Spring Break
Recent grad finds niche in small-town politics
Melissa Crowe
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: ARTS & LIFE
"It's home and I want to take care of it," he said. "Chico's been good to me; I want to be good to Chico."
Both his parents graduated from Chico High School, as did he and his brother.
"J.D. is extremely zealous of his hometown," Bridwell said.
His childhood dream was to become an archaeologist, said his mother, Lori Clark, an eighth-grade English teacher at Chico Middle School.
She said she later found out the main reason was that he "wanted to be a hero like Harrison Ford."
In some lights, Clark might be a hero. He said teaching is his "day job" and being mayor is his "evening" job. Both jobs are a lot alike, he said. He is never off-duty of either one.
"I'm not only trying to be a role model for my kids, but also representing my city at the highest level that I can," he said.
The mayor position weighs on his personal choices, he said. He said he can't do many things other 23-year-olds do.
"Sometimes it'd be nice to not have to think about being on that level," he said.
Public service is self-sacrifice, he said.
"There are not too many people his age, male or female, who are as mature and willing to learn in order to do what he does," said Anita DeLong, city secretary of Chico.
One of those sacrifices was his interest in music. However, he found a way to incorporate songs as poetry in his junior high classroom. His favorite, he said, is Bob Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue."
Since becoming acting mayor, he launched a mayor pro tem blog, is working towards a city literacy program with a hand-selected reading list and has come up with several options for city improvements, including future uses for past school buildings.
"I want to build on the things I love and are good and right in that town," he said. "It's going to stay a small town, but I want it to be an awesome town."
Both his parents graduated from Chico High School, as did he and his brother.
"J.D. is extremely zealous of his hometown," Bridwell said.
His childhood dream was to become an archaeologist, said his mother, Lori Clark, an eighth-grade English teacher at Chico Middle School.
She said she later found out the main reason was that he "wanted to be a hero like Harrison Ford."
In some lights, Clark might be a hero. He said teaching is his "day job" and being mayor is his "evening" job. Both jobs are a lot alike, he said. He is never off-duty of either one.
"I'm not only trying to be a role model for my kids, but also representing my city at the highest level that I can," he said.
The mayor position weighs on his personal choices, he said. He said he can't do many things other 23-year-olds do.
"Sometimes it'd be nice to not have to think about being on that level," he said.
Public service is self-sacrifice, he said.
"There are not too many people his age, male or female, who are as mature and willing to learn in order to do what he does," said Anita DeLong, city secretary of Chico.
One of those sacrifices was his interest in music. However, he found a way to incorporate songs as poetry in his junior high classroom. His favorite, he said, is Bob Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue."
Since becoming acting mayor, he launched a mayor pro tem blog, is working towards a city literacy program with a hand-selected reading list and has come up with several options for city improvements, including future uses for past school buildings.
"I want to build on the things I love and are good and right in that town," he said. "It's going to stay a small town, but I want it to be an awesome town."
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