Clubhouse
Clean record spares Kiwanian from jail
It was, according to the Richmond Register, “a case of aggressive law enforcement catching up with an over-zealous auctioneer,” namely Ray Desloover, longtime member of the Richmond, Kentucky, Kiwanis club.
 (Photo credit: Nancy Taggart, Richmond Register)
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The sheriff slaps the handcuffs on Kiwanian and auctioneer Ray DeSloover (right). Ray “accidentally sold” a ladder belonging to the city of Richmond, Kentucky, to Darlene Noble (second from left), during his club’s annual charity auction. |
For several years, the Richmond club has staged an annual charity auction. This year’s event, broadcast live over cable TV from city hall, contained some high drama when a ladder owned by the city got mixed in with merchandise donated for the auction.
According to published reports, though the ladder was clearly marked “City of Richmond Codes Enforcement Officer,” the ever-enthusiastic Ray had gotten bids up to US$130 before Madison County Sheriff Nelson O’Donnell arrived to stop the bidding and “arrest” the auctioneer. And after placing what she thought was the winning bid by telephone, an unsuspecting citizen arrived at city hall just in time to also get cuffed.
But before the two could be taken into custody, City manager David Evans arrived to tell the sheriff he would not press charges because of Ray’s “long record of public service and charitable contributions.”
“Fortunately, I managed to stop the bidding before it got up to $300,” the sheriff told the newspaper with a straight face. “That kept the offense from becoming a felony.”
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