THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 27, Number 12 Thursday, March 31, 2011 For the Coast Guard, Staying in Peak Condition a Priority by Rick A. Richards When something has been around for so When she was at boot camp, Polzin said she long, it becomes easy to take it for granted. didn’t understand the terms being thrown at For a lot of Michigan City residents, that’s her on a daily basis. how they view the U.S. Coast Guard. Today, she’s glad she made the decision, and They shouldn’t because the Coast Guard’s she’s glad to be in Michigan City. Previously, mission doesn’t allow it to take anyone who she was stationed in New Orleans at the time comes in contact with Lake Michigan or its Hurricane Katrina hit, has been stationed in coast for granted. California and spent a year in Iraq as part of a That’s the approach Chief Petty Offi cer Coast Guard team assisting Iraqi patrol boats. Rebecca Polzin takes. She’s in charge of the But unlike the warm weather postings she’s Michigan City Coast Guard Station and its had where it’s easier to stay in top shape, Pol- contingent of 21. Polzin, who grew up just zin is taking extra steps here to make sure her south of Minneapolis, plans on making the unit remains in peak condition and readiness. Coast Guard a career, but before she signed The mission of the Michigan City station is up she admits she didn’t know anything about primarily search and rescue with a secondary it. mission of law enforcement, homeland secu- She didn’t know what she was going to do rity and marine environmental protection. In when she graduated high school, so she said, the winter, the unit is designated as an ice ca- “My counselor at school told me to try the pability unit trained for rescue operation on Coast Guard. I didn’t know it existed.” the ice. Coast Guard Continued on Page 2 Chief Petty Offi cer Rebecca Polzin of Minneapolis, Minn., is in charge From left, Petty Offi cer Joshua Jurgen, Petty Offi cer Jeff Davis, Seaman of the Michigan City Coast Guard Station. It’s her responsibility to make Amanda Yockey and Fireman Matthew Western, do calisthenics at the sure the 21 crew members of the station stay physically fi t. Naval Armory. (Photo by Rick A. Richards) (Photo by Rick A. Richards) THE Page 2 March 31, 2011 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. The spinning class, taught by Laurence Lasker, a private detective in Chicago who lives in New Buf- falo, is a high intensity workout on a stationary bi- cycle that has a 40-pound front wheel. The workout is set to music in which participants pedal at vari- ous speeds, all the while doing various exercises. “The real competition in the workout isn’t with each other, but with yourself,” said Lasker, who teaches the spinning class at Gold’s and is a mem- ber of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Michigan City. “This is the least I can do for these guys who give so much to our country,” said Lasker. “The Coast Guard is a terrifi c organization. I’m on the water all summer long and I see what these guys do.” Along with the physical workout, Polzin said one of her goals was to build camaraderie. “Team build- Before each workout at the Naval Armory on Trail Creek, members of the ing is part of what we’re doing. I try to combine mo- U.S. Coast Guard Station pick a card from the Fit Deck. This helps vary rale building with physical fi tness.” the workouts each session. (Photo by Rick A. Richards) Polzin said that’s important because members of Coast Guard Continued from Page 1 the unit are constantly changing. As some leave for Polzin makes sure the unit works out at least new assignments, new members rotate in. twice a week at the Naval Armory on Trail Creek, “When I started in New Orleans, the people there where members run, exercise and play volleyball. helped me fi gure out what I wanted to do and that She also had members travel to Gold’s Gym in New was to be a boatswain’s mate and drive boats,” said Buffalo, Mich., where they participated in a spin- Polzin. “As a very junior boatswain’s mate, you get ning class. qualifi ed as a coxswain and then you’re in command While that was a one-time effort, Polzin said she of a crew or three or four people. hopes the experience will encourage some members “Absolutely I want to make this a career,” said of the unit “to think outside the box when it comes Polzin, adding that this is her second year in Michi- to keeping physically fi t.” gan City. While the Michigan City station is small Michigan City Coast Guard crew taking part in a spinning class at Gold’s Gym in New Buffalo, are, from left, Petty Offi cer Bill Dawalt, Petty Offi cer Spinning instructors Amy Shinn (on stationary bicycle) and Laurence Tim Jones, Seaman Cody Felthoff, Petty Offi cer Jeff Davis and Petty Lasker lead members of the Michigan City Coast Guard Station in a Offi cer Scott O’Brien. (Photo by Rick A. Richards) workout. (Photo by Rick A. Richards) THE March 31, 2011 Page 3 (New Orleans has a 50-member station) she said the responsibilities aren’t any less daunting. For 34-year-old Petty Offi cer Scott O’Brien of Dayton, Texas, one of the older members of the unit, the spinning workout was a chance to test himself. O’Brien has been in the Coast Guard for 15 years, but has been assigned to Michigan City for less than a year. “I want to do my 20 and get out,” said O’Brien. “I’m looking to be a game warden in Texas.” O’Brien is the unit’s training petty offi cer, making sure new arrivals are properly acquainted with the equip- ment assigned to the Michigan City station. He, too, was assigned to the Gulf area at the Grand Isle, La., station not far from New Orleans and also has spent time at the station in Hilo, Ha- waii, and was involved in drug interdiction efforts in the Caribbean. “Being assigned here gives me a unique look at the Great Lakes,” said O’Brien. He said he was especially interested in the spin- ning class because “I hope to lose about 50 pounds.” Away from the station, he has gotten involved with students at Knapp Elementary School in Michigan City, where his wife is a teacher. Petty Offi cer Tim Jones and Seaman Cody Felthoff pass a medicine ball while doing a spinning workout at Gold’s Gym in New Buffalo. (Photo by Rick A. Richards) For Petty Offi cer Tim Jones, 22, of El Paso, Texas, the Coast Guard is a temporary career, a stop along the way to something else. Jones, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, has been in the Coast Guard for four years. He most recently was assigned to a station in Paris Landing, Tenn. Coast Guard Continued on Page 4 THE Page 4 March 31, 2011 Coast Guard Continued from Page 3 “I want to be an athletic trainer,” said Jones, who Michigan City Coast Guard Station has taken spinning classes before. “I do spinning Facts classes once or twice a week. Today, it’s good to be Located at the mouth of Trail Creek, the sta- with the crew. Just because you’re out on the boat tion has been in Michigan City since 1888 and doesn’t mean you’re not busy. Between keeping up is the only unit in Indiana. It began as a unit of with all the training and maintaining all the equip- the U.S. Lifesaving Station, which later became ment, you’re plenty busy.” the Coast Guard. Still, he admits, he’s not as busy during the win- Crew: 21enlisted active duty members. Any- ter as he is during the summer. where from eight to 10 personnel are on duty at And that’s why Polzin is placing such an empha- a time, working 48 hour shifts with 48 hours off. sis on physical training. It keeps everyone busy and Only on-duty crew sleep at the station. it helps create a bond among a crew that comes from Boats: A 47-foot motor lifeboat which accom- as far away as Washington state and Florida and as modates four crew and fi ve survivors; a 25-foot close by as Marion, Ind. response boat used in law enforcement and se- “One thing about the Coast Guard, though, is curity patrols; and a 14-foot skiff used in ice res- it’s so small that no matter where you go, chances cue. are good that you’re going to run into someone you District: Part of the Ninth Coast Guard Dis- know,” said Polzin.