It has been 18 years and 77 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

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This newspaper clipping is an old headline from 2000 when I won an election for my council seat. In that election I was the only elected official in the state to run as a write-in against an incumbent and to win.

Imagine my surprise last week when I received a call from the Star editor, Carolyn Dryer, telling me she had received a Letter to the Editor from former Councilmember Norma Alvarez who represented the Ocotillo district. She told me Alvarez has publicly asked me to consider running for the Yucca district council seat. Here is the link to the Alvarez letter: http://www.glendalestar.com/opinion/article_93660af6-e088-11e5-8fca-07da10ddf430.html . Here is my response to Dryer’s question asking me if I intended to run: http://www.glendalestar.com/news/article_a08de88c-df3b-11e5-9b98-8749566839f1.html .

I have been asked repeatedly by my former constituents of the district since 2013 to do so. The reasons they offer are various. They would express their appreciation of my accessibility, my problem solving of their complaints and my representation of their voice. For years I had resisted even consideration of their pleas. But no longer.

They have also expressed their frustration and disappointment in their current representative. He is inaccessible. In fact, he is often AWOL. They cite his flip-flopping on issues and the exorbitant amount of money he has spent on travel, especially on trips that they contend are not city business.

I will spend the next week picking up the phone and talking to Norma to listen to her reasons as to why I should run again. I will also talk to my family and close friends to hear their thoughts on the subject. It is not a decision to be made lightly for it requires a major time commitment. It requires councilmembers (such as I was) to spend weekends “doing their homework” as council material for consideration and discussion at workshops and meetings is usually provided on Friday afternoons. I have the stamina and the intellect but do I have your support?

I would like to hear from you – readers of my blog, many of whom live either in the Yucca district or live in Glendale. The answer I seek is not only do you think I should run but are you willing to give of your time and talents in my campaign? I cannot take on a major commitment such as this without your support. You may contact me at: clarkjv@aol.com or leave a comment on this blog. Obviously your email response will remain private but any comment you leave on this blog will be instantly public.

Here is an excerpt of an email I received this morning in response to Norma’s call for my running for the Yucca district council seat. “I read the article about you in the Glendale Star and I also read Norma’s editorial, endorsing you! I say YES, go for it!! The Yucca and Glendale residents deserve a councilmember like you who cares about the community.”

This much I promise. I will seriously think about it. I will talk to others. I will wait to hear from you. After that, I will make a decision and publish it on this blog. So the question is: Will Clark do it again?

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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