The gifts of our Pacific Northwest community are many. And today we are reflecting on a number of them. Most don’t get the credit they are due for keeping us safe from fire, misinformation and runaway barges, ministering to us when we are homeless, struggling with addiction or managing disabilities, or simply leading or setting an example of overcoming adversity. Enjoy.

Wildland firefighters: Much more needs to be done to keep Washington safe from the increasing threat of wildfires. Thanks to Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz and legislative support, the state has gone from inadequate response to leaning in with needed equipment, technology and a more robust collaboration between the state and local jurisdictions.

Librarians and libraries: These temples of knowledge have become refuges in the past year from those who deign to decide what others should be able to read. Fending off closure threats is just one of the many, many things libraries — and their staffs — quietly do that make our world a better place.

Capt. Dan Krehbiel: Krehbiel and his King County Water Taxi crew steered their vessel toward a runaway barge in Elliott Bay. Krehbiel pushed the ferry’s bow against the container barge to move it from the waterfront and to the less busy Pier 66 marina, averting a potentially catastrophic collision.

The Rev. Jan Bolerjack: Bolerjack’s Riverton Park United Methodist Church has been sheltering migrants. Our dysfunctional federal government lawmakers might look to this small Tukwila church for inspiration from the good people who are doing so much with whatever resources they can muster to help.

KeAnna Rose Pickett: Last year, Pickett’s husband, D’Vonne Pickett Jr., was shot and killed outside their business, The Postman, a beloved Central District shipping and postal shop. In November 2023, KeAnna Rose Pickett announced a new location, which is around the corner from the current space. The move signaled a triumph of hope, resiliency and community-building.

Ramona Okumura: When the Israel-Hamas war began, Ramona Okumura, who had retired in 2017 from the University of Washington’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine’s division of prosthetics and orthotics, was on a visit to Gaza as a consulting prosthetist for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, working on its amputee project. She has made many such trips and was able to make it out of the country.

Discerning Seattle voters: Seattle voters elected several candidates who are progressively pragmatic. Central to the campaigns of Rob Saka, Joy Hollingsworth, Maritza Rivera, Cathy Moore and Bob Kettle was a practical approach to public safety concerns.

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene: The Medina Democrat has worked tirelessly to help save local journalism nationwide. After working to advance the Local Journalism Sustainability Act in the House Ways and Means Committee, she co-sponsored its successor, the strongly bipartisan Community News and Small Business Support Act, in July. The Act, HR 4756, would save would save thousands of newsroom jobs and prevent newspaper closures by providing temporary tax credits to publishers and small businesses advertising locally.

SIFF Cinema Downtown: Last May, SIFF announced it had acquired Cinerama from the estate of Paul G. Allen. The Puget Sound Business Journal reported that the sale price was $4.5 million. The iconic movie theater, which reopened Dec. 14 with a screening of “Wonka,” holds a unique place in the hearts of families and film buffs. Its state-of-the-art projection and immersive audio promised an experience second to none.

 Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center: The Bothell-based organization serves adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities with educational and social opportunities. Through classes, coaching and social events, the center meets the adults where they are developmentally, helping them gain independence and learn everything from life skills to music appreciation. The center partners with the Seattle Children’s Autism Center.

Daniel James Brown, author of “The Boys in the Boat“: Brown’s book told the amazing story of a 1936 University of Washington rowing team made up of poor, hungry students who came together in a powerful way and won the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The story will be told in a movie of the same name released on Christmas Day.

Linda Grant: Since Grant took the helm as CEO of Evergreen Recovery Centers in Everett. Since Grant took the helm in 2001, Evergreen has expanded both its plant and outpatient programs, leading the effort in Washington to house moms in treatment with their children, which cuts the need for foster care. She is tireless, focused, humble and driven — a rare combination. Though Grant could retire, she is instead doubling down to combat the insidious scourge of fentanyl.

Julie Breidenbach: The principal at Fairmount Park Elementary may not know every parent’s face, but she knows all of her 400-plus students by name. More importantly, she knows each kid’s skills and learning style — and she will turn somersaults to tailor programs to fit, even if that requires bucking the rule books.

Volunteers with the Seal Sitters and Whale Trail groups: They answer more than 200 calls a year, protecting baby seals and other marine mammals. They’re willing to dash down to the Alki waterfront in West Seattle at any hour with binoculars, cordoning off the area around a beached creature until it can get back into the water, unmolested by human hands. They’re quirky and distinctly un-urban, providing a reminder of what makes Seattle so special.

The Seattle Times editorial board members are editorial page editor Kate Riley, Frank A. Blethen, Melissa Davis, Josh Farley, Alex Fryer, Claudia Rowe, Carlton Winfrey and William K. Blethen (emeritus).