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A News & Record editorial

Greensboro voters are blessed this year with the deepest, strongest array of choices for City Council in recent memory.

District 1 is no exception.

A two-term incumbent, T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, 54, is campaigning to keep her seat from four challengers in the Oct. 9 primary after weathering a rare recall election on Aug. 21 with nearly 60 percent of the vote.

But the most promising candidate among a competitive field is Tonya Clinkscale, 46, a self-employed mother of five adult children who lives in the Warnersville neighborhood. Clinkscale, a political newcomer, brings strong local ties and deep knowledge of her community to the table.

She is a clear, effective communicator with a solid grasp of the issues. Her civic involvement includes a seat on the Community Resource Board, as well as the High Point Road/West Lee Street Corridor Plan Citizens Committee.

More importantly, Clinkscale, whose stock in trade is in real estate and construction, appears well-equipped to build relationships with fellow council members, a trait that sometimes is in short supply on the current council.

Making Connections

Clinkscale cites as her priorities in her district economic growth, bringing together "splintered communities" and stemming an increase in violent crime, especially among gangs.

She sounds familiar themes of attracting more businesses and development to the district, which primarily encompasses southeast Greensboro, and stretches as far west as High Point Road and as far east as McConnell Road. She also suggested neighborhood focus groups as a way to solicit more community input.

Growth Potential

District 1 is an area that craves the type of growth and amenities that northwest Greensboro routinely takes for granted -- places to shop, theaters, restaurants and thriving businesses.

But it is also poised for a reawakening, as the future site of the N.C. A&T-UNCG Gateway Research Park, and as the home of the Greensboro Coliseum and most of a resurgent downtown.

It needs an effective voice who not only advocates for that part of the city but sees its place in the bigger picture as well. Clinkscale appears up to that task.

Citywide, she is a proponent of a more unified vision for the council and restoring trust between the council and the citizens and among the city's various neighborhoods. She rightly believes the city would benefit from dreaming bigger and reaching higher.

A Close Second

That said, Clinkscale holds only a slight edge over another serious contender, Luther T. Falls Jr., who narrowly lost to Bellamy-Small in 2005.

Falls, 52, is obviously more seasoned, informed and focused in his second campaign. He, too, is a member of the Community Resource Board. He also possesses an excellent feel for southeast Greensboro, having been born and reared there.

Falls, a financial services representative, is a staunch advocate for small businesses and is, in fact, part of the minority business advocacy group, the Watchful Network.

Like Clinkscale, he believes the district would benefit from increased dialogue and collaboration "with parties outside of the district." He is a hard worker who has made it a point to attend council meetings and community events.

Rounding out the field in District 1 are Charles Dayton Coffey, 52, a machinist who founded the East Lee Street Merchants Association to address crime and homelessness, and James W. Carpenter Jr., 27, a custom clothier who also has worked in private security. Coffey, in particular, appears earnest and hard-working.

Yet Falls and Clinkscale rise to the top in District 1. Either would serve the community ably and responsibly. But Clinkscale gets the nod, if only by a hair's breadth, based on her considerable potential to build relationships.

She seems committed not only to working for her constituents but working with them as well.