A couple of years ago, a once high-ranking local official lamented to me a lot of Blytheville's problems could be solved if churches worked together, not competed with one another.
He may get his wish after all. And Blytheville will be better for it.
Freshmen Councilmen John Musgraves and Stan Parks have reached out to local pastors to help the city solve some of the code enforcement issues that have plagued Blytheville for years and years.
Some 41 churches are teaming up with the city to tackle the unsightly, unsanitary properties. They are offering much-needed manpower and prayer, which itself is more valuable than a mountain of gold.
Musgraves anticipates hundreds of volunteers converging on problem properties in Blytheville Sept. 10, the first of eight consecutive Saturdays. Volunteers will be devoting four hours each Saturday to help clean up the town.
The focus is on the high crime areas, which has a two-fold impact.
Eliminating the high grass and weeds removes hiding places for criminals, along with beautifying the area. In theory, there should be fewer burglaries and the neighborhood should be a safer place to raise a family.
Also, hopefully the cleanup effort will arouse in those residents a sense of pride. Perhaps it will spark a fire that makes folks want to keep up their properties and watch out for their neighbors.
Frankly, the "bad parts of town" are often neglected when it comes to cleanup. An example of that is a photo on Page 1 of Wednesday's edition of the Courier News. The picture showed vegetation growing all the way up a stop sign on East Rose Street, almost looking like it is part of the sign.
Those who live in high crime areas have been dehumanized by their conditions, it seems.
They deserve to live in clean, sanitary areas just as much as the next person.
Of course, everyone has a responsibility to keep his own property clean. A person should clean up his own mess. But there is little control over an overgrown vacant lot next door that breeds mosquitoes and both animal and human varmints.
Maybe once the lots are cleaned, it will encourage neighbors to take turns keeping them that way and keeping the momentum going for "a cleaner, safer Blytheville," as Parks put it.
Hopefully this new energy in the drive to clean up the town will continue in the new administration as well, and Blytheville's appearance will drastically improve.
Other than miraculously finding the resources to fully staff and equip a cleanup division of Public Works, this new plan seems to be the city's best option at this point.
Blytheville doesn't have the funds for the necessary equipment and a crew of say 10 to 20 men that it would probably take to do the job properly.
This new cleanup program should put a dent in getting rid of some of the blight, if the passion to do so continues.
It is certainly an exciting opportunity to come together as a community and take a step toward bringing back the glory days I've heard so much about from longtime residents.
To borrow another line from Parks, "let's make this happen!"
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com