ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 9, 1996 TAG: 9605090066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
Harry Haskins could hardly get through his lunch Wednesday without being stopped and congratulated. He listened through several messages on his home answering machine - from friends and supporters paying their respects to the Salem City councilman-elect.
Just about everywhere Haskins went Wednesday, someone would stop him.
"Hi, Chief," a man said as Haskins entered the K&W Cafeteria in Salem. That is the title some Salemites use out of habit because of the 20 years he served as police chief. He retired from the position last November.
"Congratulations," cafeteria servers said as Haskins went through the meal line.
Haskins may have been the most popular person in Salem on Wednesday - the day after he was elected to fill the council seat Mayor Jim Taliaferro held for 24 years.
Some residents went as far as to say Haskins may be the most popular politician since Taliaferro.
Haskins raked in 3,210 votes during Tuesday's election to lead all five candidates for three contested seats. That's more votes than any other council candidate since the city was chartered in 1968.
And he carried the second-highest percentage of voters in the city's history, with 68.5 percent of the voters casting a ballot for him.
"Harry is very popular," said William Hill, political science professor at Roanoke College and a follower of Salem politics. "He has been the most popular politician in the post-Taliaferro era so far."
A large part of Haskins' popularity has come from his accomplishments as chief of the Salem Police Department, Hill said.
Haskins quit his job as a special agent for the U.S. Forest Service in 1975 to take the police chief's position.
During his tenure, he founded the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy in Salem, created a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in Salem schools and co-founded Salem Camp D.A.R.E.
On his resume, Haskins' accomplishments within the Salem Police Department go on for three single-spaced pages.
"He brought about a new day" in the Salem Police Department, Hill said.
Long before his retirement as police chief, friends and supporters urged Haskins to run for City Council. He kept the idea in mind, but said the thought was nearly put to rest when he retired at age 59 in November.
After that, he was honored by practically every governing body and community organization that had ever dealt with him.
The city held a special retirement dinner for him. City Council and the School Board both passed resolutions honoring his years of service. And his alma mater, Roanoke College, presented him a Roanoke College Medal, the highest honor given to an alumnus of the Salem school.
Such recognition didn't hurt when he decided to announce his candidacy for City Council in January.
"The timing of my retirement - while not intended to do so - was beneficial," Haskins said.
But Haskins' popularity goes beyond his professional accomplishments, supporters say.
"He's just a neatly friendly and considerate person," said Paul Calhoun, a Roanoke photographer and a member of Haskins' 32-member campaign committee. "He always seems very interested in other people's thoughts and feelings."
"He kind of has an across-the-board appeal," he said. "He has the personality that really isn't going to alienate anyone."
Haskins said he owes some of his name recognition to his wife, Darlene. Because she has worked and lived in Salem all her life, she knows a lot of people there, Haskins said.
When the couple canvassed a good portion of Salem knocking on doors, Haskins said they couldn't go more than two or three households without running into someone who knew Darlene.
"She's been a very great asset to my effort," he said. "I would not have done this unless she had committed to helping me."
A standing joke in Salem is that you could live there for most of your life and still be considered an outsider. Haskins has lived there a little more than 20 years but has obviously earned the respect of Salem voters.
"You pay your dues to be a Salemite, and I think [the voters] believe I paid sufficiently," he said.
Whether Haskins has earned enough respect to become the city's next mayor - as some admirers have proposed - will be decided by City Council members when they choose Taliaferro's replacement from among themselves in July.
Alex Brown and Howard Packett, who were voted to another term Tuesday, said it's too early to say whom council may choose.
"Let's celebrate our victories, and then we'll worry about that," Brown said.
Hill said Vice Mayor Carl "Sonny" Tarpley, a 22-year council veteran, would be a logical candidate for the position.
Some voters interviewed Tuesday said they would like to see Haskins get it.
"I think Haskins would be a good mayor," said South Salem resident Klaas Hoen.
Haskins says he will just wait and see.
"If it's their will for me to serve in that capacity - or as vice mayor - I would give it my all," he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. Harry Haskins' supporters areby CNBalready looking ahead. One supporter gave him a hat after the
election in support of his re-election as
Salem councilman. color.