Worrying about what’s right keeps politician up at night

CINTHIA RITCHIE

October 02, 2008 at 10:49AM AKST

Sometimes, after Monday night council meetings, Jean Bardarson can’t sleep.
“I lie awake worrying and thinking, did I make the right decision? Was that the best choice for Seward?” she said.

The 50-year-old longtime Seward resident is running for her second city council term. She was appointed to take Margaret Branson’s place in late 2005 and was elected to the council the following October.

“It was time for my generation to step forward and give back,” she said.
Bardarson works part-time as a dental hygienist for Dr. Michael Moriarty. She’s married to Blaine, has two daughters in college out-of-state, eight horses and one dog.

She moved to Seward with her family in 1968. She left for college and, after her marriage in 1980, spent six months traveling around the world.

“That was neat,” she said. “It gives you another perspective on your own country.”
After they returned to Seward, they bought Seward Building Supply. Bardarson ran the financial side of the business while Blaine tackled the operations. They expanded and eventually sold the business to Spenard Builders Supply in 1987.

“That wasn’t easy,” she said. “It was a family business, but it was time to move on.”
 In her spare time, Bardarson likes to read mysteries and calls herself a news junkie with a propensity toward anything that has to do with new developments or technology. She also enjoys gardening and cooking.

“I like to cook, oh, anything, I’m not picky,” she said. “I think traveling around the world so young really opened me up to new experiences.”

She’s running for city council because she wants to make a difference in Seward, and because she feels she owes it to the city.

“I think about the pros and the cons,” she said. “I’m very analytical, I like things organized, I have my spreadsheets and I lie awake thinking, did I do the right thing? Did I make the right decision?”

She sees high overhead as Seward’s biggest obstacle and believes lowering the cost of living in order to lure in new families is a top priority. 

“We already have top-notch schools,” she said.

But the city needs more people in order to grow and expand.

Bardarson hopes her city council input so far has helped make Seward a better place to live.

“You need to give back to your community,” she said. “In a small town, everyone has to put forth a little effort.”

Cinthia Ritchie can be reached at 907-342-2428 or toll free at 800-770-9830, ext. 428.     

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