North Arkansas Youth Center

     The North Arkansas Youth Center at 412 Powell Street is a remarkable testament to the ability of the people of Cotter to work together to make something wonderful happen.

     In 1983, the building which had been the Cotter school gymnasium for over 50 years was deeded to the city by the school board. The City Council and Mayor agreed to lease the building to the youth center board for $1 a year, but the group had to take care of all the renovation. 

     Marshall Berg led the renovation effort, working late into the night even though he held a full-time job as the Postmaster of Oakland. Elvan Hudson, a retired home builder from Houston, was also deeply involved, spending countless hours helping fix and replace almost everything. 

     After many years of work and contributions from the city, county, and countless individuals, the dedication of the North Arkansas Youth Center on March 5, 1996, brought out a crowd like only Cotter could attract. Current Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was among the guests along with Otis Mabrey, the foreman whose crew built the original WPA building between 1936 and 1938. 

     In 2003 the Youth Center sponsored the first annual Fall Festival Pageant, with over forty entries in seven categories. The winners and runners-up all rode in the festival parade.

     The center is open daily for use by the youth of the area, and its pool table, video game room, gym, and computer room are well used. For more information, call 870-435-2850