In St. James, our heroes are 75 men and women who volunteer for duties that many of us wouldn't do for Bill Gates' pay. They are jolted out of bed at 2 in the morning, sent careening down highways at break-neck speeds only to be greeted by horrific scenes of car crashes, charred homes and other life-changing events that most of us spend a lifetime trying to avoid. So why do it? For Brian Donohue, a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT), it's as simple as wanting to make a difference. "Every child at some point dreams of being a fireman when they grow up and I was no different,? Brian said. "But the best part of the dream is that it can be very rewarding, especially on the EMS (emergency medical services) side when we're actually helping save lives.? The Fire Department We Deserve It could be said that a community gets the fire department it deserves. And thanks to community-wide support, the St. James Fire Department has evolved into one of the best firehouses in the area. So good, that surrounding communities rely on St. James through a mutual aid agreement that takes St. James' firefighters beyond our borders. "Those neighboring departments on the outside now know that we really have a lot of dedicated firefighters that are energized by the challenge and ready to respond,? Brian said. "We had such a call recently at 2 in the morning and we had 22 firefighters from our department. Those on the outside probably look at us and think, 'They're just a bunch of retirees with nothing else to do, but really we have a lot of dedicated firefighters that are ready for the challenge.? However, the age factor really doesn't impact the performance. At a Fourth of July competition among area firehouses, St. James finished solidly in the middle of the pack. These were contests requiring both skill and stamina. "What people forget is that the lifestyle in St. James is based around activities, be it swimming, golf, tennis or just walking. We're not a sedentary community and it's obvious by the volunteers we attract to the fire department.? 34

12a message18 22 42 44 46 54 70 60 32 38downtown wilmington78downtown wilmington's art and culture, get involved at the cameron art museum1112the downtown art scene includes unique performance opportunities14a home like no other family is the heart of the home at st. james plantation.a sense of placethe st. james chapel19new woodlands park homesites planned for october release212223golf 's best-kept secret -irelandin other words, links golf is nothing like american golf. nothing. that's why anyone who calls him or herself a golfer needs to take a week or so and travel to experience the differences.27the charm of orton plantation 29'going green' becomesa neighborhood affair32going green: anall-volunteerfire department 36it could be said that a community gets the fire department it deserves. and thanks to community-wide support, the st. james fire department has evolved into one of the best firehouses in the area.3839splish-splashing is fun and exercise for this group of ladies.4142harborwalka new 45st. james university47plantationsome of the first neighbors ann o'malley met in st. james plantation were flowers. drives around the community introduced her to various gardens she wished to know better. today, o'malley is roaming those yards, and she's brought a few hundred people along. "you can drive by all of these houses and see how beautiful they are in the front, but there are things in the back,? o'malley says, joining several folks nosing about powder blue hydrangeas, sunny yellow lantanas, and soft pink mimosas decorating pattie accordino's lush rear lawn.505152531 45556fun + learning = owner spotlight: 59he said, she said 61st. james properties, llc resale division 3891 ridge crest drive the reserve collection3310 sparkleberry court the nature view collection3565 st. james drive the links collection4135 south lagoon court the links collection3030 marshwinds circle, villa 1104 the plantation villa collection3776 ridge crest drive the reserve collection3840 worthington place the reserve collection3350 club villa, villa 305 the plantation villa collection4152 skeffington court the nature view collectionhole by holehole #11hole #127576