Something that many readers already know, but others might not be aware of, is that there are multiple hats I wear in this community. Aside from being a mild-mannered newspaper editor, I am also a semi-avid runner, a softball/basketball dad, an Iowa Hawkeye fan and a soccer coach, among other things.
I am also active with the Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerce, and in recent years have been honored to serve in the leadership of that organization. In fact, this year, I am serving as Chamber president.
The Chamber is responsible for many positive events and programs throughout the year, and one of those is the annual banquet, which was held March 9. Like it is every year, the banquet was a wonderful celebration of community, which included the presentation of this year's Lifetime Community Achievement Award to George Hubbard.
The banquet also afforded me the opportunity, as president, to offer a few words about life in this little place called Blytheville. And I thought it might be worthwhile to share a few of those words here. So the following is an abridged version of my speech from the recent Chamber banquet:
------
... Our theme tonight is "Taking Flight," and I think it's a fitting theme because it's a phrase that describes our community so well. Taking flight is about lifting off, moving forward and rising above whatever challenges are before you. And it is a phrase that describes what our community has been in the past, what it continues to be today, and what it can to be in the years to come.
In its formative years, our community took flight as a lumber town, as hearty pioneers moved into the swamps and began clearing the trees ... much of the lumber from those trees was used to rebuild Chicago after the great fire in that city.
After the trees were cleared, and in a feat of remarkable engineering for the day, the swamps were cleared, and this area rebuilt itself as an agricultural community.
When the country went to war, our community took flight in the most literal of ways, becoming home to what was originally the Blytheville Army Air Field, later to become the Blytheville Air Force Base, and even later, Eaker Air Force Base. For a half-century, we took flight as a military community.
As the 20th century wound down, that era came to a close, but our community reinvented itself yet again, this time taking flight as a steel city. Today, our county ranks among the top steel-producing counties in the United States, and products made at our factories can be found at such locales as Cowboys Stadium in Texas and the World Trade Center in Manhattan.
Here at the Chamber of Commerce, we are striving to help our community take flight with a wide range of programs and initiatives. We are working to uplift the spirit and pride of our community, while simultaneously continuing to provide specialized and augmented support for our business community, fortifying our community's position as the mercantile capital of the county.
Those efforts begin with events like tonight, where we celebrate our community and honor some of the businesses and individuals who have served the community with distinction. As the year progresses, we will have other events, including a Front Porch Party, a fun and colorful family 5K, a golf tournament, a community cleanup, a Light Up Blytheville event, a Women in Business function and the annual Christmas parade. We will showcase local businesses that excel, provide seminars for local businesses and encourage citizens to shop locally.
Clearly, it's going to be a busy, and exciting time. And that's the way we want it. That's what building community pride is all about.
But taking flight isn't something that happens by itself. With rockets, it takes thousands of pounds of fuel; with birds it takes the strength of wings; with airplanes, it takes speed and thrust and lift.
And with communities, it takes investment from the entire population. And that's where everyone in this room can take part. Each and every one of us has a stake in seeing our community take flight, both today and in the years to come. And I believe that each and every one of us has something to give to make that happen. Time. Energy. Effort.
It is community investment like this that has allowed our community to take flight so many times in the past. It is what put Blytheville, Arkansas, on the map. It is what has made our community what it is.
And we have the power to keep it going. Through hard work, positive energy, commitment and faith we can ensure that our community continues to prosper for many years to come.
And if we do it right, we will do more than take flight ... we will soar.
aweld@blythevillecourier.com