"I think Orem is a fantastic city, I love everything about it," Napierski said. "People might say, 'What's the point in running if you're happy with how things are going?' It's obviously going in a fantastic direction — I would like to be a part of the future direction of Orem city, in shaping it."

Napierski graduated with a law degree from BYU and owns and manages a mediation company in Orem.

Shiree Thurston loves serving on the City Council because it gives her a chance to give back to the community. "Find something you are passionate about and go for it," she said. "It's only reasonable that you give back."

And as a retired small-business owner with two grown children and a husband, Thurston, 58, has time to spend giving back to the city she loves.

Before serving on the council for four years, Thurston worked on the Planning Commission for almost four years. She said that background is helpful in her work on the council. She has also served on the Lakeview Area Planning Committee, the University Mall Board, and as Orem city chairwoman for the 2000 Census.

She is concerned about the preservation of neighborhoods and promotes development that ensures neighborhood preservation and maintains a quality of life she said Orem residents have come to expect. And she would know, having lived in the city for 30 years. So to give back to her hometown, she chooses political involvement.

"I do it because I love my community," she said.

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E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com