Citizens Police Academy

I was able to participate in the Springfield Citizens Police Academy this year and I truly had a ball. For 11 weeks (3 hours on Tuesday nights) we went through every aspect of the police department. This academy is all about better educating the public on the police department & procedures.

Most of the classes were speakers from each department: Crime Prevention, Investigations, Records, Gangs and Stolen Vehicles to name a few. We were treated to an up close and personal demonstration of our K-9 unit, which was good for me. These dogs had always frightened me, but no longer. I have a greater understanding of who these dogs are and why they do what they do. I don’t ever plan on being a criminal on the run so I have no fear.We toured the Lane County Jail and that was a real eye opener. (my political bitch here) Everyone from our politicians, news media and even Sheriff keeps telling us that we have an over crowded jail. Well I guess that’s one way to look at it but it sure didn’t paint a clear picture for me. More than ½ our jail sits empty. Why? Because there’s not enough employees to staff the jail and so the criminals who are lodged are all crammed into just a few rooms. Are those over crowded? Yes. But there is plenty of “room” to house these people and keep them off the streets. So in MY WORDS, we are understaffed at the jail. Plain and simple. (my bitch is done)

SWAT came to speak with us and that was quite fun. Here I am looking through some night vision goggles. Oh, how I’d love to own some of these! The woman sitting to my right is Clara and we had a very good time together. Her husband used to be a cop in the area many years ago. She brought in a photo her husband took of her standing inside the Springfield jail cell when it was still being used, around 60 years ago. Just a photo op. Oh how I Love her!

We then joined our SWAT team out at their practice facility to watch them work. We were able to stand on a catwalk above the practice house as they stormed in. They threw four concussion grenades (I think that’s what they called them). BIG BANG, BIG LIGHT and lots of smoke! Really hitting all your senses, sound, light, smell and we felt the blast too! Our class all looked at one other and started to giggle with delight at all this adult fun!

Sat inside the SWAT van. Don’t know why
I wanted to other than I just did. And as you can see I was not the only one.

We were treated to the range where we got to shoot samples of their guns and a few others that they don’t use on the force. I literally had a blast here. I’m shooting a revolver in this photo but my favorite was the Glock, partly because it held twice as many rounds but they also had this really cool metal tree target that swung when you hit it. I kept going back to this table (literally over and over again) shooting at that metal tree. (ting, ting, ting, ting) My best was only one miss on a full clip. Can you see me glowing through your computer screen? Fun stuff!

I think one of my favorite classes however was the crime lab. It’s nothing like CSI, with all their blue lights and neat parlor tricks, but it was still really cool. The science they do is amazing and how they come up new techniques is incredible. Out of the box science.
Kind of like kids at play I guess in what is sometimes a really gross environment.

Here is my graduating class,
Springfield Citizen’s Police Academy #23.

Two thumbs up if you have any interest. I would take the class all again if I could. It was a very good time and the education was fabulous! What am I doing with this education now? Well, I shared a little with you and that’s one thing they want us to do. I will also have opportunities to staff SPD booths at events around town, if I so choose.

I know, this was all a little wordy, but that is how much fun I had.
I could go on much more in fact. You probably should get back to work now so I’ll stop.

Hey, it was a blog all about me. HA

Sports

Baseball has started up again for Cole and Oma. Yes, Oma is coaching again this season but the difference this year is that three other parents have stepped up as well and wanted to really help. So the Blue Dragons have lots of instruction and opportunities. Some of the boys have gone from never touching a bat before to actually hitting a thrown pitch already. Fun to watch.Their first games came this past Saturday at the opening jamboree, three games that lasted about 45 minutes each. Cole got to play catcher during one of the games and this stopped the begging thank goodness (pleeeeease can I catch????….pleeeeeeeeeease?). I don’t know if it’s getting to wear all the gear or that he gets to be in the action more often but he likes and wants to catch.

He also played in right field for a game. As you may notice he is still standing inside the dirt area but that would be our outfield at this point. Not to many kids hit past this area.

Asked him what his favorite part of the day was and he said
“All of it”.
Baseball is what he loves.

Track
Jo has been participating in track for a couple weeks now and really enjoys it. Smiles the whole time and wants to try it all.As you may notice Jo’s tongue is out while running? Well it’s out all the time I’ve noticed. Running, long jumping, high jumping and even hurdles. To funny. I mentioned to her that if her tongue is out while jumping she might bite it at some point and it will probably hurt. It’s just concentration and a Happy Girl thing.

She gets a half hour of running activities and then a half hour of some sort of field event.This was the her first time trying hurdles and she loved them! She chose to line up with the hurdles that were laying on the ground first and once she did that she went to the tall ones (for them) and ran over and over again. Oh, the smile just warms me from the inside out. We might have a winner here, Groupies!The only challenge I have given her during practice is to stay as close to her coach as possible even if they are jogging the track so she can hear instructions better and not be quite so distracted. Our quiet and shy Jo is really NOT at the track and it’s quite humorous. As she jogs or moves from one activity to the next I see her chatting with other kids…”oh I like your hat” or “oooo, pretty hair tie”…giggle, giggle. After practice she will tell me all about her “new friend”. Slowly coming out of her shell?

Memorial Weekend

We spent the weekend apart for most of it. What I mean by this is; Oma spent the weekend at home working on house projects, yard work and a little playing time with some co-workers. Mom spent most of the weekend at her folks helping tear up carpet, waxing and polishing the wood floor and then helping dig postholes for the back fence along with Todd, Corri. The twins spent most of their weekend with Rachelle and Connie and came back thinking “the world revolves around Cole & Jo”.

Connie took lots of photos of their weekend activities and here are the photos the kids talked about as we looked though them together.

I’m adding the comments the kids said about the photos so you too may enjoy their point of view.

Wild Life Safari
We milked the cow.
Cole: I was able to get milk out on my first try but Jo had trouble so I told her to squeeze and twist a little.



Cole: This was the beginning.

Jo: I wore Connie’s hat, don’t I look cute?

Both: The middle one stood up and pooped on the one laying down.

Cole: The giraffe tried to
get in our car.

Cole: This is the camel, it had a bare butt.

And see that little thing in the grass? It’s a squirrel.Jo: Hippo’s butts….that’s funny….ha ha ha ha.

First Time Fishing

Jo: This is me fishing, I caught crap.
(thank you Rachelle for the new descriptive)Cole: I fished. We caught crap. (yeah for us)Jo: Janis caught a salamander.

Cole: It was alive, she caught a live salamander.No comment, just a nice shot of three of the four fisherpeople.

(from left: Rachelle, Janis & Jo)And lastly a very short video of the kids fishing.