Changes

Whoever said change was bad was completely wrong. Just look at all of the changes that have taken place right here in little ol’ Arcadia. Considering this is a town of under 5,000, I’d say we’ve got it pretty good. Unfortunately, that, oftentimes, can be taken for granted. We have city officials who care about developing this area and making Arcadia all that it can be. We have an amazing educational system that strives for excellence. We have a hugely successful business industry. And we have one of the best economies of any municipality in the state, which is only solidified by a generous and extraordinarily active community.

When I began working and living in Arcadia, I quickly learned just what a great community it really was. With so much potential, it only made sense that vast changes would take place that would make it even better. And, boy was I right. In less than 12 months, the City of Arcadia has undergone quite the facelift. Not only is there a new McDonald’s on the east end of town, but there have been new businesses celebrating their grand openings all year long.

And then, there’s the obvious reconstruction project that took most of the summer to complete. Sure, it was a pain with all of the detours and delays while construction was underway, but just look at the final result: turn lanes that allow for better traffic flow, a beautiful parking area that’s more than just pavement, curb and gutter (which will most likely become the defining cornerstone of the business district) and a vastly improved sewer system. Oh, and let’s not forget about the city’s first traffic signals. Then there’s the relocation of the Arcadia Area Historical Society to the former OLPH Church. In my opinion, there’s no better place to have a historical museum than in one of the most iconic and historical buildings in the city. There is also a significant change in education on the horizon, as the Arcadia School District is moving forward with plans for a new PK-8 facility to replace the current elementary and middle school on Main Street.

Looking back on all of the old newspapers while researching information for the “From Our Files” section, its unbelievable how far this community has come. And, if you go even further back and look at old photos of downtown Arcadia, when the streets were made of dirt and horses served as one of the main modes of transportation, there’s no doubt that this community is headed in the right direction. While we may not be to the point of flying cars or hoverboards (as Robert Zemeckis’ “Back to the Future” had predicted would happen by 2015), the leaps and bounds that technology has allowed us to take only leads me to believe that more change is on its way.

Oddly, “Back to the Future” also predicted daily and weekly newspapers would be delivered “Via Compu-fax Satellite” and that clearly is not, nor will it ever be, the case. While the Internet has become a primary source for retrieving news these days, I often wish the prediction that the newspaper industry would be flourishing instead of floundering would have come true.
But, as I have learned, nothing positive can ever be achieved without change.

Jennie Oemig
Editor
Arcadia News-Leader