PAX Centurion - September / October 2014

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • September/Octoberr 2014 • Page 7 Secretary’s Thoughts: Patrick M. Rose, BPPA Secretary Canteen trailer is up and running! I am very happy to report that the gifted canteen trailer by NYPD and NY&NJ Port Authority Unions to our Union is up and running with great success. Duke Fitz and I started with a small cookout for approximately 150 Officers and EMT’s back on a bright Saturday afternoon inAugust. Along with our helper, (that particu- lar day Jimmy Carnell), we were able to conduct a practice run and get ready for the big unveil at the Caribbean Festival the following week. We served up some pretty good food, (if I do say so myself), along with snacks, cold drinks and treats. Officers and EMT’s alike, from around the city came by and assisted in our trial run by serving themselves up as human ‘guinea pigs’ for our first outing, if you will. Not only did Duke and I find out that we were pretty good cooks, (there was never a doubt with me LOL), but we managed to realize that we had forgotten dozens and dozens of items to get, to be ready to feed the expected five hundred personnel at the Caribbean Festival! Like the old carpenter adage ‘measure twice, cut once,’we quickly corrected our shortfalls and put together a plan to be ready for the Festival. The big day came, the Caribbean Day Festival, and with it all of the craziness one would expect. First we arrived with our team: Me, Duke, Mike Murphy, Ron MacGillivray, Dennis Murphy, Vinny Stephens, Jimmy Carnell, Danny MacIsaac, Paul Sheehan and Mike Joyce, our PAX solicitor. We pulled onto Seaver Street, (our desig- nated spot by the BPD brass), and managed to sneak a little closer to Blue Hill Ave. than suggested. We immediately went to work constructing a small restaurant camp out of tents, tables, chairs, grills, coolers and anything else we needed to get up and running. Before you knew it we were operational and feeding hungry cops that had been ordered, once again, to lose another weekend in the summer, but at least this time we could offer a little comfort. Seems like a lot of help, but we could have used another six people. We were flipping burgers, cooking dogs and making sausage sandwiches faster than Mickey D’s andWendy’s combined. As a matter of fact you won’t see any pictures in these pages of that particular cookout, because we were so busy none of us even had time to think about snapping a photo for reminiscence, (so if anyone happens to have one, please forward it to me at: prose@bppa.org , thanx). Anyway I digress, our small mobile encampment ended up being a place where Officers could eat, cool down, get a cold drink or grab a power snack and even see some brothers and sisters in uniform that they hadn’t seen in years. It was really refreshing to see Officers of all ranks smiling and even though they were forced to work, actually sharing a laugh or two making the long day go by a little easier. Working together, breaking bread together, wow this must be what firefighters feel like every day! It was a very long, very hot and extremely tiring day, we fed over four hundred and fifty Officers and EMT’s, but I don’t believe a single guy on the team that day would have traded it for anything. As silly as it sounds, we all agreed it was one of the most satisfying days any of us could remember on this job. A few weeks later, Duke and I, along with Larry Calderone and Mike Murphy, (our trusted truck & trailer driver), once again set up shop with our mobile restaurant over at M Street Park. Billy Flip- pin and Joe O’Malley brought the Blue Goose and we supported the ‘BPD Softball Tournament’. (By the way, a big shout-out for a great job by Eddie MacPherson putting the tournament together). It was a beautiful Saturday and we had teams participating from most BPDAreas along with the ‘Ringers’ from NSTAR, (those guys take their softball a little too seriously if you ask me!). It was a little different setting, a little more relaxed and a lot less busy and stressful than the Caribbean Festival, but just as much fun. Men and women alike from the department brought their families and it turned out to be a great family day at the ball park. Tommy Nee was entertaining the players with witty banter while Billy Flippin and Joe O’Malley entertained the kids with the Blue Goose and Duke, Larry and I fed the families and players. All in all it was another bigW for our Union. Players of every rank along with their families raved about the food and the support for the day. Just the other dayWe were able to open up our little road show once again. This time it was for the retirees at their monthly meeting. Duke and I, along with the help of Bobby Colburn set up the mobile restaurant on a slightly smaller scale but just as effective with all of the fixings. The retirees have been asking about the trailer since they saw it in our parking lot back in May. We’ve been promising them a tour when Billy Flippin asked, “any chance you could light it up and show them the show?” Duke and I agreed and planned a cookout for them at 9-11 Shetland Street around their monthly meeting time. We were lucky to have Bobby Colburn showed up when he did, because believe it or not it doesn’t get easier setting this thing up, LOL. Anyway, a great afternoon was had by all, the retirees had a ball and it was great fun reminiscing with some of the oldtimers about their previous exploits on the job. We should all take some time out now and again and call one of these guys, just check on them, shoot the breeze, you’ll feel better believe me. So my friends, enjoy a couple of the photos on these pages. I’m glad we’re finally up and running. We hope this is just the beginning and can continue helping out the troops when we are ordered to work another festival or parade or road race etc. I hope that we lend a little bit of support and make the day or night go by a bit easier. If and when you see a brother or sister Officer from NewYork or New Jersey, please express our gratitude as a Union for this fantastic gift of this canteen trailer, because I really don’t believe we would have moved on it unless pushed by their gift. Home Rule Petition L adies and Gentlemen, I am happy to report that the Boston City Council voted unanimously today to approve a Home Rule Peti- tion that is now to be forwarded to the Mayor for signature and hope- fully up to and through the State House to become law for the: “Appointment of Special Police Officers in the City of Boston” This is the Petition that we have reported out to the House that we have been working on, in conjunction with the other BPD Unions, to allow retirees to perform paid details. The Department, our President and MAMLEO have all previously testified in favor before the coun- cil on this proposed Home Rule Petition. A public expression of gratitude is due to Captain Murray, for all of his hard work and effort, on behalf of all of us, in getting this Home Rule Petition over the first of many hurdles! Fraternally, Patrick M. Rose, Secretary, BPPA See Secretary on page 29