Explorers help community dig out

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PROUD PATROL: Members of the Johnston Police Explorers Post 405 spent much of Saturday shoveling snow at the homes of elderly and handicapped residents despite temperatures that Major Thomas H. Dolan – the group’s coordinator – said dipped below zero due to the wind chill factor. (Submitted photo)

HEAVY LIFTING: Freezing cold temperatures and more than a foot of snow couldn’t stop these dedicated explorers from making their rounds throughout town digging out residents who may not have been able to do so on their own. Their dedication was appreciated throughout the community.

Katherine Rocha has shoveled a lot of snow during her six years as a member of the Johnston Police Explorers Post 405.

Rocha has spent the last six years with the youth group for young people ages 14 through 20 who have aspirations of making law enforcement a career and now serves as chief. She perhaps never encountered the elements facing her fellow Cadets Saturday.

“Even though the temperatures dipped below zero due to the wind chill factor Saturday, the Explorers defied the cold and pressed on with the Mayor’s Snow Shoveling Program,” said Major Thomas H. Dolan, Post 405’s coordinator. “It gave everyone a chill just thinking about what these young people did for the elderly and handicapped residents in town.”

Dolan, who also participated in the snow shoveling as did co-coordinator Lt. Steve Guilmette, said, “Even though being dressed so warmly limited their body movements, the Explorers completed their assignment in an outstanding manner.”

The Snow Shoveling Program, which has been endorsed for many years by Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena, has become an annual Rite of Winter and requirement of sorts as part of Post 405 ongoing community service program.

Rocha headed the Explorers delegation that moved from house to house where needed and was “grateful we had the plow on the (JPD) humvee as well as a snow thrower. They were both a great help and overall the day of snow shoveling went well.”

She explained that members of Post 405 met at JPD Headquarters Saturday morning at 10 o’clock to begin what the called “the day of hard work and service to the community.”

Chief Rocha was joined by Explorers Capt. Aaron Blanco, Lt. Heather Best, Sgt. Oscar Marin, Sgt. Zachary Morin, Sgt. Joshua Savard, Explorer James Ferland and Explorer Shayne Mendes.

“I would especially like to thank James for his hard work,” said Rocha while praising Ferland, a newer member of Post 405. “He has a broken hand was able to make it out shoveling to help the community and that is not something that goes unnoticed.”

Likewise, Rocha also thanks Dolan, Guilmette, and Terry Best, a Senior Advisor for Post 405, as well as her father Raymond Rocha who also helped with transportation and above all else “helping us with the snow shoveling.”