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Glendale Public Safety Memorial Dedication

January 4, 2011 • 5:00 p.m.
Glendale Civic Center Plaza

A time to remember. After delivery delays the monument is finally finished.  Family and friends gathered Tuesday evening for the memorial's dedication.  On the left, Nancy Bonner, Officer Anthony Holly's mother, and Patricia Campbell, Sergeant Pat Campbell's mother take a moment to remember their sons. 
Photo by Bette Sharpe Glendale  Daily Planet / KKAT-IPTV

Glendale Public Safety Memorial Dedication

January 4, 2011 • 5:00 p.m.
Glendale Civic Center Plaza

_________________________________

_________________________________

Fire Engineer Lester Hillis

September 7, 1974

Sergeant Pat Campbell

September 22, 1985

Officer Anthony Holly

February 19, 2007

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Fire Engineer Lester Hillis

Dave Villalovos
Retired Glendale Fire Assistant Chief

Sergeant Pat Campbell

Jack Rose
Retired Glendale Police Chief

Officer Anthony Holly

Rich Stringer
Sergeant, Glendale Police

_________________________________

When I am called to duty, God, wherever flames may rage.
Give me strength to save some life whatever be its age.
Help me embrace a child before it is too late, or save an older person
From the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling and to give the best of me.
To guard my every neighbor and protect his property.
And if according to my fate, I am to lose my life,
Please bless with your protecting hand, my children and my wife.

- A. W. "Smokey" Linn

_________________________________

Lord I ask for courage
Courage to face and conquer my own fears…
Courage to take me where others will not go…
I ask for strength, strength of body to protect others…
I ask for dedication, dedication to my job, to do it well
Dedication to my community, to keep it safe
Give me Lord, concern for others who trust me
And compassion for those who need me…
And please Lord, through it all
Be at my side…

- Author Unknown

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Song for the Unsung Hero

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"In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it." ~Marianne Williamson

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A special commemorative coin in honor of the city’s public safety memorial is available for purchase. The keepsakes are $6.00 each with proceeds benefiting charity programs for the Glendale Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. Contact Rob Hawkins at 623.930.3317 or rhawkins@glendaleaz.com.

SCRIPT – DEDICATION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY MEMORIAL

Tuesday January 4th @ 5pm – Civic Center Plaza

GOOD EVENING -- ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE, OUR POLICE, FIRE AND ARTS DEPARTMENTS  AND OUR CITY LEADERS – WELCOME TO THE DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR THE NEW GLENDALE PUBLIC SAFETY MEMORIAL. 

I’M JULIE WATTERS FROM GLENDALE’S MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND I’M PROUD TO BE YOUR HOST. 

TONIGHT IS SUCH A SPECIAL OCCASION – IT IS A TRIBUTE THAT ISN’T SO MUCH ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS TO SPEAK AND TO HEAR – BUT RATHER UNDERSTANDING THE POWERFUL CONCEPT OF WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER THIS EVENING AND WHY. 

WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR GLENDALE LEADERS WHO ARE HERE:

v     mAYOR eLAINE sCRUGGS

v     vICE mAYOR STEVE FRATE

v     councilmember phil lieberman

v     cOUNCILMEMBER MANNY MARTINEZ

v     councilmember joyce clark

v     cOUNCILMEMBER yVONNE kNAACK

AT THIS TIME WE WILL HONOR OUR COUNTRY AND STATE.   LADIES AND GENTLEMEN PLEASE RISE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF OUR NATIONAL COLORS AND REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THE COLORS ARE PRESENTED TODAY BY THE GLENDALE  POLICE AND FIRE HONOR GUARD AND THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WILL BE SUNG BY THE HONOR CHORUS FROM GLENDALE’S OWN MOUNTAIN RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL.

(HONOR GUARD)

(PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE)

(NATIONAL ANTHEM)

PLEASE WELCOME OUR FIRST SPEAKER, GLENDALE POLICE CHIEF STEVE CONRAD.

(CHIEF CONRAD)

HERE TO DISCUSS THE MEANING BEHIND THE ARTWORK OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY MEMORIAL IS GLENDALE FIRE CHIEF MARK BURDICK.

(CHIEF BURDICK)

THIS MEMORIAL HONORS THREE OF OUR OWN – TWO GLENDALE POLICE OFFICERS AND ONE GLENDALE FIREFIGHTER.  they were from different generations, serving our city during separate eras – yet still woven together with the same thread to be a public servant here in glendale.  at this time, we will hear brief rememberances of each of these men.

FIRE ENGINEER LESTER HILLIS WAS THE FIRST GLENDALE FIREFIGHTER TO DIE IN THE LINE OF DUTY.  In 1974  while responding TO A CAR ACCIDENT FROM STATION 53, WHICH IS STILL LOCATED AT 59^TH AVENUE AND THUNDERBIRD, THE FIRE TRUCK LESTER WAS RIDING IN WAS HIT BY A CAR.  THE FIRE TRUCK OVERTURNED. ALTHOUGH CREWS WERE AbLE TO PULL LESTER OUT FROM THE upside down TRUCK AND RUSH HIM TO A HOSPITAL, HE LATER DIED FROM HIS INJURIES.

please welcome retired assistant fire chief dave villalovos with memories of fire ENGINEER lester hillis.

(DAVE VILLALOVOS)

SERGEANT PAT CAMPBELL WAS THE FIRST GLENDALE POLICE OFFICER TO DIE IN THE LINE OF DUTY.  in 1980 pat was pursuing a robbery suspect – a nearby high school was letting students out and pat used his patrol car as a roadblock.  the crash severely injured pat.  and although HE went back to work AND WAS PROMOTED TO SEARGEANT, five years later, in 1985, pat CAMPBELL died of leukemia, the result of tainted blood transfusions HE RECEIVED during his surgeries after his CAR accident.   please welcome the man who served as pat’s police chief during that time – retired chief jack rose.

(jack rose)

THE THIRD PERSON WE WILL HONOR AT THIS NEW MEMORIAL IS OFFICER ANTHONY HOLLY – TONY AS MANY LOVED ONES REFERRED TO HIM.  IN 2007, TONY WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY WHILE BACKING UP A FELLOW OFFICER ON A ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP.  LIKE THE OTHERS, THE LINE OF DUTY DEATH OF TONY HOLLY HAS HAD AN INCREDIBLE RIPPLE EFFECT – INCLUDING BEING ABLE TO SHED A POSITITVE LIGHT IN THIS DARKNESS… THE IDEA TO CREATE THIS MEMORIAL WAS SPARKED FROM THE HEARTS OF MANY RIGHT AFTER TONY DIED.  IT WAS A WAY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO HIM, PAT CAMPBELL AND LESTER HILLIS.  HERE TO TALK ABOUT TONY HOLLY IS HIS FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE – SERGEANT RICH STRINGER.

(RICH STRINGER)

AT THIS TIME IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME THE MAYOR OF GLENDALE TO SHARE SOME SPECIAL WORDS… ELAINE SCRUGGS.

(MAYOR SCRUGGS)

AS WE BEGIN TO CLOSE OUT OUR PROGRAM, WE ASK the FIRE CHAPLAIN – RAUL OCHOA AND THE POLICE CHAPLAIN DARLENE DANNINGER TO COME FORWARD TO READ THE FIREMAN’S PRAYER AND THE POLICE OFFICER’S PRAYER – BOTH PRAYERS ARE ETCHED INTO THE GRANITE WALL HERE…

(FIRE CHAPLAIN)

(POLICE CHAPLAIN)

 OUR CLOSING SONG WILL BE SUNG, ONCE AGAIN, BY THE HONOR CHORUS FROM MOUNTAIN RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL.  IT IS “THE SONG FOR THE UNSUNG HERO” – DIRECTOR CINDY DURAZO HAS ASKED ME TO INVITE YOU TO SING ALONG DURING THE “MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE” PORTION – thE WORDS ARE PRINTED IN YOUR PROGRAM.

(CHOIR SING – ‘SONG FOR THE UNSUNG HERO’)

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN – THIS BRINGS AN END TO OUR PROGRAM.  WE THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TONIGHT AND SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT TO OUR CITY, OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS.  WE INVITE YOU TO COME FORWARD AND GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MEMORIAL – AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THIS SITE AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE, KNOWING IT IS HERE FOREVER FOR EVERYONE TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE FOR OUR COMMUNITY – LESTER HILLIS, PAT CAMPBELL AND TONY HOLLY.

THANK YOU……….

Remarks by Glendale Police Chief Steve Conrad

Like every incredible and worthwhile project, there is a beginning, middle and an end …

Today, we have reached the conclusion of turning this idea … this project … into a reality.

It was 2007 when the Glendale City Council proposed a Public Safety Memorial be considered for our city.

So our first “thank you” is to all the members of the Glendale City Council for providing the vision that brought us here this evening.

Please join me in thanking them!

Based on their direction, a Public Safety Memorial Committee was formed.

The committee included:

·       Representatives from the families who had lost loved ones in the service of our city,

·       Members of the Glendale Arts Commission and the Glendale Arts Council,

·       A number of wonderful citizens who have a demonstrated interest in either the Police or Fire Departments 

·       Representatives from the Police and Fire Administration and unions,

·       And other dedicated members of city staff.

This memorial truly would not have been possible without the ideas, the energy, and the hours of dedicated service that came from the people on this committee.

Over about a fifteen month period, these wonderful people met many times and were involved in a variety of activities such as:

·       Looking at examples of memorials from around the country;

·       Evaluating possible memorial locations within our city;

·       Providing input for the solicitation for proposals for the project;

·       Reviewing and ranking the over 60 proposals received as a result of the solicitations;

·       And finally, evaluating formal proposals from the three artists who were selected as finalists for this project.

I would like to ask all of the members of the Public Safety Memorial Committee to stand so we can recognize them for their efforts. 

In the end, the committee selected and recommended artist Haiying Wu for this project. 

Unfortunately, Mr. Wu is unable to be here with us today, as he is already working on sculpture project in Florida, but I would like to share a bit of information about him with you.

Mr. Wu has been engaged in producing public art since 1984 and in the past 20 years has created more than 30 works of public art in both China and the United States

Mr. Wu is an expert in public safety figurative sculpture and has previous experience working here in the city as he was the artist for the beautiful sculpture at the Gateway Public Safety Building, located on 83rd Avenue, near Maryland Avenue.

The committee truly enjoyed working with Mr. Wu on this project. 

I would also like to mention the efforts of Mr. Wu’s representative, Jason Horejs (HORSE-SH), the owner of Xanadu Gallery, in Scottsdale.

The contract for this art was actually awarded to Xanadu Gallery, and Jason was instrumental in helping us coordinate many of the details associated with this project. 

Unfortunately, Jason is also unable to be here with us today, but his mother, Elaine, is here.   She is the director of Xanadu Gallery.   Please join me in recognizing and thanking her for their efforts!

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention a local company that served as the general contractor for the installation of this memorial. 

Please join me in thanking Excel Construction Services, of Phoenix.  I believe that company’s president, Mr. Roy Hatch, is with us here today.

This project has been a labor of love … for the families of our fallen – to our residents who care deeply about our police officers and fire fighters – to our elected officials and our employees.

It is tragic that such a memorial is even needed. 

But given the sacrifices made by Fire Engineer Lester Hillis, Police Sergeant Patrick Campbell, Police Officer Anthony Holly and their families, I believe this memorial is one of the most pure tributes we can make to remember and honor these three men.