US 40 knifes through a picturesque desert filled with spectacular vistas. In a way, this part of the Mojave sort of mirrors the LASD Roundup. Paralleling US 40 to the south is the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms. It’s the largest Marine Corp Base in the world. Their relative sizes notwithstanding, both the USMC and LASD are legendary in their own right. Importantly, it’s the same component in both groups – the people — that distinguish them so much.
As the Roundup grows in size every year — there were 859+ attendees this year — our diverse nature becomes even more apparent. Standing among the men and women of LASD, it is impossible not to recognize some of the finest street cops and investigators to ever carry a badge. They are pilots, SWT experts, medics, forensic specialists, trainers, planners, correctional experts and so much more. There is a story behind every individual. Each is exceptional and unique. Even the most ordinary person has been involved in one or more extraordinary events.
Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort & Casino has served as the center of Roundup activities for the last four years. This year the Roundup began on Sunday, April 2nd. The Roundup Registration Desk was situated in the Starview Room overlooking the adjacent Colorado River. It began at a furious pace on the first day. A whole bunch of registrants arrived on Sunday. It appeared that most retirees were eager to check-in and pick up right where they left off last year. More than a few retirees immediately risked aggravating their carpal tunnel syndrome by authenticating the pay-off rate of Don’s tables and slots. Others verified the high quality of Don’s beverages. Most, however, grabbed hands, bear-hugged and, in general, took great pleasure in each other’s company.
The Roundup is essentially a four-day affair. It is an outgrowth of the fertile minds of Ollie Taylor and Moon Mullen and Moon’s List; the lasdretired.org Internet list that has become LASD’s de facto communication tool for retirees. There will be more about that later. Roundup participants spend anywhere from one to four full days in Laughlin. Sunday afternoon is set aside for registration although people are checking in daily. The next three days involve two Golf Tournaments, a Slots Tournament, and HR218 qualifications. There were breakfasts for Lennox and a collective gathering of old dicks from Homicide, Narco and Vice. West Hollywood and Firestone had luncheon mixers. Those wonderful Red Hat ladies, led by Queen Mum Pat Mihovil, also threw a breakfast and a High Tea and Hat Contest. As usual, they managed to giggle and laugh their way through hours of merriment.
Monday saw the beginning of three days of non-stop conversations in the Starview Room, which had been turned into a large and comfortable hospitality room with free coffee, tea, water and pastries. And, yes, there was a no host bar. The Sheriff’s Relief Association, POPA, the POPA Federal Credit Union and ALADS were also represented there. Sgt. Mike Clinkunbroomer had his collection of station lithographs on display. They’re great wall-hangers and memory makers for retirees. There seemed to be plenty of time for periodic breaks to visit a friendly slot machine or table game. My favorite machine wasn’t as good to me this year as it was last year. That reminds me, I saw Don Laughlin piloting his slick helicopter back and forth from his home up on the ridge to the rooftop pad at the Riverside. Came in right over the top of my room. I could clearly see his face. I couldn’t tell if he was gritting his teeth for landing or grinning because he knew I’d been playing his slots.
HR218 CCW qualifications also started on Monday. Once again Sheriff Baca provided the Roundup with the capable assistance of Sgt Dave Nell and Deputy Ed Corrette from the LASD Range Staff. Ollie Taylor, the man quietly behind so many things, reports that 206 shooters qualified for HR218 CCW status. And, believe it or not, this year there was not one rumor about hang-fire green ammo. John & Bobby Sullivan were the thoughtful people behind one of the most important new features of the HR218 shoot. Porta-Potties! Hah! Bet that cut in to local Depends sales.
Leisure time in Laughlin offers cruising on the Colorado, jet skiing, checking out some of the other casinos, shopping, taking in a movie, sightseeing at nearby old western towns like Oatman, or even a quick visit up the road to Las Vegas. That takes about one to one-and-a-half hours each way depending on the amount of lead in your foot and the quality of your radar detector.
But, by and large, it seemed most folks pretty much stuck to the Riverside. The Roundup is a people event and that’s what makes it both Interesting and fun. The post-retirement stories continue to unfold with each passing year. LASD retirees are spread all over the United States. They are involved in philanthropic and volunteer activities. They are artists, ranchers, musicians, attorneys, automotive restorers, aircraft builders, investment and financial advisors and business owners. The list goes on.
The last event is Wednesday night’s banquet. The Starview Room is rearranged and becomes the Roundup’s official dining hall. Oh yeah. Table cloths and napkins, silver service, centerpieces, cocktail waitresses. The works. Why, it’s better than Friday evening in Chinatown. Truth be told, it’s an elegant buffet with great cuisine and no one leaves hungry. There’s a bit of thirst-quenching too.
Joel Barez, a retired cop and all-around good guy, is the Riverside’s Executive Director for National Sales. He is the go-to guy and the man that makes it all happen for the LASD Roundup in Laughlin. Joel is working hard on helping Don to plan and build an even bigger banquet facility. The Roundup has the people.
Don and Joel are continuing to make the Riverside a great place for us.
The banquet is where we find out about ourselves. We had already learned about our absent comrades and we were saddened as we stood to silently remember them. And, we were made happy by seeing Hiram Martin, who at 86, was the oldest retiree at the Roundup. Almost as good was the fact that were several others right on his heels in the “look what we’re doing to LACERA” department. As it turns out, Jon Austin was our newest retiree, having only retired 5 days earlier. Congratulations Jon! The Greatest Distance honor was split by Hawaii’s Marv Love & Mary Parker and Florida’s Pat & Diana Corrington.
We learned that there were three retired father-son teams at the Roundup; Gar and Jon Austin, George and John Gentzvein, and Bill and Ron Gillespie. On a more serious note, Bill Hutton & Tony Hollins made a presentation of a richly deserved USMC NCO sword to Ollie Taylor in recognition of his efforts in behalf of American servicemen.
Moon announced that this year’s Raffle had raised $1,793 dollars as working capital for the 2007 Roundup and that $2300 in cash prizes had been given away. This year’s true believer in the “gotta buy Raffle tickets” department was Wayne Hilliard at $700! Gary and Cathryn Kotler won seven days at a condo on Maui. It would take too much time and space to mention all the door prizes, but there were many of them. On Sunday afternoon, the table behind the Registration Desk looked something like the Winery in downtown Los Angeles.
This year’s Roundup was better than last years. The reasons are fairly straightforward. To start with, there’s Moon. Those of us who have had the pleasure of working with him would not readily assume that he would organize and operate one of the most powerful communication tools in the Sheriff’s Department. But, the list, “Moon’s List” as it is usually referred to, has impacted many people in a profound and positive way. The “List” has had a synergistic effect on the Roundup. Its many parts have brought out the best in people. We see that as the Roundup comes together, key people begin playing their parts, and old friends and coworkers meet again. And, of course, each year there are more of us. As we gather in our later years, the stress and hardships familiar to law enforcement professionals have become more distant. There is time to truly enjoy and appreciate one another. Thank you Moon and Robyn. Thank you Charlie and Linda. Thank you Ollie and Carolyn. Thank you Ike and Jacque.
Next year’s Roundup will be April 15th through April 18th, 2007. It was moved to this date because Easter is April 8th and Moon and Robyn did not want to interfere with the holidays. See you there.