Making common sense common again
My name is Darrel Wilson, a 27-year resident of Cottage Grove, and candidate for councilor at large this November. I am 61 and have been married to my wonderful wife for 34 years. We raised our son whom we adopted at 11 days old and is now 22, married and has blessed us with our first granddaughter.
For the last 20 years I have been employed as a certified armed courier in the Armored Car Transportation business. Previously I spent approximately eight years in the advertising industry both in radio and print media.
I have explored several career paths. I spent four years as a deputy corrections officer with the Lane County Sheriff’s Department and spent many years in the infancy of the computer industry as a programmer and eventually as the sales manager for a five-store retail chain of Commodore computer stores. Also spent five years in the moving truck and equipment rental industry as a manager.
I have belonged to several business organizations: Lane Leaders; the Eugene Area Radio Stations; Eugene and Springfield chambers, I was on the Springfield Downtown Revitalization Committee. I was also the western Oregon representative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
I have been involved in youth programs in Cottage Grove: Pop Warner (coaching), South Valley Little League (board member, coach and official) and South Valley Athletics (basketball coach and official). I’ve also officiated with Kidsports, YMCA and Willamalane basketball programs. I was the Area Commander for AWANA in Cottage Grove.
I was asked early on in my decision to run for office what my platform is? My immediate response was “Making Common Sense Common Again!” For too long, elected government officials at all levels have been replacing sound policies and strategies with “what sounds good,” regardless of how it is going to affect the average hard-working citizens that they are supposed to represent.
Because of this trend, the citizens of Cottage Grove are finding it harder and harder to afford to pay for basic services. This trend needs to stop. The status quo model for how Cottage Grove has been administered is not working. I plan on working with our newly-elected mayor and fellow like-minded council members to bring transparency and common sense back to the process of decision-making.
