Kudos to the Portageville Jaycees

There is a lot to be said about living in a small town. Because we live in a face paced society, we really do not see the blessings that are right in front of our face. All too often, there are many people that have several good ideas, and when asked to head up that project, they freak out and decline, then nothing happens. You have a whole city of resourceful people who are just waiting to be asked. Please tell a Jaycee member that you are thankful for what they accomplished.

You have to give credit where credits due.

The Portageville Jaycees hosted the first Portageville Community Day at Meatte Memorial Park. There was no real way of telling how many people attended. Many came back and forth to the park. With over 30 vendors, a dozen motorcycles at least, and about 10 cars for the car show, that alone brought in at least 104 with wo persons per vendor, car and bike. For the first of an annual event, organizers felt pretty good on the event.

Next month, the Portageville Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the annual Fourth of July pageants at the Portageville elementary gymnasium. We as a community need to come out and support this event. If you do not come for the Chamber, please come to support the girls and families that are participating, many are from here in Portageville.

For a town this size, we do have a lot to be thankful for. A good school system. We have a good sports program for boys and girls. It is not often that small town basketball program can win state championships like Portageville has. They had back-to-back championships in the early 1990s and has made state playoffs many times since the year 2000.

Plus, we have some really smart students. It is not often that you have students tie for valedictorian.

Yes, we do have a good school. Sure, there may be some cut backs and shortcomings, but what school district doesn't?

Portageville is the home of a world renowned agricultural research center that offers cutting edge research in many areas, not just how to produce better crops.

Portageville offers travel access by rail, a major interstate, and river port access. Some call this a way out of town, but that road goes two ways, a way to Portageville.

In a small town, the crime rate is far less that an inner city. That itself is a big plus.

Living is a small city, we do not have to drive an hour to work even when you live within 10 minutes of the City.

The Big City does have shopping malls and lots of crowds to squeeze through. If we had that here, we would not want to go elsewhere. The thoughts of having that kind of an economy may sound good, but look at St. Louis and Memphis, most of the bigger malls from ten years ago are now obsolete, and some are just empty buildings.

Living in a small community allows you to know the local business owners. Most of us are struggling through the same low paced economy, and that is why we should support each other, and buy from each other as often as possible. Some are saying that because we know someone, we go elsewhere. That only benefits you on the short-term. Each time we buy out of town based on personality clashes, the community suffers a whole lot more.

There are times, myself included, that we do go to other cities and shop, and to some degree that is okay too. We must keep in mind that money spent at home, stays at home.