Letter to the Editor
| Dumas Clarion | 12.4.2019
Dumas Can Still “Be the ONE” But Which Ones Will it Be?
With many divides and disconnects
that are clearly visible in our city, I say and can hear God saying that ‘it is
still not too late’ for Dumas to be the ‘one’ city/community that optimizes the
opportunities that await small (but not insignificant) townships in Rural
Arkansas and Rural America. But the real question is, ‘which one(s) of the
leaders’ will be ‘the ones’ who will be present to see it, lead it, be it.
I begin with a tag from the Publisher, TFF with her ‘thoughts in the November 20, 2019 issue of the Clarion. It was based on what happened in a statewide production produced and held in Dumas, the annual ‘Thanks For Giving’ Community Celebration and Awards. It was well-covered by the Clarion. It featured an official visit from University of Arkansas with their famed UAPB Vesper Choir. It focused on music, art and education. It also included the talents and great opportunities for the Dumas Public Schools, both Junior High and High School. Also featured was the Dallas, Texas group, LeTitia Owens and Project Identify. The publisher gave great praise to the talents in Dumas and what was presented to an audience (including both choirs) of 300-plus in attendance. (Now I must say here that I personally think that it is the responsibility of every elected official and every administrator of our pubic schools to read the Clarion weekly and by no means should a month go by without all issues being read. No excuse here because it’s a weekly and not daily paper.)
But a major point of observation in her comments pointed to those ‘who were not there’. This was a strong and necessary notice. It brought to my attention (and perhaps many others as well) what the previous Publisher, Terry Hawkins had documented earlier.
In January of this year, Terry Hawkins (now the late editor) wrote in the Opinion section, The New Year, dated January 2. The article stated that the NEW (mayor/council) ‘MUST BE’ more visionary and cohesive/united or ‘We’ (our city) ‘will be no different’ (than they were) and ‘this talk’ about what would be a positive difference will be simply, JUST WORDS.
I responded on January 14, that the article was both pragmatic; and in many ways, ‘prophetic’ and that it ‘was not’ judgmental ‘but truly about facts.’ I agreed, based on the fact that there were years of absent progress from administrations (past 8-12 years) and stated that ‘the new leaders could’ make a difference.
Finally, Terry ‘wished’ us (all of Dumas) well/the best. This was a good thing—a GOOD WISH for the new year. I concurred and wished them well and stated that I would be in constant prayer. January 2018 would be the last full month that Terry Hawkins would be the Editor of the Dumas Clarion.
Will Dumas be the ONE? Over the course of 2019 much information was reported regarding a new initiative that ultimately landed a statewide grant from USDA to a Dumas entity, the West Dumas Community Family Life Center (now THE LEGACY CENTER in West Dumas).
We have shared the process with the city officials, the chamber, the school, the ministers, etc. To date, we have not received any formal communications of support, we have requested Proclamations and to date we have not had any responses. WHO WILL BE THE ONE(s)?
After Dumas/Desha lost DTEC, with nearly 2 million dollars invested we approached the city to share our vision for our technology and college network (which has now landed the REDI grant award that will provide strong support in 2020. The first community meeting was blocked when the city officials who were in office (September 27, 2018) called the police on me (a call that showed up in the records as ‘no disturbance reported at the site). In January of this year, I asked the new administration, how does Dumas acquire new businesses, new leaders, etc., with this type of harassment and discrimination. My hope for the city officials who made the false report was they would speak out with an apology (on behalf of the city) but it did not happen. Instead, we were told that we could not come back to the council for another 6-months.
During this time, the director of Rural Development for Arkansas came to Dumas on July 1, and said, “this is big for Dumas, for Arkansas and I’m going back to DC to share how this can be good for the nation.” At the last A&P meeting last month, I wanted to share his 2-minute video clip to the committee and was ordered by city officials to turn it off. He along with 9 other persons came to Dumas to make this announcement that our city was chosen to represent one of 47 communities across the nation to receive the REDI grant award. Many of the city officials, leaders were not in attendance and we want to be sure that this news and opportunity is known.
Well, we are one year later with proven results, a federal grant award and other strong measures but again, where are the leaders? At the time of this published article members of our college network and THE LEGACY Center in West Dumas are meeting with the USDA REDI leaders and Communities Unlimited as a part of the strategic planning process.
I’m writing this end of the year letter which signifies that yes, Dumas can ‘still’ be the one. But the question remains…. which one(s) will it be. The variables have shifted, and new seats must be filled at the table of moving Dumas forward. During the next 9 months we will be producing programs and raising funding during this gap period prior to receiving funding. Who’s in?
I begin with a tag from the Publisher, TFF with her ‘thoughts in the November 20, 2019 issue of the Clarion. It was based on what happened in a statewide production produced and held in Dumas, the annual ‘Thanks For Giving’ Community Celebration and Awards. It was well-covered by the Clarion. It featured an official visit from University of Arkansas with their famed UAPB Vesper Choir. It focused on music, art and education. It also included the talents and great opportunities for the Dumas Public Schools, both Junior High and High School. Also featured was the Dallas, Texas group, LeTitia Owens and Project Identify. The publisher gave great praise to the talents in Dumas and what was presented to an audience (including both choirs) of 300-plus in attendance. (Now I must say here that I personally think that it is the responsibility of every elected official and every administrator of our pubic schools to read the Clarion weekly and by no means should a month go by without all issues being read. No excuse here because it’s a weekly and not daily paper.)
But a major point of observation in her comments pointed to those ‘who were not there’. This was a strong and necessary notice. It brought to my attention (and perhaps many others as well) what the previous Publisher, Terry Hawkins had documented earlier.
In January of this year, Terry Hawkins (now the late editor) wrote in the Opinion section, The New Year, dated January 2. The article stated that the NEW (mayor/council) ‘MUST BE’ more visionary and cohesive/united or ‘We’ (our city) ‘will be no different’ (than they were) and ‘this talk’ about what would be a positive difference will be simply, JUST WORDS.
I responded on January 14, that the article was both pragmatic; and in many ways, ‘prophetic’ and that it ‘was not’ judgmental ‘but truly about facts.’ I agreed, based on the fact that there were years of absent progress from administrations (past 8-12 years) and stated that ‘the new leaders could’ make a difference.
Finally, Terry ‘wished’ us (all of Dumas) well/the best. This was a good thing—a GOOD WISH for the new year. I concurred and wished them well and stated that I would be in constant prayer. January 2018 would be the last full month that Terry Hawkins would be the Editor of the Dumas Clarion.
Will Dumas be the ONE? Over the course of 2019 much information was reported regarding a new initiative that ultimately landed a statewide grant from USDA to a Dumas entity, the West Dumas Community Family Life Center (now THE LEGACY CENTER in West Dumas).
We have shared the process with the city officials, the chamber, the school, the ministers, etc. To date, we have not received any formal communications of support, we have requested Proclamations and to date we have not had any responses. WHO WILL BE THE ONE(s)?
After Dumas/Desha lost DTEC, with nearly 2 million dollars invested we approached the city to share our vision for our technology and college network (which has now landed the REDI grant award that will provide strong support in 2020. The first community meeting was blocked when the city officials who were in office (September 27, 2018) called the police on me (a call that showed up in the records as ‘no disturbance reported at the site). In January of this year, I asked the new administration, how does Dumas acquire new businesses, new leaders, etc., with this type of harassment and discrimination. My hope for the city officials who made the false report was they would speak out with an apology (on behalf of the city) but it did not happen. Instead, we were told that we could not come back to the council for another 6-months.
During this time, the director of Rural Development for Arkansas came to Dumas on July 1, and said, “this is big for Dumas, for Arkansas and I’m going back to DC to share how this can be good for the nation.” At the last A&P meeting last month, I wanted to share his 2-minute video clip to the committee and was ordered by city officials to turn it off. He along with 9 other persons came to Dumas to make this announcement that our city was chosen to represent one of 47 communities across the nation to receive the REDI grant award. Many of the city officials, leaders were not in attendance and we want to be sure that this news and opportunity is known.
Well, we are one year later with proven results, a federal grant award and other strong measures but again, where are the leaders? At the time of this published article members of our college network and THE LEGACY Center in West Dumas are meeting with the USDA REDI leaders and Communities Unlimited as a part of the strategic planning process.
I’m writing this end of the year letter which signifies that yes, Dumas can ‘still’ be the one. But the question remains…. which one(s) will it be. The variables have shifted, and new seats must be filled at the table of moving Dumas forward. During the next 9 months we will be producing programs and raising funding during this gap period prior to receiving funding. Who’s in?
Let’s go. Rev. Arthur L. Hunt, Jr., D.D. allofdumasunited@gmail.com Support at www.thelegacylives.eventbrite.com
