Lincoln Elementary
"The Anniston Star" has a series of interviews with local mayors about their jobs and hopes for the new year. Mayor Lew Watson is second in the series.
Some might wonder what would drive a person to seek 11 terms in public office.
For Lincoln Mayor Lew Watson, his interest in leading this small city (pop. 6,800) in north Talladega County started a long time ago — after he graduated from the University of Alabama and served four-plus years in the Army Corps of Engineers.
He also grew up in the city he represents, so there’s that, too.
As he made his way back into civilian life, and returning to his hometown, Watson says, he started noticing how some areas were tapping into improvements and growth by making use of state and federal grant funds.
These needs had also been noticed by others in the community, and together, the group identified ways they could initiate plans to pursue the building blocks that could help their town.
Watson had established his own grocery business in the city, and by 1972, he began his first stint as mayor at the idealistic age of 29.
Around this time the Lincoln City Council successfully established its first full-time fire and rescue service, and joined the Alabama League of Municipalities as a source of insight and new ideas. This outlook — always seeking greater exposure and education on the hows and whys of city operations — has buttressed the city’s development through the decades, Watson said.
“We want to put Lincoln, Ala. out there and show companies, both industrial and retail, why they should be in Lincoln, Ala.,” he said.
by Laura Nation/The Daily Home
Read the rest of Mayor Watson's interview at The Anniston Star
