The Village of Lake Orion held its Annual Appreciation Dinner last Thursday. Members of law enforcement, various committees and councils were on hand to recognize those individuals whose sacrifices and dedication make the village a better place to live and work.
Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh recognized numerous officers for their continued efforts in making Lake Orion a safer place to be.
‘In order to reduce crime, you must reduce the opportunity for crime,? said Narsh. ‘No one wants to live, work or shop where it isn’t safe.?
‘Everyone is doing more with less,? he added. ‘But, we are on every street corner. We’re up to that challenge.?
Among the individuals recognized were members of the volunteer reserve police force. According to Narsh, these individuals donated over 3,000 hours of volunteer time, which is 500 more hours than 2005.
‘These are folks that live and work in your community,? said Narsh. ‘The volunteer spirit is what makes this community great.?
Special appreciation awards were given to six reserve officers who volunteered 200 hours or more. This award was given to Sgt. Robert Reetz (210 hours), Officer Brian Carlock (227.5), Sgt. Stephen Bauer (256.5), Sgt. Amy Fong-Kretzmer (321), Commander David Mirku (448) and Office Joseph Sare III (544.5).
Citation awards were also given out to officers who went above and beyond the call of duty. Twelve officers were given honored with individual citations for their efforts. The Youth Bureau was also issued a unit citation for outstanding service.
Some individuals were also honored for their years of service with the Lake Orion Police Department. Among them, former police chief Jim Leech recognized Chief Narsh for his 25 years of service for the village.
Citations were not limited just to officers, as Narsh also awarded four people with citizen citations for their assistance with local law enforcement.
Mark Heinze was given a citizen citation for his assistance in a personal injury accident that occurred last July. After witnessing the accident, not only did he render aid, but he also noticed that the person responsible for the accident was getting ready to leave the scene. He took a mental note of the car and what the individual looked like. Narsh credits Heinze’s testimony as the ‘only way this case was solved.?
Jake Porritt, Phil Jioannini and Tabitha Martin were also honored with citizen citations for their assistance last July in helping to locate a robbery suspect that had fled on foot. The suspect was believed to be hiding out in the brush somewhere along the lakeshore. Porritt, Jioannini and Martin picked up Narsh on their boat and spent the afternoon helping direct operations on the shoreline and communicating with the sheriff’s helicopter in the air.
Kroger, McDonald’s and the Boys & Girls Club were also given civic service awards.
Village manager JoAnn Van Tassel also thanked members of the various village boards and committees, along with the members of the administrative staff and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) for their help in making 2006 a successful year.