Best Retirement Small Town
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5/18/2009
I read with astonishment the only review of Mena Arkansas, and I must disaggree. I moved here in 2005 from crowded and congested Florida and have never regretted the decision. I have always loved southern ways and lifestyles (I was raised in Connecticut) and have always been an outdoor enthusiast, here I have both. The town is small and quaint and the people friendly and helpful. I have more friends here than I have ever made in any of the six states I have lived in. A "yankee transplant" or an urbanite unaccustomed to a southern town in the bible belt may have a hard time slowing down and accepting the differences, but I embrace them. I learned a lesson from my father-in-law. When he would speak of his time in the service during WW II, he said no matter where he went (both in Europe and the Pacific), a baker was still a baker who worked hard and loved his family and town. If you treat people here with sincerity and respect you will get the same. Do not try to change things to be like where you come from, but improvements are always welcome. Mena is the county seat. The town is located in the middle of the Ouachita National Forest (1.2 million acres). The mountains are beautiful, streams and creeks, rivers and lakes are plentiful. The forest is a "wet" one, meaning that forest fires are not that common because of the amount of rainfall. We also have the headwaters for many of these flowing body of waters, so they are clean and unpolluted. Alot of people hunt for meat and grow their own food. (what could be healthier or more economical) They GIVE AWAY their excess food. There are alot of churches, mostly Baptist, which I am not, but I see nothing wrong with people worshiping God and trying to do good things). As far as activities for young people, it is like it was when I was young, you create your own, and do not blame a town for your child's misbehavior. Our schools offer so many sporting activities, the FFA is real big here and yes, the churches have their youth programs which are open to non-members as well. Our crime rate is very low. In the four years I've lived here I have only heard of one "meth lab" bust, and even then a mass e-mail apology was sent out from the mother of one of the druggie's asking for prayers and forgiveness. We had a very large tornado last month that hit our downtown area. It was a mile wide and was on the ground for 15 miles. Our warning system worked so well that only three people died, even though 600 homes were destroyed. The red cross came the next day and set up a shelter for the disaster victims and were surprised that no one came. This was because friends and neighbors took in their friends and neighbors in need. This truely showed the character of our population. We have a playhouse, a society of artists with a gallery, a great community college with a radio and television station that encourages public participation. Mostly what I have discovered about the character of the Mena (and Polk County) inhabitants is their love of freedom. Now that's what America is all about!!
Karen | Mena, AR