Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 1 · column 2 of 5 · from the scan, no model involved
By LOU HATTER
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
Talk to people about Roger Roach, the Rappahannock News Citizen of the Year, and the same phrases are used to describe him: “a bom leader,” “tremendously competent,” “caring,” “unselfish,” “totally dedicated.”
Mr. Roach has been the chief of the Washington Volunteer Fire Department almost since the day he and his wife Sarah moved to Rappahannock nearly 10 years ago. As the Rev. Jennings Hobson described the situation back then, “Charlie Manson used to go out and very nearly kidnap anyone who moved to the county and get them involved with the fire department.”
As a paid firefighter in Prince William County, Chief Roach had expertise which was a welcome addition to what was then a small, struggling rural fire department, said VFD president Gene Leggett.
Within a few months, said Brad Fisher, another member of the department, the company’s volunteers had elected Mr. Roach as chief, a position he still holds. “He was the obvious leader.”
Mr. Leggett credits Mr. Roach with much of the leadership which has allowed the Washington fire department to become one of the best-equipped in the county. Earlier this year the company bought a “new used” fire truck to replace its aging 1946 piece, and several years ago a state-of-theart ambulance to replace a Chevrolet station wagon of dubious reliability.
“He has accomplished a whole lot,” Mr. Leggett said. After working to secure a state grant to purchase the new ambulance,
95.0%