[env-trinity] Times Standard Editorial- Super Smith

[Tom Stokely]

Best wishes to Jimmy Smith in his recovery.  He has long been a friend of the fish and the people, and has worked hard to protect them all.

TS

http://www.times-standard.com/opinion/ci_21185405

'Super Smith'
A TIMES-STANDARD EDITORIAL Eureka Times Standard
Posted:
Times-Standard.com
Tuesday was the last time Jimmy Smith will attend a meeting of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors as 1st District supervisor. Friday will be his last day in office.

Smith will be stepping down early to concentrate on medical treatments for a third bout of cancer. We wish him the best, and applaud him for his years of public service.

The most fitting tribute to Jimmy Smith is not to revisit the roll call of organizations and officials who appeared at or sent representatives to Tuesday's meeting to honor the man -- although we will: Congressman Mike Thompson; Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro; state Sen. Noreen Evans; the U.S. Department of Fish and Game; the local American Cancer Society; the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce; Pacific Gas and Electric Company; the Eureka City Council; the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce; the North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan board; the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District; county Veterans Service Office; representatives of supervisors in Sonoma, Mendocino and Trinity counties; Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey; Chief Probation Officer Bill Damiano; Registrar of Voters Carolyn Crnich; Public Works Director Tom Mattson; 1st District Supervisor-elect Rex Bohn; and Smith's fellow supervisors.

No, the best way to salute Smith is to look back on his record of service, and recognize the odds he's overcome.

According to Jacque Smith, it was her husband's successful 1992 battle with pancreatic lymphoma -- normally a death sentence instead of a diagnosis -- that drove him into public service.

And serve he has. Since first running for and winning a seat on the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District board in 1995, Smith went on to win a seat on the county Board of Supervisors in 2000. Since then, as 1st District Supervisor, he's represented what he called his “27,000 bosses” -- residents of Ferndale, Holmes, Honeydew, Hookton, Loleta, Pepperwood, Petrolia, Redcrest, Scotia, Shively, Stafford and parts of Eureka.

In 2004, Smith battled back from a skin cancer diagnosis to continue to serve the 1st District.

On Friday, he'll step down a few months early to focus on beating lymphoma. No one -- save perhaps, himself -- would have begrudged the man had he stepped down in June when he submitted his resignation to his fellow supervisors. But he wanted to stay on a little while longer to help with the transition, to do all that he could to serve his constituents. And so he stayed on a short while longer, until Gov. Brown approved the appointment of Supervisor-elect Bohn to the 1st District seat.

”I want to make sure we transition everything,” Smith said. “It's a good time to transition out, and I'll be working closely with the supervisor-elect.”

A class act from start to finish. We join 4th District Supervisor Virginia Bass in acclaiming her colleague “Super Smith” -- and wish him and his family a speedy recovery.








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