Cities mark 'Best Place' designation
Saline, Rochester tout civic
pride at Oct. 12 event
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: October 20, 2005
A delegation of Saline
government and commerce officials gathered with their
counterparts in Rochester last week to toast their cities'
being named among the top 100 places to live in the country.
Saline and Rochester were among only four Michigan cities
named in CNN/Money's list of 100 best places to live in the
country.
Saline received a ranking of 43 in a pool of more than
1,300 places with a population exceeding 14,000. Rochester
was No. 39.
That was in July. The Rochester Regional Chamber of
Commerce' executive director Sheri Heiney approached Larry
Osterling of the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce about a
little fete and Osterling agreed.
So it was that representatives of the two cities tipped
flutes of champagne at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester as
they touted their civic pride.
"I just think the two communities are proud of the
ranking," said Osterling. "I don't know how [the] folks in
Rochester feel about being on [the] list, but for us, it's
kind of like the Toledo Mud Hens going to the World Series."
Comprising the Saline delegation were Mayor Gretchen
Driskell; City Attorney Allan Grossman; Councilman and
former mayor Pat Little; Police Chief Paul Bunten; School
Board President Art Trapp; 96-year-old Saline resident Joann
Kalesar; Joy Ely, owner of Pineapple House; and Chamber
staffers Dianne Delcourt and Mary Alice Smith.
"Our representatives did an outstanding job representing
our community," said Osterling.
Mayor Driskell spoke about some of the things that make
the Saline area a great place to live and work.
"What makes a community great is the people," she said.
Trapp followed the mayor to talk about the progress and
reputation of Saline schools.
Kalesar, Saline's last speaker, stole the show with
stories about "how really great the people in Saline have
been over the years."
CNN/Money's ranking showed the median household income in
the Saline area as $82,577 and the average home price as
$241,014. Also contributing to the area's high ranking were
its proximity to higher education institutions and leisure
and cultural opportunities, including 110 golf courses, 18
libraries, and 884 restaurants.
In addition to its ranking of 43 in CNN/Money's best 100
places to live, Saline also recently made CNN/Money's cut as
one of the top places in Michigan to retire.
Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell was among the featured
speakers at the program in Rochester. |
