Saturday, November 29, 2008

Breaking News on Irish Fest Parking

Fellow Emeralds,

Parking has been arranged for at 714 W. Olympic Bl which is on the south side of the street between Flower St. and Figueroa St....Band members will be assembling at Central Station and then proceeding to "Irish Fest"....The parking at 714 W. Olympic is free and entry is gained off of Flower St in the second driveway on your right. Building security is aware of the arrangement but I will be visiting the site early to make sure there are no problems....I encourage those who can to carpool from the 714 building to "Irish Fest" ...USC Campus parking is 25.00 and Parking Building A is the closest to Jesse Brewer Park.
Dash buses run along Figueroa St down to USC and are only .25 cents so you can use that cost effective option if you like...

Two after "Irish Fest" locations are options for watching the game...The Holiday Inn at the corner of Figueroa St annd Olympic Bl just next to the 714 W. Olympic address and "Happy Endings"..a restaurant in Hollywood on the 7000 Blk of Sunset Bl( near Hollywood High School and across the street from the In and Out) where the Notre Dame Alumni Association watches the game on the second floor...Either way...it will be a good time with plenty of "Irish" fans!!!

If there are any last minute questions or problems you can contact me directly on the cell phone I use for just such situations.


Steve

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving, and GO IRISH!!!

Fellow Emeralds,

First, let me wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! It is during Thanksgiving that we reflect on all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us and give thanks to the Almighty. It is a time for family and friends to celebrate these blessings around a traditional meal in the fellowship of a feast. Many of our brothers and sisters will be working in our law enforcement roles and our soldiers will be safeguarding our freedom and security around the world far from home. I ask that you remember them in your prayers, thoughts, and actions!

On a personal note, I would like all of you, my Emerald Society Brothers and Sisters, to know that I am honored and thankful to be associated with such a fine group of men and women as the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society. The spirit of the Claddagh ( Love, Loyalty, Friendship) is alive and well and thriving among our Society as we continue to express the best of our law enforcement and Irish heritage! So it is with a heart full of gratitude that I thank all of you for what you have done for our heritage and our Los Angeles Police Emerald Society and I thank the Lord for having brought us together as one!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"IRISH FEST" Here it is! The longest college football rivalry in the history of our great nation! The 83rd meeting between the Notre Dame Fight Irish and the USC Trojans! Here are the details our faithful "Irish" fans have been waiting for!
"IRISH FEST" is the tailgater to beat all tail gaters! The Notre Dame Alumni Association is hosting this "Irish Fest" at Jesse Brewer Park which is just outside USC on Exposition Bl and Menlo Ave NW of the Coliseum and west of the Natural History Museum. More details can be seen at ndcla.com. The time will be from 12 Noon to 4 PM...The band " American Wake" will be there and they are fantastic! There will be a Notre Dame Pep rally with cheerleaders and the ND leprechaun! There will be food and the Notre Dame bookstore will be there selling a tremendous assortment of Notre Dame items..Get there early if you want to get a game day shirt as they will sell out!

Our Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drum Band will be playing at "Irish Fest" and the last time we played for Notre Dame the skirl of the pipes and the beat of our drums saw a Notre Dame win! What a day that was!

Admission price for is 5.00 and we have not been able to secure tickets so you are on your own if you want to get in and see the game. However, our plan is to go to another location together where we will watch the game together...standby for another message on this detail and parking info!

Steve Saletros
President
Los Angeles Police Emerald Society

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Meeting Reminders and Updates!

Fellow Emerald Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served in the armed forces of our great nation! Your service will always be remembered! The Emerald Society thanks you for your service to country and the cause of freedom and salutes you!

Our November meeting is tomorrow, Nov 12th,at 1900 Hrs. Our special guest speaker will be none other than, and I'm proud to say it, Emerald Society member, professor and historian Dr. Roger McGrath! You may have seen Brother McGrath speak before at a meeting or perhaps as a contributor on the History Channel. His presentations are always most impressive and enjoyable!

In keeping with the theme of the celebration of Veterans Day, Dr. McGrath will provide a presentation with a military history theme that chronicles the contributions of Americans of Irish descent on the battlefield in our nations wars. This promises to be an outstanding evening with a world class historian that I am sure will leave you with a great sense of history and pride! As a historian, professor, and writer, Dr McGrath is in great demand and we thank him for taking the time to share his knowledge with his brothers and sisters at the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society!

Thanks to Joe Flood, Joe Harvey and his daughter for taking part in the American Legion Barbecue for the wounded veterans at the Long Beach Veterans Hospital. The Emerald Society had an opportunity to form a bond with the American Legion members and volunteers as we visited with the wounded veterans. The veterans seemed genuinely glad to see us. We were honored to visit with them and we look forward to continuing to take part in this activity next year. Thanks to American Legion Post commander Bob Brennan and the American Legion volunteers for letting the Emerald Society be a part of this meaningful event!

"Irish Fest" The Notre Dame alumni Association will be presenting "Irish Fest" on Nov 29th just outside the USC Coliseum. Details will be forthcoming in the next few days. As of now, we do not have a source for tickets for this game as they are in great demand and USC has drastically limited availability for ND fans. Plans are being discussed for watching the game after "Irish Fest" at a local sports or Irish themed restaurant/bar. Suggestions and ideas are welcome!

Please remember to bring your pull can tops to the meeting for collection by Brother Kim Braden for the Ronald McDonald House. A future visit to the Ronald McDonald House will be forthcoming and announced in due time.

That's all for now!

Trivia fact: The song "God Bless America" written by Irving Berlin for Kate Smith to sing was first performed by her 70 years ago today!

God Bless America and Erin Go Bragh!

Steve Saletros
President

Friday, November 7, 2008

Updates and Details

Hear Ye Fellow Emeralds,

1. Fight For Life to Beat Cancer! Friday, November 7th, 2008 at the Quiet Cannon at 901 N. Via San Clemente, Montebello CA 90640

Gates open at 1730 Hrs
Fights Begin at 1900 Hrs

It's LAPD Vs. LASD and tickets are $25-100...For more info and ticket availability call the Los Angeles Police Protective League at 213 251-4554 or the Sheriff's Relief Association at 562-946-7081

Come join a great cause and share in the camaraderie! I've been to every Fight for Life event since it began and it is a night full of fun, fights, entertainment, celebrities and more fun! Hope to see you there!

2. American Legion Long Beach Veterans Hospital Barbecue! Saturday November 8th
Emerald Society members are encouraged to attend this barbecue for our wounded veterans. The barbecue begins at 1130 Hrs and will continue to 1400 Hrs. We will be visiting with severely wounded veterans in a gesture of gratitude for their most honorable service and sacrifices.

3. It's that time again, for us to muster our forces to come to the aid of some 1500 kids on December 20th at 11 AM for the annual Saint Vincent de Paul Christmas Party.

The Anaheim Phoenix Club of 1340 Sanderson, Anaheim 92806, once again invites us to brighten this Christmas for Children. These kids were selected to attend, because either one or both of their parents are in jail or serving long time prison sentences. The incarcerated themselves applied to SVDP to have their children invited to a nice Christmas meal and receive a lovely gift from Santa Claus himself. In the past the Ancient Order of Hibernians( all 4 Orange County divisions) Council 13311 of the Knights of Columbus, the staff of the Dept. of motor Vehicles, the SVDP Ministry of Santa Clara de Asis of Yorba Linda and the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society have come together to brighten the holiday season for some very needy young people. Guests of honor include Father Michael Hanifin from SCDA Parish, Anaheim Police Chief John Welter and many other dignitaries from throughout Orange County. If you have time to spare to help celebrate Christ's Birthday with grateful children call event MC Brother Emerald Jerry O'Keefe at 714 998-9590 or email him at IrishFree1916@aol.com.

4. The Emerald Society Christmas Holiday Party will be at the Walton residence on December 6th...Further details and flyers will be available at our Nov.12th meeting. The Walton Party is a wonderful pot luck and all are encouraged to attend and bring friends and family. There will will music in the form of Pipes and Drums and the Walton clan magnificently performs Christmas classics! It is truly a magical night with singing Christmas and Irish songs, good friends ,and Christmas holiday cheer. It is the highlight of the year! Thanks to the Walton family for hosting this marvelous time!

That's all for now! If you have any questions, comments or such just send me an email or you can call me.

All the Best to You All,
Steve Saletros
Emerald Brother
President

Monday, November 3, 2008

Member News

Fellow Emeralds,

Tomorrow is election day and I hope that all of you will participate and vote. While the Emerald Society is not in the business of political endorsements I am passing on information that two of our members have their hat in the political ring...Michael O'Gara (Ogara4judge.com) and Ralph Lillig (ralphlillig.com). Again this is not an official endorsement of candidates but an announcement of our members activities which is open to all members regardless of political affiliation. If, as individuals, you decide to help our fellow members in their endeavors that is a personal decision. The websites of both candidates have been provided to make it easier for you to see what our fellow members are doing. If at any time, you have member news which you would like passed on please to not hesitate to contact me.

You should have received your Garda newsletter, thanks to Liz Donovan, in the mail by now...If you have not received your newsletter or if you have suggestions for the Garda, please contact me. This was my first time putting out an issue of the Garda and all suggestions and criticisms are welcome.

More news to come soon!

All the Best to All of You,
Steve Saletros
President