Portsmouth council

Re “Portsmouth city manager resigns and city attorney is fired before dueling protests continue” (Sept. 8): After reading this article about Portsmouth I was reminded that retired Rear Adm. Mark Hugel is running for Portsmouth City Council. If ever Portsmouth needed someone of his caliber, it is now. I was privileged to get to know him through our service together on the board of directors of a nonprofit human services agency. I’ve served on several boards and without a doubt I’ve never been more impressed with a fellow board member. Hugel’s intuition about things that matter, his sense of fairness, and his thoughtful approach would be a boon to such a divided council.

Whenever our board is faced with a difficult topic, Hugel cuts through the noise and unfailingly brings clarity. Every single citizen of Portsmouth would benefit from his service. I only wish (sort of ) that I was a Portsmouth resident so I could vote for him.

Jody Canoles Benedict, Norfolk