A Better REGION 8

Resolve to spread the positive

One of the best things about living and working in Region 8 is the positive vibe I feel when I get the chance to go out and visit different parts of our community. Compared to some other places I've lived -- there is a positive energy in the air. If you make New Year's resolutions, I would like to chime in here with one of my own. I resolve to do what I can to support and grow the positive vibe prevalent in Region 8. That positive energy contributes to the incredible growth we have seen in our communities and the ability we have to bounce back when faced with challenges. What can you do to support and grow the positive energy? I recently heard the CEO of Amazon say Complaining is not a strategy. What a terrific way to look at life and work. Get rid of the negative. Support and lift up the positive and we will all make this A Better Region 8 together.

The Fowlers make a huge difference

There are many things I absolutely love about Region 8 and one of those is the giving spirit that seems to be everywhere you turn. Just this past week, two people who have made a huge impact on Region 8, opened their hearts to give even more. Wallace and Jama Fowler gave the largest gift in the history of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, creating an endowment to assist cancer patients. NEA Baptist is renaming the Cancer Center after the Fowler Family. It will now be called the Fowler Family for Cancer Care. When I talked with Jama Fowler after the announcement, she said we just want to help people. And that is such a simple, yet profound statement. I think this is a great example for all of us. Maybe we can't give much, but we can give a little to help those who are hurting in our community. Thank you Wallace and Jama Fowler for all you have done to make this A Better Region 8.

Run the government like a business

I was recently reminded of how successful government can be when it is run like a successful business. The keys to success in business can work equally as well in government, but often the work of government is approached by people who have very little experience operating a successful business. I've seen this first hand. I recall one community where I lived -- the Mayor was a politician with little business experience and got very little done. When he would come up against red tape, he would often give up. Then the voters elected a Mayor who had run a successful business. That city saw more growth during the second Mayor's term because he approached the government work like a business. This is a good reminder for all of us. When we go to the polls, we need to dig into the background of our candidates and see if they have the chops to approach government like a successful business. Remember, the government doesn't have any money. It's our money -- the taxpayers and we must demand our public servants take care of that money better than they would their own money. Electing public servants with business experience will make this A Better Region 8.

Welcome to your city center

Hello, I'm Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin and I would like to share some exciting news with you. I want to invite you to an Open House, celebrating the opening of YOUR new Municipal Center and City Hall this Sunday, November 17th from 2 until 5. This 68 thousand square foot facility has put YOUR city in a position to handle growth and expansion for the next two decades without having to worry about space. This building is the people's house and I am fortunate to get to mange it for just a bit. Come see it and tour it and see what a great selling showplace this will be for our city. Sunday, November 17th from 2 until 5. Again the Open House at YOUR new Municipal Center at 300 South Church in Downtown Jonesboro. Join me for the celebration as we work together to make this A Better Region 8.

Do away with the restaurant sign in logs

The state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Division is proposing an end to the requirement that private clubs in Arkansas "dry" counties require their customers to sign in before visiting their restaurant. It appears to me this has just been an exercise in futility especially since some of the clubs weren't keeping logs at all and most of the logs were filled with fake names or scribbles. These designated private clubs -- also known as restaurants that serve alcohol -- still have to require memberships of those who dine in them. Basically, diners will be asked if they are members. If they say yes, they are seated. If they say no, they have to fill out paperwork making the person a member or that person has to be a guest of a member. Still seems like unnecessary work, but that's the deal. I do think getting rid of the log in book is a good idea. The state forcing businesses to do unnecessary paperwork is just bad business. Allowing businesses to focus on running a business makes this A Better Region 8.

Support quality of life

The city of Jonesboro marked an important milestone recently as the Quality of Life Unit had it's one year anniversary. The Quality of Life unit focuses on improving our community by targeting homes that need to be condemned or brought up to code. In the last year, more than 50 properties have been condemned and nearly all of those have been demolished. This number doubles the amount of homes condemned in Jonesboro last year. Blight is such a huge drain on a community and getting rid of it can make a big difference. Plus, this effort will cut down on crime. Part of the job of this unit is to make sure Jonesboro is not attractive to criminals. We need to support these efforts. The Quality of Life unit is making this A Better Region 8.

Caraway could use this shot in the arm

If you live in Jonesboro or visit Jonesboro, you've probably had the chance to drive down Caraway Road and see the big open spot where the Indian Mall used to stand. It was sad to see the mall come down, but it had to be done. An empty complex like that was a huge invitation for blight. Now that it's gone, it's time to make some progress on Caraway. You no doubt have heard Kroger is planning on building a marketplace and fuel station at this location. This week, the Jonesboro Metropolitan Area Planning Commission approved the plan for the construction, and while there are still a few things to work out like how to deal with the increased traffic, I feel confident our city officials can get those issues resolved quickly. As more businesses have migrated to Stadium Boulevard, Caraway Road has started to be a less desirable shopping destination. I believe this addition to Caraway is exactly what is needed to help one of the busiest corridors thrive once again. Clearing the way for this addition will make this A Better Jonesboro and A Better Region 8.

We can all help job growth

Incredible job growth has landed the City of Jonesboro on a prestigious list. Forbes Magazine has ranked Jonesboro as one of the top 10 small cities for jobs in 2013. That's quite an honor considering how many small cities make up the fabric of our country. Local leaders point to a wide economic base for this recognition. Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce President Mark Young highlights all the sectors where we excel: healthcare, education, retail, agriculture, industrial and construction. In addition, people from 11 counties come to Jonesboro for jobs. It's easy to see Jonesboro is a growing part of Region 8. All you have to do is drive down a street like Stadium or Highway 49 and see multiple areas of construction. That construction means jobs and that will help us lead the nation in job growth. We must all do our part to keep our community on this growth pattern by supporting local businesses. Continuing the job growth trend will help make this A Better Region 8.

Fill out the survey

I have the opportunity to visit with Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin from time to time and there is one thing I can tell Mayor Perrin is super passionate about and that's improving our roads. He's focused on making our roads safer and easier to travel. With that in mind, I want to alert you to a survey that is underway right now and you can be a part of it. The Survey is a study of the potential benefits of extending Parker Road from the present endpoint near Straw Floor Road to Washington Avenue. According to the survey, the benefits could offer reduced congestion on Southwest Drive/Main Street especially during the peak hours, reduced crash exposure along Southwest Drive and allow US-63 to handle longer distance trips as intended among other things. In order to gather this information, the city of Jonesboro needs you to respond to this survey by June 15th. You can fill the survey out by logging on to kait8 dot com. Click on Community at the top of the page and then click on A Better Region 8 to link to the survey. Voicing your opinion on this survey will help make this A Better Region 8. http://www.jonesboro.org/Engineer/Documents/Parker%20Road%20Extension%20SurveySend.pdf Fill out the survey on the screen then click the submit button at the bottom of the document (Internet Explorer or Chrome browsers required)

Buy local

This weekend I had the chance to go to the ASU Farmer's Market and it reminded me about how terrific it is to support local businesses. The booths were full of locally produced products like jams, jellies, flowers and meat. But it certainly doesn't stop there. Our streets are lined with businesses that were grown on the backs of hard working people from Arkansas and Missouri. We have some of the hardest working farmers who make Region 8 home and produce food for Region 8 and all across parts of the country. Our network partner, ABC News, is the home to a spectacular segment called Made in America. These segments spotlight products and services that are made right here at home in the good ole U-S-A. We can support that notion by buying local and remember Made in Region 8 is just as special. Buying local helps make this A Better Region 8.