Oconee Deputies Honor Fallen Brethren at National Police Week

In Washington, D.C., there are two marble walls, each more than 300 feet long, that list the names of 19,298 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. They're often covered with flowers and flags, pictures of loved ones and teddy bears dressed as police officers.

In Oconee County, there's an agency that misses one of its own.

Officers from the Oconee County Sheriff's Office went to Washington, D.C. in 2009, not to wander through the halls of the Smithsonian museums or pose for pictures outside of the White House's iron fence. They were there for the induction ceremony of their fallen brother – Sheriff's deputy David Gilstrap .

They made the same trip in 2010 and again last month. But the most recent times they weren't there because the OSCO lost another of its finest. Inspired by the warm reception they received during one of the Sheriff's office's toughest times, they went back to help others.

It's called National Police Week, and it was touching enough that three members of the OCSO – Lt. Stephen Guest, Lt. Griffin Attaberry and Cpl. Shane Partain – have gone back every year.

“It means a lot; they're taking this on themselves,” said Lee Weems, chief deputy. “This is something that they felt a strong desire to do . They wanted to basically pay their respects for people that were going through the same thing that our guys went through.”

The cost to taxpayers: $0.

The funds for the trip are raised through donations and a Deputies to D.C. raffle. This year, two raffled rifles, coupled with a garage door opener, netted the team $9,888, more than enough to make it to the nation's capital.

Attaberry said the group took motorcycles this year and were just three of more than 200 motorcycles in the motorcade that escorted the families of fallen officers from Reagan National Airport to their hotels in what he called one of the “proudest moments of my life.”

Attaberry said from the moment the families step off the plane, everything is taken care of: baggage, escorts, even red lights don't stand in the way of those who have sacrificed most.

“You could tell they were just overwhelmed at the show of support,” he said. “I think they were shocked. It's a pretty overwhelming experience, I'm sure, for the survivors.”

National Police Week has been a Washington, D.C. tradition since 1962 and plays host to an array of events including memorial services, candlelight vigils and seminars for grieving family members, friends and co-workers. According to the National Police Week website, the event – which was held May 9 to 16 this year – draws between 25,000 and 40,000 people to nation's capital yearly.

Exiled Care Bears « The Empty Kitchen

Unfortunately, my brain has gone where it shouldn’t go. While reading the books and watching the DVDs, I could not help but start to think of all the poor, rejected Care Bears  that so very badly want to live in Care-a-Lot but the Care Bears, wanting to keep the seedy element in another part of town and having  a lengthy list of rules for acceptable Care Bear behavior, have exiled these wannabes to neighboring island of the Land of Misfit Toys:

Convict Bear –the local criminal element. The original exiled Care Bear. Known for assaulting others with unwanted Care Bear stares and stealing clouds. He is black and white striped and his tummy sign is jail bars.

Porn Star Bear and her cousin, Stripper Bear –exiled for corrupting the minds and bodies of the male (and some female) Care Bears and violating the morality clause in the home owners association of Care-a-Lot. Porn Star bear is off-white and her tummy symbol is a bed; Stripper Bear is gold and her tummy symbol is (obviously) a pole.

Glam Bear –a true 80s throwback, Glam Bear loves hair band music, especially Poison and Motley Crüe. Known for driving an unnecessarily flashy car, he was exiled for dress code violations, specifically wearing spandex and way too much eyeliner. Glam Bear is blue with black zebra strips and his tummy symbol is star-shaped sunglasses.

Mullet Bear –Glam Bear’s sworn enemy. He was also exiled for dress code violations, except he prefers sleeveless flannel shirts and rocking a really awful Dee Snider mullet. Mullet Bear is mud brown and his tummy symbol is a Trans Am.

Spinster Bear –lives alone in a dark, creepy house surrounded by 1400 cats. She was exiled for never marrying or having Care Bear offspring, an essential tenet of the Care Bear Code. She is gray and her tummy symbol is a cat.

Jersey Bear –idolizes Snooki (an exileable offense in its own right). In fact, she looks like Snooki. She was exiled, like Glam Bear and Mullet Bear, for dress code violations. Instead of a regulation tuft of hair, Jersey Bear has coiffed her hair into a poof. She was originally beige but after applying way too much tanner, she is now more of an orange. Her tummy symbol is the state of New Jersey.

Smart Ass Bear –exiled for violating the cheery and sweet manner in which Care Bears are required to speak. Loves the Michael Scott phrase “That’s what she said”.  Smart Ass Bear is red and his tummy symbol is a set of rolling eyes.

Trade names dictionary, a guide to over 250,000 consumer-oriented trade names, brand names, product names, coined names, model names, and design names, and names and addresses of their manufacturers, importers, marketers, or distributors

E-Business, The Practical Guide to the Laws

Entertainment law reporter

From Abba to Zoom, a pop culture encyclopedia of the late 20th century

New trade names