Ode to Heidi 

Editor:

This letter is long overdue to express my admiration of Heidi Walters' writing. I was moved by the story of the young Albers-Supahan family ("In Karuk," Oct 27), who are raising their children as native speakers of Karuk. In the many years writing for NCJ -- I think she is senior writer now -- Heidi has steadfastly covered nooks and crannies of Humboldt life and culture. It's as if she really likes living here and wants to know, and share, the diversity of our area. Grandparents raising children, clam diggers at the beach, the closing of Hansen's Truck Stop, why county employees take their vehicles home: These are all slices of our rural life that help us be more informed citizens.

The topics Heidi covers are almost always interesting to me. If the topic doesn't inherently woo me, I read it anyway just to see Heidi's exploration. Her carefully crafted details remind me of how observant she is while creating a context in a story. Looking from a variety of perspectives, Heidi writes with a curious, respectful and generous heart. Her articles are wonderful vignettes of people and issues of our wacky little corner of the universe. If there was a category of awards for journalism that illuminates rural life, surely Heidi is my pick.

Marcy Manning, Eureka