Candidate qualifications show high caliber
There are 14 candidates running for the three positions opening on the Logan City Council, and all have unique characteristics, platforms, backgrounds and views on issues.
For Council Seat Number 4, Steve Bower, Merrill D. Russell and Stephen C. Thompson are running.
Bower has been involved in politics for eight years and has “run and lost more times than anyone in Logan,” he said. He focuses his efforts on addressing “tough issues.” He admits he was convicted of a felony 10 years ago.
Russell is a 22-year resident of Logan who is a “grassroots type person,” he said. He is a supporter of neighborhood councils and said he is aware of the budget needs.
Thompson currently serves on the City Council, and has done for six years. He is a past student body president of Utah State University, and grew up in Logan. He is a “strong neighborhood advocate,” he said.
For Council Seat Number 5, Lorin A. Engberson, Jeremy Kidd, Joel Nitchman, Tami W. Pyfer and Gina Wickwar are running.
Engberson is originally from Washington, D.C., and has cerebral palsy. He is focused on issues of the handicapped, and has lived in Logan for five years.
Kidd is a student at USU who is working on a doctorate in economics. He has donated all his campaign money toward a fund set up by Liz Howell – whose husband, Brady Howell, was killed in the Pentagon.
Nichman is also a student at USU. He is an undergraduate with a dual major in economics and finance. He said he is not only focused on student issues, but the community as well. He said he will offer “honesty, integrity and access.”
Pyfer currently serves on the Logan Board of Appeals. She said her focus is on neighborhood involvement.
Wickwar is a 13-year resident of Logan. Her husband is in charge of the “green beam” project at USU, she said. She has been on the Planning Commission for the past six years.
Bryan E. Anderson, Darla D. Merrill Clark, Michael D. Huston, Tom Kerr, April A. Mortensen and Douglas E. Thompson are running for the office of mayor.
Anderson is a graduate from USU and John Hopkins University. He is an “intellectual entrepreneur,” he said. This is his first time running for office.
Clark was the past mayor of Logan from 1993 to 1997. Her administration began the mayor’s hotline, put a student representative on the Logan transit board and created the landlord/tenant requirement.
Huston is a student at USU majoring in English and sociology. He said he’s running because “I’m a student and I work and I don’t make enough to live somedays.” He said he’ll focus on speaking for minorities.
Kerr has lived in Logan since 1988. He worked for the Air Force for nine years and for NASA. He’s from Preston, Idaho.
Mortensen graduated from USU three years ago. She’s running because she said “there are groups of people in this valley who feel excluded.” She said she hopes to give a voice to teens and promotes curb-side recycling.
Thompson is the current mayor of Logan. He has two children attending USU who keep him aware of the issues, he said. He is a True Aggie. During his term, USU became one of the neighborhood councils, addressed parking issues and tried to bring in more jobs, he said.