The Faces of 1994 : From the Twentysomething Mayor Who Stayed Home to the Eightysomething Photographer Who Returned There, We Catch Up With some of These Pages’ Most Interesting Personalities : FIDEL VARGAS : ‘Our Hard Work Is Starting to Pay Off ‘

He’s the local boy made good, thrust into the national spotlight in Time and Newsweek magazines, on CNN and as a White House guest.

But for Fidel Vargas, the 26-year-old, baby-faced mayor of Baldwin Park--and one of the youngest mayors in the country--the attention the national acclaim has brought him continues to take a back seat to his growing family.

He and his wife, Melissa, are expecting their third child in February. One recent day, the mayor was at home caring for his wife and tending to sons Max, 4, and Julian, 22 months, while managing to squeeze in the work of running his city of 72,000 residents, for which he is paid $3,000 annually.

Since we last checked in with Vargas (“Coming Home,” Aug. 28, Life & Style), Baldwin Park crime has continued to drop, he said, pointing out that “last year we had 10 homicides and this year we’ve had six.” Gang-related and violent crimes are down, too, according to police reports.

Economic development is on the rise, Vargas said, citing a new coffeehouse, art gallery venue and a combination billiards parlor and grill as “the kinds of businesses we’re trying to attract.” Recently, Target announced plans to open a store in Baldwin Park--another coup claimed by the mayor. “Our hard work is starting to pay off.”

Earlier this month, Vargas--who works full time as a public-safety policy analyst for Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan--appeared in Time as one of America’s 50 most promising leaders 40 or younger.

This past summer, Vargas appeared in a Newsweek spread about the stereotyping of Generation X.

Requests and invitations have poured in--from a ninth-grader in Florida wanting to interview Vargas for an essay, from colleges for speaking engagements, and from a Republican party official who beckoned Vargas to switch affiliations any time he tired of the Democrats.

Vargas, a Harvard graduate, is quick to give credit to others who worked to improve Baldwin Park.

“It’s really nice to be included in that (Time magazine) list, but I wouldn’t be on it if it wasn’t for the people who helped carry out the direction that the Baldwin Park City Council and staff set,” said Vargas, whose term as mayor will end in March of 1997.

After that, “I want to be a successful entrepreneur, that is still my ultimate goal.” Then, “I would consider going back to politics,” he said, adding that his goal is to attain a seat in the U.S. Senate.

But for now, there’s a city to run. “I’m still looking for graffiti every time I get behind my wheel,” he said. “The big issue right now in Baldwin Park is abandoned shopping carts. So if that’s the worst problem that we have, I feel pretty good.”