To the editor:

We support Val Tollefson for Bainbridge Island City Council.

My family has known the Tollefsons since two of our children discovered, at the Commodore sixth-grade culture fair, that we might be distant cousins. That was years ago and we have crossed paths many times through participation on community boards, non profits, and

fundraising activities.

Val is a natural leader with sincere listening skills and a world of experience shepherding hard gained community funds to maximum benefit. Val is not “another confrontational attorney” as implied by our former mayor of Winslow in her recent opinion letter. He is exactly the kind of attorney you would trust to give you good, well considered and ethical advice.

We have lived on the waterfront since 1970. Val’s opponent has headlined his determination to sink the shoreline management plan. His shadow supporter, Gary Tripp, has inundated us in the shoreline community for years with shrill letters and dire warnings of the loss of our rights and property value. He has found a candidate in Mr. Haugan to “kill the SMP or lawsuits are promised.”

From our beach for over 40 years, we have witnessed the decline of salmon, trout, perch, migrant birds and the increase in shellfish contamination in Manzanita Bay. It is narrow-minded and selfish for us to reject all shoreline environmental regulations.

Shoreline is limited, and will always be coveted and have high value. Wouldn’t it be even higher, if those wild life values can be restored?

Our city needs leadership, the respect to reach consensus, value our employee’s skills and advice, learn from past action and mistakes, and move forward. Val is one of those special leaders among us who promises to work for this.

DR. FRED AND WILENE GRIMM

Bainbridge Island