Here are excerpts from recent editorials in Arkansas newspapers:
Southwest Times Record. Sept. 23, 2018.
Young people in our area seemed to be energized. They seem to be ready for change and have been vocal about what they want to see happen. It’s up to us as a community to listen to them in order to make sure this area grows and prospers in the coming years.
During the summer, local young people spoke out on what they’d like to see in the city, and much of what they said came down to one thing: Opportunity. That’s ultimately what will keep them here. Opportunity for jobs, education, recreation and amenities. And not settling for “good enough,” especially when other cities are making sure that doesn’t happen.
Fort Smith has many, many reasons for someone to want to live here, whether you’re young, old or in between. From the new and established businesses to educational opportunities at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith to our many parks and trails, our community has amenities available to anyone who wants to take advantage.
But it’s understandable and reasonable to think young people will want more. That’s what being young is all about, having that optimism and being able to see a bigger picture for the community. And the things some of them cited in August (a more vibrant downtown with someplace to shop for groceries among them) will prove to be attractive not just to millennials but to other local residents as well.
“The city, the commissions and the directors need to allow the young people to be a squeaky wheel and to allow young people to come in and be like, ‘Well, why are we doing it this way? Can we explore this? Can we discuss this?’ and to not be scared about change,” city parks commissioner Casey Millspaugh, 33, a longtime Fort Smith resident, said during the summer.
Change and growth have to begin with open discussion. We are encouraged that established leaders have expressed a willingness to listen and hope that plans are underway for more open dialogue between them and our local 20- and 30-somethings. Events like Friday’s Prime: River Valley Professional Summit, a collaboration between the Fort Smith Rotary Club, 64.6Downtown and the UAFS Alumni Association intended to allow young professionals to engage in discussion, are a positive step in the right direction as well.
Certainly, a balance is needed between making Fort Smith attractive to a younger generation and keeping longtime residents happy. We feel certain that balance is attainable. We can still be a city that’s full of history and stories to tell but embrace a youthfulness by providing young people with outlets for their work lives, school lives and social lives. The Unexpected Project is a great example of the city embracing artists (many local, many nationally known) in an opportunity for them to leave their mark on our area while involving local schools,...