A sincere desire to serve the community was the common theme uniting the three people honored Thursday night as The Daily World’s citizen, firefighter and police officer of the year.

The tone for the banquet at the Aberdeen Elks Club was set early in the evening with the blessing offered by pastor Doug Basler from the First Presbyterian Church of Aberdeen. He said everyone is aware of the many challenges facing the residents of the Twin Harbors, but also said he was continually impressed by the large number of citizens who take it upon themselves to give their time and energy to proactively work toward improving their neighbors’ lives.

Citizen of the Year Margaret Carthum, a longtime special education teacher, the current principal of Ocosta High School and a member of the boards of several non-profit social service agencies, expressed her humility at being chosen for the honor after being introduced by her husband, Harry, also an educator, and three of her children.

“I’m hearing people supporting me, saying I’m so deserving, and I’m wondering, what have I done?” she said. “I stand here honoring the many others who are as worthy of this honor.”

Dr. Juris Macs introduced Firefighter of the Year Capt. Steve Davis from the Cosmopolis Fire Department, noting that it is volunteers like Davis who make up the majority of emergency responders in the county, freely giving hundreds of hours of their time to treat their fellow community members at any time of the day or night. Dr. Macs, along with Davis’ late mother Pat, created the county’s Emergency Medical Service program some three decades ago.

Davis stressed the importance of teaching CPR and basic first aid in elementary schools. That, he said, will make for a better-trained community to handle minor medical incidents that can otherwise tie up a volunteer department that is already stretched thin, answering 240 calls a year. He added that it would also encourage young people to consider becoming volunteer responders themselves, and that it is very important that volunteers come from within the community and understand the people and the needs of the citizenry they serve.

The Denny York Memorial Award for Firefighter of the Year is named after a Cosmopolis volunteer firefighter who died in an industrial accident in 1986 while saving others from a dangerous chemical leak. David knew him, as did Dr. Macs, and spoke highly of him as a citizen, firefighter and hero.

Police Officer of the Year Joe Strong, a member of the Hoquiam Police Department assigned to the county Drug Task Force, spent the bulk of his acceptance speech with emotional tributes to fellow officers he knew and worked with who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to their community. Even though very young at the time, he recalls getting the phone call for his dad, also a former Hoquiam officer, stating the namesake of the Police Officer of the Year award, Hoquiam Police officer Donald M. Burke, had been shot and killed in the line of duty.

“I think we can all remember the first time we saw our dads cry,” he said.

Strong, who started off as a reserve officer in Ocean Shores before moving to the Hoquiam Police Department and as a leader on the Grays Harbor County Drug Task Force, has been credited with cracking some of the biggest cases in the county in the past year, including the brutal murder of 95-year-old Robert Harmon in July, and it was his sources that pointed to a suspect who subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Quinault tribal member Jimmy Smith-Kramer. Strong was key in several drug busts, including the massive Operation Green Jade marijuana bust, where more than 40 warrants were served by more than 100 officers against organized crime-related Chinese nationals in one single day.

“We made a bold statement that day,” said Strong. “Grays Harbor County is closed to organized crime.”

Strong was introduced by Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers, who praised Strong’s incredible work ethic and tenacity and innate leadership abilities. During the introduction, Myers set a cup of coffee on the podium, quipping that whenever a command center for an operation is set up, one of the first pieces of equipment that is installed is a coffee maker. “Nothing gets done until Joe Joe gets his joe,” said Myers.

The Daily World editor Doug Barker emceed the event, and wrapped up the evening saying, “I hope you all leave here like I do every year, feeling inspired.”

About 120 people attended the event.