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'Poncherello' Issues Tickets At Transitions

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By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 20, 2009

PALM HARBOR - Remember actor Erik Estrada and his character California Francis "Ponch" Poncherello, the California Highway Patrol officer on the 1977–1983 television series CHIPs?

Well, he's on duty at this week's Transitions Championship, handing out "Sight-ations'' to offenders.

Fans in attendance can be written up for "Aggravated Visual Assault: Wearing (itallic) Really Bad (END glasses, or "Grand Theft Visual: Robbing Your Eyes of Healthy Sight,'' or maybe even "Accessory to a Crime: Missing the Action Because of Squinting.''

Fans who are written up can take the "sight-ation'' to a Transitions Optical pavilion on site and receive a prize in addition to entering a drawing for a fitting and new eyewear.

"Everybody loves the idea of being ticketed by Pounch,'' Estrada said. "On TV I was supposed to protect and serve. I'm doing that here.

"And most everbody grew up watching CHIPs. The ones who could not make it on the force decided to become golfers."

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