Natchez’s potential can be realized if its leaders pursue a policy of bringing its assets to the views of thousands of retirees in addition to potential industries.

Look at Walt Disney’s “The Villages” in central Florida as an example. It tells retirees what they want to hear, about all the recreational opportunities that await them. In addition, there are tax benefits to living there and also tax disadvantages that may not be mentioned. Also the hot and humid weather is overlooked, but thousands of retirees have come and stayed and bought homes at The Villages!

Natchez has two fine golf courses, tennis facilities, a major swimming pool coming soon, hiking trails, fishing and hunting, kayaking, ballooning, youth sports of all kinds, antique stores, arts, music, many restaurants, bars, lounges and saloons, and a very handsome casino. Natchez’s climate is much more pleasant than that of central Florida, having a full four mild seasons.

What does Natchez lack in order to become a retiree heaven? First of all it lacks a marina for retirees who wish to have and to use a boat. A marina also will provide access to Natchez and the area for numerous yachts that come down the Mississippi River. Almost all of the yachts at present utilize the Tombigbee waterway to Mobile rather than the Mississippi to New Orleans because there are very few if any fueling stations from Cairo, Ill., down the river to New Orleans. A fueling station at Natchez could change all that and cause the yachting community to come down the Mississippi instead. Everyone knows that the Mississippi route would be much more interesting than the Tombigbee route, but look at what Columbus is enjoying with that trade. There are hundreds of boats each year that fuel there, buy groceries there, make repairs there, etc. If Natchez had a marina, it would mean big bucks to this community within a short period of time. The Vidalia river park area would be second best because of its slower current, but on the Natchez side of the river, north of Silver Street, a city owned property should be considered the best for convenience to town via that street.

Next Natchez lacks a proper golf clubhouse at each of its two splendid golf courses. One is private, but the other at Duncan Park should be torn down and replaced with a nice facility similar to the State Park’s Quail Hollow facility at Fernwood. Why isn’t the Mississippi State Park System invited to share Duncan Park? Or why isn’t the funds being paid to the City by the casino being used to build a new clubhouse that would attract retirees to Natchez?

Natchez’s geographic position is ideal for retirees. It is far enough away from the Gulf to lessen any wind damages from hurricanes, yet it is close enough to major cities, such as New Orleans, to be able to fly to anywhere in the world. Natchez has a good airport, but no air service. That is similar to what goes on at The Villages with their air facility being Orlando. With the Mississippi River, its steamboats, towboats and barges, its connection to Old River, and its overall but unused fishing attributes, this area should become a magnet for retirees. The State parks in the area, the National Forest parklands, Lakes Concordia and St. John all should contribute to the area’s magic for retirees!

In his book “Dark Winter,” John L. Casey states in no unequivalent terms how the Sun affects the climate on Earth. Mr. Casey is a former White House space policy advisor, NASA headquarters consultant and space shuttle engineer. His treatise is documented with 110 pages of research studies made by other scientists who reject the theory that climate changes are created by man. His findings are that for the next 30 years, the world will be getting colder because of conditions on and in the sun. Natchez again should benefit from this as it will still have moderate temperatures compared to the cities and countrysides further north. Water availability is also a threat to many areas in this country. Natchez has and will always have with the Mississippi River flowing past it, an unlimited supply of good clean water. There will always be enough for agricultural irrigation, and our cropland is good.

In order to include hundreds of new retirees to come and see and to relocate to Natchez, all of the above assets should be disclosed in a first-class brochure, and the things that are presently lacking should be addressed quickly. Advertising in magazines that are attractive to future retirees should be done when a proper brochure can be sent out. Present property values should be disclosed as an additional inducement, and cost of living figures should be shown.

The real question that we should ask ourselves is “Do we want to grow, have better opportunities for our citizens and have a place for our children to be able to find jobs, work and enjoy our community? Or do we want to remain stagnant and watch the grass grow?”
Andrew Peabody is an Adams County resident.