From left is John Miga, department commander, Jason Beichner, award recipient, and Jeffery Levandoski, county commander.

Recently, two Commanders of the American Legion tracked down retired Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Beichner, who had been honored last year as the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. County Commander Jeffery Levandoski of Frewsburg and New York State Department Commander John Miga of Dunkirk, met with Beicher to present him with a couple of certificates related to that award.

Beichner was nominated for the title in three different levels, and he won all three from Chautauqua County American Legion all the way through to the state award. His long unselfish dedication to the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office was identified as was his K-9 Service having used his partner to find a lost hunter in the thick woods of Western New York. It was stated that had Beichner and his dog Drago not found the hunter, he most likely would have perished in the elements. Due to scheduling conflicts Beichner was unable to receive his District and State awards this past year.

In related business, two other Chautauqua County Employees received Legion Awards at these high levels. Marvin Cummings, a recently retired dispatcher, was awarded certificates from the district and state for his calm and cool handling of many 9-1-1 calls at the Sheriff’s office. He was unavailable to be presented his award. Likewise, Mike Darling was given the district and state level awards for being the Corrections Officer of the year for his supreme dedication to his employer.

The American Legion awards first responders, and local citizens for their patriotism and community involvement each year. If residents know of a deserving candidate, mention their name to a local American Legion. This will allow them to get the recognition they deserve.