Have you ever driven from Decatur to Siloam Springs and suddenly became aware that you had absolutely missed the trip? What an awakening experience! We are creatures of habit and the habit might have been that the roads we travel are safe, comfortable and simple pleasure to drive.
Arnold Palmer once said, "The road to success is always under construction."
Decatur is on the road to success! Our city streets have not seen much construction this summer, but that doesn't mean we aren't planning repairs. Later this summer, Benton County Road Department will partner with the city to begin a paving project on Lester Street south and connecting to Second Street. Construction and paving will be completed on Lee Avenue, west of 102. Mt. Olive Street at the Elementary School northwest to the city limits will receive an overlay this fall. Charlie and Pat Streets, which are a part of Veterans Park, were paved earlier this summer. These are the remaining plans for 2015.
Plans for 2016 include a grant with funds. Up to $250,000 has been awarded to our city, which will bring overlays to several more streets, including Hill Street continuing on to Stadium Avenue. The work on these streets will be completed to Arkansas State Highway Department Standards' width and depth of asphalt specifications. More streets will be added to plans, based on the final grant amount.
Friday, Sept. 18, we enjoyed a wonderful homecoming parade in the downtown area. Thank you for your involvement as a community.
It appears that the electrical construction at the junction of Main Street and Roller Avenue is now complete. Thank you for your patience.
Your city council and city staff are working on many projects, such as Royce Johnson Memorial Park. We have applied for a grant to build a large walking trail and youth soccer field at Veterans Park. A grant is being applied for to fund the construction of a personnel elevator for the city hall to make the second floor functional. We have been approved for a non-matching grant of up to $250,000 for street overlay, which will be funded in 2016.
... about Town for the month of October will highlight "Friends of Decatur's Commission." Read how you can donate to special projects, tax deductible, next month.
Editorial on 09/30/2015