Thanks to those who give every day of the year

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Yep, it is Thanksgiving tomorrow and many of us will sit around a big, or small, table and give thanks for many of the good spiritual, health, and material things in our lives. Many will also praise the people who have positively influenced them at some time or another. This week I would like to highlight in no particular order a few of the people in this area who I think have made contributions to our lives here. Naturally, these are a function of only my opinion and may have been influenced, or not, by the woman who has made but one mistake in her life a little more than fifty years ago when she married me. (Stop the applause, please.)

Barbara Berthiaume comes to mind as one who has done much to welcome, educate, and help folks in the area. She has presented programs all over Jefferson County on the subject of Japanese-Americans’ sacrifices, treatment and contributions during the Second World War. She has been instrumental in the Boeing Bluebills, particularly using contacts and resources to provide robotic experiences for children in the local schools.

While in Lee’s Summit, Missouri I worked with several general managers of our local homeowners association. None of them were as competent and willing to do the hard work as the LMC’s Brian Belmont. As a member of the finance committee I have rarely been to a meeting with him when he was not completely prepared. The roles he plays at the Beach Club require physical, mental and social skills as he solves daily problems and successfully manages relationships with about 2,000 bosses!

Sharla Erich and her husband recently moved to Port Ludlow and immediately became part of the unique success of the Port Ludlow Performing Arts. Last year the illness of the president cast Sharla into the role of president and she immediately had to deal with several programming and board membership issues. She seems able to find time to play the piano for the Chimacum High School choirs as well as the violin for the Port Townsend Symphony.

Jim Pickett was a long time Rotarian from the Sequim area moving to Port Townsend a few years ago. He passed away earlier this month but his contributions in Sequim, Jefferson County, and throughout the world are well known. He did hold several responsible positions in Rotary but he became best known for sponsorship and contributions to the disaster relief programs of Shelter Box. In 2017 he was acknowledged as the “Top Fundraising Ambassador’ for the program raising over $337,000.

Many of us are certainly thankful for our friends, family and being U.S. citizens. In addition to those noted, there are many more in this area who are just as honest, capable and compassionate.

Finally, as Jay Leno tells us, “You can tell you ate too much at Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out.”

Love a curmudgeon and have a great Thanksgiving.

(Ned Luce is an ex-IBM executive whose idea of retirement is to write a newspaper column for and about his adopted hometown of Port Ludlow. Nhluce66@gmail.com)

Life in Ludlow