Decades ago, when I was a Patrolman in Baltimore, cops joked among themselves that being named Police Officer of the Year was the kiss of death, because many who received that dubious honor were in some kind of serious trouble within the year.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This week an openly gay Broward County, Florida Sheriff's Deputy, Jonathan Bleiweiss, 29, of Fort Lauderdale, recently named employee of the year, was arrested for coercing sex from vulnerable illegal aliens.

And a woman who received the Connecticut Nursing Association's "Nurse of the Year," award in 2008 is taking the scenario to a whole new level. Betty Lichtenstein, 56, of Norwalk is not a nurse, though she did pretend to be one in a doctor's office, and there is no Connecticut Nursing Association. That didn't keep Betty from going to the trouble and $2,000 expense of creating the one member Conneticut Nursing Association and throwing herself an award banquet. She awaits her day in court.