The Way I See It...

Publisher's Letter 

Robin Rogers, Ed.D.

April 2025

I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent at the ballparks in Texarkana. As a kid, I played many serious softball games at the Swanger Complex in Spring Lake Park. As a mom, I toted ice chests, video cameras, bats, and gear to watch my son play T-ball there. The soccer fields at Grady T. Wallace Park also hold countless memories for me; for many years, I yelled from the sidelines as my eldest daughter played ball there, always in a shiny magenta “Pink Panthers” jersey. Now, I enjoy showing up to soccer games in a completely different role—as “RoRo” to my favorite little one, who chases other four-year-olds between goals for exactly one hour to be rewarded with a Capri Sun and a bag of fruit snacks. These days, I am way less stressed about the competition and much more excited by the kids who mistakenly score in their own teams’ goals.

Both the Swanger and Grady T. Wallace Complexes were established 40-plus years ago. Relatably to those of us who are also middle-aged and beyond, they are tired. But, fortunately, those old ball fields have had life breathed into them again. Civic and private entities have partnered to create new and better ball fields for our kids and grandkids to play on and enjoy. You might recognize some of those partners on the cover this month, standing on the turf that will soon be home for a new generation of teams. They have planned and executed well for a better tomorrow.

Excitingly, many people and companies are investing in Texarkana right now. Interesting and intelligent people are working together and individually behind-the-scenes to make Texarkana a strong educational and economic hub, while preserving the charms and amenities of a small town. We all want to know our neighbors and watch them grow their families, but we also want the big-city conveniences of state-of-the-art healthcare, well-paying jobs, higher education, and nice shopping.

When I graduated from Pleasant Grove High School, most of my friends bailed as quickly as they could. “I’m getting out of the armpit of America,” I remember one kid saying. I’m pretty sure all kids at 18 think their hometowns are uncool. But, never one to pursue what’s “cool,” I opted to stay home for college: Texarkana College, East Texas State University–Texarkana, Texas A&M–Texarkana. My roots are deep in this Texarkana soil. For almost 55 years, I’ve watched the landscapes change, ever-anticipating the time when outsiders would finally figure out how special our area truly is and flock to this unique place in the heart of the four states. 

And y’all, it’s happening. Like it or not, positive growth and rebirth are sprouting up in all corners of the city. I choose to like it.

Knowing that the only thing certain is that things are gonna change, we must proactively choose to progress. That’s key. While most people dislike change, in truth, nothing ever stays the same. Do you remember when the only chains here were Burger King and McDonald’s? I do. Restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, medical offices, and banks are everywhere you look now. Are you hungry for sushi, tamales, chicken fried steak, catfish, or a gourmet pizza? Texarkana can accommodate you. Do you need a pulmonologist, oncologist, dermatologist, or a plastic surgeon? Texarkana has got that covered, too. Texarkana is an incredible place to raise a family, send your kids to school, work, live, and finally retire.

Twenty-five years ago, I was determined to have my business in downtown Texarkana. I was excited by the idea of a hip and cool downtown and being among the rebuilding of an area that had declined. But 25 years ago was the wrong time. Time: that word has plagued me repeatedly throughout my life. Wiser people would say, “Timing is everything,” and it always felt like hearing a door slam in my face. Maybe maturity is finally catching me, because now I see that timing truly is everything. When our office was on Broad Street, the sidewalks were plastered in pigeon droppings, and the busiest business on the block was the bail bonds dealer. But now, downtown Texarkana is hopping, whether you are there on a weekday or a Saturday night. The Grim is revitalized and open for renters. Top-tier restaurants and coffee shops line the streets, along with retailers and arts destinations. In 2025, downtown is actually cool again.

For all parts of the larger Texarkana area—from Nash to Hope, from Ashdown to Liberty-Eylau—the time is now. If you want to be part of sparking the engine of tomorrow’s Texarkana, it’s time to get out of your stretchy pants and dust off your running shoes. We have a beautiful new terminal at the airport, sparkling educational facilities with more being built, strong medical facilities, infrastructure ready to accept manufacturing plants and jobs, record growth, and regrowth in areas of the city that were once left to rot. Renovations are happening everywhere you look. This is the right place at the right time. For that, I am so thankful that Texarkana is my home and where I chose to stay, live, love, and play. 

I do miss the cows that once dotted the landscape on Richmond Road, before they were replaced by a gas station and a cinema (now a chicken restaurant, a Target, and a Starbucks). I miss being able to get anywhere in town in ten minutes. Now, like many people, I just hope to get over the I-30 bridge and through the lights on Richmond in ten minutes. But, with all progress comes compromise. The only options in life are to progress, digress, or be acted upon. I am grateful that this community has chosen to take the bull by the horns and progress, the results of which are so much greater than the compromises.

As I head back to the ball parks this year to watch my favorite little boy play, I know I will run into many of my old friends from high school, who, after a four-year stint away for college, happily returned to their hometown and put down roots in Texarkana. These days, kids come here to go to college. That, too, says so much about the growth of this quirky town straddling two states in Middle America. We are uniquely TXK USA.

I hope you enjoy all of the exciting news we have to share in this issue, and as always, thanks for reading Four States Living Magazine.