“Had it not been for basketball, I’m not sure I would have finished high school,” Owens said. “Those were the days before scholarships came into the picture. I would have loved to have continued my education, but the cost of a college education was just prohibitive.
“Basketball was all we had in our little town,” she said. “I lived for the game.” She played as a guard in the days when girls played half court. Her team, the Hector Wildcats, made all-conference and all-region during her high school years.
“I would have loved to go on to college, and it would have been good for me,” she said, “but nobody could afford college in those days.” Owens opted for marriage and left her rural home.
Owens returned at age 30, after a failed marriage, to help her sister care for their elderly mother. “What struck me when I moved back was how little the town changed while I had been away,” Owens said. “I mean, nothing had changed.
“The people I was raised with had all left. Out of a class of 32, only five remained because there was nothing for them in Hector,” she said.
“Don’t get me wrong, Hector is a great place to raise a family. My children were raised here, but time had stopped, and that was not good for the people,” said Owens, whose two daughters and three grandsons live close by.
Owens decided to run for Hector mayor in the hopes of making some improvements to the town, “but I lost,” she said. “After my mother’s death, I ran again and won.”
One of the most challenging issues facing the new mayor was the condition of the court system. “We had attempted to run the courts ourselves, but we were just not capable of supporting it,” Owens said. “We had $20,000 of uncollected fines, mostly in speeding tickets, but it cost us $800 every time we held court, and we had no jail to deal with noncompliant citizens. We finally asked Russellville to take back our court system. They receive the revenues from issued tickets, and they supply the court processing and house prisoners,” she said. “We were just going into debt. That was a huge burden off our fiscal shoulders.”
Owens has led the way for other progress. “I’m so proud of our city park upgrade,” she said. “We received a grant that enabled us to make the park handicapped accessible with ramps and parking. The ballpark is accessible as well, and we have new playgrounds now.”
Another recent acquisition was a new police car. Revenues from the city purchased the car with no frills, but a $4,500 grant provided all the extras such as the radio, light bar and striping. “It took every penny,” Owens said.
The Annual Cleanup, scheduled for October, has become a source of community pride,” Owens said. “We include the $12,000 to $15,000 expense in our budget because we feel the funds are well used,” she said.
“Dumpsters come in for people to bring in their trash. Folks haul their old appliances and large items to the site, and those items can really pose an eyesore if abandoned on property,” she said. “It certainly gets icky here for a few days, but it is so worth it.”
Owens said her campaign slogan was “Working Together for a Better Community.”
“And I meant it. I have worked hard these six years to try and look out for the residents here and encourage actions that would improve our way of life.”
Although Owens didn’t go to college directly from high school, she did complete two years of study at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and has worked as a pharmacy technician almost 20 years, the past 8 1/2 years at Rose Drug in Russellville. She works full time around her duties as mayor and keeps one day a week set aside to be at her desk at City Hall.
Dr. Mike Smith of Rose Drug is amazed that she is able to hold down two jobs. “She is unique. She has more energy that most people to be able to give her best to two different careers. She is always very enthusiastic and cheery to all the customers. Hector is lucky to have her, and so are we.”
Owens and her husband, Carroll, also own C & M Stables on property overlooking the Ozark Mountain range.
Along with the list of accomplishments she’s seen as mayor, Owens is quick to mention the many goals she has yet to fulfill. Annexing surrounding land, implementing a sewer system creating a community center and freeing up land for new businesses and industry are all priorities for the mayor as she approaches her seventh year in office.
“If the city, the fire department and the school could get on the same page, we could really impact the lives of the people here. I think that sometimes when there are not a lot of funds, like in our little town, people can easily adopt a feeling that someone might be getting a bigger pat on the back than you,” she said.
Long-time resident Karen Bagwell has met with Owens on several occasions to discuss issues. “I always found her to be very approachable and open to new ideas. She is extremely competent and an effective mayor. She is a true asset to Hector and very much a lady.”
Owens laughed and said, “You know, I was a brand-new mayor when 9/11 happened, and we had this big meeting in Russellville with all the law enforcement and elected officials, and I was the only woman. The men were very respectful of me and listened to me as an equal. I have always been treated with courtesy.
“But, sometimes it really is hard to remain ladylike under the weight of financial strain. Juggling the needs of a small town all hinge on increasing revenues, and the only way to increase revenues is annexation,” Owens said. “To receive a larger state turn back, which is the allotment towns receive monthly from state revenues, we must grow.”
The current population in Hector is 506. “We could easily double our population because we have so many people who live on the fringes,” she said. “ Everyone was in agreement about 12 years ago to do that, but there’s not a lot of talk of that anymore.
“People are afraid of ordinance changes,” she said. “Take, for example, our dog ordinance that went into effect four years ago. Violators are fined $100 if their dog bites someone, destroys property or doesn’t have proper identification. Many people feel offended by this law, but it’s for the best of the community.”
Owens related a situation to illustrate some of the lingering attitudes. “When I came into office, there was a street in town that had been blocked by the residents. Apparently, the folks on that end of the road did not like the folks on the other end of the road, so they piled up old, rusted cars and debris and blocked off their portion of the road. Unfortunately, that created a safety hazard as well as a public nuisance. We really had to work at getting that issue resolved,” she said.
That resilience practiced by the residents in the remote hills have led to their reluctance to adapt to modern conveniences. “The No. 1 reason for slow growth in Hector is that we don’t have a sewer system,” she said. “Other towns our size, like Calico Rock, have sewer systems, but the idea has just stalled here.
“A Dollar Store came up here to consider putting in a store, but the lack of a sewer system soured the deal. To tell you the truth,” she said, “most of our people are elderly and on a fixed income. They already have their own septic tanks. I don’t know if they could actually afford a monthly service.”
In discussing her ideas about another planned expansion, Owens’ eyes lit up. Long on the list of priorities has been the addition of a community center. “We already have the building, which was donated by the school district, but because we don’t own the land - the Lion’s Club leased us the land for 100 years - we are unable to secure a grant,” she said. That news did not deter the renovations already begun. State Rep. Stan Berry awarded community gifts totaling $16,000, and supporters have held several fundraisers.
“We stripped the old Sheetrock and put on siding. We plan on redoing the floor next, and we really want to add a porch so folks can play checkers and eat outside overlooking White Oak Mountain,” Owens said. “Before I leave office, I’ve got to find a way to provide that for this community. We need it that bad.”
“And programming for the children,” Owens said. “There are just no organized activities for the children of Hector. So many of our kids have hopes that are never realized because of lack of community support and mentors, and so many of our graduating students never make it in the college world because they have never developed life skills. Someone needs to care. I know that sounds harsh, but if kids fail or drop out, that negatively defines the rest of their lives. There are so many kids that cave in. We can make a difference. I know because I was one of them. No telling what I could have accomplished had I taken my schooling seriously and gone on to college.”
Not that she’s complaining.
“I have a good life, a good husband, good health and a good family,” she said.
matter of fact My age: 53 Family: Husband, Carroll; two daughters, Becky Reid and Tonya Coffman; three grandsons, Wade Thomas, Wyatt Reid and Cruz Coffman Occupation: Mayor of Hector and pharmacy technician at Rose Drug in Russellville.
Favorite Book: Anything by Danielle Steel.
Favorite Color: Black.
Favorite Food: Grilled chicken salad.
Favorite Movies: Pretty Woman and Gone With the Wind.
Hobbies: I’ve traded basketball (because of my knees) to riding horses and playing with my grandchildren. Oh, and I love to go on cruises. If I could step off one cruise boat onto another, I would.
What people don’t know about me: I bet nobody could imagine how deeply I feel connected to this town and these people. I spend so much of my energy trying to figure out how to solve the needs we have here. I feel that if I help make this a better community, they won’t have to leave and go somewhere else for jobs.
Favorite verse/saying: My mother always told me that if I kept my mouth shut and just listened, I would learn something new every day. That is so true.
The world would be a better place if: People would stop to consider others’ feelings. Today, everyone is looking out for themselves. It’s a fast-paced world. A very special friend taught me ways of slowing down and enjoying life. I am so appreciative of that gift.
This article was published Sunday, June 8, 2008.River Valley Ozark, Pages 132, 133 on 06/08/2008
You Can View The Original Article Online HERE