Civic and Service Organizations
Among the active civic and service clubs in Arab: Civitans, Chamber of Commerce,
Lions, Optimists, Rotary, AARP, Historical Society, Masonic Lodge, Garden Club,
Christian Women's Club, Friends of the Library, Hospital Auxiliary, Athletic and
Band Booster Clubs, PTA, Civil Defense and Rescue Squad, United Way, Boy and Girl
Scouts, Red Cross, RSVP and several extension clubs. In addition, there are numerous
study and book clubs that meet on a regular basis.
Recreation
Recreational facilities and activities are key ingredients in the family-oriented
lifestyle prevalent in the Arab community. Activities include organized youth
sports, such as softball, baseball, football, basketball, swimming and soccer.
Many regional and district tournaments are held in Arab. Facilities at the Arab
City Park include two walking trails, thirteen softball and baseball fields, playground, five
pavilions for picnic facilities, one horse arena, one recreation center and one
community center, a tournament size swimming pool, volleyball courts, football
field and five tennis courts. All outdoor sports fields are lighted for night
use. In addition, the Arab City Park contains a large pond stocked with fish,
accompanied by a pier for youth fishing rodeos and open fishing for local residents.
The Thompson Edison park is located on the West Side of Arab. Located on the
26 acre complex is a 5,000 foot walking trail and four soccer fields, one of which
is regulation size as well as a full size track facility. These facilities are
in addition to those owned by the Arab City School System. An indoor gymnasium,
racquetball courts and meeting rooms also contribute to sports facilities available
to the public. Golfing facilities are also prevalent with a nine-hole and eighteen-hole
course located inside the city limits. Several other eighteen-hole courses are
located within the immediate area. Cherokee Ridge Golf Community is just a short
drive from Arab, as well as Hampton Cove Golf Community, one of the many Robert
Trent Jones Courses, which is approximately 34 miles from Arab. Beautiful Lake
Guntersville, located ten miles away, offers more than 69,000 acres of water for
recreational opportunities such as fishing and boating.
Cultural Activities
The Arab Arts Council was formed in 1992 to mainstream all the arts in the Arab
area and sponsor local arts and crafts. Arab residents are also active in the
Mountain Valley Arts Council, which provides cultural experiences in art, music,
theatre and lectures. In addition, the Whole Backstage located in Guntersville,
presents high quality theater productions using local talent. A 1,000-seat auditorium
at the high school provides an outstanding setting for support of students and
community activities.
Public Library
The Arab Public Library is a modern library with over 50,000 books, audios and
videos. The Library also subscribes to more than 75 periodicals and 6 newspapers.
Services include inter-library loan, summer reading program, audio-visual equipment,
copy and fax machines, genealogy and Alabama Civil War collections and displays.
Internet access, public use typewriters and computers are also available. Friends
of the Library Organization provide a storyline for preschool children. Special
services are available upon request, for answering inquiries from the deaf or
coordination of services with the blind.
The library serves the needs of businesses and agriculture and provides educational,
cultural and recreational activities for Arab and the surrounding community.
Housing
Most of the area's housing consists of single-family, owner occupied homes, with
additional new homes under construction. There are several apartment complexes
located in Arab, as well as a condominium complex.
Three motels and a Bed & Breakfast with a total of 85 rooms accommodate visitors.
Also available are a variety of food establishments.
Senior Citizens
Numerous programs for senior citizens are available at the Arab Senior Citizens
Center. Daily activities include congregate meals served to citizen's ages 60
and older. In addition, seniors can participate in arts and craft activities,
gospel singing, line dancing, games, education information and lots of fellowship.
Transportation to the center is provided daily. For more information, telephone
(256) 586-6960.
Police Protection
Arab has a progressively active police department in public service and in the
prevention of crime. The Arab police department has a force of 27 sworn officers
and 7 civilian employees along with 6 RSVP volunteers to serve our city and police
jurisdiction. The department consists of four divisions: administrative, patrol,
dispatch/jail and investigation. A full line of services is offered including
the collection of worthless checks, fugitive warrants, DARE, school resource officer,
domestic violence, public relations and victim services, just to name a few.
Support services include animal control, school crossing guards. Education and
training is required of all officers. A regional training facility is located
in Arab staffed with a full time instructor who works to fit into the officer's
schedule. In addition, a tactical team that is recognized throughout the area,
is part of the force. There is also specialized traffic investigators, crime
scene and evidence technicians prepared to meet the needs of any situation. The
bike patrol unit assists in traffic and crowd control situations and also conducts
a bicycle safety program in the school system. Special attention is also given
to all citizens to ensure their safety and well being. As a result, Arab boasts
one of the lowest crime rates in the state of Alabama.
Fire Protection
Arab residents are protected by an efficient fire department with a force of
11 full time trained personnel and 23 trained volunteer firemen. The fire-fighting
force provides public fire protection through standard fire hydrants owned and
maintained by the Arab Water Department.
Ongoing efforts to maintain modern equipment and vehicles, and thoroughly trained
personnel has assured Arab the lowest fire insurance rating of the county, which
in turn lowers homeowners insurance costs.
Ambulance Service
The City of Arab operates a 24-hour ambulance service for citizens in the city
and surrounding areas. EMT's and paramedics are fully trained to provide the
best possible health care and most are trained in Advance Life Care procedures.
Modern equipment provides a state of the art level for meeting emergency medical
needs and all vehicles are equipped with heart monitors. MEDEVAC helicopter emergency
units are available from regional medical centers in nearby Huntsville and Birmingham.
Banking
Marshall County's economy is growing rapidly. Six commercial banks, their branches
and three credit unions presently serve Arab residents.
Communications
Radio stations serving Arab include WRAB-AM (1380) and WAFN-FM (92.7).
With a circulation of 17,800 The Arab Tribune provides twice weekly newspaper
coverage for residents. The Huntsville Times and The Birmingham News supply daily
deliveries to the area.
www.arab-today, an online news and events website provides local information
to the internet community.
Yesterday's Memories, a monthly publication providing nostalgia and historical
information, has a circulation that covers many states.
Western Union provides telegraph services in the Arab area.
Internet Service Providers
Currently, the Arab area has four Internet Service Providers who offer local
access numbers for the Internet subscribers. They are Mindspring 1-888-MSPRING,
Charter Communications, Otelco, and CorrWireless.
Broad band internet access is provided by Otelco Telephone Company (DSL) and
Charter Cable (Cable).
