The News Tribune's recent endorsement of School Board incumbent Judy Seliga-Punyko sold short her opponent, Loren Martell (Our View/Endorsement: "School Board 2nd District: Seliga-Punyko's attitude," Oct. 19).
The one sentence included about Martell's consistent efforts to bring an additional voice to School Board meetings was misrepresentative and failed to acknowledge his strengths.
Martell has nothing to gain personally from all of his efforts surrounding the decisions of the School Board, but the community does. Martell has spent countless hours of his own time studying the financials of Independent School District 709, examining the teachers' contract, delving into the business practices of Johnson Controls and attending all of the School Board meetings for the past four years. He has questioned the School Board when it failed to follow the state's open meeting law and when constituents' letters were not made publicly available. He is the watchdog of this race.
Martell has admirable passion about having a responsible and effective board. He has found that there is a voice missing from the conversation and has taken it upon himself to be that voice. He has proven to have the patience to study the many details a board member must master. Loren Martell has my full support.
Lynn MacLean
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Duluth
