Interview with Judge Griffin Bell Part 2

AMERICUS - This is the last in a two-part series on an interview with former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell at his Americus home.

Bell, 89, maintains his keen sense of humor and his vast knowledge in conversation. He said he never speaks off the record. That's a journalist's dream.

When asked how the Americus-Sumter County area can stimulate its economy in the wake of plant closings and a tornado, Bell first discussed the need to grow enrollment at Georgia Southwestern State University.

The other plan Bell would like to see implemented here is to capitalize on making Americus and Sumter County a retirement destination.

"I've thought about this a good bit. We need to build this up as a retirement community, and it ought to be built around that new hospital. We've delayed too long on the hospital, but at least by 2010 we'll have the new hospital.

"Magnolia Manor is the draw ... Of course they couldn't stay here without a hospital ... We've already got a start on making this a retirement community."

Bell said Thomasville and Valdosta have "gone heavy into" making their communities attractive to retirees.

He said the Langdale family of Valdosta has built a development called top-notch golf course for people who want to live in a retirement community.  He also mentioned The Village at Southland Ridge in Sumter County which will break ground soon.  "It's a step in the right direction," he said of the new development which will be a gated community.

"The climate here is so good that this could really be a great retirement area. It's particularly true being around a college," he said, using the University of Virginia (UVA) at Charlottesville as an example.

Bell formerly served on the board of directors at UVA.

"For eight years I used to go up there for that meeting. That whole area is filled up with wealthy people that came up there and bought acreage ... those who didn't want to live in Washington. And they are one of the biggest groups of supporters the University of Virginia has. They do something for the community. They have the Miller Center there, dedicated to studying the office of the president, and they have all kinds of speakers at least once a month ... I've spoken there ... and a big crowd comes. These are retired people and they love to come over there and hear those speakers.

"We've just started a series here at the college (GSW). I've talked to the president about it ... That's something in the future. We have to have something that attracts all those retirees. That would bring more doctors in and everything you need. I think that would be one thing that could be done," he said.

Bell also said he wants to talk with the Americus-Sumter County Payroll Development Authority's executive director, David Garriga, about another of his ideas.

The Port of Savannah is so big now and warehousing is such a big thing. Under state law, you can have something in an inland town called an inland port, and you can store things without having to pay customs ... It might be a way we could use some buildings here in Americus, create an inland port. Of course we have a railroad coming right from Savannah ... storing something here wouldn't even cost half as much as in the Savannah area. That's worth looking into," he said.

"I've got more ideas than you can absorb," he said with a twinkle in his eye at the close of the interview.

One last question: Can a community be a "college town" and a retirement destination?

"Of course. All you've got to do is go somewhere and look," Bell said. "I've seen it with my own eyes at the University of Virginia. A lot of those folks move there because of the university."