capt. Robert D. Melton, Knasas City PD, KS;
Off. Jonathan M. DeGuzman, San Diego PD;
Sgt. Shawn Miller, West Des Moines PD;
Off. Justin Schrlen, Amarillo PD;
SA De’Greaun Frazier, Tenn. Bureau of Inv.;
Cpl. Bill Cooper, Sebastian Co SO, AR
Border Patrol Agent Manuel Alvarez, Dept. Homeland Security;
Off. Jose Ismael Chavez, Hatch PD, NM;
Off. Timothy K. Smith, Eastman PD, GA;
Off. Shannon Brown, Fenton PD, LA;
Off. Kenneth R. Moats, Maryville PD, TN;
Sr. Officer LeAndr Frank, Navajo Div Pub Safety, TR;
Off. Clint Corvinus, Alamogordo PD, NM;
Sr. Off. Amir Abdul-Khaliz, Austin PD;
Lt. Waldemar Rivera-Santiago, Puerto Rico PD;
Dep. Kenneth H. Maltby, Eastland Co. SO, TX;
Master Dep. Bandon Collins Johnson Co SO, KS;
K9 Officer Timothy J. Brackeen, Shelby PD, NC;
Off. Robert A. Barker, McCrory PD, AR;
Off. Jason Gallero, Cook Co. Sheriff PD, IL;
Trooper Kenneth V. Velez, Ohio State PD;
Corr. Off. Kenneth Bettis, Alabama Dept. of Corrections;
Sgt. Kenneth Steil, Detroit;
Sgt. Kerry Winters, Ulster County SO, NY;
Agt. Edwin Pabon-Robles, Puerto Rico PD;
Corr. Officer, David M. Weaver, Pennsylvania Dept of Corr.;
Dept. John Thomas Isenhour, Forsyth Co SO, NC;
Cpl. Robert E. Ransom, Gregg County SO, TX;
Sgt. Steve Owen, LA CO Sheriff Dept.;
Inv. Paul R. Steuwer, NY State Police;
Agt. Victor Rosado-Rosa, Puerto Rico PD;
Off. Blake Snyder, St. Louis Co PD;
Off. Lesley Zerebny, Palm Springs PD, CA;
Off. Jose Giolbert Vega, Palm Springs PD, CA;
Sgt. Luis A. Melendez-Maldonado, Puerto Rico PD;
Off. Aaron J. Christian, Chesapeake PD, OH;
Dep. Jack Hopkins, Modoc Co SO. CA;
Sgt. Alfonso Lopez, LA Co Sheriff;
Trooper Timothy P. Pratt, NY State Police;
Sgt. Allen Brandt, Fairbanks PD;
Off. James Brockmeyer, Chester Police Dept. IL;
Off. Myron Jarrett, Detroit PD;
Dep. Dan Glaze, Rusk Co. SO, WI;
Sgt. Rod Lucas, Fresno Co SO. CA;
Dep. Scott Williams, Taylor Co SO, FL;
Off. Jorge Sanchez, Miami PD;
Off. Justin Scott Martin, Urbandale, PD, IA;
Sgt. Anthony David Beminio, Des Moines PD;
Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, NYPD;
Sgt. Patrick M. Sondron, Peach County SO, GA;
Off. Cody Brotherson, West Valley City PD, UT;
Off. Darrin Reed, Show Low PD, AZ;
Dep. Daryl Smallwood, Peach County SO, GA;
Off. Jude Williams Lewis, New Orleans PD;
Off. Scott Leslie Bashioum, Canonsburg Borough PD, PA;
Dep. Dennis Wallace, Stanislaus Co SO, CA;
Dep. Justin White, Newton Co SO, GA;
Border Patrol Agnt David Gomez, Dept. Homeland Security;
Asst. Commander Kenneth J. Starrs, South Texas Specialized Crimes Task Force;
Dep. Commander Patrick T. Carothers, US Dept of Justice, Marshals Service;
Det. Benjamin E. Marconi, San Antonio PD;
Dep. Eric J. Oliver, Nassau Co SO, FL;
Trooper Eric Dale Ellsworth, Utah Highway Patrol;
Sgt. Collin James Rose, Wayne State Uni. PD, MI;
Trooper Cody James Donahue, Colorado State Patrol;
Off. Reginald Jacob “Jak” Gutierrez, Tacoma PD;
Trooper Frankie Lamar Williams, New Jersey State police;
Dep. Ryan Thomas, Valencia Co SO, NM;
Off. Nicholas Ryan Smarr, Americus PD, GA;
Off. Jody Carl Smith, Georgia Southwestern State University, GA;
Corr. Officr Lisa Mauldin, Miller Co SO, AR;
Lt. William G. Faron, NJ State Police;
Trooper Landon E. Weaver, Pennysylvania State Police

Please keep the families and friends of these fallen heroes in your thoughts and prayers.