By Jon Meyer
jmeyer@idahopress.com
HOMEDALE— When Harold S. Wilson takes the Homedale mayoral seat in January, he will also have another cause for celebration: His 81st birthday is the same month.
Wilson is a World War II veteran who has raised nine children in the Homedale area. He has no plans to seek a second term because “85 is just too old,” he said. With 44 years of his life spent in Homedale, Wilson has been a part of the community longer than one of his mayoral opponents, 37-year-old Charles Garrison, has been alive.
“If I can’t get it done in four years, I won’t run again ... I have high hopes, though,” Wilson said.
Those high hopes don’t mean huge changes to the area. Wilson’s focus will be in bringing the people who serve the community together and cleaning up the city.
“I don’t want too many changes, just clean up what we have (and) support the businesses that are there. I’m not against new business, but we shouldn’t give away land to them,” Wilson said.
“What we need is people. Our school system needs people. We need families moving here.”
Wilson’s campaigntobecome mayor began with his friends around Homedale expressing a need for change.
The incumbent, Paul Fink, is a 20-year Homedale mayor, serving from 1984-2000 and then again from 2004 until the most current election. Fink was not available for comment Monday.
“People in Homedale wanted change”, Wilson said. “A lot of my friends asked me to do it, couldn’t find a young guy so they had to pick on an old one,” Wilson said. Even one of Harold’s grandchildren was approached with the idea of running, but turned it down.
Wilson’s wife, Mary, said that after 44 years in Homedale, it was “time to give back to them ... It’s our home.”
Throughout the couple’s time in Homedale, Harold has been very active in the community. He is a veteran of the school board, volunteer fire department, chamber of commerce, Kiwanis International and Toastmasters International. Part of his reason for running for mayor was to improve the area for his 23 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
To help the town improve for the next four years, Wilson plans to bring a renewed sense of continuity to the city government. He said he’d even like to work hand-in-hand with his opponents Fink and Garrison for the betterment of the area.
“I want to work together with the (city) council, together with the Chamber of Commerce, and work together with Planning and Zoning,” he said. “ We have to pull the community together. A lot of the farmers have already offered to help.”
Mary said that the farming community is an essential part of the “very rural” town, but that people need to be drawn to the urban center as well. “They need to see this as a place to shop. We need to make the town seem more attractive,” she said.
“It’s going to take a lot of cooperation, a lot of help,” Harold added.
Some sacrifice will be involved as well. The couple joked that they’ve already lost some of their 100-year-old friends because they don’t want to associate with “politicians.”
jmeyer@idahopress.com
HOMEDALE— When Harold S. Wilson takes the Homedale mayoral seat in January, he will also have another cause for celebration: His 81st birthday is the same month.
Wilson is a World War II veteran who has raised nine children in the Homedale area. He has no plans to seek a second term because “85 is just too old,” he said. With 44 years of his life spent in Homedale, Wilson has been a part of the community longer than one of his mayoral opponents, 37-year-old Charles Garrison, has been alive.
“If I can’t get it done in four years, I won’t run again ... I have high hopes, though,” Wilson said.
Those high hopes don’t mean huge changes to the area. Wilson’s focus will be in bringing the people who serve the community together and cleaning up the city.
“I don’t want too many changes, just clean up what we have (and) support the businesses that are there. I’m not against new business, but we shouldn’t give away land to them,” Wilson said.
“What we need is people. Our school system needs people. We need families moving here.”
Wilson’s campaigntobecome mayor began with his friends around Homedale expressing a need for change.
The incumbent, Paul Fink, is a 20-year Homedale mayor, serving from 1984-2000 and then again from 2004 until the most current election. Fink was not available for comment Monday.
“People in Homedale wanted change”, Wilson said. “A lot of my friends asked me to do it, couldn’t find a young guy so they had to pick on an old one,” Wilson said. Even one of Harold’s grandchildren was approached with the idea of running, but turned it down.
Wilson’s wife, Mary, said that after 44 years in Homedale, it was “time to give back to them ... It’s our home.”
Throughout the couple’s time in Homedale, Harold has been very active in the community. He is a veteran of the school board, volunteer fire department, chamber of commerce, Kiwanis International and Toastmasters International. Part of his reason for running for mayor was to improve the area for his 23 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
To help the town improve for the next four years, Wilson plans to bring a renewed sense of continuity to the city government. He said he’d even like to work hand-in-hand with his opponents Fink and Garrison for the betterment of the area.
“I want to work together with the (city) council, together with the Chamber of Commerce, and work together with Planning and Zoning,” he said. “ We have to pull the community together. A lot of the farmers have already offered to help.”
Mary said that the farming community is an essential part of the “very rural” town, but that people need to be drawn to the urban center as well. “They need to see this as a place to shop. We need to make the town seem more attractive,” she said.
“It’s going to take a lot of cooperation, a lot of help,” Harold added.
Some sacrifice will be involved as well. The couple joked that they’ve already lost some of their 100-year-old friends because they don’t want to associate with “politicians.”
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