News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Clay County officials will be using a $25,000 Three Star grant to recruit more retirees to the county.
Clay County Three Star Program Director Doug Young said 60-percent of the people who retire, move to the location where they vacation.
“We have around 3 million people visiting Dale Hollow lake every year so that’s a very fertile ground for us,” Young said. “Like most rural counties in the state of Tennessee, we are losing population so we will try to increase population by recruiting retirees to Clay County.”
Young said the county began efforts to recruit more retirees after receiving recommendations from a long-range strategic plan conducted by the Upper Cumberland Development District.
“We will be trying to accomplish some of those recommendations this year,” Young said. “For instance, we have a Three Star Retirement Committee, which is charged with coming up with some interesting activities for retirees in Clay County.”
Young said a number of programs will be taking place at the community center for retirees, such as line dancing, Tai chi, and pottery.
“We’ve already got started with a Tennessee Arts Commission Grant to do those things and we will be continuing those things with the Three Star Grant,” Young said.
Young said the recently awarded Three Star grant will also be used to finance other projects around the county.
“If we make Clay County more attractive, it will not only attract retirees, but it can also attract industry and businesses to Clay County,” Young said. “People want to live where there are things to do.”
Young said the county hopes to purchase some stage curtains and other items in order to hold musicals and play productions inside the old historic courthouse on the town square.
Clay County was one of nine Upper Cumberland communities to receive Three Star Grants from the state.
The Three Star program is geared to assist community development efforts and to ensure they compete at a higher level through enhancing and improving community assets.
