August 14, 2026 The Crescent City Harbor moving forward; Make no mistake about it, this community and the Harbor were built on the backs of those that came before us, volunteers, business minded people and entrepreneurs. The Harbor has acted as a beacon of safety, commercial enterprise, as well as a tourist destination for decades. As the tide of life and economic fluctuation have come and the gone, the Harbor is now little more than a shell of its former self. While there are those that will shout from the rooftops that corruption and theft are to blame, I say we focus on several realities. The economic down turn of the critical industries of logging and fishing brought about the need for hard decisions and the need for strong leadership. I won’t point to any individual in particular. That is to say that circumstance, storm related tragedy, and critical decisions that didn’t obtain desired affect over the last several decades have takin their toll on this community and especially the Harbor. “Robbing Paul to pay Peter” has been the order of the day for so long, it has become the norm. Decisions out of desperation never result in harmonious conclusion. Cancelling one’s insurance, jeopardizing loan considerations, and giving an employee a substantial cash raise in the same meeting on the same agenda, bears no credible explanation other than desperation. I say we champion the strengths of this community, its resilience, and its fortitude in defining a path forward while simultaneously implementing solid decisions, to restore the Harbor to its former glory and ensure its future is something to be replicated. It is time to “rip the band-aid off” so to speak. I possess the shoulders to bear the burden for those tough decisions and point the path forward in a positive direction. Moving forward, I fully believe every individual possesses their own unique value. The ability to recognize and rally that value in the best interest of the Harbor is paramount. That is to say the immediate goal would be to foster that theory and retain the beneficial talent that exist at the Harbor, rather than a “gut and replace” consideration. Moving forward, should we surmise, that fishermen should be on the Harbor Commission? I feel that has sufficient merit to consider. Others might argue that fishermen might place self-serving application to their decision-making process, rather than the best interest of the Harbor as a whole. However, the charter of the Harbor Commission is NOT to be great fishermen. The goals of the Commission are to comply with legal directives of the State, be good stewards of public monies, and manage land- based operations. Fishermen are undeniably a pivotal component to the successful operation of any Harbor. It could be opined that their invaluable insight and input to the commission is better served in their capacity as fishermen rather than members of the Board. Experience of the Harbor Commission has demonstrated that when issues exclusive to fishermen arise, those fishermen who are also commissioners must, by law, excuse themselves from participating in critical decision-making processes. Not being a fisherman myself but rather networking with the subject matter expert fishermen would allow for consistent decision and voting operations of the Commission. Without being disparaging to any singular individual, one can drive by the Harbor and logically deduce that the Harbor’s current condition can only be attributed to the Harbor’s long standing “do as we have always done,” management style, tired ideas, and failed application of same. This is not to say that anyone is “bad” or holds nefarious intent. It merely suggests that fresh ideas and innovative solutions need to be implemented immediately. While there is always a contingent of anti-growth, there is a need and desire by the majority to take pride in our past and future. This includes improvements without forgetting who we are and where we have come from. I know, many of you say I am an outsider, even though I have been here close to four decades. While I spent 28 years in State Service, I simultaneously volunteered with the Del Norte Sheriff as reserve officer and Search and Rescue for 15 years. I have fought for many here to keep their jobs, literally risked my own life and safety to rescue members of this community from fire, falls from cliffs, drownings in the river, being lost in the woods, recovered loved ones from the ocean, and more. I have evacuated communities and fought storms so people could get home, assisted with legal battles, work issues, political issues, and generally tried to help as a good neighbor. I have proven my governance and business sense on the Big Rock Community Service District, that now enjoys fully functional water delivery, balanced budget, and investment income. I recognize, in this community, all that may not stand out as exceptional, as many others in this community do the same kind of things and have reciprocated blessings my way as well. There are many longstanding leaders in this community that I look to for guidance and direction. I am asking that you help me help you one more time. I have trained with the Office of Emergency Services and trained with FEMA to rebuild and plan for the future sustainability of communities and infrastructure. I have successfully navigated financial challenges that accompany capital infrastructure improvements. I have thrown my hat into the ring for the upcoming race to serve as one of your Harbor Commissioners. Should an opportunity for you to support me arise in this matter, I am asking that you do so.