Peg Roth was already thinking about finding a new way to get involved with the Clarkston community when she heard the city council call for write-in candidates in the Nov 7 election.
The council has three open seats, with only Councilwoman Kristy Ottman seeking reelection.
Councilman Steve Wylie is running for mayor against incumbent Sharon Catallo, while Councilman Scott Meyland is not seeking re-election.
‘I’d toyed with the idea of serving on the city council for quite some time,? said Roth, who’s lived in Clarkston for 28 years. ‘When I heard about the open seats I thought, well, this is the time. It’s time to get back to doing some volunteer work.?
But Roth has already been active in the community for many years. She volunteers at her family’s church, Clarkston United Methodist, and delivered meals on wheels for three years when her children were younger. She’s also been involved in every school her children have attended.
‘Peg is caring, intelligent, and her follow through is impeccable,? said Joyce Nienhuis, PTSA president at Clarkston High School. ‘She’s also a good listener and has a sense of humor. But what I really like about Peg is that when it came to volunteering in the schools she didn’t drop out when her kids got to the high school level. She understands that it’s important to stay involved as your kids get older.?
Roth’s oldest daughter, Tara, 18, graduated from Clarkston High School and now attends Northwood College in Midland where she studies banking and finance. Chelsey, who turns 18 next month, is a senior at CHS and works part time at the Outback Steakhouse on Dixie Highway, and Jordan, 17, is a junior at CHS, where he plays on the varsity golf team.
Although Roth admits she hasn’t followed the goings-on of the city council, she is interested in learning more about current concerns, and cites taxes, the city/county police issue and the possibility of electing a new mayor as some of the matters for residents to watch.
‘I have a lot to learn about the city council,? she said.
‘My opinion is that city council represents the city, and in making decisions I need to find out how the city feels, how my neighbors and the people I go to church with.?
Roth is currently employed part-time at the Deer Lake Athletic Club, and is an avid exerciser herself. Food, fashion and fitness, she says, are her personal passions.