Wall of Heroes event honors four

Cathie Campbell/Sierra Star

Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Broomfield, CDF Captain Brian Allman, Sierra Ambulance Service paramedic Jennifer Lehr, with CHP officers Sam Samra and Todd Spino (accepting for Steven Dominici) at last week’s Wall of Heroes Dinner.

 

Cathie Campbell - ccampbell@sierrastar.com

Four new names will be added to the Wall of Heroes, sponsored by the AMVETS Mountain Post 1997. At the annual dinner held last Friday evening at the Viewpoint Restaurant in Oakhurst, four local public servants were recognized for their outstanding and dedicated service to the community.

This year’s recipients were Deputy Sheriff Roy Broomfield, CHP Officer Steven Dominici, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Captain Brian Allman and Sierra Ambulance Service paramedic Jennifer Lehr.

The evening started out with Colonel Glenn E. Mays (USAF Ret.), veteran’s service officer, public guardian/conservator and public administrator with the County of Madera, sharing a heartfelt and patriotic opening speech.

Ahwahnee CDF Battalion Chief Roger Simms then introduced CDF Captain Brian Allman, giving a brief history of the firefighter’s career history and mentioning that Captain Allman’s family has been in the Ahwahnee area since 1949.

Captain Allman, a 1980 graduate of Yosemite High School, started out as a firefighter at the Raymond CDF station in May of that year. He also served at stations in Ahwahnee, Merced County, Oakhurst, Amador County and also the Rancheria station. He is married to Celia and has two children, Claire and Christopher.

Mr. Mays presented the awards, which included letters from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, certificates of recognition from Congressman George Radanovich and certificates of appreciation from U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Also awarded were several gift certificates and packaged tool assortments.

California Highway Patrol Sergeant Sam Samra accepted the award for Officer Steven Dominici, who has been employed by the CHP for seven years. Officer Dominici is known for aggressively seeking out the intoxicated driver and taking action to get such dangers off our highways.

Upon graduation from the CHP Academy, he was assigned to the Monterey office and worked the Big Sur Resident Post. He also has been recognized by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) of Monterey County. He voluntarily transferred to the Fresno office in 2000 before transferring, again voluntarily, to the Mariposa office and working in the Oakhurst Resident Post. He has also been actively involved in community events and public schools.

Lieutenant Milt Gauthier with the Madera County Sheriff’s Department introduced Deputy Sheriff Roy Broomfield, the third recipient named to the Wall of Heroes. Deputy Broomfield has served 22 years with the Department and is a longtime Mountain Area resident.

He has served on patrol, in investigations and even as coroner. His current assignment as Resources Officer at Yosemite High School “gives him about 1200 students to take care of, and he is there day in and day out,” says Lieutenant Gauthier. The Resources Officer position exists because of a grant that Sheriff John Anderson helped to acquire.

Next to speak was Ed Guzman, Sierra Ambulance Service general manager, who explained that award recipient Jennifer Lehr, a paramedic, was selected by a vote of her peers.

“She’s made a tremendous impression,” said Mr. Guzman. “Jenny has impressed everyone with her paramedic skills.” He added that her compassion, kindness and ability to be pleasant in unpleasant situations was a common theme on the ballots. It must run in the family, as her father is a nurse and paramedic and her brother is also a paramedic.

Rusty Murphy, of the MET Cinemas, was presented a card from Roy Mayhall, of AMVETS Mountain Post 1997, and a unique and colorful “M & M” telephone.

Another feature of the evening was the beautiful and commanding voice of Henry Lemay, VFW District 11 chaplain, who sang three songs for the appreciative listeners. District 11 is comprised of 23 posts in the Central Valley area.

Mr. Lemay mentioned that compact disks were available for a donation, explaining that the donations help support a program in which CDs are given out at graveside to the next of kin of veterans. Everyone’s favorite song seemed to be “Amazing Grace.”

Response was generous from Mountain Area businesses as they donated towards the success of the event. Photos of this year’s Wall of Heroes honorees will be on display in the Met Cinema lobby.