[Sam I Am]

This has been discussed before, but today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette has a huge article on the Promise Program, the brainchild of the CEO of Murphy oil and backed by the company. Anyone in this area wanting to get a FREE college education for their child needs to read up - this was a very, very generous offer that commits $50 million over the next two decades to full scholarships and fees to any Arkansas college, or the same amount based on how long your child has been in the ED school district can be applied to any two or four year college. Here are the requirements:

El Dorado Promise (http://www.eldoradopromise.com/faq.html - broken link)

The article today quoted the CEO as saying he's trying to keep El Dorado going and growing and keep the company headquartered there....this should certainly be a step in the right direction.

[matto]

I think it's awesome, and very generous. But no matter how much you educate your people, if the jobs that are taking advantage of degrees are elsewhere you're not going to see the benefits of that education in that area.

[Sam I Am]

Well, yes...but if there is a thriving educational community, and a lot of locals taking advantage of a program like that - well, they tend to hang close. Perhaps Murphy is on to something - just keeping educated folks in the state is a start.

I think it's fabulous - I never did understand this "gotta have a college degree, oops, it's gonna cost you your right arm" mentality. I think we lose far too many educated young people to better, greener pastures. Perhaps if the populace was more educated, more industry and commercialization would follow. As it is, a goodly portion of the American population isn't rightly sure where Arkansas is....

[matto]

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Well, yes...but if there is a thriving educational community, and a lot of locals taking advantage of a program like that - well, they tend to hang close. Perhaps Murphy is on to something - just keeping educated folks in the state is a start.

I think it's fabulous - I never did understand this "gotta have a college degree, oops, it's gonna cost you your right arm" mentality. I think we lose far too many educated young people to better, greener pastures. Perhaps if the populace was more educated, more industry and commercialization would follow. As it is, a goodly portion of the American population isn't rightly sure where Arkansas is....

I think it's a great thing, and I hope it helps that area down there, but El Dorado just doesn't strike me as a place where someone with a college degree could find a great job, but I could be speaking out of my ass here

[BorninBoomtown]

El Dorado is a very unique little town. It needs to be marketed as such. Towns only survive thru commerce or tourism. I have always lived in a tourist town, New Orleans, Eureka Springs and Branson,MO. Did you know that the population of Branson,MO is only 5000-6000 citizens. It created the mecca that it is now. The square of El Dorado is one of my favorite places and it has so much potential to host special events on the weekends. I had met with the Chamber of Commerce and discussed so ideas that I thought would promote tourism in El Dorado. I was planning to move to El Dorado and wanted a chance to perhaps create a position for myself with the city marketing and promoting El Dorado as a tourist destination. My background was entertainment in New Orleans, not only as a performer but as a festival organizer. The 1984 World Fair, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest., French Quarter Festival. The list goes on as far as the New Orleans festival. Then I relocate to Branson, the place has grown and added attractions and now host about 6 million tourist a year. Eureka Springs has a population of about 1100 but host one of the country's most popular Blues Fest., I have director of the Eureka springs Cajun Fest.
I visited Joe that is the music festival director and I shared some of my ideas as far as additional festivals that could be held throughout the year. Cajun, BlueGrass just a few suggestions. He told me it was hard to get volunteers just to work for the Music Fest. I was shocked typically you have more volunteers than necessary for music festivals and special events that will aid in the economic success of the town. I had heard that Richard Mason is the person that has tried to bring new vision to El Dorado and is responsible for the improvements and creating "The New Square".... It is one of a kind. Just a diamond in the rough just need to be marketed and promoted.
The El Dorado Promise is a wonderful opportunity for families to move to the town but there has to have commerce of tourism (jobs) to keep a population.
Almost 2 years ago I moved to El Dorado and applied at the car dealerships, Ashley furniture store and various other sales or tourist related venues. But guess what, I could not get a job. I'm well qualified and I have the sales tract record to back my statements. I plan on returning to the area again for family reasons. I would like to find a job. As and outsider I can see how El Dorado could improve it's situation, but it has to be a team effort. El Dorado needs progress and excitement. I have nicknamed Wal Mart, The El Dorado Country Club because that's where everyone goes that is bored with nothing to do.
The Mellor Park Mall sitting there empty is sad. I was told it was owned by someone from out of state and they just use it as a write off. It would be helpful if someone that has local interest and deep pockets entice merchants to the mall it needs to be revived. I compare the town to a balloon. It has to be inflated so it can be seen otherwise it is not noticed. I would enjoy hearing from others that are interested in seeing the balloon floating.

[anjoe]

El Dorado and South Arkansas as a whole need some of the "old family money" invested for economic reasons but I don't see many of these "old" families wanting to help their communities. Most buy up all of the downtown stores and charge outlandish rent that no business minded average person could afford to pay because the economy in South Arkansas is just so-so. It's a shame but why would someone want to move to our area when our area doesn't have good shopping, malls, etc. to offer the people that would come from areas that have these already these "luxuries" as I call these. If we want to buy decent clothes for our kids, we have to drive to El Dorado or make a 2 hour trip to Little Rock and then our dollars don't help the economy in Camden where we live. Sometimes it's just depressing to drive around town or the areas around Camden and see how things are not being developed or kept up. Clean streets, a coat of paint and nice signs say much about a community and to visiters. Some of our landlords need to fix up their gold mines, "properties" and make Camden a more attractive place to live. All I can do is simply say a prayer for South Arkansas.

[I'm Back]

Originally Posted by anjoe

El Dorado and South Arkansas as a whole need some of the "old family money" invested for economic reasons but I don't see many of these "old" families wanting to help their communities. Most buy up all of the downtown stores and charge outlandish rent that no business minded average person could afford to pay because the economy in South Arkansas is just so-so. It's a shame but why would someone want to move to our area when our area doesn't have good shopping, malls, etc. to offer the people that would come from areas that have these already these "luxuries" as I call these. If we want to buy decent clothes for our kids, we have to drive to El Dorado or make a 2 hour trip to Little Rock and then our dollars don't help the economy in Camden where we live. Sometimes it's just depressing to drive around town or the areas around Camden and see how things are not being developed or kept up. Clean streets, a coat of paint and nice signs say much about a community and to visiters. Some of our landlords need to fix up their gold mines, "properties" and make Camden a more attractive place to live. All I can do is simply say a prayer for South Arkansas.

I've been praying for sometime.

[handyman50]

Borninboomtown, you have and make some good points. One point you make is teamwork. In Eldo, at times there is no such thing. Most will participate, but all want their name on top. Try and organize the churches and you will see what I mean. All will want to be the"leader". Oh, they will get together to protest a movie being shown at the Rialto, or write in about the evil "beer tent" at Musicfest, but try and get them to do something as a solid group and just watch how fast they disipate. The Promise is great, and it will benefit a lot of kids. Unfortunately, the lack of education in the adult population will hurt those who need it most. Those kids will not get the support or encouragement at home to make the push to venture outside of S. Ark., and instead be stuck in an industrial job, if any are left in ten years.
Buying a house in Eldo can be risky as there are not enough new buyers to move the market. Just look at the amount of rentals in every neighborhood. Families die off, move away and leave the properties for a realtor to rent out, further depressing the market.
A lot of things will have to change, maybe too many to really make a difference. What Eldo needs now is a new chamber president, and a new majority owner of the downtown area. Yep, Wales and Mason have to go. Too much of "What's in it for me" to make a difference. Ask the retailers what hurts the most and it's ignorance, apathy, not enough educated people to work, and too high rents to make any business work.
Look at Dairy Queen as an example.
I recently moved out, and it is the best move I ever made. I now have choices, a clean neighborhood, good schools for my kids, and a community that works together.

[SwinerBock]

Handyman, with all due respect, it is not ALL as "gloom-and-doom" as you make it out to be. Some of the churches here can and do get together from time-to-time on some things. Not all the time, I'll grant you that, but then I'm not aware of another city whose churches DO do things together all the time.

El Dorado, as I am sure you will agree, has had a variety of problems that have led it to it's current status. I don't think any one thing (or person) has led it to this point. With that said, El Dorado is trying to remedy several issues at once, but there is only so much money to go around.

The Promise is a great tool, but only if certain supporting factors are in place. For example, right now there is very little inventory in the way of middle-income housing. You mentioned rent-houses. Well, there are very few, if any, of those currently available either. And, from an economic development standpoint, it is the middle income families that are needed to move here.

Jobs is another thing. People around here keep talking about there not being any jobs available. That's a load of horse pooey. There are jobs available, there is just no single site to go to to see all the jobs that are available. Some advertise with the newspaper, some with Eldoark.com, some on their own websites, some use headhunters... but nowhere can you find them all listed. Chamber of commerce website? At last check, there were two...TWO.. jobs listed. If I lived in another city / state, and I wanted to check out El Dorado after hearing about the promise, the first things I am going to look for is: decent affordable housing and a job.

As I said, they/we are trying to fix the various issues, but those two are the most glaring, as far as I am concerned.

I don't necessarily agree that anybody in positions of authority need to be replaced, but I do believe that they need to start bringing in a newer, younger crowd with new ideas and work together.

I've lived in Atlanta and Dallas, and when I moved back to El Dorado for employment, I thought life was over. Turns out it was the best move that *I* ever made.