If you read the front-page story from Rockdale Municipal Development District Economic Director Jim Gibson, I’ll bet you are as surprised as I am that he predicted Rockdale’s population will be over 30,000 by 2041.
At Monday night’s MDD board meeting he explained his math and how he came up with these numbers. I know nothing about math, so I won’t even try to describe it to you, but it made sense, even to me. The surprise announcement by SLR in the July 27 issue has really caused things to start heating up around town.
Because of the Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Campus that is currently being built (well the land is being cleared) it will have a huge impact on Rockdale, and things we thought would happen several years down the road are being moved up to accommodate the growth that the SLR project will bring.
Both the city and the MDD will probably need to expand to bigger offices sooner than they thought they would. Jim is already getting calls from home developers like the ones who are building the Cornerstone Subdivision after the SLR news became public.
Jim started with a base for Rockdale that is currently 6,000 citizens. By 2024 it rises to 6,767. By 2028, just five years away, he predicts Rockdale will be at 11,613 people.
In 2030 he predicts we will be at 15,526. That’s an additional 3,900 people in just two years’ time over 2028.
And one seasoned member of the MDD board, who is also a former mayor, John King, said he thought Jim’s numbers were probably conservative. And I believe him. Another big announcement from SLR adding more jobs could throw these numbers off in a big way.
We shall see one way or another over the next many years, but it’s fun to think about. —kwc– Another big story on the front page this week is the implosion of the two power generating units where a lot of readers probably worked. It makes me wonder how former Alcoa employees feel about that.
I did ask one friend about it who used to work there, and he said there would be some that may be sad about it, which I hadn’t thought of. I guess there is always some sadness when one empire ends and another begins. —kwc– If you are a garage sale person, you’re going to be in hog heaven this Friday and Saturday with our citywide garage sale going on.
There is a map on page 7A that will tell you where to shop for bargains.
And if you like coffee and delicious snacks and visiting, be at the library on Friday morning at 9 a.m. for First Friday Coffee.
Always a good time. —kwc– The good folks at VFW Post 6525 have announced the kick-off of the annual VFW scholarships for 6th through 8th grades and high school students who can compete for thousands of dollars in scholarship and prize earnings. This includes private, public and homeschooled students.
Applications for the programs are available at each campus or you may contact Commander Larry Rubino at 512-964-3251.
The high school contest is called Voice of Democracy and allows for students to express themselves in a patriotic-themed recorded essay. This year’s theme is “What are the greatest attributes of our democracy?”
Grades 6-8 participate in Patriot’s Pen which encourages young minds to examine America’s history by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay on a patriotic theme called “How are you inspired by America?”
For questions talk to your school counselor or call Larry at the number above.
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