1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	**Rain or Shine**

The 9th Annual Law Enforcement & Fire Safety Appreciation Day Picnic has been scheduled for Saturday, September 22, 2007 from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the National Corrections & Law Enforcement Training & Technology Center (NCLETTC), also known as "The Moundsville Center." This year there will be an Opening Ceremony at 12:45 p.m., which will include the singing of the National Anthem, welcome message, and a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives in the line-of-duty. A tribute to those local fallen heroes will run continuously throughout the day. Click here to view a alphabetical list of those Ohio Valley law enforcement and firefighters killed in the line-of duty. Food will be served beginning at 1:00 p.m..

Don ' t let the rain scare you away. If it rains, not a problem, we move indoors.

Last year nearly 600 law enforcement officials, firefighters, first responders, and their family members representing 40 different departments throughout the Ohio Valley attended the picnic. Departments attending for the first time included Bellaire/Neffs VFD, Bethlehem VFD, Lafferty VFD, Ohio County Commission, Sherrard VFD, Steubenville EMS, Weirton City FD, West Alexander VFD, and the Wileyville VFD.

If you plan on attending the picnic, please R.S.V.P. by September 12, 2007 so we can plan accordingly. You can do so by signing the sign-up sheet at your local department, by completing the on-line form , or by calling our office at (304) 845-9750.

As always, free food and beverages will be provided throughout the day. This will mark the 5 th consecutive year that Chef James and his staff at Café Burress has catered the event. Grilled to order ribs will be on the menu, as well as a large variety of side dishes. Click here for a sample menu. Café Burress is located at 113 South Penn Street on Wheeling Island. He welcomes you to stop in and hello.

Of course, those law enforcement officials and fire personnel who register at the welcome table will receive a Free T-shirt commemorating this year's picnic. We try our best to have an adequate supply of t-shirts and sizes, so arrive early to secure a t-shirt and your desired size.

We are excited to have the The Fabulous Bender Boys back for the 2nd consecutive year. The band recently completed their 3rd year at Jamboree in the Hills and has performed at a variety of locations throughout the Ohio Valley, including at Oglebay Park for the 4th of July fireworks show. Be sure to check out their website and calendar of events to see where you can catch their next "gig."

Breaking News: just confirmed, this year's event emcee will be none other than Johnny O from 100.5 Jack FM. Some of you may remember Johnny O from the 100.5 WOMP FM days. Johnny has been a mainstay in the Ohio Valley for the past 20 years. He guarantees us a good time.

Other activities include the popular firearms simulator competition . We are working on details for this year's competition, so please check back. Instead of the indoor competition using various scenarios, we are working on an outdoor event so that more people can participate and watch. Awards will be handed out the winners at the end of the day. Football fans will be able to keep up on the day's games on a big screen t.v.. The Speed Pitch , Fire Safety House , and E-One Firetrucks are yearly favorites and this year will be no different. Kids will keep busy all day running back and forth between making items at the craft station and enjoying the inflatables. Thanks to Mark George, Jay Knapp, Brad Varlas, Kenny Rhodes, and True Value's Don Meredith for helping secure items for the event.

The National Corrections & Law Enforcement Training & Technology Center (NCLETTC) is located inside the former West Virginia Penitentiary and offers various training exercises and classes year-round for law enforcement, fire personnel and first responders. Call Mike Logsdon at the NCLETTC at 843-4147 for additional information.

Each year the NCLETTC offers their facilities to our law firm for use during the picnic, and their staff members help with the picnic on their day off. We appreciate all they do to assist us and the community throughout the year.

The annual picnic is provided courtesy of Gold, Khourey & Turak.

Please click here to view photos from last year's picnic. If you have attended past picnics, we'd like to hear from you. Please click here to submit your comments.