PORT TOWNSEND — Five community heroes will be honored on Tuesday (May 12) with the Jefferson County Heart of Service award for 2009.
The recipients are:
Robert Rosen, the tireless manager of the Quilcene Community Center, Meals on Wheels volunteer and mentor to South County youth.
Janet Emery, driving force behind including numerous community events, including Port Townsend’s annual Kenetic Sculpture Race. She also helps oversee the Jefferson County Winter Shelter for the homeless.
Dr. James Rotchford, the medical director and one of two physicians who treat patients at the JC MASH free medical clinic.
Larry Robinson, volunteer firefighter, chairman of the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation District 1, manager of its Laurel B. Johnson Toandos Community Center Community Center and, with his wife, Pat, a leader of the Quilcene area food bank.
Wayne Chimenti, a licensed master mariner and skipper of tall ships who teaches young men and women about the sea and leads the Port Townsend Community Boat Project in which Chimacum and Port Townsend high school students are building a 24-foot vessel.
The Heart of Service honors the “dedication, sacrifice and accomplishments” of community leaders and volunteers “who have made a difference in Jefferson County, who have made our communities a better place by doing extraordinary things for their neighbors, their community or the environment.”
This is the fourth year for this annual award, sponsored by the Peninsula Daily News, Rotary Club of Port Townsend (noon club), Port Townsend Sunrise Rotary Club and the East Jefferson Rotary Club.
A judging committee selected the five Heart of Service recipients from nominations made by individuals, clubs, churches, businesses and other organizations.
Honors at Fort Worden
“These five are truly local heroes, working to make community life stronger, tighter, happier, richer,” said John Brewer, PDN editor and publisher.
“They represent the backbone of the community — busy people who always seem to be able to make time to offer a hand or a shoulder.
“And they may be people whose names many residents don’t know.
“They don’t give to our communities because they expect either reward or recognition.”
The five will receive framed award certificates and heart-shaped medals designed by Steve Rafoth, president and CEO of Enclume Design Products in Port Hadlock and past president of the Rotary noon club.
The awards will be presented at a noon luncheon that begins in The Commons at Fort Worden State Park on Tuesday.
The luncheon is open to the public.
Friends and admirers of the recipients are invited to attend.
Cost for lunch with entree, salad bar and beverage is $12; soup-salad bar with beverage at $10; salad bar-only with beverage at $8; and beverage-only at $1.50.
The food service line opens at 11:30 a.m., with the program beginning at noon.
Janet Emery
“Janet has a rich history of initiating and coordinating many events that have enhanced the quality of life in Port Townsend, including the annual Kinetic Sculpture Race, seasonal Haunted House for children, benefits and memorial services for veterans and various other activities,” wrote DeForest Walker in a letter nominating Emery for the 2009 award.
Walker is the director of the Housing Services Division of OlyCAP — Olympic Community Action Programs — the largest emergency services agency on the North Olympic Peninsula.
Emery is the volunteer manager of the Marvin G. Shields American Legion Post in Port Townsend and “has helped integrate the JC MASH free medical clinic and [OlyCAP’s] seasonal Jefferson County Winter Shelter for homeless people into the Legion’s schedule and facility,” Walker wrote.
The shelter created “hard, extra work for her” over the last three years but “her positive attitude and ‘no worries’ approach have certainly made our work easier and, moreover, have warmed the winters for many needy members of our community.”
Larry Robinson
“Larry has lived all around the North Olympic Peninsula, but now resides in Coyle, where he serves unselfishly and almost unremittingly,” Karen Alls, who serves with Robinson as a county parks and recreation commissioner, wrote in a nomination letter.
“[As a volunteer firefighter for Jefferson Fire District 2] Larry drives the fire truck and aid car, negotiating those steep hills and valleys and treacherous curves with aplomb.”
Alls credited Robinson with revitalizing the Johnson community center “into a thriving and vital community resource, well-supported and appreciated by all.”
“[His wife] Pat organized an auxiliary food bank [and] Larry immediately became her assistant, picking up food and supplies to bring to the center and very often packing and delivering groceries to seniors and shut-ins.”
“[While delivering food to a home] he’s just as likely to mow a lawn or fix a porch while he’s there.”
Alls concluded: “With never a word of complaint or criticism, no moaning, no groaning, Larry is a practical man, a realist . . . and, mostly, a saint.”
Robert Rosen
After a long career as a successful Hollywood executive involved with dozens of TV shows and movies, Rosen retired in 2001 to his “Golden Pond cottage” on Lake Leland.
He was idle . . . maybe . . . for a minute or two.
“Since moving to Jefferson County, Bob has been tireless in his efforts to make this a better place for all of us to call home,” wrote Bonnie R. White, co-director of OlyCAP’s community support services.
“Single-handedly he has pulled together the resources to transform the [Quilcene Community] Center into a beautiful community focal point.
“He is a master at bringing people with diverse opinions together and manifesting a common goal.
“He is talented, tenacious and, still somehow through it all, manages to keep his great sense of humor and stay focused on the end result.
Gloria Smith of Brinnon also nominated Rosen.
“He has done more for the community of Quilcene than anyone else has ever done,” she wrote.
Smith also noted that Rosen and his wife, Pen, have devoted 15 years to construction of community water purification projects in Thailand.
Wayne Chimenti
“Wayne has mentored the Puget Sound Explorers for the past six years, working with high school students on the water in traditional long boats,” Vincent Verneuil of Port Townsend wrote in a letter nominating Chimenti for the 2009 award.
“He has worked for 13 years with the schooner Adventuress in Puget Sound. His overall experience (31 years) has been with sailing the ‘tall ships’ throughout the world.
“This experience allowed him to head his current project, the Port Townsend Community Boat Project . . . [for it] he had to develop relationships with the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, local businesses to get materials donated, local tradesmen to help supervise, local volunteers to help and local schools and colleges to have the students earn credit for their work.”
The students’ 24-foot boat should be completed by the end of May, Verneuil noted, adding:
“Wayne Chimenti is making a difference today and for many generations to come.”
James K. Rotchford, M.D.
Three Port Townsend residents nominated Dr. Rotchford and included a thick stack of newspaper clippings about JC MASH with their letters.
JC MASH stands for Jefferson County Medical Advocacy and Services Headquarters but also gives a nod to the original M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) of the Korean War, immortalized by the movie and TV series.
It operates every Tuesday evening from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., or until every person has been seen by a doctor.
Sarah McMahan, secretary of free clinic’s board of directors and one of the nominators, wrote:
“Dr. Rotchford was a primary motivating force in founding JC MASH in August 1994.
“JC MASH remains a cornerstone of the Jefferson County health safety net, providing compassionate patient advocacy, service, education and support to medically uninsured, underinsured and jobless persons.
“JC MASH would not exist with the ongoing support and presence of Dr. Rotchford . . .
“Last year the clinic served 301 patients, from children to senior citizens whose problems ranged from injuries of various types to colds and infections, serious asthma and hypertension. . .
“Through Dr. Rotchford’s actions this year, flu shots were offered at the clinic.
“Dr. Rotchford exhibits . . . a tireless and self-sacrificing commitment to both community service and social justice.”
