Notebook: Saving our villages

EDITORIAL MUG: Larry Anderson

The American village needs to be saved.

I’m not talking about Maryville, a solid town that is economically diversified. Here we have agriculture, education and industry contributing to development and healthy employment. The standard of living is good and the overhead modest.

Maryville has good conservative leadership and management. The streets are excellent and the parks plentiful and attractive. Improvements around the square, on South Main, and along the corridor leading to the university have greatly enhanced the attractiveness of the community and added to its livability. This is the kind of town that people want to live in.

That is not to say Maryville is immune to the same issues that plague smaller communities throughout the Midwest and beyond. Population shifting is common in our highly mobile society. Therefore, we must always be active in our pursuit of renewal and in our efforts to expand intelligently.

My main concern is for the villages that dot the countryside. They are being killed by farm consolidation, scarcity of opportunity, industrial barrenness, and population flight. Schools and businesses shrink numerically as the town lessens in importance. Resignation becomes the dominant attitude. Those isolated become more so.

Can you name one town in Nodaway or any neighboring county that is growing besides, maybe, Maryville? I can’t think of one, and that’s a shame.

Pointing out what is already obvious to everyone does no good without a plan of action, so here’s a place to start if so inclined.

We need to be doing in rural Missouri what some towns have started in neighboring states. Villages, especially those some distance from metropolitan areas, are offering free building sites to anyone willing to construct a new home within city limits. The goal is to reduce the expense of relocating but also to renew the population while removing abandoned or derelict housing. It is a good plan but one that requires initiative, advertising and funding. It also requires patience, and determined leadership is a must.

If free building sites for homes can be utilities for renewal, why can’t the same be done for industry? Small to medium-sized companies needing to expand or relocate are confronted with the discouraging expense of acquiring land for site construction. Why not offer city-acquired property for free when that initial cost can be recovered in time through growth in tax receipts? What would even a small plant outside Barnard do for that town, noting it is a short distance from a four-lane highway?

At issue is labor, but many companies bring their workers with them when they build. In any case, a new employer would benefit Maryville too and the county as a whole. Houston’s plant in Hopkins has done much for all. We need more of that in small towns, but it won’t happen without incentives.

I understand the primary issue is funding. That’s why I advocate a Save Missouri’s Villages program through the state government. Grants or low-interest loans should be made available for villages. Community leaders, mayors and city councils should petition the state of Missouri for assistance in getting underway as well as funds for better streets and water systems. State representatives should get on board to provide necessary support for the communities that support them.

Cities aren’t the only entities that require renewal nor should they be the only ones to attract state funds. Rural-based legislators should be leading the campaign to bring back our villages.

Just as folks flee to cities for jobs they also leave urban areas for the peace and quiet of the countryside. A fourth of the work force now labors from home, so these workers can live anywhere. Why not here? Retirees with resources may be attracted to small towns and the security and memories they can provide. Free or greatly reduced building lots are a powerful incentive for any entity wanting to build or start anew.

Develop a plan, villagers. Seek professional assistance. Petition the state for funds. Open a website and get on Facebook. Advertise. Encourage county commissioners and state representatives to cooperate and assist. Go deep.

Become proactive or say goodbye to villages that may still have a lot to offer to a restless population and an industrial base looking for opportunity.

Larry W. Anderson is a retired educator.