LPD Officer Joe W. Brown's father passed
away 01/31/12
Joseph W. Brown, 79, of DeWitt, retired barber,
died Tuesday. Memorial services 11 a.m. Monday at
Redeemer United Methodist Church, DeWitt. Arrangements
by Gorsline Runciman Funeral
Homes, DeWitt Chapel.
Info from Lt. Lisa Phillips - Officer Joe Brown's
Father passed away. There will be a memorial service
on Monday, February 6th at 1100 am. The service
will be at Redeemer United Church, 13980 Schavey
Rd. Dewitt. Joe's dad's name was also Joseph. Please
keep Joe and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Michigan Week in Florida - March 19th -
25th - see the details on the events
page.
Michigan State Tax
on Retirement Income
Update 01/24/12
Sent: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:22:49 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Response from Senator Hansen's Office -
SB 409
Good morning,
Thanks for contacting Senator Hansen's Office regarding
SB 409. We appreciate
hearing your thoughts and concerns on this legislation.
SB 409 is still before the full House awaiting
consideration and a vote. I would
encourage you to contact your State Representative
about your support for this
legislation. You can find you State Representative
and their contact information
at http://house.michigan.gov/.
I would also urge you to inform your fellow public
employees and retirees about this
legislation. With more support and more input from
constituents, it would be hard
for lawmakers not to vote in support of this legislation.
If you have any questions
or concerns please feel free to contact us. Thanks
for your self-sacrificing
service to this State! It is the unsung heroes like
yourself, that protect us day
in and day out.
Best,
Kat Hanson
Legislative Aide
Senator Hansen's Office
34th District
Thanks to Patty Wojtysiak
for the update
I have been watching and following this bill. The
agreement between the House of Reps and the Senate
fell apart late last night and this bill did not
come up for a vote. After the agreement fell apart
I talked with Senator Hansen, the sponsor of the
bill (he was not happy), and one of the bill writers
from the Senate Majority Policy office that wrote
the agreement. They both told me this bill is not
dead and they will continue to push for it in the
House but now it will be Jan or Feb before it comes
up again. In the mean time we start paying 4.35%
tax on our pension starting Jan 1 (with the different
levels based on what year you were born in). - Lroy
Green and Joe Dionise
Senate Bill 409
Sponsor: Sen. Goeff Hansen
House Committee: None (Assigned to the Committee
of the Whole)
Senate Committee: None (Placed directly on Second
Reading)
Complete to 6-20-11
A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 409 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
6-14-11
The bill would amend
the Income Tax Act to exclude from taxation retirement
or pension benefits from employment with a government
agency that was not covered by the federal Social
Security Act. The bill would take
effect January 1, 2012. Recently enacted legislation—Public
Act 38 of 2011(House Bill 4361)—revised the
way that pension and retirement income is to be
treated under the Income Tax Act, beginning in 2012.
Those revisions were part of a larger overhaul of
business and personal taxes. The amount of the exclusion
for pension and retirement benefits in the new legislation
depends on the year of birth of the taxpayer. But,
generally speaking, payments received from Social
Security continue to be exempt. Senate Bill 409
would provide an exemption for persons who were
not covered under Social Security during their government
employment and so do not receive Social Security
payments from that employment. The bill exempts
their retirement or pension benefits from that government
employment. The exemption is contained in the same
subsection of the Income Tax Act that exempts retirement
benefits from service in the Armed Forces and benefits
under the Railroad Retirement Act. [Note: According
to the Social Security Administration, changes over
the years have made coverage of workers nearly universal;
the SSA says that the only large groups remaining
outside the system are employees of state and local
government who have not chosen to join the system
and federal workers who were hired before 1984.]
For
Sale - Bernina
Activa 210 computerized sewing machine
- see the for sale/rent
page for details
Richard O. Bernitt,
90 years old, Director of the Michigan State University
Department of Public Safety (Retired) (Now known
as the Michigan State University Department of Police
and Public Safety) passed away Wednesday afternoon,
January 11, 2011. Arrangements are pending - cremation
is planned with a memorial service to be announced
sometime next week. - Robert Sybrandy
Richard O. Bernitt, Lansing,
died peacefully on January 11, 2012, at
the age of ninety. He was born to Otto and Mildred
Bernitt of Monroe, Michigan on December 16, 1921.
A dual sports star at Monroe High School in football
and baseball, Richard went on to play baseball as
a pitcher at Michigan State where he was a teammate
of Jack Breslin. In 1943, following graduation with
a degree in Police Administration, he was commissioned
as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and he served
until 1946. In 1943, with only a few days available
due to military orders, he married his high school
sweetheart, Donna Jean Riegel of Monroe, Michigan
on Halloween Day. From that time forward, Halloween
always had a special meaning for Dick and Donna.
In 1950, he joined the staff of Michigan State College
as a fire inspector (later becoming the president
of the Michigan Fire Inspectors Society from 1953-4)
and later rose to become the Director of Public
Safety at Michigan State University from 1960 until
his retirement in 1986. In 1980, he was awarded
the Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award (named
in honor of his former teammate) in recognition
not only of his professional contributions to Michigan
State but additionally his community service as
well. Following retirement, Richard then began a
second career as a professional volunteer devoting
himself primarily to helping the R.J. Scheffel Memorial
Toy Project that annually gives toys during December
to needy children and families. An avid sportsman
his entire life, Richard enjoyed hunting with his
dogs, fishing with his son, and golfing with scores
of friends and strangers (who later became friends).
As a matter of fact, he even shot a 46 on the back
nine of Groesbeck Municipal Golf Course on October
24, 2011, at the age of 89. He is survived by the
love of his life for 68 years, Donna Jean; his son,
Captain Thomas R. Bernitt, USN (Ret) and his wife
Vicki of Coronado, CA, and countless friends and
associates who he helped, cajoled, and inspired
through 90 years of trying to make this a better
world. A Service celebrating Richard's life will
be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, 2012,
at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 549 E.
Mt. Hope Ave., Lansing with The Reverend James R.
Lichtenberger and the Rev. Matthew A. Smith officiating.
The Michigan State University Police Department
will hold a reception following the Celebration
Service at the Richard O. Bernitt Community Room
at the Michigan State University Police headquarters
on the MSU campus for friends and family. In lieu
of flowers, the family requests that donations be
made to Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church Memorial
Fund and/or to the R.J. Scheffel Memorial Toy Project,
5937 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Lansing, Michigan.
Wife: Donna Bernitt, 2310 Tulane Dr., Lansing, MI
48912
LPD
Retirees and Friends Florida Party
- February 12, 2012 - see the details here.
Former prosecuting attorney
Don Martin Passed away this morning, January 11,
2012. His son Jon is on the MSU Police
Department. The below was put out by Chief Dunlap.
- George A Groll Jr
Donald
E. Martin, Lansing Age 71, went to be with his Lord
on January 11, 2012. He was born December 20, 1940,
in Greenville, OH, the son of Stanley and Mildred
Martin. Donald graduated from Capital University,
Columbus, Ohio, and Valparaiso University School
of Law. Donald served as the Ingham County Prosecuting
Attorney from 1986-1996 and as the President of
the Prosecuting Attorneys Assoc. of Michigan for
one term. He then joined Foster, Swift, Collins
and Smith where he served as partner and senior
attorney for the past 15 years. Donald was appointed
to the Judicial Qualifications Committee for the
State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan Court's Commission
to the Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System,
and served as Chair of the Appellate Defender Committee
of the State Appellate Defender Office. He was active
in the Ingham County Bar Association and the American
Inns of Court at MSU's College of Law. Donald chaired
the Capital Area Family Violence Coordinating Committee
and the Capital Area Response Effort. He served
on Boards of Directors for the Oak Park YMCA and
the Michigan Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence.
He taught at Lansing Community College as an adjunct
faculty in its Mid Michigan Police Academy and the
Criminal Justice Program. A member of Bethlehem
Evangelical Lutheran Church, Donald's past services
included president of the Church and its Council
as well as Chair of the Board of Stewardship, the
Building Committee and Sponsor of the Luther League.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Dorothy;
sons, Jonathan (fiancée Jessica Root) Martin,
David (Shelly) Martin and Jeremy (Gabriela) Martin;
grandchildren, Anna, Ben, Amelia and Sofia; brother,
Daniel Joe (Katie) Martin; sister, Ann Sieg; and
many special aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law
Douglas Sieg. The funeral service will be held at
11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 14, 2012, at Bethlehem
Evangelical Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope Ave.,
Lansing, with The Rev. James R. Lichtenberger and
the Rev. Matthew A. Smith officiating. Interment
will follow in Deepdale Memorial Gardens. The family
will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. Friday at the
Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, and from 10-11
a.m. Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers,
memorial contributions may be made to Bethlehem
Evangelical Lutheran Church Memorial Fund.
I just wanted to notify everyone that Jon Martin’s
father Don Martin passed away this morning after
battling illness for the past couple of years. Some
of you will remember the days that Don was an assistant
prosecuting attorney and then later the prosecuting
attorney for Ingham County. If ever there was a
class act in that office Don was most assuredly
that person. He was a strong advocate for law enforcement
and a good friend to many of the police officers.
I know that his loss is difficult for the family
and within our family for Jon and Jessica. Please
extend your sympathies. I have asked that they notify
us of anything that they or the rest of the family
might need. - Thanks, Chief Jim Dunlap
Lansing State Journal article on Don Martin - click
here.
Thank you for your recent support of the
LPD Retirees and Friends website:
Don & Maureen Dunham - 01/12/12
Ted & Sharyn Rahl - 11/07/11
Marty & Marilynn Campbell - 11/04/11
Pat & Maggie Wilson - 11/04/11
My name is Greg Macauley
(LPD 1973-1981). In case no one remembers me, I
was the LPD FOP Union Vice President in the late
70's when John Assiff was the President. I left
LPD to go to Thomas M. Cooley and from there to
the Nassau County, NY, District Attorney's Office,
as a Detective-Investigator. (In NY, the prosecutor's
office has it's own staff of in-house police Detectives
that are not not employed by the Police Dept.).
After nearly forty years in law enforcement, I am
still working because I still love it.
Here is a funny story for you. Mike Ross was one
of the training officers in my academy. One night,
we drove out in to the country to practice night
traffic stops in which the "bad guys"
would use a "side door rollout" to ambush
the officers. To add realism to the exercise, everyone
was given blanks to fire. My training partner and
I, driving a marked car, stopped the "bad guys"
car. The training gun battle began with the sound
of blanks being fired and a lot of yelling All of
a sudden a local civilian resident farmer came running
out of his house with shotgun in hand to "help"
the police. Luckily Mike Ross stopped the civilian
before he fired a shot, but it was a close call.
They never practiced that exercise again.
I noticed your web site a while ago, but never expected
to send you anything. Thanks to a few seconds on
60 minutes the other night, I now have a photo that
I thought I would send.
The 60 Minutes story was about an SAT/ACT college
admissions test, cheating scandal. The case involved
several professional test takers capable of obtaining
perfect scores, who illegally took the test for
others.
The professional test takers charged between $1,500
to $3,500 and used forged ID to gain admission to
the test. The case was investigated by the Nassau
County, NY District Attorney's Office and who arrested
and prosecuted the defendants. We usually handled
a wide variety of long term investigations from
organized crime to narcotics. We also handle many
less hazardous cases cases, like this one. No one
in our office ever expected this case to get so
much publicity.
CBS - 60 Minutes - Sunday - January
1, 2012
NCDA Detective-Investigator Greg Macauley on the
left
Arizona Fully Furnished Condo for rent
- see the sales/rent
page for all the details. 1/3/12
12/20/11
- Anyone have a few minutes to visit
Tom Bolan at Island
City Assisted Living Center, 517-233-0000, we
believe still in Apartment 107, Tom would appreciate
it. The Center does not have a map on their website
but their address is 1507 Kyle Street, Eaton Rapids,
MI 48827. It shows up just fine on Google maps,
on the south end of town.
04/06/11 - Just received a call that Tom Bolan
is now at the Island
City Assisted Living Center in Eaton Rapids-room
#107. I suspect he would appreciate visitors. -
Pat Heyden
4/6/11 - Hi everyone: Just to update you I stopped
at the Island Assisted Living facility and saw Tom
this evening. Tom is doing well but he does have
Parkinson's Disease and can't live alone anymore.
He welcomes visits, cards, and calls. The address
for the facility is: 1507 Kyle Street, Eaton Rapids,
MI 48827. Telephone is 517-233-0000. Tom is in Apt.
#107 and his phone number is 517-233-0107.
Greg Ventre is selling his
house
2501 Devonshire Ave, Lansing, Mi 48910.
Pictures of the house are listed with Coldwell-Hubbell
and is on their web site. Asking $139,900.00 House
is a four bedroom brick with hardwood floors through-out.
My contact e-mail is nitecop352@yahoo.com
or my cell at 517-930-5559.
8/21/11 - Reduced to $129,900.00.
Coldwell Banker Hubbell Briarwood
Agent Ruth Dennis
office# 517-321-1000 ex 332
cell# 517-282-7114
Fax# 517-321-5999
Peggy Black & husband,
Bob - LPD 1963 - 1990
Chief Charles Stragier hired me
and I began working as his secretary in June 1963.
At that time there was an Inspector position, held
by Thomas O'Toole, not an Assistant Chief nor any
Deputy Chiefs. After Chief Straiger's retirement
I began working for Derold Husby when he was appointed
chief. After that, Thomas O'Toole, Richard Gleason
and Charles Reifsnyder. I thought very highly of
all of them and felt very fortunate to be secretary
to them.
Along the way the Inspector position
was changed to Assistant Chief. Then they created
two positions of Deputy Chief. They then added the
Legal Advisor position and after that the Internal
Affairs Unit.
(I had lots of bosses). When I retired, January
1991, they had eliminated one Deputy Chief position,
leaving James Heyden as the only Deputy Chief.
I remember mostly the Christmas
party each year for the children in City Hall Lobby.
A crew of us worked quite a while on that. Also,
I remember the golf outing where another crew really
worked hard getting prizes, etc.
One other thing that I will never
forget. It seems the court would not accept tapes
of questioning of someone by the Detectives, so
in the middle of many nights I was called, a car
came to pick me up and I had to take the interrogation
in shorthand. I then would go down to my office,
type it up and have the person sign it. It always
seemed so silly. The court wouldn't accept the taped
confession saying it could be changed. I guess they
thought I couldn't change my shorthand notes.
Coupon book fundraiser for Kathy Winslow
retired LPD officer who has recently been
diagnosed with cancer. Books contain coupons for
Lansing/Jackson and surrounding areas -- $20 donation.
Books available at the Lodge or contact Michelle
Bryant at LPD. Lots of coupons for restaurants,
movie theatres, golf, oil changes, car rental, dry
cleaning and much more. Use a couple of coupons
and you will pay yourself back the $20.
Contact Deb Villegas at the FOP Lodge at dvillegas@mifop141.org
12/08/11
Attn. Lansing PD Retirees - 11/08/11
If you were ever a member of the START
Team we need your help. Retired former
team commander Steve Relyea is in the process of
making a team history book. If you have any pictures,
news articles, and stories to share about the team,
please contact Steve at 517-669-2575 or email him
at srelyea369@frontier.com
Steve would also like to talk with early team members
on how it was formed, who were original members,
and to date some old photos he found. When this
history of the team is completed it will be available
for all team members, current or past.
The Lansing PD K-9 Unit has a fund created
for buying special equipment for the dogs.
Sabre/Chili Memorial Fund
C/O Shana Mills
6636 Omara Drive
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
TX:517-881-9831
Legislative Updates at Michigan FOP Lodge
141 Website
We have added a legislative update page to our
Lodge website - www.mifop141.org
. We give you the introduced bill and number, who
sponsored it and a brief description. Double click
on the bill that interests you and it will take
you to the Michigan Legislature where you can follow
the bill's progression through the House or Senate.
Hello Fellow LPD Retirees
& Friends - Monthly Dinners
We need someone to step up and make arrangements
for our monthly dinners.
You can pick any day of the month. Open months are
March through October.
So please, line up a restaurant, confirm the date,
time and your contact information.
Then get that information to me or Mickey Szilagyi
so we can get it posted on the website.
Sent it to : info@lpdretirees-friends.org
Thank you
Mike Ross
