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By Irene Hannagan
CLARKSTON -- You only have a month and half to prepare for the long and deliberating day at the polls. Last week Clarkston residents nominated five of their counterparts to take a shot at three open chairs around the Town Council table: Randy Jardine, Jane Sparks, Kelly May, Bryan Goodsell and Brent Godfrey. Ross Butters nominated former council member and mayor, Randy Jardine to run for the Citizens' party. Clarkston has only two parties, Citizens' and People's, and neither is affiliated with Democrat or Republican. "There's no affiliation at all, but it allows for things to work easier as a whole when nominating people," said town clerk Annette C. Randlisbacher. Jardine says everyone's concerns center around many of the same things. These "many of the same things" were listed as top priorities at the last council meeting: water storage, a new fire station and road repair. Residents resoundingly placed water storage and updating at the top of the list. While serving as mayor of Clarkston between 1990 and 1993 he saw the current water storage tank able to hold 375,000 gallons designed and completed. "If we had a second and bigger storage tank we could store that water and alleviate some of the problems," said Jardine. Other issues on his platform include a new fire station and road repair. Candidates have a lot to hope for with possible grants for improvement and growth coming into the town's hands, although not all candidates are looking for bigger and better but rather for maintaining the now, as in the case of Jane Sparks. Born and raised in Clarkston, Sparks has lived outside the small town, in Brigham City for only 6 months when her husband was finishing school at Weber State University over 20 years ago. Janet Butters nominated Sparks to run for the People's party. Her campaign focuses on the youth of Clarkston and maintaining the quality of life of this country town. A park in the center of town attracts younger generations and their parents but not the teenagers, she said. "There's nothing for youth out here," said Sparks. She wants to deal with current policies before adding new ones. The roads need work she said, but Clarkston needs to focus on the now a little more than on the future of expansion. Candidates like Brent Godfrey aren't the most excited about the growth of Clarkston or even the upcoming election. He didn't show up to the nomination meeting, nor does he know who nominated him. "I was pushed by a lot of people to run for the four-year term. I rejected that nomination but accepted the two-year term nomination," said Godfrey. He plans on working towards the current important issues and then trying some new ones. Godfrey is currently finishing up a four-year term for another council member who resigned a year ago due to health issues. He is over sports and Pony Express. Unlike Godfrey, nominee Bryan Goodsell attended the nomination meeting but still is not jumping at the opportunity to attend council meetings for the next four years if elected. "When you're in a town as small as Clarkston, I guess you just have to take your turn," he said. Goodsell is taking his turn. He has no previous experience on the council, but will be running alongside incumbent Kelly May and Jardine, who nominated him in the Citizens' party. May, like Godfrey is finishing up a four-year term for a council member who had to resign due to a work conflict. He is currently over water, fire and rescue, planning and zoning and animal control. May has high hopes for the coming election and his platform. He also has a strong feeling of unity with other Clarkston residents. "I know that we have to improve the water system here. It's hard to turn off someone's water because in a small town you know faces with names. They're not just a number on an unpaid bill," said May. Wally Cottle nominated May at the September meeting. He, along with Jardine plans on sending out a letter of information on his platform for the residents' benefit in the coming weeks. Voter turnout will be the deciding factor for who gets the three open positions, and that's usually pretty good, said Rindlisbacher. Town clerk for 14 years and long-time Clarkston resident, she has plenty of experience with the town's elections. She said she grew up here and so did her parents. Her mother lives in the home she was raised in as a child. "We're pretty entrenched in the town," she said. Rindlisbacher hopes for a strong voter attendance this year and for a meet-the-candidate night that she pushes for each election. "It's certainly not youth [involved in legislation] or younger couples but we usually have a good turnout," she said. All candidates will be present at next month's council meeting, said Rindlisbacher.
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