Winston Churchill is credited saying that "Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."
This week we are featuring a few small businesses in the Dumas Community. Businesses and community interest is the key to success for any small town because you need both to survive and thrive. This series of articles also encourages people to shop local and support the city they live in if possible. I will be continuing writing about local businesses even after this issue. I am open to suggestions just give me a call at the Clarion office at 870-382-4925 or just email me at ljones@dumas-clarion.com.
Dumas has seen a variety of changes over time with the recent change of the Matthews Building being demolished for what I hear will be a truck stop, but it is unknown when work will begin on the project. The Family dollar was recently renovated and now we have a combination store of Family Dollar and Dollar Tree. From observing the traffic since it has open, it has been well received. Coming soon, the Dollar General is changing locations and moving to the former Fred's building to become a DG Market with plans to open possibly this week.
The former Sonflour Bakery is being transformed into El Parian Mexican Restaurant, the opening date has not been announced. I may have missed someone, but counting Dumas has at least 15 restaurants that include individually owned to chain stores currently operating in community with soon to be four Mexican restaurants and one taco truck.
As many of us know, there are still a variety of business that Dumas still lacks like a clothing, shoes and etc, but we can still support our local economy where we can instead of having to travel to neighboring towns or counties to find what we need. Dumas has a population of 3,708 and Desha County has a population of 11,395, but we are much more than our population. We have a variety of people who come to work or shop in the Dumas and the county.
As for the community contribution, we all have to work together. . The Community is working together with outside sources to improve Dumas. There is work on a boy's and girls club with the Phoenix Youth building on Main Street to be its home. The Housing Task Force along with the USDA is working on making the housing situation better in Dumas. The Arkansas Black Mayor Association is working to help towns in Southeast Arkansas with their drainage issues with their watershed project. The Destination Transformation Consultants with Dorotha Hall is working to help Dumas citizens to make their home more energy efficient. This is just to name a few programs.
We must also remember that sometime our friends and neighbors need a little help as well and we need to help each other, if we are in the position to do so. By doing what we can, Dumas can continue to grow and be that hometown with something to offer to everyone. We have people in this community who willing to help their neighbor, even someone they just met and that tells much about their character. Mrs. Charlotte wrote in her book siting one or two moments when she helped someone by opening her heart and often times her pocket book when she could to help them in their time of need.
We can still do what we can with the resources we have, we just have to try or figure out a way to acquire the resources we don't have and make it happen. We have to work together.
