If it weren’t for his daughter Brittany, Gene Edwards wouldn’t be mayor of South Haven. Brittany, who’s now 21 years old, encouraged her dad to run for mayor when she was 11. Her baseball team was getting chased off the ball fields by church leagues, and she figured if her dad was mayor he could do something about it. “I thought it was great that she was interested in government,” Edwards said. “I told her you have to be on city council before you can be mayor.” He attributes being written in on the city council ballot 10 years ago to his daughter, who passed out flyers while trick-or-treating on Halloween encouraging others to support him. Edwards served on the city council for eight years and is now in his second term as mayor. Being mayor of a small town includes a variety of responsibilities in addition to conducting city council meetings and signing official paperwork, he said. Edwards is also the liaison for the municipal liquor store and the emergency contact person for the town and its residents. “I could be burning brush with the maintenance person, taking inventory at the liquor store, or calling someone if the electricity goes out,” Edwards added. One thing he wanted to change was the lengthy, 4-hour city council meetings that are held once a month. Since becoming mayor, he’s helped the meetings role along and they now last about two hours. In his years serving the community he has seen many changes. “I’ve seen a lot of improvements, like dead trees come down that were eye sores,” he said. “The city started to come to life again and there’s interest in new business.” For instance, there is a new laundromat coming in and a coffee shop/antique store, as well. One improvement that has sparked interest in building contractors is the completion of the sewer project last August. Holding ponds were placed south of the city and piping was finished for each residence and their individual septic systems were removed from their yards. The six-year project was a struggle and was completed with the help of grants and loans with Rural Development. “It was a long, arduous process and it’s a relief to finally have it done,” Edwards said. “We have our engineering firm to thank because they stayed with us through the process [when other firms gave a two-year deadline to raise funds before abandoning the project]. That’s why SEH is such a hero to us.” Now, Edwards and the city council are looking into building an additional water well for South Haven. There are currently two wells, but they aren’t pumping enough water. If there was a fire, for instance, there may not be enough water to put it out, he said. Edwards has learned much from his experience in the community. “People think you have a lot more power than you do,” he said. “Despite representing the people, they see you as an adversary rather than a friend.” One of the hardest things is explaining why he can’t do things for legal reasons and that there aren’t instant solutions for long-standing problems. Life’s mosaic experiences Edwards worked his way through five different colleges on and off for almost 10 years before graduating with a triple major and a masters degree. He is from Spearfish, S.D. He attended Black Hills State College in Spearfish, South Dakota State Training School in Plankinton, Huron University, and Hamline University in Minnesota. he took classes in a variety of subjects and ended up with bachelor of arts degrees in education sociology/criminal justice, English and a minor in journalism. He received his masters of education from Hamline University. He has worked at a reform school with juvenile delinquents, was trained as a probation officer, and was a teacher. “I’ve been able to use everything that I’ve learned,” Edwards said.
South Haven mayor draws from varied education, experience
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