We heard a local resident the other day make an unfavorable comment on the relative merits of Rector now as compared to 30 years ago. In light of the fact that our annual progress edition runs this week, we thought it might be appropriate to take a look at that specific question.

With that in mind, our aim this week is not to say anything negative about Rector of 30 years ago, or even before that time. Everyone knows there were very positive factors associated with life here in earlier days -- they can be documented and Rectorites remember them well. Those include some of the "lifestyle positives" related to a simpler and perhaps more family-oriented time and place. And we all know this community has been filled with good people, many of them having passed on in recent years.

Our aim instead is to remind people of some of the favorable developments that have indeed taken place in the last 30 years and to avoid not recognizing the positive.

One local businessman not long ago made that point quite forcefully when he said Rector does possess most of the basic services one needs to enjoy a good day-to-day life. His point was that we often get bogged down in the negative while failing to appreciate the positive.

With that in mind, let's take a look at what we have in Rector 2008 that was not here some 30 years ago:

The School

While school enrollment clearly is down, as it is in many small rural communities in Eastern Arkansas, there is no question the facility improvements in recent years have been dramatic.

The new high school building was constructed just over 30 years ago and underwent a major facelift just in the past two years.

The modern elementary school, constructed in two phases, is an outstanding facility for a community of this size.

The two most recent accomplishments have been more than impressive -- the construction of a multi-million-dollar physical education and classroom building and a great new preschool facility. On the drawing board, awaiting assistance from the state, is a major new fine arts center.

All in all, the current status of the Rector School District would be considered the envy of not only most towns of 2,000 in Arkansas, but throughout the nation.

Businesses

There is no question there is a decline in the number of small businesses in downtown Rector, but the central business district has still held its own compared to neighboring towns of similar size. Recent announcements that the city will participate in the Arkansas Downtown Network and the National Historic Register should open up improvement projects and grants that will help create a better downtown.

Having said that, let's list some of the major business improvements that have taken place in Rector in the past 30 years (apologies to anyone left out, but this is a quick summary):

A Harps Supermarket that many 2,000-person communities would love to have, two modern and well-equipped medical clinics, one of the most impressive dental clinics in this region, a new bank building (Liberty Bank now), a major renovation and expansion of Glen Sain GMC, a new funeral home, a Sonic, a new Dollar General building, a new restaurant, two convenience stores, a mortgage company, transmission shop, body shop-four wheeler business and the construction of a much-needed modern nursing home facility (which is a major employer). Additionally, many of the churches in Rector have constructed new and impressive facilities during the past 30 years.

The City

Major improvements in city facilities include a community center that is one of the best in this region for a town this size, a new city library, a resurfacing project for virtually every street in Rector, a four-field baseball-softball complex that recently attracted a state tournament, new picnic pavilion, large children's playground, paving of all the streets in both the Woodland Heights Cemetery and Memorial Park, development of the Downtown Park, two new fire stations and a new pumper truck, a completely renovated city hall, major water and sewer improvements, major drainage projects on the south and east sides of town and construction of a $2 million-plus industrial facility owned by the city. Additionally, the Garden Club has been instrumental in major beautification projects in the city and the Parks and Recreation Commission has made great strides in improving the parks system.

As they say, all this is just something to think about the next time you hear something negative about your community -- there is "another side of the story".

--REK