Law enforcement pros play when Off Duty
By GAYLE WEBER
LA CROSSE -- Not many people have heard Off Duty perform, and members of the local country band are OK with that.
After all, they never intended to do more than entertain family and friends.
The band started with Leroy Penka singing and Ward Corsair playing the guitar -- off duty. Penka is retiring as the city police chief, and Corsair soon will start his second term as Rush County sheriff.
"It's a good relaxing thing to do especially in this line of work," Penka said.
Corsair then recruited his sons, Wyatt, 13, and Chance, 11, to play with them, along with a few others.
"We don't do much of the (music) they prefer," Corsair said. "It's just what we like to play."
Off Duty performs covers from Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves, Alabama and George Strait, among others.
When word got out about the band, they were asked to play at the annual barbed wire show in La Crosse.
They've also performed for the Timken Fire Department.
"We just got on a trailer and started playing and kept playing until it was too dark to see what we were doing," Penka said.
Penka said the band is far from being a professional one.
"We just have a good time doing it," Penka said. "It started out as a challenge."
The band has been together for about a year and plans to continue.
Penka will retire Wednesday after more than 30 years in law enforcement, which means he'll have more time to dabble in his favorite hobby.
Lately, Penka has been learning to play the bass guitar.
"I'm a long ways from good," Penka said.
Off Duty also includes Corsair's brother, Kurt, and Tom Nowlin, who both live in Colorado.
"The two guys from Colorado really make the band," Penka said jokingly.
Off Duty usually only performs when all the members are able to get together, but they do it for free because none of the members take it seriously.
"We're not professionals by a long shot," Penka said. "People like it just because of who we are."