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' ' f i A20 — Tha Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday October 5 2003 ' A'l £ vl" - -- 66 Hire The barrier is not always on the employer side People who depend on government bene- -' fits for medical expenses for instance might find themselves disqualified once they ? were employed even if their income didn’t cover medical : needs Others are held back by transportation difficulties or family members who discourage them from working For many of the people referred to Triangle the first step is recognizing their own talents says CEO Michael Rodrigues Triangle earns 90 percent of its funding by s employing people in its gift- -' product and packaging ventures and by contracting with local businesses for various SENECA SG (AP) —Town leaders no longer are counting on factories and mills to file the economy of Seneca nestled in I the foothills of the Appalachians Instead they are targeting retirees hoping an ad campaign will lure them to play ' " V training sports and social activities People greet each other in the hall as members of an extended family Some may stay with Triangle for years while others just spend a few months there Last year the agency placed 70 people in full-tim- e jobs in the community shores of Lake Keowee Seneca’s effort started ppjier this year when a regional retirement magazine named it the top small town in the Carolj- - t nas in which to retire That got town officials thinking that baby boomers with lots of disposable income might be looking for a sunny warm place to go to when work was done for good - “I don’t see anybody else out there doing it” said town manager Greg Dietterick “Every small town is looking for some kind of niche” Seneca leaders agreed to spend about $5000 on a tiick publication highlighting thearea’s year-rougolf renovated downtown and looming mountains The publication has been sent to 40000 people who have responded to an ad about moving to the Carolinas within the next year or two The town says it’s too early to know what effect the ads are having but the initial feedback has been positive “It sounds like a novel idea” said University of South Carolina economist Doug Woodward who has done a study on how retirees affect local economies “Recruiting I es services It also offers computer 24-pa- ge nd er ' - f nqw turning away from industrial economic r development” he said : For Seneca the focus on seniors reflects j economic reality —and the area’s changing demographics Seneca a town of 8)00 tucked in the northwest comer of the state once hitched its fortunes to textiles It tripled in size from 1940 to 1970 as mills located to die town taking advantage of the rivers and streams flowing down from die mountains But then textile jobs started going overseas eventually leaving the cavernous plants aban-dotted their smokestacks looming over rows of vacant mill houses The town actually lost population from 1990 to 2000 making it even more impor-ta-nt to find another way to get Seneca ' growing again Dietterick said that die town considered trying to attract new industry but when tax breaks and other incentives were figiued in ap nhntn !! Sw£!J!bmw Charity May 1 2003 at The CKOs at Keowee Vineyards near Pickens SC City leaders in nearby Seneca SC are hoping to lure retirees to the area to play homes on the golf and build million-dolla- r shores of Lake Keowee Pro-A- Overall Woodward believes communi- ties across the nation will begin to market themselves based on amenities such as or small-tow- n me for factories and ntante tri up bong jnt mggocourior He figures Seneca gets back about $3 for each dollar it spends on trying to attract retirees who are likely to spend a good part of their income nearby Also Oconee County where Seneca is located is already aging More than a quar-ter oftoe 8700 people who moved to Oconee County between 1990 and 2000 the were 65 or older iation above 66000 aS)rdinto CensuT j Give them the top rated health plan in Utah For more reasons to choose an IHC Health Plan or visit IHCcom call IHC IHC' TOP RATED HEALTH PLAN llar Health Plans it Service of Intermountain Health Care FOR A REASON Ac 1002 HMO frrfonnancr Rtpart paHfArd I) Ac Uuh oTHmUl IO! coot t I V'V - road to economic development is Choosing a health plan is one of the most important decisions you make for your family § UTAH’S w i ‘ A working relationship Employers benefit from Tri- angle staffs eagerness to fed- low up with support if someone needs it after starting a job “I want to know that once the employee is placed they’re not forgotten” says Marc Berube the human-resourcmanager at Citizens who hired Wilt for the cafeteria job Wilt spends many of her hours washing dishes but she says she especially likes “to cook and give food to people and have a little conversation” Eventually she wants to own a restaurant where she can cook “fancy dishes” Before partnering with Triangle for the school-to-careprogram Mr Berube didn't know how rewarding it would be Now he’s a convert “There are some great skilled people out there” he says “We just need to attract ?Tlto I Just need to attract and retain them" !(' ' V- ' “There are some great skilled people out there We Continued from A19 wVv j ' |