Residents of the Beloit community in west Dallas County are looking for answers.

A group known as Beloit Community Organization Inc. is hoping to bring basic services to the community at the Beloit Community Center, Chief Executive Officer Edwin Braxter said, but there are still a few challenges ahead.

“We want to first meet to find out who has the legal rights,” he said. “We want to get people working together on this. We’ve had a couple of different groups working and we want to settle down things so we can work together.”

The group has called a meeting for Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. in the Selma Library conference room.

The purpose of the meeting, Braxter said, is to “locate people interested in getting basic services to the Dallas County community at Beloit.”

Technical assistance, Braxter said, is needed on how to get Beloit basic public service.

Years ago, Braxter said the land and old school building was deeded to help the community. Now, he said, the group wants to find out how to use the land and building to help the community.

“We have been sitting down for 30 years,” he said. “Some people have been working but it hasn’t brought the community what it needs. We’re trying to give the people what they need. Now the goal is to see who has the legal rights.”

Among the other goals to move Beloit forward are getting the U.S. Postal Authority to locate an office in the building and having the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department open an office.

Braxter said the group would also like to see a law firm, medical clinic, credit union, gas station and seafood market open.

Attorney Paul L. Pogue is assisting the group in its quest to restore the old school building and secure the services they seek.

“We are looking at the different grants that could help us out with the project,” he said. “There are a lot of different possibilities and we want to explore all the right avenues. We are just trying to help the people out.”

For more information on the meeting contact Braxter at 407-6312.