Community Revitalization

Department of Arkansas Heritage notified the Delight Revitalization Project that they have been awarded a $2,000 heritage grant. The grant funds will be used to host a music festival at Delight in May and to compile a history of the Rosenwald School at Antoine.

Delight has a rich musical heritage that will be showcased at the festival.

The Rosenwald School at Antoine is one of only 20 surviving structures of the 389 schools built in Arkansas between 1917-1932 through the philanthropy of Julius Rosenwald, early president/CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Company.  Rosenwald was friends with Booker T. Washington and wanted to provide educational opportunities for African Americans across the south.  In Arkansas, 389 Rosenwald school buildings were built between 1917 and 1932 through this project.  The grant funds will be used to compile a history of the school through research and survey of former students.

Members of the Delight Community Revitalization group met and formally organized a non-profit organization called South East Pike County Alliance.  The corporation will apply for tax-exempt status from the IRS which will help the group in applying for grants to complete projects in the Strategic Plan.  Gus Wingfield was present to assist the group in their incorporation efforts.  Initial officers are Randy Abbott-President, Carol Hale-Vice-President, and Jeanne Hendrix-Sec-Treas.

Rural Community Alliance staff produced a community assessment with the help of the Delight Survey Committee, city officials, and residents.  Click the link below to view the document containing 26 slides.

Delight Community Assessment

Save the date for Delight’s Annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 12 at 2:00.  Grand marshals will be State Senator Larry Teague and State Rep. Randy Stewart.  Teague and Stewart worked hard introducing and supporting legislation to help Delight School in this year’s legislative session.  Although the bills did not pass, their efforts are appreciated.

Carol Hale is the 2008 Christmas parade coordinator and works with an enthusiastic group of volunteers to produce an outstanding and well-attended parade.  U.S. Congressman Mike Ross is Grand Marshall.   Delight native Gus Wingfield (former Arkansas State Treasurer), Randy Hughes (former Delight School supt. and current ACRE board member), Mayor Paul Lane, Pike County Judge Don Baker, State Rep. Randy Stewart, and State Senator-elect Larry Teague are featured in the parade.

Delight students pose by the parade backdrop they created.

Focus group enjoys one of their regular meetings at Delight Library.

Mid December-mid January – Focus Group Leaders form a steering committee and meet to draft Delight’s Strategic Plan.

A Town Meeting is held for Focus Groups to present their ideas to the public.  Economic Development and City Beautification Groups make a panel presentation of their recommendations.

Community members vote to prioritize the top three Focus Group Recommendations as follows:  (Items #1-3 are ranked, but the succeeding items are in no particular order)

City Beautification:

1. Tear down abandoned houses
2. Improve signage
3. Use murals to improve appearance of buildings
4. Develop an RV park in the old railroad bed along Wolf Creek by city park
5. Decorate trash barrels and add flower baskets downtown
6. Extend hiking trail to Wolf Creek
7. Open a thrift shop and mini-mall

Environment and Natural Resources:

1. Build a nature trail.
2. Promote canoeing on Antoine River
3. Improve aesthetics and promote artesian wells
4. Preserve natural buzzard habitat
5. Create natural area for children to have unstructured play and learn about nature and the environment.

Students brainstorm ideas

Arts & Heritage:

1. Restore Rosenwald School at Antoine
2. Explore developing a historic district
3. Make the old Humphrey Grocery Store into a flea market with booths for rent

Economic Development:

1. Develop a Glen Campbell museum
2. Develop a town website
3. Promote eco-tourism especially along Little Missouri River
4. Clean up/fix up City Park
5. Fix up downtown storefronts
6. Take down abandoned houses
7. Create a courtyard and picnic area and encourage local musicians
8. Get murals painted on store buildings
9. Promote Delight as bedroom community for nearby larger towns

Education:

1. Keep the school in Delight
2. Publicize the urgency of keeping the school district in Delight.
3. Adopt a no-transfer policy for students.

The City Beautification Focus group decorates the town for Christmas, making Delight sparkle for the Christmas season.

U.A. Cooperative Extension 4-H leader Avonne Petty, enlists the City Beautification Focus Group with which she serves to decorate city trash cans and add flower baskets to downtown.