Custodes Pacis Lodge #2085, OSIA

It is with sadness that we report to you the death of Brother Elowood T. Cubbage.  His Obituary from the Philadelphia Inquirer appears below

Capt. Elwood T. Cubbage
CUBBAGE

 

 

CAPT. ELWOOD T., Phila. Fire Dept., passed away on Dec. 8, 2008, age 61. Beloved husband of Mary A. (nee Loughlin); loving father of Colleen T. Callaghan (Thomas), Sean F. and Megan K. Cubbage; dear grandfather of Aileen, Brian, Jana Leigh, Eilis and Thomas Callaghan. Brother of Aaron (Helen), Joseph (Julie), Andy (Jeanie), Susie, Anne Marie Cubbage-Reilly and Michael (Kathy). He was predeceased by his brother John. Also surviving his sister-in-law Nancy, and 32 nieces and nephews. Relatives, friends and members of the Phila. Fire Dept. are invited to share in Elwood’s Life Celebration Friday eve from 7 to 9 P.M. and Saturday morning starting 8 A.M. from JOHN F. GIVNISH OF ACADEMY RD., 10975 Academy Rd., Phila.; and to participate in his Funeral Mass 10 A.M. at St. Jerome Church, Holme Ave. and Stamford St. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Elwood T. Cubbage Memorial Fund, c/o Police & Fire Credit Union, 901 Arch St., Phila. PA 19107 would be appreciated.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

CHILDRENS CHRISTMAS PARTY –DECEMBER 21, 2008 – WE MUST RECEIVE FORM NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 8, 2008.   YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER ONLINE @ www.custodespacis.org

NAME OF MEMBER
NUMBER OF ADULTS      à		NUMBER OF CHILDREN   à
NAME OF CHILD	AGE		SEX

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Meeting Schedule:

All Meetings start at 7pm and are located at the FOP Lodge 5 Hall, 1336 Spring Garden Street

Monday, January 5, 2009

Monday, February 2, 2009

Monday, March 2, 2009

Monday, April 6, 2009

Monday, May 5, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009

Per Capita Tax Letter

By Andrew Maykuth and Barbara Boyer

INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey today announced a major shake-up of the department’s command – doubling the number of deputy commissioners to eight – that he says will improve accountability and drive down the crime rate.
Less than four months into the job, Ramsey reconfigured the 6,600-member department into two main operating groups that will be headed by current deputy commissioners. The bifurcated organizational structure is similar to the way he configured the Washington, D.C., department, where he was chief for nine years before stepping down a year ago.

Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross, now head of internal affairs and gun control strategy, will oversee all field operations – police on the street, the muscle of the department. He was elevated from a two-star deputy to a three-star deputy.

Deputy Commissioner John Gaittens, a two-star deputy and veteran administrator, will be in charge of organizational support services – the “backroom” operations such as training, communications, administration and human services.

The four new deputies were promoted internally, much to the relief of the Fraternal Order of Police, which had opposed a ballot measure that voters approved on April 22 allowing the police commissioner to appoint up to 10 deputies. The FOP was concerned, in part, that Ramsey would import a large number of out-of-town commanders.

Appearing at a news conference with Mayor Nutter, Ramsey said the reorganization will make the department more “mission-oriented.” He said the aim is largely to get more officers on patrol, increasing the department’s visibility to send a message to the public, as well as criminals.

“The public wants to see more cops out there on the street,” he said. In the new organization, he said, “everything exists to support the patrol function.”

Ramsey said he has assigned 248 more officers to street patrol. Of that number, 109 are rookies. The rest are former members of two specialized crime-fighting units. Those officers will now report to local commanders.

“We put them in districts where they need to be, that was not the way it was before,” Ramsey said.

The commissioner and the mayor touted positive crime statistics for the administration’s first four months as evidence that their strategy is working. Homicides have decreased 24 percent, violent crime is down 4 percent, and gun seizures are up 3.5 percent.

“These are obviously indications of progress,” Nutter said. But, he said, his administration believes that the numbers are still “far from where they should be.”

The commissioner introduced his new “management team” at a news conference after spending the morning in individual meetings with the more than 40 commanders who were promoted or shifted laterally.

Ramsey noted that he would not have a first deputy. His predecessor, Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson, appointed Deputy Commissioner Patricia Giorgio-Fox as head of operations, making her his clear second.

“I’m the one that’s accountable for the operations of this department – me and me alone,” said Ramsey. “What I have here is a management team, all of us working together to accomplish a mission, a goal, to make this city safe and secure. And we will accomplish that mission, and we’ll do it together, all of us working together.”

Giorgio-Fox, who now shares her three-star rank with Ross, will remain as a deputy commissioner. She will head a new office of coordination and accountability that Ramsey said will be “responsible for ensuring that efforts of all the department’s units are working together and accomplishing our mission and goals.”

Along with Giorgio-Fox, Deputy Charlotte Council and a civilian Ramsey brought in from Washington will head offices that will be part of what is called the “commissioner’s group,” which Ramsey said “will help guide this department.”

Council, currently deputy for administration and training, will oversee the new office of violence prevention and victim services.

Nola Joyce, a trusted aide who was formerly Ramsey’s assistant in Washington, will oversee the new office of strategic initiatives and innovations. Joyce, a civilian, is the equivalent of a ninth deputy commissioner, though she is technically a deputy in the city managing director’s office who has been detailed to Ramsey.

Ramsey promoted four commanders to new one-star deputies who will oversee operations and report to Ross: Capt. Thomas Wright, Capt. Kevin Bethel, Chief Inspector William Blackburn, and Inspector Stephen Johnson.

Wright, commander of the 25th District in North Philadelphia, and Bethel, commander of the 17th District in Point Breeze, catapulted several ranks up the hierarchy and will now head two regional operations commands. The north region, which includes the East, Northeast and Northwest Divisions, will be headed by Wright. Bethel will head the south region, which includes the areas covered by the South, Southwest and Central Divisions.

Ramsey praised Bethel and Wright. “They’re very effective,” he said. “They ran tough districts, and they ran them well.”

Blackburn, formerly narcotics head, will head major investigations, which includes many of the department’s centralized detective functions – homicide, special victims unit, narcotics and forensics.

Johnson, the former head of South Division’s four police districts, will head an enhanced homeland-security bureau, which will include the SWAT team and the bomb squad.

Ramsey says he has initiated a department-wide review of special units with an aim of increasing the number of “generalists” who can be dispatched to fight a range of crimes and increase the department’s visibility.

“To me, in my way of thinking, everything exists to support the patrol function,” Ramsey said in an interview Tuesday. “Everything. If you don’t support the patrol function, I question why you exist.”

Below the deputy commissioners, Ramsey made five other promotions and more than 30 lateral moves in the ranks of inspectors and captains.

His changes included at least one demotion: Kimberly Byrd, who had been the executive officer to former Commissioner Johnson, returned to her civil-service rank of sergeant and was reassigned to the Eighth District in Northeast Philadelphia.

——————————————————————————–
Contact staff writer Andrew Maykuth at 215-854-2947 or amaykuth@phillynews.com.

Custodes Pacis Lodge Invites you to a
BOWLING BEEF AND BEER FUNdraiser
Saturday, April 19 , 2008
9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.

Thunderbird Lanes
Holme Ave and Willits Road

Buffet, Beer, Soda & Set-ups Included (BYOB)

DONATION: $25.00 per person
(Lanes can be reserved-6 persons to a lane)

For Tickets and Information Contact
Moe DeLisi- Rita Rastelli -Joe Spera

Next Meeting – The next monthly meeting will be held on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 7 p.m. in the FOP Hall, 1336 Spring Garden Street. Food and refreshments will be served. District 3 will also be holding their meeting.

President’s Message
March celebrated our 49th year as a Custodes Pacis Lodge, #2085, in the Order Son’s of Italy in America. As we prepare for our 50th anniversary, I am asking members to send me their stories about the lodge, and share any photographs and mementos that you may have. Also, stop by a meeting if you have not been to one in a while.

I have a goal to celebrate our 50th anniversary in a grand fashion and hope to set plans for a banquet in 2009.

As a way of showing our thanks to those members who started our organization in 1959, the executive board recently voted to waive the dues for all Charter Members. Although their numbers are now few, these members took the steps to create our unique organization of Italian-American Police, Fire, Sheriff and Law Enforcement Professionals.

I look forward to receiving your stories and I am interested in any ideas that you may have to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Thank you.

Good and Welfare
Your thoughts for a speedy recovery are requested for Nazarino Gagliardi who is home recuperating from recent hip surgery. Get well soon Naz, bocce season starts soon!

Thought and prayers are requested for the family of Barbara Corso whose mother, Catherine Cappo passed away on March 24, 2008. Catherine was also the mother-in-law of lodge brother Lt. Frank Corso.

Your prayers are also requested for the family of Lt. Joseph Bologna whose brother, Anthony passed away on March 25, 2008.

Condolences are offered to the family of Upper Chichester firefighter, Lt. Nick Picozzi who died while fighting a fire on March 5, 2008. Nick was the cousin of lodge brother fire Chief Joseph Picozzi.

Custodes Pacis Lodge Invites you to a
BOWLING BEEF AND BEER FUNdraiser
Saturday, April 19 , 2008
9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.

Thunderbird Lanes
Holme Ave and Willits Road

Buffet, Beer, Soda & Set-ups Included (BYOB)

DONATION: $25.00 per person
(Lanes can be reserved-6 persons to a lane)

For Tickets and Information Contact
Moe DeLisi- Rita Rastelli -Joe Spera

Banquets and Other Events
The following organizations have announced their events for 2008, tickets for these events are available to lodge members at ½ price, unless otherwise noted. If you are interested in attending, please contact Maurizio DeLisi.

International German Police Association – 32nd Anniversary Banquet, Saturday, April 12, 2008, Cannstatter Volkfest Verein, 9130 Academy Road. 7pm to Midnight. Tickets are $55, $27.50 to members.

FOP fund-raiser for Richard Costello who is running for PA State Representative. April 3, 2008 at Finnegans Wake, 3rd and Spring Garden. Tickets are $50 per person. This event is not a half price event. Please contact Bobby Eddis at 215-285-3170.

District #3 OSIA Most Deserving Member Banquet – Congratulations to lodge Chaplain John Fitch who is Custodes Pacis’ Most Deserving Member for 2008. The Most Deserving Member of each Lodge in District #3 will be honored at Swan Caterer’s Waterfall Room on Thursday, April 24, 2008. The cost for this event is $60 per ticket, $30 to members.

Hellenic-American Law Enforcement Association (HALES) – 27th Annual Dinner Dance, Friday, May 16, 2008. Swan Caterer’s Waterfall Room, 7pm to Midnight. The cost of this event is $50 per ticket, $25 to members.

SHOMRIN of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley – 71st Annual Dinner Dance, Wednesday June 4, 2008, Har Zion Temple, 1500 Hagys Ford Road, Penn Valley, PA. Tickets are $65.00 per person, $32.50 for members.

Attend Meetings and Lodge Events. Contribute to our newsletter and our website. We cannot be a success without your help.

April Birthdays
Frank Corso, Frank La Fontano, Louis Alessi, William Gress, Jr., Joanne Plummer, Marie Vendetti, Joseph Abruzzese, Michael Margolis, Martin Coggins, Joseph Stipa, Dominic Pellegrino, Harold De Orio Jr, Vincent Bocchinfuso, Joseph DiCicco, Theresa Tirotto, John Del Carlino, James DiNubile, Susan Kres McCormick, Philip Formicola, Joseph Di Domenico, Edward Merenda

Join us at our group night with the Phillies! On July 12, 2008 – The Phillies will play the Arizona Diamondbacks and this night is being promoted as “Italian Heritage Night” The lodge has secured 50 tickets which are being made available to members for $23.00 per ticket. Tickets are located in section 207. Tickets are available on a first come first served basis. Please contact Maurizio DeLisi.

Financial Secretary’s Corner – Contact Rita Rastelli, for any problems related to membership. Membership Dues – Dues reminders have been mailed. If you have not done so please check your mail and send in your dues. Please send all address changes to the Financial Secretary at the Lodge address or e-mail: info@custodespacis.org. DROP Participants: DROP participants and those planning to retire please fill out a Retired Pension Payroll Deduction card prior to retiring.

ITALIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY
Chi pò, non vò; chi vò, non pò; chi sà, non fà; chi fà, non sà; e così, male il mondo và.”

Translation: “Who can do, don’t want to; Who wants to, can’t do; Who knows how to do, won’t do it; Who does it, doesn’t know how to; and, so, badly goes the world.”

Meet Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey – SHOMRIN is sponsoring a meet and greet night with Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. The event will take place on Thursday April 10, 2008 at 7:30 PM at the Klein Branch JCC, Red Lion and Jamison Roads. Custodes Pacis members have been invited to attend this event. Refreshments will be served.

APRIL LOTTERY FUNDRAISER
You still have time to get tickets for the April 2008 fundraiser. Proceeds from this event go directly to our scholarship fund so your support is essential! Please contact Pete Lavini or Maurizio DeLisi. Your support is appreciated

Upcoming Meetings:
All Meetings start at 7pm and are located at the FOP Lodge 5 Hall, 1336 Spring Garden Street
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008