Oakley report fallen officer memorial, backpacks, Saddlebrook

1:59:00Um goes to me and I've got all kinds of stuff. I've been to Alaska, I've been to Ain't I almost hate to say it. I've been in Washington DC So

1:59:15Oh, this is a couple. Is that up? Is that out there?

1:59:19Um okay, so we'll start with these pictures. How about that? So these these are the what I've been waiting on two and a half, three years and been working at along with the uh Fallen Officer Foundation is the delivery of our angel uplifting a fallen officer. It arrived uh on July eighteenth, as it tell you there. So you can see how we were lifting it. You'll see more pictures. There were on top, so on

1:59:49top of the stance. It's there now, it's covered.

1:59:53Oh.

1:59:53We're going to have a dedication ceremony for this on 9-11. And I haven't determined the exact time yet, but it either be somewhere between nine and ten o'clock or nine eleven here. um for the dedication of this fallen officer and more. It's been a long time coming. Um, I think The following officer board has been working on this for um

2:00:25somewhat like nine years before I got started working on it and I've been working on it two and a half to three. Oh.

2:00:35So there she's flying out on top.

2:00:41It's pretty amazing when you look up close. There's so much detail on this memorial. It's just really amazing how much detail the artist had. And I looked at the The artist was here of course 'cause he's always nobody sets his uh statues. He does it he comes and does it himself and then he puts the final code on the on the statue. But I got looking at the angel. Of

2:01:11course of course I made joke that Why wouldn't it a man angle angel instead of a woman? And everybody said ever everybody wants to be cuddled by their mother, so I got my answer pretty quick from that. but in looking at the face on the angel. And the j the artist had his wife and daughter here. I can tell you their face, that daughter and that wife that look very much alike. Different ages of course, but

2:01:41differ very much alike. They're the face on that angel.

2:01:45Oh cool.

2:01:46So uh very nice uh and very nice you know, work in getting there, so

2:01:55So happy and proud that that it's actually here.

2:02:00It's one of one of those good things. And I got involved in it two and a half, three years ago. I'll just give you a brief story. Randy Blankership and myself were headed down to Sheriff Grady Judge's office in Lakeland. And of course we walked through his memorial for his fallen officer memorial for his deputies and officers there in Polk County. Uh so we went in. We were our reason for being there is uh some folks are running a Little League down in Mulberry.

2:02:31had stole over $9,000 from the Little League, the person running it, from this Little League group, this community. So Randy had saw it on one of Grady's shows, I guess, about what had happened. And he he called me, he says, you know, that this happened out there, this is terrible. And so he he said, We I wanna give that money back and I said, Well I tell you what, if you'll let me be a part of it, I said I'll go along half with you. So we gave them a check, $5,000 each.

2:03:02Randy and myself. Made ten thousand dollars. So they we went down to Gray's office just to present those checks and that was for a Little League organization down in Mulberry. And So they got that but they also had insurance and got their money back through their insurance they covered their monies, but for a person still from a little league organization is Uh it's pretty low, so Yeah. Yeah. But

2:03:32Randy and I were gonna make sure that that wasn't gonna stop them from being able to help kids in that area. Um So on when we left We walk through the Fallen Oss Memorial and we see the statue of a man, a deputy and a dog. And of course that's the one that uh Grady Judd made the statement on national TV that why did why they shoot him 101 times or something of that nature and he says I guess they

2:04:02ran out of bullets. Yeah like they needed more I guess but but the fact of it is that gentleman they was they were shooting actually uh was armed. Uh all they could see was a legs under a tree big tree limb where he was hidden in there and and they just took him out because he was armed he could kill another deputy. But he killed a deputy and it and his canine. on that and and those statues are there at

2:04:32that memorial in Polk County. And he actually, he from the same artist he got another servant. He has five fallen officers, life size, statues in his memorial for Poe County there. And and it was they received that the day before we received the angel here. So um and we've never had to follow an officer memorial. We've been working on it for I guess a total about twelve years and

2:05:03probably have wished and wanted it sooner than that. So but Randy and I got involved Well we saw that and I started asking questions because the board had already seen a presentation of what we were getting. But it just never seemed to happen and the years kept going by. So I reached out to 'em and they they needed some money and um they said their because of COVID their money had dried up and they were not able to um to raise enough money to finish the project.

2:05:33And I said, well how much money do you need? And uh they said, oh, probably sixty thousand or something of that nature and I said I tell you what You think about that number, but tomorrow you come back to me with the right number. A good number. So you're sure that that will take care of it. So he came back the next day and he said he needed a hundred thousand dollars. And so Randy and I reached out to friends of ours throughout the county. that

2:06:04cared for citizens of Pasco in this memorial, just as we did. And ask them to give us five thousand dollars as individuals, not as a county commissioner, as individuals. I have some people that didn't give, but it's okay. It's her choice. And um But the fact of it is We got that hundred thousand dollars in a week and a half that the money that was going to this organization they couldn't raise anymore because it dried up. But it didn't dry up for people that care about it. uh

2:06:35Pasco County. and what we do here and what they wanted to be a Premier County just as well as we do. And they there are different business owners throughout the county that were part of this this project. So Um it's it's so thankful for all they do. I mean many, many people stepped up and gave toward this memorial. It might have been in work or Materials were paid for but A lot of it was free. The the

2:07:05work I actually put in it was free. It was given to the county for this memorial. So there's a lot of people that had a lot to do and touch touch this morning. But I've been going nuts for two and a half years, three years, to see that this statue arrived and it just took forever. Grady Judge told me he says, the company you've chosen for this statue. is the best company and best artist that you could pick to do this memorial. And

2:07:36the fact of it is They're also the slowest to get it done. I said, Well that part I believe.

2:07:43And

2:07:44after seeing it He was very much right in in the fact and you will say the same thing once you you see it placed there and for the many, many events happening the in this county in the future toward this fallen Austin Memorial. J represents a lot of heartfelt thoughts throughout our citizens and and our county. So we gotta be very grateful and thankful for all the citizens and all that we try to

2:08:14get done. Sometimes it doesn't work out right, but a lot of times it does and this is one that Took a long time to get here, but we're gonna be here in nine on 911. There couldn't be a better time to dedicate that here at this courthouse. So look forward to we'll have that message going out very soon. Um

2:08:33Commissioner Oakley? Yes, sir. I want to commend you for uh seeing this thing through, putting your heart and soul into it, reaching out to your friends to make this happen 'cause it is a it is gonna be a great tribute for many, many years to come. So thank you for your service helping out.

2:08:45Thank you, but I didn't do it for that. I did it for uh My citizens in Pasco County and and all of us. We all want this happening. If I'd have brought it to a group vote here at this day as we'd all voted yes. So we're all part of it. Not just one person. No, but takes a security.

2:09:09Uh throughout and every time we get a chance to do the right thing we it comes forefront and we do the right thing. So

2:09:20Another thing I wanted to reach out to uh and I did or personally I called uh Andy Fossa and I called Andrew Baxter. and thank them um and our staff and other members. probably even Eric or even Mike Ballard and what they did to They date city. Thanked me the other day for the quickness of getting two clubs here in Dade City. And the fact of it was the pumps You you

2:09:51can't beat timing. Timing's everything. The pumps actually came from the state. At the very time they were asking for the two pops. And so we diverted their destination to Dade City rather than maybe the other side of the county. Those two pumps came in, they were a timely minor. But uh Chief of Police and and the City of Dayton City are very thankful for uh the awareness and the timing that we were able to get those to 'em. And

2:10:21you can't beat timing. You don't make that kind of timing up, 'cause it took me three years. I would have had this done three years ago if I could make up that kind of timing. But sometimes timing Just works right. So A lot of times it doesn't. 'Cause I've got issues about flooding and other things that need to help some people and then and the timing's just not right. I know that what the solution is but Sometimes you can't get to construction some of that moving quick enough for our citizens to help them and some flood

2:10:51issues. So Um now let's see what else I had.

2:11:00Yeah. Uh attended with uh the Boys and Girls Club up with uh Wilton Simpson and Pasco. County Sheriff's Office to deliver backpacks and school supplies to children on Friday, July 19th. And that went very well. Um a lot of kids there, a lot of backpacks. Um It's really great to see when these kids come through line and receive a backpack. We're

2:11:32sitting there. But Well now went up. And visible and so really a lot of a lot of good people in the county, a lot of a lot of good things that they're doing.

2:11:47Okay, then the next uh Oh and I had the opportunity with also I think with uh commercial Weightman we we toured Saddlebrook and Um Got to see some of the new models and Uh parts of the building that was on uh July twenty-third. Um tax. First I've lost the improvers. I think it's the last item I had. But we

2:12:18were able to do this and uh It really Saddleboks coming on further because you remember they were talking about we don't know how many people that are private owners that are gonna okay the remodel of all these different houses or the apartments. Most all of them have stepped forward to remodel. So the project's really going well. We spent a lot of time on getting this right. I know Jack's spent time out there, we all did working

2:12:48on that, but it's really coming to fruition. It's gonna be something very, very nice out there at Saddlebrook. So what we want in our county. And Saddlebrook's been around a long time. I helped build the golf course originally with a reference when they were out there. So I had bulldozer that we had assigned there I had to check on every day. So We dug out some of the around the holes and push the dirt around to to make that golf course. But I'm not a designer, we just had to equip,

2:13:18so

2:13:19I wouldn't claim to do any of that. So

2:13:22it's not the Palmer course anymore, Commissioner Mariano, it's the Oakley. The Oakley course. Well

2:13:27it kind of the Ron

2:13:28Oakley

2:13:29stretch. No, that was no. I don't take claim to stop signing that guy course. I can't hardly play it. I'll leave that up to David Engle. He can he can play it better than I can.

2:13:39No pressure, David.

2:13:40Okay, with that, uh so you so you'll know I plan on our regular board meeting to be done around three o'clock today, hopefully sooner. So not gonna be a long day. Uh we got items to cover, but it seems to me like we can cover 'em and we'll have ample time to do so the right way. So uh if you're not prepared, please be prepared when you come back at 1.30 and we'll uh Take a break at this time for lunch. Thank you.