invest in arnold
Time and money. Even the poorest among us make regular investments. We spend our energies and talents hoping for a reward, for a return—a better horse, a tidy new house, a more meaningful job, or just another dent in the pile of monthly bills.
There’s almost no crime in Arnold. Our school issues a laptop computer to every kid in the high school on day one, and our test scores routinely indicate that our children get a better education than can be had most anywhere else. In Arnold people are friendly. We wave to one another. We visit in the cafes and on the sidewalks. And when someone’s sick, there’s a good chance the neighbors will bring over a pot of stew and cut the grass. And, if after Saturday’s handshake a neighbor says he’ll come by on Monday to pay for that tractor, you can rest easy. Arnold is a good place to live, to work, to raise a family.
In 1955 Arnold, Nebraska, had a hospital, doctors, a dentist, a drug store, a dry cleaner, a place to buy shoes for the family, a railroad, a thriving grain elevator, a rather large livestock sale barn, and dealerships where you might choose from two brands of tractors or five brands of pickup trucks. Today, all those things are gone with one exception. You can still buy a new Dodge pickup truck.
We face considerable challenges—population decline; population aging; the difficulty of running a small business when everyone flocks to Wal-Mart; maintaining aging facilities, infrastructure, and equipment; and the age-old problem of bringing our kids back home after they go to college or cities offering jobs that pay more money.
The Arnold Economic Development Corporation leads the community-wide effort to reverse this trend. Despite the challenges, we think that ours is a valuable inheritance in a special place, and we are not ready to surrender to the demographic and commercial trends that tend not to favor rural American towns like ours.
We are already bucking the trend. Our annual Blues Festival is known across the state while our Sandhills Open Road Challenge is known across the nation. Our school is among the best in rural Nebraska, and our local business people show unusual pride and courage in building new stores—six of them in the last year. Our citizens voted for a tax increase to fund the Arnold Economic Development Corporation, which has also earned 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. There is a buzz over Arnold both in town and in the region. People say, “That Arnold, they are moving forward. There’s always something going on.” And they are right. Our main street becomes cleaner and more attractive all the while. Pride is infectious.
We ask that you consider us when choosing your investments—capital or physical. Though you may have worked and made your life far away, some of you harbor a great love for the Arnold of your childhood days. Others have lived their entire lives in our warm community. You worked the old-fashioned way and prospered unfettered by crime or business associates who take unfair advantage. If yours is the fortunate position of having more than you need, think whether Arnold’s future might be the kind of project most likely to remember, honor, and reward your legacy. We promise to do all we can to promote our well-being in the best possible fashion.
If you know of businesses looking to expand, remember us. If you want to leave all or some portion of your estate, remember us. If you are thinking of a new business for our town, come and see us. If you live here, haul off the dead car, get rid of the trash, plant a tree, seed the lawn, and consider giving to the community. Many of you have been incredibly generous, and we have a bright and wonderful new community center that is the envy of our neighbors for miles around to show for that generosity.
We are Growing Great Things in Arnold; the best is yet to come. Join in, take part.
