When I think of “Rat Pack” — I immediately flash back to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin. Those 3 well-known entertainers made up this famous group for its last few years, although before then, at least 11 others were part of the team, which included, Erol Flynn, Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, and Lena Horne.
On March 18, my wife and I attended ‘Havasu Night Out’ as Captain and Co-Captain of our Neighborhood Watch group. After checking in we were presented envelopes with a table location based on the street where we lived. Unable to clearly see the number, Joleen and I were taken by an usher to table #1. It was only after being seated and having our food brought to us that I noticed we were supposed to be at table #7.
Soon after, those folks officially assigned to this location started showing up. After explaining our situation to them, one Amberjack Bay participant jokingly said that we had permission to stay. I mentioned that if all 8 chairs were needed, we’d move. By this time, I’d finished my BBQ sandwich and lemonade and could’ve easily done so. The group was a hoot, and I’m glad our mistake wasn’t fixed.
Lake Havasu City Councilmember, David Diaz, and his wife Trudy were part of the Amberjack team. As I always do in an attempt to remember names, a unique saying for them was quickly created — “The Amberjack Rat Pack.” I use this term respectfully as all members of this group were most gracious and friendly. It was fun being a part of them if only temporarily.
Our table turned out to be a lucky one where raffle drawings were concerned. Two out of seven wins with nearly a third isn’t bad. One of Joleen’s tickets was very close only being off by a few numbers. Of course, close only counts in horseshoes.
When Police Chief Troy Stirling asked attendees what the official Lake Havasu City Police Department slogan was, Councilman David Diaz answered, “No Bad Days.” David should’ve won the LHCPD commemorative coin for the most creative answer out of all.
We learned a lot that evening, with Animal Control Officer Seth Kemp saying that the department picked up 400 animals last year, with 70% of them returned to owners. That’s quite unbelievable to me. The amazing part is, how could responsible pet owners lose that many pets other than through carelessness alone.
Officer Robert Draper brought along his recently acquired K-9 German Shepherd named, “Echo.” Surprisingly enough, the narcotics-sniffing canine came all the way from Germany. Undoubtedly, Officer Draper had to learn some German to give his dog orders with “Achtung!” being one.
Our table was rather close to the speaker’s podium, with me sitting there and quietly chuckling. I visualized Echo detecting the Tylenol in my pants pocket and suddenly making a run for it. That tells you how much I know about these highly trained animals. For my bad back’s sake, I always carry a couple of Advil or Tylenol pills for emergency reasons, and they’ve come in handy numerous times.
Next to Echo, the coolest thing at this presentation in my opinion was Corporal Kevin Levine’s drone. As far as I know, it has no name, at least not yet, although a naming contest would be fun. This drone was quite large compared to mine and I’m sure has a lot more bells and whistles.
Corporal Levine said that he can fly rock steady in 30 MPH gusts. I’m sure his machine is a lot more expensive than my DJI Mavic. I’ve tried to use it in light winds with disastrous results.
Perhaps the most helpful information coming forth out of the whole night came from police dispatcher, Haley Monteith. Haley said that if you have to call 911, always remember the five W’s which are: where, when, who, what, and why. Out of all, the most important is where.
Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, Diane Seifert, is to be commended for putting together an excellent Havasu Night Out, in conjunction with Lake Havasu City Police Department and LHCPD Cadets. Joleen and I look forward to attending next year when perhaps I’ll actually get to fly their fancy drone.
I’m wondering if it can do a Loop-De-Loop? That tricky maneuver is what put mine into a state of disrepair, although it was no fault of the device. At 71 — my hand and eye coordination aren’t exactly the same as they used to be.
I truly wish that the motto for our police department was, “No Bad Days.” Unfortunately, although we live in paradise compared to other locales, that popular slogan seen on the back of vehicle windows is only reserved for residents of Heaven.
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