It may still be a full week until the election, but I’m counting down the days until Saturday, when I can take off my referee’s shirt. That’s the final day we’ll be running letters to the editor related to the Nov. 2 voting.

We’ve been deluged, and despite opening up extra room on the opinion page, there are going to be more letters than space to print them. Just ask the candidates, who somehow always seem to know if letters supporting their campaigns haven’t appeared in print.

Before four candidates squared off in the June primary for Del Norte County district attorney, The Daily Triplicate endorsed Bob Drossel.

Our reasoning was that Drossel had a spotless record and offered stability while incumbent Mike Riese and challenger Jon Alexander carried personal baggage from past difficulties.

Alexander and Drossel advanced to a Nov. 2 runoff and trained their sights on each other. They’ve both talked about running the DA’s Office better and reducing plea bargains.

Some good things are happening in the Crescent City Harbor:

• The harbor has been awarded a $685,000 grant from the California Coastal Conservancy to design planned improvements, including a waterfront promenade, Coastal Trail segment, public restrooms and pedestrian access to South Beach from Anchor Way.

• Funds have been secured to fix the inner boat basin that was damaged by a 2006 tsunami. The project is still in the design stage, but it’s essential to maintaining a fishing fleet here for the long haul.

I am responding to the Oct. 9 editorial, “Close calls for auditor, CR trustee.”

I never endorse a College of the Redwoods€ candidate for trustee, and I am not making an exception now. However, there were several perceptions as noted by a candidate in your editorial that I believe incorrectly represents CR’s support of the Del Norte Center and its community, to which I must respond.

First, you note that challenger McCollum claims that a science lab facility has not been delivered as promised years ago.That statement does not represent the complete story.

As a sponsor of Measure A that will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot, my first reaction in writing this article was to answer every one of the exaggerations and false claims that have been proposed by the so-called “health experts” who endorse the public policy.

But the exaggerations are so unbelievable and the denials of any evidence of adverse effects so absolute, that anyone taken in by those assurances may be shocked by the tremendous amount of contrary information at hand with just a simple Google search.

What you will find includes the Journal of the American Dental Association cover story in July 2000 that clarified for every dentist that the swallowing of fluoride presents no significant benefit, that if there is a benefit it would be from applying it to the surface of the tooth; or the CDC’s famous 2001 declaration that fluoridation was one of the top 10 achievements of the 20th century, but on page 4 of the same report CDC declares there is no correlation between fluoride incorporated in the enamel of teeth due to ingestion and the incidence of tooth decay.

When it comes to Crescent City Council politics, a lot has changed in two years.

In 2008, nine candidates were seeking three seats on the Council. The Triplicate found it impossible to endorse any of the incumbents who had been presiding over a financial mess at City Hall. The city had suspended discretionary spending because it didn’t know how much money it had. And it had thrown away about $160,000 in failed attempts to balance its books.

Fast-forward to today when the city has achieved a modicum of financial stability in spite of the hard economic times. At the very least, the financial books are in much better order. Basic services are being provided, some money is being directed toward the Visitors Bureau as an investment in our tourism-based future, the city is cooperating with the harbor and we’re on the verge of an acceptable conclusion to a bitter period of dissent with the completion of the sewage treatment plant expansion.

First and foremost I wish to thank all of the stakeholders for their time and emotional investment sitting at the Marine Protected Area table. Also, I am grateful to all you who helped to produce a single MPA array for our North Coast. No other study area has been able to do this. It is quite an achievement.

Now we must face the Science Advisory Team, the Blue Ribbon Task Force, and the Fish and Game Commission with united support for this proposal. 

Everyone who cares about access to your renewable ocean resource can help. The Science and Advisory Team is meeting Wednesday starting at 1 p.m. and Thursday beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Red Lion in Eureka. Public comment starts at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and should be available at the Flynn building here in town.