City candidate rebounds from hospital stay

A candidate for this year’s municipal election in Mount Airy who was hospitalized last week is recovering and vowing to campaign as vigorously as ever.

“I’m on the mend,” Gene Clark said Tuesday in the wake of his recent bout with an infection and related issues concerning antibiotics, which he referred to as “just a little hiccup.”

Clark said he has returned to a normal schedule after being hospitalized on May 26 at Northern Regional Hospital and spending the next four days there until his release last Thursday.

“I’m back at work,” Clark added Tuesday regarding his longtime occupation in the furniture industry, which presently includes serving as managing partner of My Home Furnishings LLC in Mount Airy.

Clark is a candidate for a South Ward seat on the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners now held by Marie Wood, who earlier announced plans to step down when her term ends late this year.

That has left Clark facing off against Calvin Vaughn, with the winner to be decided in the Nov. 5 general election.

His election and other activities had to be placed on hold when Clark began having problems as May wound to a close.

“I just started feeling sick,” recalled the South Ward candidate, who is in his early 60s.

Clark sought treatment at Northern Urgent Care, leading to his hospitalization on May 26, with the patient gradually improving once antibiotics medication became properly adjusted.

He did have to cancel a scheduled business trip to Vietnam, but otherwise is back to normal.

The medical issue will have “no impact whatsoever” on his city council campaign, Clark assured.

“Things are kind of slow now anyway,” he said regarding the lull between a primary held in March and the general election.

Once fall arrives, Clark said his campaign will be in full swing. The local homeless problem has been a primary focus of Clark’s candidacy.

The hospital stay produced some side benefits, he disclosed.

“I’ve lost weight and I’m in better shape than when I went in,” Clark said of dropping 10 to 15 pounds during the illness.

Mentioning that his medical problem might have been exacerbated by a lack of water, the candidate says he’s increased his intake of that along with reducing consumption of soft drinks and tea and practicing better dietary habits overall.

“I’m fine — I’m better than I was before.”