Looks like there’s going to be a real election in each of the three supervisorial districts up for grabs this time around. In the Arcata-centered Third District, you’ve got the four-way progressive mishmash coalescing around Paul Pitino, Mike Wilson, Mark Lovelace and Elizabeth Conner. Down in the Fortuna/SoHum Second District, it’s incumbent Roger Rodoni v. Fortuna apple man Clif Clendenen and former KMUD news director Estelle Fennell.
And now comes word that Ferndale dairyman John Vevoda has filed papers to challenge incumbent Jimmy Smith in the First District. Vevoda, who could not be immediately reached for comment, is a 55-year-old Republican who has been active with the Farm Bureau. He’s also been very involved with the drive to unclog the Salt River, which has at times backed up onto his fields.
This article appears in Backstage Pass.
John Vevoda is a one-issue candidate: his own probems with drainage. His property contains the Ferndale Sewage Plant.
John’s property borders the Ferndale Sewage Plant and I have seen some of his property covered with toilet paper and raw sewage after major rainfalls and malfunctions of Ferndale’s Sewage Plant. John has been active with leadership of Humboldt Creamery and Humboldt County Farm Bureau. He has owned and operated his own dairy farm for the past 34 years. How many other candidates or supervisors have worked that long and that hard at one occupation. If John can represent his district as hard as he works on his farm all Humboldt County will benefit.
I think it is time for Humboldt County to have new ideas to bring life back to our county. We should not look at a person’s political affiliation but on whether or not that person can do the job. We need change but also a plan to bring life back to Humboldt county. I believe John Vevoda can be that person.
Teresa, political affiliation counts. Republicans, Greens and Libertarians talk about non-partisanship because they are minorities in a society where the majority (Democrats) rule. Jimmy Smith is a fine, hard-working supervisor who deserves re-election. Your guy is the Republican Party’s cut-out.