Editor:

The first time I attended a Eureka City Council meeting and chose to make a three-minute public statement, I was very pleasantly surprised. Wow! This Northern California town we had moved to had an amazing mayor. She was polite, respectful, professional and extremely courteous, treating everyone exactly the same. She was very patient with presenters with communication challenges. This dynamite mayor's name was Virginia Bass.

Virginia Bass served our community six years on the Eureka City Council and four years as Eureka City Mayor. Next she went on to win a successful campaign as 4th District Supervisor.

And, yes, she is blessed with a supportive husband. Our world needs more of those.

Virginia Bass always returns phone calls. She is not too busy to take care of her constituents and her many responsibilities. She has a proven reputation for honesty, trustworthiness, punctuality and is a dedicated supervisor.

Please vote for Virginia Bass for 4th District Supervisor.

Minnie Wolf, Eureka

Editor:

"There's a big difference between running for office and actually governing," wrote Judy Hodgson two years ago in reference to Supervisor Virginia Bass. One of many "giving kudos to Bass for chairing an emotional discussion, keeping everyone civil, and for finding a solution — a way forward," she concluded: "That's leadership."

Like her father O. H. Bass, hard work and a dedication to community-minded service seems almost inbred. O. H.'s restaurant and lounge seated 200 with a regular staff of 25, and seated 250 more In its banquet room. She became a waitress at 15, and all through high school and graduation from HSU with honors in business administration in 1986, the year her father died.

She managed O. H.'s for the next 31 years, was elected twice as councilmember, as mayor and to the county supervisor seat her father once held.

That's hard work and dedication. That's leadership.

Leo Sears, Eureka

Editor:

We need jobs in Humboldt County! Has Chris Kerrigan ever created a job? Virginia Bass has. Has Chris ever had a real job? Virginia has since she was 15. What has Chris been doing since he left the Eureka City Council? The public deserves to know!

When Chris was on the council he left for months to work in the presidential campaign of John Edwards. He abandoned his constituents in Humboldt County. Having a phone hookup during the council sessions did not make up for the lack of attention he was able to pay to the needs of the citizens he was elected to represent. If he were elected to the position of supervisor, and the opportunity came again to work on the campaign of another presidential hopeful, would he again abandon his responsibilities? I hope we never have to find out. Let's re-elect Virginia Bass as 4th District supervisor.

Bob Burchit, Eureka

Editor:

North Coast Young Democrats chairman Hezekiah Allen was in 2013 a member of the Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights advisory council. Recently he and the Young Democrats endorsed Chris Kerrigan for 4th District county supervisor. Chris Kerrigan himself, endorsed by a member of HumCPR, the developers' group "ruining" the General Plan Update?

We know Allen's environmental restoration career, assembly run, his engaging personality — and his HumCPR connection. Me, I'll support Virginia Bass. She is endorsed by Betty Chinn, and recently voted (against HumCPR — see Sally McDonald's My Word, Times-Standard May 11) for affordable housing close to town in the Housing Element. She supports Eureka neighborhood groups, and local business development on the Samoa peninsula. Please vote for Virginia Bass.

Virginia Damron, Eureka

Editor:

I like Virginia Bass. Her many years of community involvement are laudable. She is an asset to our community. Everything about her is good except her politics. Her campaign ads and her roster of supporters signal to me that she will keep Humboldt County stuck in the past. I want Humboldt County to move forward. Four more years of status quo leadership is unacceptable.

Chris Kerrigan's progressive vision is exactly what the 4th District needs right now. He will pursue smart land use policies that will protect the public good and promote quality of life. I am heartened to know that he will stand up to special interest groups like HumCPR. He understands my concern about public safety. He will seek more funding for the district attorney's office and more coverage by the sheriff's office. I am voting for Chris Kerrigan and for Humboldt County's future.

Peter DeAndreis, Eureka

Editor:

Voters for 5th District Supervisor may be wondering what advantages a newcomer like Sharon Latour might bring to county political leadership, especially compared to incumbent Ryan Sundberg.

Ms Latour has lived in far more sophisticated and developed places. She knows how comparatively pristine Humboldt is, how vulnerable we are to outside predators looking to exploit our under-valued resources, and she has no ties to special financial or family interests.

That is, Latour brings an independent perspective to what has traditionally been an insider's game. Ryan Sundberg is endorsed by many of these inside gamers, whose vested interests often prevail because of their long-standing ties to policymakers.

Having watched Maxxam ride roughshod over our county, I am sensitive to the downside of the personal associations that can shape our future. Tough decisions are tougher when your friends' wallets are at stake, especially when dealing with world-class corporate interests and financiers.

Ken Miller, McKinleyville

Editor:

I have been watching Sharon Latour grow with incredible speed into an exceptional candidate for 5th District supervisor. She entered the campaign late for major endorsements and late to raise a comfortable funding base. However, Sharon is making up for these disadvantages with her discipline, motivation, and compassion. In just two months, she has studied and absorbed volumes of information about the county and District 5, met with hundreds of people, traveled throughout the area and attended scores of meetings. I am impressed by the extraordinary gains Sharon has made.

Through her life experiences, having lived and worked in many areas of the U.S. and in Europe, from careers with women's athletics to the U.S. Air Force, Sharon has a wealth of knowledge and skill in leadership ability and financial responsibility. I applaud Sharon for her integrity and courage in running for 5th District supervisor.

Linda Doerflinger, McKinleyville

Editor:

I met Sharon Latour at a neighborhood gathering. It was refreshing to be listened to, and it was obvious that she had thought deeply about our issues. Her background is unique in its range and diversity. Her leadership role in sports, the military, education and religion reflects her ability to bring together many different voices to build involvement and develop communities.

Having grown up in the military, I understand its culture of discipline, integrity, and service. It is not just a matter of rhetoric. In the Air Force she managed people, money, programs and complex cross-cultural communication. Although she did not grow up here, she is committed to making it a place for all citizens. Furthermore, she looks beyond a five-year plan to a generational plan for economic and social development that protects the health of our land and community.

We need Sharon Latour for 5th District Supervisor.

Maureen Kearns, McKinleyville

Editor:

Sharon Latour has my vote for supervisor for District 5 and here's why: she has an impressive experience of leadership, community service, and teaching, from the U.S. Air Force Academy to right here at CR; a master's degree in public affairs — an excellent preparation for county governmental and planning responsibilities; and a common denominator for her work throughout her life has been service to her community and country.

I know that her overriding, deeply held commitment is to listen to District 5 residents and respond to our needs; she has the integrity, the know-how, and the energy to do just that. Sharon is the most qualified candidate for the job of helping to guide the county in the next four years on behalf of the people of our district, and for a bright future for the county as a whole. Our county Democrats have also officially endorsed her.

Catherine Briggs, McKinleyville

Editor:

I admire people who do what they say they are going to do. Politicians often make promises but do not keep them. Virginia Bass is a politician who made a big promise to me and kept it.

Over a year ago the program I started and facilitate, which provides pet food to seniors and disabled people who get home delivered meals, was in serious jeopardy. Notes were put in all client's pet food bags that the program would end on April 15, 2013. Virginia heard about this from one of the volunteer drivers and called me to see how she could help.

Virginia and her husband, Matthew Owen, raised enough funds to continue the program for over six months. Then they had a fundraiser at their home and raised enough to continue the program for over a year! Thanks to Virginia and Matthew we have plenty of pet food for the tummies of beloved pets.

Carole Beaton, Eureka

Editor:

We need jobs in Humboldt County! Has Chris Kerrigan ever created a job? Virginia Bass has. Has Chris ever had a real job? Virginia has since she was 15. What has Chris been doing since he left the Eureka City Council? The public deserves to know!

When Chris was on the council he left for months to work in the presidential campaign of John Edwards. He abandoned his constituents in Humboldt County. Having a phone hookup during the council sessions did not make up for the lack of attention he was able to pay to the needs of the citizens he was elected to represent. If he were elected to the position of supervisor, and the opportunity came again to work on the campaign of another presidential hopeful, would he again abandon his responsibilities? I hope we never have to find out. Let's re-elect Virginia Bass as 4th District supervisor.

Bob Burchit, Eureka