Grapeland Under New Management
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – Grapeland has always been the little city that could, taking a railroad stop with a few grapevines and turning it into an engine of Houston County, with some of the largest employers in the area. Today, that trend continues, as the city continues to move forward, even while honoring the past. There are still few grapes in Grapeland and few peanuts at the Peanut Festival, but the city continues to bridge the gap between past and future. This was highlighted with the recent election of Velda Green as Mayor, the first woman and first African-American to hold that position.
Green has lived in Grapeland for 25 years and has been active in the community all that time. Recently President of the Grapeland Noon Lions Club, she has long sat on city council and faced a real challenge shortly after she became mayor, when City Manager Kevin Watts announced he would be leaving the post to take a position with a private company.
“I’ve been on the city council for 14 years and being mayor has been about what I expected,” Green told The Messenger. “We just had a lot of changes that had to be made. I didn’t expect for Kevin to leave, but you know I don’t stop people when they want to advance themselves.”
As reported at the time, Watts had been offered an outside position at a pay rate he knew the city wouldn’t be able to afford and opted to leave. Replacing Watts became an issue, as traditionally Grapeland did not have a manger position, but it was the mayor and council who made the decisions on personnel and day-to-day operations.
The city decided to return to this model, overseeing the various city departments directly, with Chief Dale Linebaugh in charge of Grapeland Police Department (GPD), Niky Nivens running the office and recently promoting Kyle George to oversee the city’s water department. Sources tell The Messenger George came highly recommended and is working on further training and certifications to better run the department.
Green said the city’s model and budget don’t really allow for a full-time city manager and said operations are going smoothly, particularly with GPD.
“Linebaugh is doing a great job and he’s getting the drugs out of city,” Green said. “I want the city to be a home, where people don’t have to worry about drug dealers or whatever. I know there’s going be drugs out there, but don’t bring them into Grapeland.”
Being the city’s first black mayor wasn’t something Green had thought about and was surprised when she took the job and was asked to speak at different functions. She said she normally prefers to listen, but never minds talking about the city she loves and her hopes for its future.
“The kids grow up and they move away so we do need more jobs here. We need better education; we want them to care about the city,” Green noted. “I want better housing, so they can come back and say, ‘Oh, this is a nice place and this is where I want to come back to after I get a degree. I want to come back and make the city better.’”
Calling herself a “girly-girl” who loves pretty things, Green said she loves any idea which will make the city more beautiful and inviting, from building restoration to flowerbeds. One of her main goals for the city is to try and secure more funding for home building. Green feels for residents who own their own land or older homes, but cannot afford to get the homes fixed up. She is waiting on confirmation for a program which is designed to help homeowners receive a new home on their property through federal grants, something which would certainly make the city more beautiful.
Green said between Grapeland and the Lord God, she hopes she can make the city better for her “babies”.
“I have been here 25 years and I call all the kids my babies,” Green laughed. “I love them and they love me and I want this to be home for them, the best home it can be.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
