ARGENTA - There's a rejuvenation rumbling in the village of Argenta.

The small community is a little shy of 1,000 residents, but plans to replace the existing septic tanks with a new sewer system could attract new homebuilders and businesses.

By sprucing up the community and working to unite its residents, Mayor Deena Bowman is hopeful it will be a good opportunity to grow.

It's a long-term possibility since installation of the system likely won't be completed until 2011 sometime, but Bowman said both, leading up to the new sewer project and following behind it, will be changes that should bring some vibrancy back to town.

Bowman and other community members have recently banded together to revive the defunct Civic Club. It's been inactive for the past few years, but new members have joined in to create events and programs they hope will keep area residents involved in the village.

"If we don't keep them close, people will start to move away," Bowman said. "And we have seen some of that."

The village has historically been a close-knit community held together by local programs, but Bowman and others said they've noticed a recent decline in community activities.

Jim Barry, lifelong resident of the village and co-president of the Prairie River Historic Society, said community programs have started to fizzle in the last few years. He was a member of the original Civic Club before it disbanded due to a lack of interest and an aging membership.

The lowered community involvement led to a quiet summer because, for the first time in recent memory, Argenta did not host the annual American Prairie Festival.

The event is known to bring in thousands from surrounding towns for the carnival and fireworks display in late June, but it just didn't come together this year.

"I know that there were some disappointments with the fireworks and the carnival," said resident and new Civic Club member Brenda Grider.–"So we're starting little events, and maybe we can build it back up to the big events, like the carnival. It's like a regrouping to the village."

Grider has lived in Argenta for 43 years and said she is helping Bowman organize the new events in town to preserve the close relationships that make up Argenta.

"We're trying to put a little joy in people's lives in this community," she said.

One of those events is the upcoming Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 7.

"If anybody comes to one of our activities, we'd like them to think, 'Oh, well, this is really fun; this is a nice town. I might like to move here,' " Bowman said.

In addition to strengthening relationships in town, residents also have been working on the physical appeal.

The village held its first Yard of Distinction contest a few months back as part of its beautification program.

"They really have cleaned up the community, and when something like that starts, it makes other things look nicer," Barry said. "People are caring more about things like that."

And once the sewer work is complete, then area roads will get a face lift, as well. The installation of the sewers will damage the roads in town, but when they're repaired, they'll be widened to accommodate better traffic flow and more cars, Bowman said.

"There's really only room for one and a half cars to go down," Bowman said. "We're trying to make it look a lot better and be safer."

Next on the list of changes could be a restaurant or two. The village board has approved two new liquor licenses.

Bowman said there is a party interested in opening a pub/sandwich shop in town, and another party is interested in opening an upscale restaurant that would serve alcohol.

Neither of the projects is certain, Bowman said, but it's apparent that installing the sewer system is drawing more attention from business owners, as well as to real estate developers.

Subdivisions have sprung up along Illinois 48 in recent years, and the Village Board annexed the land to make the homes part of Argenta during the summer.

More builders are waiting for the new sewer system to be finished, so they don't have to spend the money on septic tanks, Bowman said.

"We're hoping to get both of those subdivisions filled up after the sewers come in," she said.

Damien Jones, Superintendent of the Argenta-Oreana School District, said he expects to see an increase in population once the sewer system is finished, and it's an increase he welcomes.

"I think it'll be positive for the school; it'll be a positive for the community," he said. "I think things are going to take off."