Unfair to Lovelace 

Editor:
I believe I am qualified to set the record straight regarding an accusation made by Karen Brooks against Mark Lovelace in Zach St. George's cover story "District Soup" (May 10). For several years, I have been the point person in Humboldt County educating and organizing around the dangerously unhealthy levels of microwave radiation emitted by PG&E's Smart Meters. Ms. Brooks claims that "when PG&E installed Smart Meters he [Mark] didn't do anything about it, even though people in the district didn't want them."
In reality, Mark was one of the few local officials who seriously considered this issue and took action on it. He took the time to meet in person with me and others to listen and discuss our concerns. Mark sought out information on the issue and spoke to supervisors in other counties to learn what other communities were doing. Mark spearheaded the drafting of letters expressing customers' concerns. These letters were later approved by the board and sent to PG&E and the CPUC on behalf of our community.
The Smart Meter issue is not yet completely resolved. However, thanks to Mark and other responsive officials and activists, PG&E customers can now help protect their health and privacy by opting out of a Smart Meter. Mark Lovelace deserves our thanks and our votes for 3rd District Supervisor for the work he has done on this and many other important issues.

Beverly Filip, Eureka

Editor:

Last week's Journal contains an ad (May 10, page 5) by Karen Brooks that is an extreme and exaggerated hit piece against Mark Lovelace. The first thing I noticed was a picture of the Plaza Point affordable senior housing project in Arcata. Karen prominently features this project as a very negative example of what she terms "social engineering," which Mark would supposedly impose on all of us if he is re-elected as county supervisor. In addition to being mayor of Arcata, I have donated hundreds of unpaid hours of my time as the energy analyst on this fine project. Apparently Karen prefers that the site of Plaza Point be left as a gravel parking lot rather than be high-quality, solar-powered affordable housing for seniors in easy walking distance of downtown Arcata with close to zero PG&E bills for residents.

Karen's target is even stranger because Plaza Point is a Danco project in Arcata, a project in which Mark and Humboldt County have no involvement.

I support Mark for supervisor because he works for policies that offer a wide variety of housing for people of all incomes. Mark supports more compact development, which protects our farms and forests and reduces costs for Humboldt County to provide services. Before he became supervisor, Mark led the successful effort to both save the Sunny Brae Forest and keep it as a working forest.

I reject the myths and fantasies offered by Karen Brooks and support real, affordable and sustainable choices that Mark Lovelace works for every day.

Michael Winkler, Arcata