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Read about cool people
The Gals of Aspen Hill
Susan Aarhus
Bobby Anderson
Bill Gates
Michelle Parker
Reed Smith
 Bobby Anderson
For devoting his free time to saving lives.
The following article was written for our community newsletter
Although Bobby Anderson was 60 years old when he first started studying to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), for quite a while he had been thinking this was something he wanted to do. Every time, he saw someone who had an accident, he was reminded of his interest. Say’s Bobby, “I’ve always wanted to know how to respond in a medical emergency situation, but I never took the time to learn.” Finally, he realized, “If I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it!”
The purpose of the emergency medical system is to stabilize and quickly transport patients to receive treatment at hospital emergency rooms. There are three levels of EMTs: Basic, Intermediate and Paramedic. As levels progress, trained individuals can perform more tasks. For example, a person has to be an Intermediate to administer intravenous fluids; Paramedics serve in supervisory roles and are the only level that can administer controlled substances. Each level requires more hours of study and at all levels, individuals must have periodic continuing education.
Bobby completed his Basic level in December, 2005 but it was not until he moved to Falls Run with his wife Sally, that he signed up with the Aquia Harbour Volunteer Rescue Squad. To date, he has volunteered for about half a dozen shifts and plans to do more when he stops working. Sometimes, Bobby’s role is minor; at other times, it’s more dramatic. The first time Bobby actually volunteered for service, his ambulance went to a car accident on I-95. Although the cars were badly damaged, the people had only minor injuries. The ambulance in which Bobby was riding took one driver to the hospital.
So far, the most serious response in which Bobby participated was when a woman suffered a cardiac arrest at home. A family member called “9-1-1” and when the team arrived, she was unconscious. Firemen had arrived at the scene first and had already used an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to restart her heartbeat. In the ambulance, on the way to the hospital, Bobby used a hand-operated bag valve mask device to deliver oxygen and suctioning equipment to ventilate the patient to keep the airway open, as she had also vomited. Bobby had been worried that he would feel queasy but this was not the case as he was totally focused on being a part of the team that saved her life.
When asked what has most impacted him, Bobby says, “It’s the dedication of the people who serve. It’s amazing to me that everyone here is a volunteer!” Bobby thinks that volunteering is part of being a good citizen and in his lifetime, he has worked with several other non-profit organizations.
In July, the Aquia Harbour Volunteer Rescue Squad in Garrisonville will celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary. They’ve come a long way since just ten residents of a much smaller Aquia Harbour started the squad.
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 Michelle Parker
For her generosity. Said Michelle:
“Generally, a new haircut is not email worthy, but to me, this one was ... and maybe only to me. I just donated to Locks of Love ... and because my hair is so thick, I was able to donate 2 pony-tails of 10" of hair. The hair goes to disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis, so if you, or someone you know could potentially donate ... its free, easy, and only hair, for a good cause.”
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 Bill Gates
For his timeless speech delivered to High School students about things they did not learn in school. [NOTE: Some say he never delivered this speech. Who cares! The message is terrific!]
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes; learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
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The Gals of Aspen Hill
For their enduring friendship
Who knew that when Bobby and I moved to Fredericksburg ... almost two years ago, we would befriend such wonderful people. Those shown on the left live on our street: Evelyn, Brenda, Cindy, Wilma, me, Paula, & Jan.
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Reed Smith
For his commitment to people
Reed Smith is an angel on earth! There isn’t a day when he does not do a good deed, set a great example, or share a need with others. To name just a few of his quests -- he is a Big Brother, a member of the Lion’s Club, helps in the Falls Run community, tutors students, and is now organizing transportation for a blind child to attend school.
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Susan Aarhus
For her commitment to health and family
On Mother’s Day, 2007, Susan, nearly 5 months pregnant with her 2nd child, participated in her first triathlon. Said Susan, “It was a ‘sprint’ distance, or mini-tri, but felt plenty big enough for junior and I.”
The race consisted of a 250 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride and a 5k run; Susan’s goal was not to finish last!
She placed 149th out of about 168 women ... in 1 hour, 43 minutes. Susan says she’s glad she did the race, even though she wanted to put a sign on her forehead saying “Running for 2 – really I can go faster!”
2008 Update: Greetings Friends! Well, it has taken me a week to recover, but I am happy to report that I and my fellow teammates survived and enjoyed the VA Run Triathlon on Mother’s Day. It was much colder than last year, but once the feeling came back to our feet we had a great time :).
The best news is – our team raised over $650 in support of the VA Special Olympics thanks to you! This year, there were 10 Special Olympians actually racing in the event (up from just one last year). It was an inspiring reminder of what we were all doing there and the good work of the Special Olympics.
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