DALTON —
As the father of four boys, Jaramie D. Bickford has taken an active role in youth athletics in Varnell. Now he wants to take a leading role in local government on the City Council.
“Our recreation department has just merged with the city,” he said. “We were our own entity before. I don’t want the kids to be forgotten. Before (current mayor) Dan (Peeples) came on board, we had trouble getting things. I want to make sure our youth are not forgotten in the talk about growth.”
Bickford, 33, is running against Sheldon Fowler, Allan Pippin and Clyde Williams II for Seat 3 on the City Council in the nonpartisan special election on July 20. Former councilman Thomas Burnett resigned after moving out of the city. The City Council seats are citywide seats. The unexpired term ends in 2011.
Bickford is a native of Omaha, Neb., who has lived in Varnell 10 years with his wife, Tiffany, and sons Hunter, 15, Jax, 8, T-Bird, 6, and Ranger, almost 3. He is a U.S. Army veteran who worked in air defense and was a paratrooper at Fort Bragg, N.C. He served in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield and also Korea.
“We’re a nice little city,” Bickford said. “We don’t have that many issues, although we do need to get some street signs straightened out. But I want to be assured there’s communication between the youth department and the City Council. Right now that’s lacking.”
Bickford said the neighborhood where he lives is full of kids, but he doesn’t foresee any safety issues with youth inside the city limits.
“I don’t see any risk issues at this time, and I want to keep it that way,” he said. “We need to keep our kids busy and give them things to do.”
Bickford is a surgical assistant at Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga.
Election
Candidate profile: Bickford wants youth served
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