Look Back ... to attracting retirees, 1999

Jan. 31—Jan. 31, 1949, in The Star: Arthur H. Lee, president of Lee Brothers Foundry Co., today was elected president of the Anniston Chamber of Commerce at a special meeting of the board of directors. A former member of the City Commission, Mr. Lee succeeds Henry H. Booth in this capacity. Also this date: Cleburne County will soon have its first wayside park ready for use by travelers passing through the county. The first site approved by the Highway Department is the spot on Highway 78 just west of Heflin, beyond the Sim Harris place, where drivers of trucks and cars are accustomed to stop for rest and water. The site is a naturally beautiful and restful one. It has a spring with water running down a steep, rocky incline.

Jan. 31, 1999, in The Star: Acting on the census-derived estimate that by 2025, Alabama will have the same proportion of people 65 and older that Florida does in 1999 — around 20 percent — officials in Alabama are thinking about ways to make the "clean industry" of retired residents one that the state can intentionally bring about. "Remember, these folks will be full of talent when they come into the region," said Joan McKinney, executive director of the Emerald Triangle Commission, which promotes Clay, Cleburne and Randolph counties. "They will make us better." Said JSU's Mark Fagan, a social work professor who has been at the forefront of Alabama's retiree-recruitment efforts since the early 1980s: "We could get people to live here during 20 of their best years."