City adminstrator presents first update of the new year

By Bob Swisher
Special to the Sun

    Happy New year to all!  
May the coming year be happy, healthy and prosperous for you all.  
Linden has made great strides over the last year and we are looking forward to another year.  If you look at the accomplishments for last year you will see we were both preserving and making history at the same time.  
Highlights from last year in no certain order include:
1. Linden 2025 10-year plan for City of Linden built and approved by City Council – Linden now has a road map.
2. Approval for $275,000 sewer and water grant/cost share – first steps in sewer infrastructure upgrade.
3.  Rescued the Historic Water tower and Fire Station – Linden goes on the offensive saving landmarks for the future.
4. Stood up the Linden Historic Foundation – an organization bent on preserving and promoting Linden. 
3. Bought and modified the new police station – First class facility showing pride in our police force real action not just talk about backing the Blue 
4. Being named a Texas Main Street Town by the Texas Historical Commission – Only two Cities in all of Texas given this special designation, preservation based economic development program a perfect fit for Linden’s downtown district 
5. First ever Linden Water Wars for back to school and back the Blue – Huge event over 300 showed up to have the biggest water balloon war ever in Linden, super evening and memories made for our  Lindenites
6. Fiber Optic capability for internet in Downtown area – providing the highest speed internet available to business’ in the downtown district
7. Replaced more and larger culverts than any year recently, all done by City Staff – Linden City staff went beyond the past bounds, Linden Corp of Engineers rule!
8. Developed a dangerous animal/rabies prevention program – Safety and health of Linden residents assured
9. First ever Fall Fest in the park – Our great park picking up another great event, great showing on the very first attempt
10. First Christmas Ball – Linden Untied group’s goal is to reach out into the community and provide experiences not available in the past and bring together the community, beautiful event
11. Opened two new retail businesses (soon to be three with our new restaurant) and a new barbershop on our Main Street Square – Moving toward the goal of 90 percent occupancy of all buildings on the downtown square 
12. Opened Sonic and a retail trailer business on Hwy 59 – Shop Linden keep your dollars working right here in our town, Shop Linden First!
All of these are supporting the Goals in “Linden 2025”.  These specific achievements are all aimed at the basic 2025 Vision of making Linden a friendly, accessible, historic small town destination with outstanding family values and venues for Music, recreation and retail.   We are making progress and will continue to improve and perfect Linden.  The goal is to make it just so great to live in Linden, you can’t stand to leave!  
We bid farewell to Linda Grubbs after 28 years of outstanding service and have welcomed Lucy Trahan to fill her place.  
We have hired a Main Street manager who will start work on Jan. 17 and look forward to great things from Ally Anderson, we will need folks to rally behind her as she moves here and literally builds our downtown Main Street program.  We all look forward to the rejuvenation of the Courthouse Square.