Beth Clodfelter's 15-year dream to help the community

[dropcap txtcolor="#234a83" style="dropcap1"]B[/dropcap]eth Clodfelter is the only Democratic challenger running for an at-large position on Athens City Council.Born in Athens, Clodfelter moved away to Greencastle, Indiana, as a child. Clodfelter loved to be active when she was young, playing softball or basketball, which she considers to be favorite sports of her family. She also enjoyed reading and photography.When Clodfelter moved back to Athens for a job with the university, she quickly fell in love with the community. She appreciates the number of Athens residents who spend their time, and sometimes money, to make the city, county and state a better place.The City Council-hopeful is very involved in the Athens community through many local organizations such as the Athens-Hocking Recycling Board, which promotes environmentally friendly practices. She is also a member of the Appalachia Peace and Justice Board because she enjoys supporting underrepresented groups in the community and conflict resolution.[AdSense-A]Clodfelter is willing to take chances; she remembered a time, for example, when she studied abroad in the United Kingdom and built her confidence and communication skills.Clodfelter has been planning to run for City Council for the past 15 years. The thought of running for public office, however, has been in her head for even longer than that.“My grandfather Clodfelter sat me on his knee when I was 5 years old and he would talk to me about the importance of serving and contributing to your community,” said Clodfelter, looking back on her younger years where she learned the importance of serving her community.During her campaign, Clodfelter has canvassed every day from 5 p.m. until dark, so she can hear the community’s concerns and ideas about how to improve the city.“My favorite part of the campaign is meeting the people of the community and listening to their stories,” she said. If elected, she plans to implement a monthly public meeting where constituents can bring concerns and any questions they may have to an intimate setting where all voices can be heard.Clodfelter said she has no intention of running for a higher office because she wants to help the Athens community directly.