East Texas

By BETTY WATERS
Staff Writer

PALESTINE - Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples commended the City of Palestine Thursday for earning the state's certified retirement community designation, saying that growing communities will help Texas become the most popular retirement state in the nation.

In a ceremony Thursday at City Hall, Staples officially announced Palestine's new status as Texas' 17th GO TEXAN certified retirement community, following informal notification of city officials last week.

Staples, who grew up in Palestine and served in city government before becoming a state senator and then agriculture commissioner, returned home to personally laud many Palestine citizens who worked to achieve the certified retirement community title in a program Staples helped create in the Legislature.

Palestine joins other cities on the Texas Department of Agriculture Web site www.retireintexas.org that have been designated certified retirement communities, including Longview, Athens, Lufkin, Nacogdoches, Pittsburg, Texarkana, Winnsboro and Odessa.

"Things don't happen by chance," Staples said. They happen because someone was willing to roll up their sleeves and chart a course and "that's what Palestine has done and is doing today," he said.

Staples added that he was proud to officially announce Palestine's new designation and will give the certificate to the mayor later.

Mayor Carolyn Salter expressed appreciation to a task force of 30-40 people who worked over the course of a year on achieving the certified retirement community designation, including chamber and economic development officials.

"This is another opportunity we have to show the world what a treasure we live in," Ms. Salter said, describing Palestine as a family oriented community that takes care of its children, is working to provide a University of Texas local campus, and opportunities for work, recreation and other activities until the end of life.

"Seniors are such a wonderful resource for our community," Ms. Salter said, since they have lifelong experiences that younger people have not had. She added that she wants them to help with the transportation aspect of the city's long-term plan.

Staples told people who gathered at City Hall for Thursday's announcement that their achieving the designation "signifies a lot of things ... it signifies you're serious about the future. It signifies that you're committed to building the kind of community that you can be proud of."

In congratulating them, Staples said he knew they worked hard. The designation, he added, sends a welcome mat of opportunity to the community and sends the message around the state that they want Palestine to be a good place to make home, to work, to raise a family, to run a business, to retire in. "I think that's the kind of message that needs to be sent because it is a very competitive environment that we live in," Staples said.

"You have to take the opportunity to showcase your talent and resources that you have. I know that Palestine has the talent and resources and capacity to continue to grow and to meet the challenges that we have in the future."

Staples said Texas is now the second most popular retirement state in the nation. "I don't like being Number 2. I kind of like being Number One, so look out Florida, here we come. The way that we become Number One is to grow our communities because when we grow our communities, we grow our state," he said.

The retiree market is one that communities across Texas need to make a home for because they control about $2.3 trillion dollars in annual spending, Staples said. "One retired couple is equivalent to 3.7 factory jobs. Retirees bring a talent pool and brain power to a community to tackle challenges and to plan for the future," Staples said.

And many retires don't ever really retire, as they just keep participating in chamber work, economic development, serve as college instructors and in other capacities, he observed.

"That's what you get when you go after the retiree market," Staples said, and not only that, retirees are tourists. "We are the second most popular tourism state as well as the second most popular retirement state. We had 205 million travelers come through Texas in 2006. They spent $54 million," Staples said. Palestine would like for some of those dollars to be spent in local hotels, restaurants, etceteras.

"That's what happens when you showcase yourself and you market yourself," Staples said, saying he is glad as commissioner to be in a position to work with and partner with Palestine to provide tools to make that happen.

State Senator Robert Nichols acknowledged the chamber, economic development officials and a lot of people in the community worked together to earn the certified retirement community status.

"What people who decide to retire here will find out is what we already know is that Palestine is a great place to live, to raise a family and retire," Nichols said. The timing of the designation is perfect with the demographics of the state and baby boomers reaching the point when they will start to look around to decide where they want to go in retirement, he added.

Brian Malone, Palestine Economic Development Corporation executive director, said the designation is the culmination of a process that required teamwork, vision and hard work among citizens of Palestine.

"One of the things obviously we are looking at is attracting new residents for our community - people who are willing to participate in the growth of Palestine. That's something we are excited about with this new designation," Malone said.

Former Mayor Jackson Hanks, who chaired the certified retirement community committee, said the designation gives Palestine the chance to lose the label of the best kept secret in Texas because it is now listed on the state Webb site.

The designation, Hanks said, also provides significant economic development opportunities with one of the greatest industries there is - retirees. They are a driving force in a community in buying and selling real estate, volunteerism and other facets of the community, Hanks said.

"To me, one of the most significant parts of what certification does is make our community accountable because now there is both a long-range plan and a marketing plan in place that must be activated, implemented and followed up," Hanks said, pointing out the city must resubmit an application for recertification in five years.

The task force members put in hours and hours and hours of productive work, all pulling together, Hanks said.

Sometimes communities don't realize what they have going for them because they are looking from the inside, State Representative Byron Cook said. But he added that he has the advantage of having crossed the Trinity River to come to Palestine and has observed that few communities have people that put their heart and soul into things like Anderson County and Palestine do.

"Keep up the good work," Cook encouraged the city.