To the Readers' Forum:
On June 1 of this year, Jamestown lost one of its finest. Sam Paladino was indeed special. He was a warm, generous man who conducted his life in an enviable fashion. In March of 2010, after Sam had been diagnosed with cancer, we at the theater decided it appropriate that we have a special program to recognize a man who had given so much to see that the theater prospered. We unanimously decided that in order to pay tribute to such a demeanor gentleman, those in attendance should be dressed in formal attire. The theme of the evening would be ''the Oscars'' and thought many were nominated as candidates for the numerous categories of awards, Sam would always walk away with the coveted prize. By the end of th evening, Sam was the recipient of all ''the Oscars.''
I was privileged to serve a master of ceremonies and at the end of the evening Sam entertained us with a couple of his favorite numbers. At the conclusion of the event he stood with me a the podium and thanked those in attendance for their kind applause. As he turned to walk off the stage he hugged me and said "God Bob, I love this place."
Sam was the consummate performer but he was more than that. He was the embodiment of all that we hope to be.
Sam was good and we at the Lucille Ball Little Theatre will always be grateful that God blessed us for so many years with such a fine gentleman.
Bob Ostrom, President
Board of Directors
Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown