PLAN AIMS TO TURN DREAMS INTO REALITY

Camden News 11-11-09 

By DONNA COLLINS Staff Writer

   The community has everything it needs to build the community it wants. That’s according to community development planning facilitators Dianne Williams and Freeman McKindra. The pair Tuesday completed a two-night planning session sponsored by Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development and Southern Arkansas University Tech.
   The goal of the meetings, held at the Ross Center and attended by about 50 people each night, with about 30 attending both sessions, was to produce a list of community "dreams." Both Ouachita and Calhoun county residents were encouraged to attend and participate.
   Participants were asked to write down their dreams, then the dreams - wants or wishes for community programs or projects - were grouped based on similarity and displayed on a wall. Participants were given six votes each to distribute anywhere among the listings.
   The list, that now includes seven identified areas of need, will be made into a community development plan by volunteer steering committees shortly after the beginning of 2010. 
    The six identified areas, listed in descending order of importance as determined by participants, are: 

   • Education - which included programs focused on preschool to trade schools.
   • Multi-purpose center - that would provide space for several uses ranging from worker training, regional meetings, industry gatherings, community theater, dog show arena, musical entertainment, and several other existing and future projects and programs. Discussions included the construction of a new facility and renovation of existing vacant buildings.
   • Downtown revitalization - including physical improvements to streets and sidewalk and encouraging new businesses to locate downtown.
   • Bike and walking trails - including continued efforts to complete a Rails to Trails project and additional walking and biking trails.
   • Health - projects ranged from increasing awareness of heart disease to promoting better health through exercise.
   • People - projects included creation of "problem solving ports" for parents with child support problems, debt elimination and credit rehabilitation programs, and revitalizing existing housing and creating new housing opportunities. 
   During both sessions participants were asked to share stories of personal uplifting experiences that occurred during a community activity. Williams and McKindra shared their observations about the stories shared during Monday’s session.
   "None are job creators," Williams said about the events and experiences shared, which included recollections about local festivals and fundraisers. She said that the collection of local success stories were about "creating an environment that makes job creators comfortable."
   When asked why some residents insist that the community has little to offer employers in the way of activities for future workers, Williams said that it is not unusual that such views exist. McKindra pointed out that although he has always lived in Arkansas, he had not known about Camden’s BPW Barn Sale or the annual dog show. Both suggested the community "do a better job of letting others know what we have."
    OPED executive director Norm MacNeill said the planning process will continue and he encouraged those in attendance as well as others to add to the lists of community wants and as sets. Steering committee membership will be open to anyone and committees will receive support from OPED in the form of professional advisors, but MacNeill said local leadership and facilitators will be essential. "The result will be a community plan by the community," he said. More information about how residents can participate will be made available, he said. For more information about existing efforts contact OPED at 870-836-2210.