I don't cook, unless one counts breakfast on Christmas morning and the occasional grilled-cheese sandwich. Still, I'm rooting for the Clayton Farm and Community Market.

At its most basic, the market adds to the variety of shopping in Clayton, where retail hasn't kept pace with population growth. That in itself is reason enough to wish the market well as it wraps up its first year and prepares for the second.

Beyond that, a successful farmers' market gives a town a certain vibe that likely appeals to a variety of people. Clayton is known primarily for its young families, but a successful farmers' market could play a part in helping to lure the 20-something crowd and more retirees to town. And if the market remains downtown, the young and young at heart could give that walkable part of Clayton a housing boost.

I visited the market once this summer (remember, I don't cook.) My daughter tagged along, and we checked out the farm market and the Italian market that had opened recently on Main Street. Both were less than what I expected, but then, my expectations were unfair. I had expected to see the farmers' market in Raleigh and the Italian market on Person Street, also in Raleigh. But Clayton is a fraction the size of Raleigh, so I should have expected exactly what I found -- small but earnest efforts to bring a little diversity to Clayton's marketplace.

A friend in Clayton thinks year two of the farm market will be more important than year one. If so, I'm encouraged, because the market's organizers are already making plans for next year, including likely moving to a higher-profile spot in the heart of downtown.

One of these days, I plan to take a cooking class -- seriously. When I do, I hope the Clayton Farm and Community Market is still around.

To borrow from a friend of mine, I love politics more than Peter loved the Lord, which is why this time of year -- election season -- is one of my favorites. But election season can also be frustrating, especially when candidates campaign on issues they can do little about.

Many a council candidate has said, for example, that his town ought to do more for its senior citizens. But town government isn't in the Social Security and Medicare business. At best, the most a town can do is put a new roof on the senior center and ask the police department to check in on the town's older adults.

Likewise, a town can't really improve its schools, and it can't really recruit business and industry, at least not on the same scale and with the same effectiveness as state and county government.

For whatever reason, too many town board candidates pass on the chance to campaign on what towns do best. If I were a candidate, for example, I would campaign to keep the water taps flowing and the toilets flushing for as cheaply as possible. And I'd pledge to make police, fire and rescue responsive and, again, cost-effective.

I'd pledge to patch potholes promptly and to pick up trash in a timely fashion, if my town were in the trash business. (I don't think towns should be.) And finally, I'd work for taxes, fees and land-use rules that were pro-business without being anti-citizen.

If I did all of these things, I think the other issues candidates talk about would take care of themselves.