Celebrity on Stangs United

[HSURB]

Well, it appears we have a Celebrity in our presence.

HSURB®

[68fastback]

:wtg: ...and a fine-looking celebrity couple they are!!

[Tommy Gun]

:wtg:

[Grabber]

For friends and family that do not get the local magazine.This is the Ridgefield Life article that Victoria Haugen wrote with photography by Chris Bidleman:

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. -Maya Angelou-

Ridgefield residents Rob and Tana Aichele know commitment. High school sweethearts, married over 35 years, three grown children – their commitment to each other, family and friends, and their community is always their highest priority, a quality that brightly illustrates all that we cherish about Ridgefield.

Both Rob and Tana grew up in the Cedar Mill area of Portland. They met as teenagers while attending Sunset High School, and have been together and happily in love ever since. After graduation the couple rented a place in the St. Johns neighborhood. They were married in 1984 at Tana’s parents’ home in Cedar Mill, where she spent many happy summers growing up playing outside riding horses, and camping and fishing in Eastern Oregon. They have three grown children–son Chris, 39; daughter Katie, 35; and their youngest, David, 26; and of course, several grandchildren.

Eventually, Tana and Rob built their own home in Vancouver in 1989 with the help of Tana’s father, a contractor. They loved it, but after 13 years they were ready for a change and built a home in Battle Ground on an acre of land. After 13 happy years there, they discovered the majestic beauty of Ridgefield, and soon Battle Ground was in the rear-view mirror. The Aichele’s have lived in Ridgefield for five years and, like us, have fallen in love with this amazing and unique community.

Rob grew up spending summers with his family boating and camping at Lake Billy Chinook. His father, at the time, a deputy police chief in Portland, loved it. “Dad started the tradition of going up to Lake Billy Chinook for a week, twice each summer. That’s where I got good at water skiing and enjoyed teaching people how to ski later on.”

While Rob has loads of fond memories of spending time outdoors with family and friends, his childhood was not without challenges. His parents divorced when he was a teenager, and he moved out on his own at the age of 17. “I went to work in a restaurant,” said Rob. “I had an apartment when I was a senior in high school, and I had to fend for myself since I was very young.”

Tana’s father gave Rob a job as a carpenter’s helper, and mentored him for four years. But eventually business was too slow to keep him, and he went to work for Aware Construction, a custom home builder. A lucky break landed Rob an apprenticeship in the Northwest Carpenter’s Union and a job with Skanska, one of the largest contractors in the US. By 1995 he was running small jobs and then moved onto larger projects such as schools, hospitals, airports and fabs for Intel. After retiring from Skanska, Rob continued to work part-time basis. He worked on local projects, such as the ilani Casino and Ridgefield High School.

As it turned out, keeping up one acre of property in Battle Ground was a lot of work! So, they began to think about a remodel or a change of scenery. “When we looked at Ridgefield,” recalled Tana, “we just fell in love with the quaintness of the downtown area – the hardware store, police station, city hall. We wanted somewhere walkable. Being in Taverner Ridge is so great because of the proximity to downtown.”

After moving in and getting acquainted with our fine city, Rob decided to join Ridgefield’s Lions Club. What better way to meet a lot of people in town, and help this amazing community, than volunteer, right?! When Rob called the Lions, our beloved former Mayor, Ron Onslow answered the phone and offered to sponsor him.

When Don Stose took over as Mayor of Ridgefield, Rob offered his services to him and the city. Rob’s curiosity and willingness to always lend a hand did not go unnoticed, and neighbors and friends often sought him out when they had questions about the city. “It helped me stay busy,” said Rob.

An opening became available on Ridgefield’s City Council, and he decided to toss his name in the hat for the position. Ultimately, Jennifer Lindsay was chosen for the vacated City Council seat. “They made an excellent choice,” Rob mentioned. When Jennifer was later appointed to the City Council, her chair at Planning Commission table was available. Rob applied and was chosen to serve on the Commission. He was elated. Colleagues and peers in Ridgefield appreciated Rob’s enthusiasm and leadership qualities so he was welcomed with open arms.

Rob’s enthusiasm grew and he decided to take it a step further and run for City Council. In 2019, Rob ran for Ridgefield City Council Position No. 5 and won. “Running that campaign was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” said Rob. “It was all new to me. I was boots on the ground, I door knocked 2700 homes. I met and talked with a lot of people, and I think that really helped me.”

Rob and his family have embraced his new leadership role in our community, and have loved every minute of it. Whether it’s working at the Lions booth at the Clark County Fair, planting trees in the wildlife wetlands, or restoring dragon boats, Rob and Tana are both passionate about helping others and volunteering. “It’s not the task that you’re doing,” said Rob, “it’s who you’re doing it with. Even if it’s doing a cleanup, if you’re with friends and fun people you can always have fun and make something better.”

That’s really one of the best things about Ridgefield – whether it’s getting involved with the Garden Club, Community Library, National Wildlife Refuge, Art Association, The Family Resource Center, or the Lions, there’s so many amazing opportunities to connect with great people and help make our community better.

When not working or volunteering, Tana and Rob are passionate about being active and staying fit. They work out regularly at the gym, take exercise classes, and have participated in a few Tough Mudder events, which are strenuous 10-12 mile obstacle course challenges designed by the British Special Forces.

One of Tana’s biggest passions is women’s ministry. She has been a part of an
international women’s bible study for years. Also, as a hard-working stay-at-home mom she volunteered regularly at the kids’ schools and their sports. She and son David trained in Taekwondo, David earning a red belt and Tana earning a black belt.

Tana and Rob also love cars. One of their most prized possessions are their Shelby's Tana has a 2009 Shelby GT500 (one of 89 made with red/white stripe combo) and Rob’s is a 2007 Shelby GT500 (Grabber Orange). Rob also helped Carroll Shelby manage his website. “So, I got to meet Carroll before he died,” recalled Rob. "Carroll signed the dash of my car, on the airbag cover.” He and Tana were also lucky enough to attend Carroll’s birthday party a few times, called the “Shelby Bash,” a three-day celebration.

While living in Battle Ground, Rob and Tana hosted an annual event called the Pacific Northwest Meet & Greet, for owners of Ford Mustangs, especially the iconic Shelby. “We’d do a drive, go out to dinner, it was an all-day event,” said Rob. Tana added, “Shelby people are fun people.” Rob also owns a motorcycle and enjoys riding that too. “I’ve always had a need for speed, whether it’s motorcycles, cars, boats, anything like that.”

The Aichele’s look forward to serving their community for years to come, and are so pleased with the City’s plans for growth management. “Being on the outside looking in,” explains Tana, “Ridgefield has no idea how good their city management is. They’re always forward thinking, and that’s been so inspiring for Rob, too.”

Volunteering information: https://ridgefieldwa.us/residents/get-involved/volunteer/ (https://ridgefieldwa.us/residents/get-involved/volunteer/?fbclid=IwAR0R5qMgAtWPPmcvHXlavMV8ClsY8Olcu6jEUK7b VBcgZ7TFLxYcQvMWl1I)
Future plans for the city information: https://ridgefieldwa.us/ (https://ridgefieldwa.us/?fbclid=IwAR35OKwx11gDw3cuZ_5sXEIvp7jhoMXQ0L45p6L8 0z9UbYRCWcESqqhH0Pc)
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[68fastback]

What a great article and pics!!!! :wtg:

Nice to live in a small town too ...most people sort of know one another and there's a real sense of community.

[Alloy Dave]

Great article Rob, and you've done a great job leading your family to where you are today. One of the things I'm most proud of in my life is my long marriage to Terry...but obviously you've been married a lot longer. Congrats!

[onecrazydog]

Cool!!

[twobjshelbys]

Yeah, cool.

[Grabber]

Thank you for the nice comments.

[Alloy Dave]

Didn't see anything in the article about the banana thong. :trouble:

[Grabber]

Didn't see anything in the article about the banana thong. :trouble:
Some things are best left in the archives.

[Alloy Dave]

Some things are best left in the archives.
:blackmail:

lol