[04/14/03]Up to 200 people approaching retirement will arrive in Vicksburg in late May as part of the city’s designation as a certified retirement community.

The Retirement Development wing of the Chamber of Commerce placed a bid with the Mississippi Development Authority’s Hometown Retirement Program last year and won the role of host for the third Hometown Getaway program May 29-31.

The reason the community is hosting the event is to try to attract more people to Vicksburg to spend their retirement years, said Yevette Mangum, director of the local Chamber’s program. Information will also be presented on other certified retirement communities in the state. The program is open to couples and singles who get a package price to pay for their lodging, meals, tours and other events.

Vicksburg was declared a retirement community in 1997 and since then has been able to attract about 140 new couples to the city. Mangum said each retired couple is worth an average of about $30,000 a year in disposable income.

When the couples arrive, they will register at the Battlefield Inn. The evening of their arrival, they will be guests at an open gathering called Hit the Bricks hosted by the downtown merchants. They will then head to the Southern Cultural Heritage Center for dinner theater featuring “Gold In The Hills.”

After breakfast the next morning, one group will tour the city while the rest of the retirees will go to the Vicksburg Convention Center for Meet the Neighbors.

That afternoon, the couples will hear a panel of retirees tell why they chose Mississippi and hear a talk on the taxes in the state.

The day will end with a trip on the Mississippi River on a vessel from the Army Corps of Engineers, supper and an evening at the Isle of Capri Casino.

In addition to the planned events, the couples will have time to explore the community on their own.