Arlington, South Dakota
There are those who believe towns like Arlington don’t exist anymore—wide, tree-lined streets, very little crime, good schools, and just the sense of security you get from a safe place.
But it’s here, today, much like it has been here for the years. Except today we also have broadband internet, two cell phone towers, even our fair share of liberals in Priuses—and yes, we have electricity and indoor plumbing, to reassure those who might still believe in the old Hicksville stereotypes.
We were the South Dakota Community of the Year in 2010, and although you can’t win that award more than once—or at least no one has yet—we’re the same place this year that we were then, and maybe even better.
What gives us strength is our people, ready to work together to build the town, with more than one in 10 residents a volunteer in community development projects. That volunteerism has built a sense of community, and that sense of community has built pride.
Our high school, rebuilt in 2004, recently turned in the highest average ACT scores in the state. It sends its graduates to not only our outstanding state universities, but also to “name” schools such as Georgetown and Columbia.
And finally, we don’t mind at all that we have the fourth-largest city in the state, Brookings, just 20 minutes away to our east. A small town can’t provide everything to its residents, but if you want a movie and a Big Mac, it won’t take you much longer to get ‘em than if you lived in the biggest of cities.
So think about it. Arlington... A life with good schools, quiet nights, fewer worries and not a traffic light in sight. You could get used to this.
