I am not sure Triplicate editor Matt Durkee has been in town a short time or if he’s been living in a cave for the past two years but he sure doesn’t know anything about Supervisor Roger Gitlin when he questions…” salvaging of his term on the Board of Supervisors, if he can”… in a recent editorial.  When I met then-candidate Gitlin in April 2012 he spoke to me in my front yard, he shared with me his hopes and desires to improve Del Norte County.  I believed what he was saying and I voted for him twice in two elections. Thank God he won. He’s the only one on that Board who appears to do anything. And what has he done? He started the Take a Bite out of Blight program, cleaning up some of the run down homes in my neighborhood. He organized the now famous Wal-Mart clean-up. He coordinated safety improvements for the Search and Rescue team on the Army Corps of Engineers-owned Jetty. Gitlin pushed to erect badly needed stop signs on the hill on Harold Street, near Hoover.  He discovered our public health officer earning $3600 per month and living in Santa Barbara for two years. Working with Dr. Greg Duncan, he is compelling Sutter Coast Hospital to open its books to justify down-grading our Acute Care hospital. This man has done plenty and The Triplicate fails to recognize his contributions. Stupid !  Board Chairman David Finigan obstructs any effort by Gitlin to place items on the agenda like veterans welcome signs or prayer before Board meetings.  I don’t vote for David Finigan and wouldn’t if he were my supervisor.   I live in District 1 and I support supervisor Gitlin.  Finigan needs to step down as Board Chairman. Rather than Gitlin, Finigan has become isolated as he is already ineffective. Supervisor Roger Gitlin is the best contribution to Del Norte County in decades and I hardly think a prejudicial Code of Conduct is going to muffle this man. Maybe it’s Finigan and you Mr. Durkee who should adopt a role of salvaging your careers, if you can.

Dave Egan

Crescent City, Calif