Roger died when his truck was struck by a driver who lost control and crossed the median into his lane. I met him in 1992 when we were both running for County Supervisor for the 2nd district. I was the hippy, he was the cowboy - you can't miss us. The voters could because they elected Roy Heider. But Roger and I became friends during the endless debates that brought the candidates together. He was jovial, friendly, and loved to talk about interesting things - a good recipe for making friends. Next election,in 1996, I was studying law, and he won the job and held it until the day he died. I thought he did an excellent job of it, too.
He loved to shock people by crossing the various cultural lines that divide our county. One evening during the timber wars he took Darryl Cherny and me to dinner at Parlatos, where the Fortuna heavyweights become more so. I was apprehensive at first, but Roger was in his best form, introducing us to other people and keeping up a good flow of conversation. The point was to show the regulars that he was able to talk to "the other side", and perhaps to show both sides that we had a lot in common and could eat under the same roof.
Another day he took us to a friend's ranch for some Rocky Mountain Oysters. Delicious.
Here's a painting of his which he gave me. I keep it in my law study.
After I became a lawyer and began hanging out in the courthouse, I got the chance to go see Roger from time to time. His Supervisor's office was way back through a maze of coridors in the courthouse at that time. He was always willing to take the time to sit and talk for a half-hour or so about county affairs, and general courthouse gossip.
One of my first jobs was representing the Hemp Connection in Garberville. Their sign, featuring a green hemp leaf, was at controversy. The Design Review Committe of Garberville had said it had to come down. I contacted Roger, he did some reviewing of the status of the DRC, and came and read them the riot act. It turned out they had no power to enforce their prejudices at all - they were advisory only. The sign stayed, and you can see it to this day on Garberville's main street.
Over the years I didn't get to see Roger as often. But from time to time as I came into the courthouse I would pass the Supervisor's meeting chambers, and there they would be, listening to presentations. I was always able to catch Roger's eye, and give him a salute which he would return. It felt good to know I had a friend on the Board.
I am still in shock from hearing of his death last night. The loss of a man of Roger's stature is going to change the county. I hope his successor will keep up Roger's tradition of standing up for the rights of rural people, of medical marijuana users, and of folks who have run afoul of the county bureaucracy. I suppose the last quote of Roger's that rings in my ears is a comment he made at the Code Enforcement Hearings to the effect that we are not going to have bulldozers destroying people's homes in this county. We have lost a champion in every sense of the word.
