Mr.
Marvin Reed
Educator
Award
Awarded by:
Mr. Reed taught for a
total of 32yrs., 22 years of those were
here in the Oak Harbor School District.
He was nominated by a former student, Ada Ayer. Mr. Reed first taught Ada when she was in
middle school and again in her senior year of high school. Ada faced a variety of challenges in school,
including emotional upheaval, teachers she struggled with, academic work, and
family issues, to name a few. Mr. Reed
took an interest in working with her, not only with his classroom assignments
but all of her subjects. The extra interest in how she was doing made the
difference for Ada.
Mr. Reed is now
retired. He is co owner of Marvin Painting, LLC. here in Oak Harbor.
As for Ada, she is now
a preschool teacher and remembers the
lessons taught by a teacher that chose to make a difference. Ada now uses these lessons each day as she
works with her preschool children.
Frank
O’Brochta
Humanitarian
Service Award
Awarded by:
Whidbey
Printers
Frank is a volunteer at Whidbey
Island Academy which is a small parent partnered program that serves home schooling
families in the South Whidbey School District area. According to Vivian Stembridge, para educator
for the academy, Frank helps out whenever and wherever he can in a normal
school day.
On November 20, 2006, Frank’s
day was anything but normal. Chloe
Huffman, 10 years old, was eating a burrito in the cafeteria when food became
lodged in her throat. Unable to speak,
she stood up and clutched her throat.
Frank immediately noticed the problem and started doing back blows and
abdominal thrusts, and on the third try the obstruction was dislodged. This all happened in a matter of a minute but
for Chloe and Frank it seemed like an eternity.
Chloe was quite shaken, but,
after being comforted by parent volunteer Lynn Smith and her rescuer Frank, they were able to continue on with their day.
The Group
members of Whidbey Search Dogs
Jerry Beck, Clinton, (pictured)
Edith Bryan , Greenbank (pictured), Tess (pictured) Laurie Cecil, Clinton,
Kathy Eyth, Freeland, Larry Gardiner, Langley, Susan Marchese, Freeland, Elaine
Marlow, Oak Harbor,
Mari Saint-Amand, Freeland,
Brian Vick, Langley
and all their talented dogs
Emergency
Services
Awarded by:
Sheriff
Mark Brown
Whidbey Search Dogs is a
completely volunteer community group. Members
train at least 5-8 days per month for up to 3 years before becoming qualified
to participate in a search response. All
training and search costs, are covered by the members of the team.
The team members work directly
with county law enforcement agencies, and are on call day and night. Team members respond regardless of the day,
weather, conditions or time of the year.
One such response occurred on
the night of Tuesday, September 19, 2006.
Members of the team were called to the Langley area to assist in the
search for an elderly man. With good
team effort the man was located in a short amount of time and received medical
assistance.
Gy. Sgt.
Cameron Hillis Jones, USMC
Military Award
Awarded by:
Northrop
Grumman
As most military members will
tell you, moving every couple of years can be a challenge. It is no different for Gy. Sgt Cameron Jones
and his family. The difference is how
they approach each new location.
Cameron becomes friends with
his neighbors and learns about the neighborhood. Cameron just does whatever needs to be done,
expecting nothing in return. When you
talk with the neighbors of Penn Cove Park, they will tell you of the many
chores and acts of kindness that he has done, without regard to his personal
convenience.
One example of Cameron’s
compassion, was going to check on a neighbor that he had not seen in a couple
of days. He went to the door with a hot
bowl of homemade stew in hand. She was
fine but very grateful to know that someone was looking out for her. Cameron’s response was “I figure my preacher
grandpa is happy with me today.”
Wherever we are and whatever we do we should want to help each other out
without having to think about it. This
is Cameron’s lesson to the community
Fran &
Zane Malloy
Good Samaritan
Award
Awarded by:
Fran and Zane spend a lot of
time at Marinas in the water as part of the family owned business Waterworx
Dive Service. Their wet suites never quite dry out.
It was just another day on the
job for Fran and Zane, or so they thought.
Fran and Zane had gone down to F Dock at the Oak Harbor Marina on a
windy day in May 2006 to clean the bottom of a boat. The owner was planning to dry dock the
boat. The weather was not the best but
they decided to clean the bottom of the boat anyway. There were not a lot of people on the dock,
just a few die-hard fisherman and a baby in a stroller.
Fran and Zane noticed the
stroller was unattended. When the wind
picked up and pushed the stroller and baby into the water, Fran and Zane had a
split second to react. The baby was only
in the water for 15 seconds. Because of
their quick reaction the baby was wet but, fine by all accounts.
Fran and Zane changed what could
have been a tragic situation into a life-saving event for a small child.
Runner
Up Nominees
Judy Allen
Humanitarian Service
Judy is the Manager of
Good Cheer II in Clinton, WA. She was nominated by Valerie Allen. Valerie wrote that Judy truly cares about the
customers that come into her store. She
takes the time to listen to their needs and concerns. For her customers all that is needed a smile
and a willingness to listen.
Grace E O’Jalia
Humanitarian Service
Grace was nominated by
Carol-Lee Hershman of Langley WA. Carol
Lee wrote that Grace gives of her time every Tuesday and Thursday to work in
the soup kitchen at the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Langley, WA. Grace, along with other volunteers, prepares
meals for anyone that comes to the church on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The meals are prepared with the food items
that are donated for that day. Grace may
not know what she will prepare that day, but she does it with a willing and
giving heart.
Pat Wilson
Good Samaritan
Pat was nominated by
Eileen Jackson of Coupeville, WA. Eileen
wrote she was at Patmore Park (off leash park for dogs) with her husband and
their one year old lab playing ball. After
one such toss of the ball their lab knocking her to the ground. As Eileen says, when you are in your 80’s
getting back up is not that easy.
Shortly after Eileen was knocked to the ground, Pat came into the park
with her dog and a walker. Eileen was
able to sit herself on the walker with assistance from Pat, her husband, and the
walker. Eileen was a bit shook up but
otherwise okay, much to the quick action of Pat Wilson.
Also special thanks to Charisse Waldron and Connie Almon Lead Singers of Fast Machine for lending their singing talents to this year’s event.
Together, we can save a life