The River Reporter
Thursday, September 14, 1995

Scholarship in memory
of fallen hero

By TOM RUE

MONTICELLO - Jaime Sampat is way too young to remember fallen Monticello police officer Edward Dollard, but she is studying to carry on his work at SUNY-Albany, thanks in part to a $1000 gift from the Monticello Police Benevolent Association (PBA).

Dollard was killed in the line of duty in 1926, said Sgt. William VanHage, who said every new officer in Monticello learns how Dollard interrupted a burglary in progress at a Broadway fruit stand. A high-speed chase ensued, with the murderer finally being cornered in a Monroe swamp, he said.

Sampat, 18, graduated this year from Monticello High School and is preparing for a career in law enforcement.

Selection criteria for the scholarship include "character, grades, and a desire to study criminal justice," said VanHage.

PBA fund-raising efforts include an annual golf tournament, variety show, advertising journal, soda machine sales, and other activities, VanHage noted.

"I'm glad I got the scholarship. It really helps," said Sampat, crediting her parents for her character. She is the daughter of Ramdeo and Adell Sampat of Monticello, a truck driver and a nurse's aide.