Newspaper'sendorsementssummarized

Here is a roundup of candidates, and one money measure, The Triplicate has endorsed in the Nov. 4 election.

To read the full editorials on each race, go to www.triplicate.com and click on "08 LOCAL ELECTIONS."

City Council (9 candidates for 3 positions)

Randy Hatfield

Hatfield is CEO of the Del Norte County Fairgrounds, a position that requires expertise at getting the most out of every dollar. He served a previous stint on the City Council (1992-1996) and seems well-versed in local issues. One of his priorities is paying for the sewer plant project without overloading monthly ratepayers.

Charles Slert

Slert is an architect who wants to design new strategies for economic development and cooperation among the city, the county and the harbor. He seems the most visionary of the candidates, and yet is well-grounded in the need to adequately provide basic services. A welcome priority of his: filling empty downtown storefronts.

Jody Mangum

She's running as part of a slate with Donna Westfall and Linda Sutter, but Mangum is the only member of that trio who is ready for prime time. The acupuncturist would serve a much-needed watchdog role on the Council, and seems ready and willing to energetically tackle any city issue.

Harbor Commission (9 candidates for 3 positions)

Kevin McKernan

From hauling away debris to finding the finances to kick-start a renaissance, McKernan calls for creative thinking and outreach to meet formidable challenges. The executive director of Northcoast Regional Land Trust gets it: Since everyone wants the harbor to succeed, everyone is a potential collaborator.

Sargeant Thurmond

Thurmond makes a compelling case for more consensus-building at the harbor. There's little doubt commissioners need to do a better job of communicating with harbor stakeholders, including fishermen and the art gallery. Several candidates speak to this need, but the retired Thurmond seems most likely to deliver.

Patrick Bailey

At commission meetings and at the recent candidates forum, incumbent Bailey has addressed all harbor issues head-on. The electric car salesman combines four years of experience on the commission with a strong desire to move in new directions to effect the harbor's master plan.

School bond levy

Yes

Voters should invest in the region by approving Measure A, secure in the knowledge that this portion of their tax dollars will be spent locally with the guarantee of good returns for Del Norte County. The work needs to be done and state government can't be trusted to provide the necessary money.

School District Board (3 candidates for 1 position)

Mark Dodd

A case analyst at Pelican Bay State Prison and father of two Del Norte High students, Dodd's priorities include improving academic performance and reducing the dropout rate, in addition to making the fixes to deteriorating school buildings and facilities proposed in the bond measure. He'll bring a non-educator's viewpoint and new energy to the board.

City Clerk (3 candidates for 1 position)

Dianne Nickerson

This has been a noisy race for a quiet position. The clerk produces agendas for City Council meetings, keeps minutes, maintains city documents and responds to public-records requests. Bottom line: Nickerson has done a good job and deserves to be re-elected.

Congress (3 candidates for 1 position)

Mike Thompson

Del Norte County's leaders have made great strides toward speaking with one voice when it comes to identifying the region's needs to decision-makers in Washington, D.C. Thompson, the Democratic incumbent, has a history of staying in contact with local leaders, determining the area's priorities for federal assistance, and then delivering.

State Assembly (2 candidates for 1 position)

Wesley Chesbro

An economically challenged area such as Del Norte County needs help from the state in many areas. When legislators reconvene to wrestle with an increasingly difficult state budget situation, Chesbro, a former Democratic state senator, is far more likely to ensure that we get that assistance.