Not all gloom and doom

I guess it is easier for some people to think about what is wrong instead of looking at what is good.

People like to complain about the weather, economy, government, neighbors and much more. But not everything is doom and gloom.

The new Reynolds Civic Center is nearing completion and should be a gem for Poteau and the county. Yes, we all wish it had been built so the county tournament could be played there, but it won’t and can’t.

But for a community the size of Poteau to have a facility like this should be a big asset. I have watched construction over the last few months and it is really going to be impressive.

Also, a new library will be built next to the new Reynolds Center. Buckley Library is good, but is not big enough and lacks parking. The new library in Heavener is excellent and with the new one at Poteau, will have libraries as nice or nicer than those in much bigger places.

Carl Albert State College continues to grow and has a big construction project going on which will provide the college with more room for more students. Enrollment at CASC is up, along with several of the county schools.
A new pharmacy is almost finished at the old Central National Bank branch on Broadway in Poteau and it looks like two of the offices in the new commercial building on the north part of Broadway are rented.
Almost Italy’s facilities are impressive since the remodel. The Wise Construction and Real Estate building out near the Fenton car lots is one of the nicer buildings in the county.

Despite the shaky economy, houses are being built throughout the county.

In Heavener, two vacant structures have been rented as an Asian restaurant and a donut business have taken the place of a diner and a pizza place.

Cost of living is still low compared to most areas and with most of the roads from Poteau to I-40 now four lane, it makes getting to and from the interstate a lot easier. Now, if we could just get a four-way from Poteau to Fort Smith…sorry, one little complaint snuck into the blog.

Bremner has called back many of its workers who were recently laid off.

We also have a strong technical education program going at Kiamichi Technology Center for those young and old.

Poteau hosted a state baseball tournament and several communities hosted regional tournaments. These tournaments require a lot of help and long hours, but bring in a lot of visitors and money.

The City of Heavener and Friends of the Runestone have kept the park open, a key for our tourism efforts.

Spiro’s new gym is easily the nicest in the county and brought the LeFlore County Tournament back home last year.

The remodel and expansion of the Methodist Church in Poteau is nearing completion and is one the members have to be proud of.

The banks are also contributing. First National Bank and CNB have built new branches. Community State Bank has a new building to the south and Arvest has remodeled its Poteau branch and added a branch in the south part of Poteau.

So many areas of the county were hit hard with the bad weather during April and May, but friends, neighbors and strangers helped those who saw their homes damaged or destroyed.

This proves to me that there are still good people in our county.

It is easy to stick your head in the dirt when things are not at their best, but it is reassuring to see so much good going on. The economy will come back around, it always does. And with all the good that has been done when times are not the best, this should really benefit our towns and the county.