More than a century of community service was honored at The Daily World 2019 Citizen of the Year Banquet at the Hoquiam Elks Lodge Thursday evening.
“I was astounded by the fact there is more than 100 years of combined service between us,” said 2019 Firefighter of the Year Mike Pauley of the three 2019 honorees. “To be recognized with the other two is a real honor.”
This marks the 50th year The Daily World has recognized a Citizen of the Year, the first being Jim Jackson in 1969. The Donald M. Burke Memorial Award for Police Officer of the Year was first awarded to Peter Czerniski and Tony May in 1981, the first Denny York Memorial Award for Firefighter of the Year to Jack Quien in 1986.
Pauley, Citizen of the Year Bette Worth and Police Officer of the Year Darrin King spoke about what has driven them to dedicate their lives to serving their communities and what a life of service meant to them.
Citizen of the Year
Longtime family friend Gary Morean illustrated the many hats Worth has worn over her years of service in dramatic fashion, donning hat after hat during his introduction, and noted her often early-morning phone calls, texts and emails asking for help with various community service projects.
“But she never asks you to do more than she would do herself,” said Morean.
Worth, dressed as Dorothy from the “Wizard of Oz,” carrying on the theatrical tone set by Morean, a well-known local actor and attorney, said it was her mother who inspired her to dedicate herself to community service.
“When it came to volunteering, no was not a part of her vocabulary, so I guess I can say service and volunteering is part of my DNA,” said Worth.
Worth expressed her gratitude for the many people who have helped her with her grand plans.
“The success of an event would not have been possible without friends who have listened and said yes whenever I asked them to help, whether it was an early morning phone call, which I often began with, ‘I have an idea,’ working with Aberdeen Parks and Rec and Grays Harbor Youth Soccer Association to raise money to build the Bishop Athletic Complex, donating money for World Class Scholars and the Mystery Getaway (at Grays Harbor College), or the Bloom Team, a newer group of volunteers who gather twice a month during the summer to dead-head flowers and pick up litter, or even my neighbor boy, donating his hard-earned money to the Aberdeen Flower Program.”
It’s that kind of group effort that is needed to make for a better community, said Worth.
“Providing service is not about me or you,” she said. It’s about “working together toward a common goal. We are a long way from being out of the woods, but together, we should continue to make every possible effort to make Grays Harbor somewhere over the rainbow, because there’s no place like home.”
Firefighter of the Year
Wishkah Fire Department Chief Keldy Matthews said Pauley, like Worth, “wears many hats in his job with the school district, community, church and the fire department.” More than 30 years ago he began as a volunteer firefighter, and as needs within the department arose he was first in line to fill them. Emergency Medical Technician, department captain, assistant chief, certified first aid and CPR instructor, fire commissioner, he’s taken on the responsibility when called upon.
“It’s humbling being honored,” said Pauley. “We are neighbors helping neighbors. It’s a real brotherhood and sisterhood. We work with Aberdeen and Hoquiam, we help each other out no matter what the call is.”
Jack Durney, who emceed the banquet, pointed out that in a small community such as the Wishkah Valley, the volunteer firefighters “save the lives and houses of people they know.”
Between Pauley’s duties as a volunteer firefighter, his job and volunteer work with the Aberdeen School District, there are personal sacrifices that have to be made, but, “The rewards are many, this is just one of them.”
Pauley recalled sitting in EMT class with Dr. Juris Macs during his training, and said he got a letter from Dr. Macs after word of his Firefighter of the Year award got out. In that letter Dr. Macs noted that volunteers like Pauley make up two-thirds of the firefighting force in the state.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to volunteer with the community,” said Pauley.
Police Officer of the Year
Aberdeen Police Chief Steve Shumate introduced King, who relayed a personal story from his youth about the day Hoquiam Patrolman Donald Burke, for whom the Police Officer of the Year award is named, was killed in the line of duty.
“On April 16, 1980, I was 13 years old on my bike on Myrtle Street, going to Payless to buy some water balloons,” King recalled. “I saw lights and started riding toward them. Before I got there a log truck blocked the road and told me to run along; this was not something I needed to see. I later found out when I got back that Don Burke had lost his life in the line of duty.”
Fast forward 19 years, King is hired by the Hoquiam Police Department, working the graveyard shift. He got a call from his field training officer around 2 or 3 a.m. about a meeting at the station. It was silent when he arrived.
“Sgt. Steve Wells told me to get in the car and we drove to the cemetery,” recalled King. “It was a cold and foggy night, and he never said a word.”
When the two stopped, they walked into the dark cemetery and Wells shone his flashlight on a headstone.
“He asked me to read what it said,” said King. “It was Burke’s grave. Wells told me the story and asked if I was ready to take on that kind of responsibility.” Wells went to the car and left the young patrolman to reflect on what he was letting himself in for.
King thought about it. “You hear about it all the time, but I didn’t realize it until I was standing there. It was an awakening,” he said.
When King is serving his community in his capacity as a police officer, he said he considers his own family when dealing with situations. He treats them like he’d expect another to treat his family. He said another key to service is having the ability to change as society does, and having a solid leadership team that places officers in areas where their own particular skill sets can be best used to serve the public.
The Hoquiam Elks prepared and served the banquet dinner, and all three honorees thanked the organization for their support of the annual event.
DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP Honorees at the Daily World 2019 Citizen of the Year banquet included, from left, Firefighter of the Year Mike Pauley, Citizen of the Year Bette Worth, and Police Officer of the Year Sgt. Darrin King.
DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP The sold-out crowd mingles after the Daily World 2019 Citizen of the Year banquet Thursday evening, held at the Hoquiam Elks Lodge.
