Running for Grayson City Council: Linda Jenkins

Loganville-Grayson Patch is running profile pieces on the different candidates running in the city council race in November. 

For the city of Grayson, Post 2 and Post 4 are open on the council, and the mayor's seat also is open. Two residents have qualified as candidates for Post 4, while the other candidates for Post 2 and mayor are running unopposed. Linda Jenkins is running for Post 4 against candidate Laura Gavulic.

Name: Linda Jenkins
How long have you lived in Grayson? I have lived my entire life in or near Grayson. I consider it an honor to be a native Georgian, Gwinnettian and Graysonian!
Educational background: I graduated eighth grade from Grayson Elementary School, then South Gwinnett High School. My class enjoyed our 50th Reunion last year at the graft Restaurant in Grayson. I received my AA degree from Young Harris College in 1964, so we will be celebrating our 50th Reunion next April. I serve as our class coordinator. Then I attended the University of Georgia for my BA and MED.
Family: I am extremely proud of my four children. All of them attended South Gwinnett High School. Corey attended Young Harris College and UGA. She taught in public schools for eight years, then became an educational director for Sylvan Learning Center in Athens. Now she owns Classic City Tutoring in Athens. Erin attended Young Harris College and UGA. She earned her Specialists Degree from Piedmont College, and teaches at Dacula Middle School. Anna received her teaching credentials from Brenau University, is working on her Masters Degree, and teaches at Ferguson Elementary in Gwinnett. She is the mother of my three grandsons: Blake, Sam and Levi. Will is a computer technician, trouble shooting repairs on cell towers throughout the southeast.
Occupation: I retired from teaching in 2004 with 38 years of experience.  I taught in Gwinnett County Public Schools for 31 of those years, with my final 16 years at Grayson Elementary.

Have you run for/served previously on the city council?  Yes, I served from 1977 to 1982. 

What inspired you to run this time? Grayson has changed tremendously since I served before. I just completed Gwinnett Senior Leadership, an organization that educates senior citizens about present Gwinnett and how we can enrich our county/city through volunteerism. So I volunteered to run again!

What are some notable projects you’ve helped with or spearheaded in the past?  My post was Parks and Recreation during my first terms. Citizens wanted a park in or near Grayson, so the council began the first Grayson Day to earn money for a park. We have a fine one! While teaching at Grayson, I was involved with the parades and other events. I worked with the county to get Tribble Mill Park designated for our area.

What are some of the immediate things you want to work on if you win the council seat? With the increased population in Grayson, we should always be concerned about traffic safety. We were working to get one traffic light in town, and now we have so many! Turning lanes, crossings near the school, and adequate traffic flow help safeguard our citizens. I see more people walking, jogging, and biking on our streets. They deserve safe passage. The city can identify these problems and work with the county and state to provide the solutions. Another issue is that of preserving olde town while monitoring the new developments. Grayson has witnessed rapid growth. The mayor and council need to see that there is a blend of historic and recent establish-ments.  Planning and Zoning Boards work with contractors to satisfy the guidelines.  And as an addendum to this, Grayson beautification projects need to be in place to make the city inviting. I know plans are under way to do this, and I anticipate amazing results. Businesses and citizens can take pride in working together to claim partnership in this.

What are some of your long term goals for the city? How would you accomplish them? From speaking with neighbors and friends, I have learned that our citizens want basic conveniences while keeping a small town atmosphere. These people will never know how tiny Grayson was, but with monitored growth, they can have their wish. I want activities for all age groups to continue. We are proud of the Senior Center and Park. We need to improve certain areas for outdoor venues. Greenspace is important. We are most fortunate to have county parks near us. By listening to citizens and working with our planning boards, we can keep Grayson as one of Gwinnett’s best kept secrets...

What do you think is the greatest challenge for Grayson, and how would you approach it? Any city’s greatest challenge is to run the government with integrity and balance. Councils and other governing boards need to cooperate and listen to the voters. Monies need to be allocated wisely. Government is by the people and for the people, and all city business needs to be done openly and justly. And as Forest Gump would say, “That’s all I have to say about that.”