By Mary O’KEEFE

On Saturday night community members showed their support for the Crescenta Valley Sheriff Support Group at a country and western event  to raise money for a mobile command center.

The support group is a board of volunteers who assist in raising funds for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. Crescenta Valley Station.

“Our board maintains the important connection between our community and the Sheriff’s Department,” Linda Taix-Paccone, president of the support group, said in an earlier interview with CVW.

The night included a steak and barbecue chicken dinner, live country and western music, dancing, a silent auction, bourbon tasting, cigar corner and a lot of western wear.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell (shown at left with Taix-Paccone) stopped by to show his support and talk to attendees. At the end of the night the fundraiser brought in over $30,000 toward the goal of $150,000.

“[The Command Post] will help our sheriffs respond to large-scale emergencies,” Taix-Paccone said. “A Mobile Command Post is an over-sized motorhome vehicle that is equipped with the tools and technology that can be deployed on a moment’s notice from the CV Sheriff’s Station.”

The mobile post will allow more efficient and effective on-site service to better protect and serve the community, Taix-Paccone added.

In the past the CVSSG has raised funds to pay for specialized equipment and to help the station, including remodeling the jails at the station, and have purchased off-road motorcycles for emergency response in areas like the Angeles National Forest. The mobile command center, however, is the group’s largest project to date.

  Mary Okeefe