Torch Awards recognizes businesses, organizations
Small business owners and operators as well as those from service and community organizations gathered at Northridge Country Club on Thursday to see who would be awarded this year’s recognitions at the ninth annual Torch Awards. This year’s winners are:
Integrity Award—Red Carpet Employment Agency
Customer Commitment Award—Ocean Canyon Properties
Good Neighbor Award— Darryl Miller’s Party Express Park
Not For Profit Award— Kiwanis Club of Texarkana
According to the Better Business Bureau’s website, “Encouraging and supporting ethical business practices is a key purpose of the Better Business Bureau. The Torch Award is the most prestigious award the BBB can present to a business or nonprofit. Being a recipient indicates that the business or nonprofit not only believes in the high standards promoted by the BBB, but also consistently acts on them and continuously integrates them into daily practices.”
The keynote speaker, Main Street Texarkana board president Lee Medley, commented on the redevelopment of downtown Texarkana, which is Main Street’s main mission. He used history as context, noting that in 1898, Texarkana had a population of just over 10,000, with .08 acres in city property per person. In 2004, with a population of over 60,000, the city has roughly a half an acre of city property per person.
“All that requires city maintenance in roads, utilities and the like. The expansion, of course, was mostly after World War II and was driven by the mass consumption and ownership of the automobile. And the town, which started out designed around foot traffic by necessity, went off in a different direction, which has many advantages, but also its drawback. Not only does that lay out more roads to maintain, but the city has not always addressed well the issue of those who don’t own cars,” Medley said.
The focus of Main Street Texarkana is the revival and redevelopment of downtown Texarkana.
“Our downtowns are the historical and cultural hearts of our cities. And in city after city, the local populace is awakening to the fact that downtowns, long neglected, are a key to future economic development,” Medley said. “There has been news article after news article about the current model of retail business suffering. That modern computer technology has presented that old model with challenges that require a new approach.”
Medley points out that downtowns are already set up to accommodate the businesses of the future. He cited downtown Hot Springs in particular as one that is leading the way in this new approach.
“It is going to be less about goods and more about experiences,” he said. “The local restaurants and shops setting up in downtown are already seeking to lead the way in the coming new business approaches. It will be about a sense of place, seeing and feeling the difference between each town, each town’s uniqueness.”
“It will be about making sure we engage with our community and hold our standards high,” Medley said.
“It will be about staying engaged.”