“Promoting Community Commerce” was the theme of the program for the June 18 Lunch & Learn hosted by the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce. The program was provided by three representatives of Polk County Publishing Company – Publisher Kelli Barnes, Advertising Representative Madison Bland and Editor Emily Banks Wooten. “I realize that a lot of you don’t know who I am. My name is Kelli Barnes and I am the publisher of Polk County Publishing Company. Our owner, Alvin Holley, purchased this community’s newspaper in the 1970s, and purchased the paper where I worked in Tyler County in 1992. Upon his semi-retirement, I began officing in Livingston five days a week in the summer of 2016, and continued this for five years. Currently, I office in Woodville and Livingston. We made it through the transition of print to a print/digital hybrid, we made it through the pandemic, an employee theft case that lasted four years resulting in a 25-year prison sentence, and most recently, a lawsuit where we prevailed and were just yesterday awarded court costs, attorneys fees and sanctions,” Barnes said. “Our annual budget is $3 million and we have 30 employees. Half are professional journalists and experienced sales representatives and the other half are support staff doing bookkeeping, delivery, customer services, and managing. We print 10,000 papers each week covering four counties. We also have a quarterly magazine, the East Texan, which covers a 28-county region and is distributed across many of those counties, and a regional news website, easttexasnews.com,” Barnes said.
“I’m going to pass it to Madison Bland now, one of your Ambassadors, who will talk to us about what Polk County has to offer,” Barnes said. “Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate the many wonderful attributes of Polk County. As a community, we are fortunate to be surrounded by so much natural beauty, thriving businesses, and opportunities for growth and development. Today, I want to highlight what makes Polk County a truly special place to live, work and play,” Bland said.
“First and foremost, we have the jewel of our community – Lake Livingston. Lake Livingston is a tremendous selling point for our realtors, attracting new residents and creating a bustling hub of tourism and business every spring and summer. The lake’s serene waters and recreational opportunities draw people from near and far, fostering a vibrant local economy,” Bland said. “When it comes to education, Polk County excels. From daycare to public and private schools, we ensure that our youngsters receive a solid foundation. Moreover, being part of the Texas State University System means our students have access to higher education right here at home. With recent improvements in internet infrastructure, our schooling options have expanded, helping our young people get the education and training they need to contribute meaningfully to our county if they choose to stay,” Bland said. “Healthcare in Polk County is another cornerstone of our community. With private practices, St. Luke’s, emergency rooms and nursing homes, we offer a diverse array of healthcare options. These facilities not only meet our residents’ needs, but also provide a wealth of career opportunities in the healthcare sector,” Bland said. “There is also a vast array of churches, clubs and organizations for one to market, volunteer, make connections, or simply make a friend. We know that the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce is a great resource for that. “One of the most endearing qualities of Polk County is its small-town charm. Our local restaurants, wineries, boutiques and events – like Hometown Christmas – create an atmosphere that every out-of-towner describes as feeling like a scene straight out of a Hallmark movie. These attractions not only enhance our quality of life, but also make Polk County a desirable destination for visitors and potential new residents,” Bland said.
“Let’s not forget about the land – both commercial and residential – that Polk County offers. What initially brought me here, and what will likely keep me here, is the abundance of land. Whether you dream of living in the suburbs, owning a ranch, or having a lakefront property, Polk County has a lot of acres available to make that dream a reality. We also have plenty of prime commercial property within the city limits, making it an attractive location for businesses looking to set up shop and contribute to our local economy,” Bland said.
“Polk County is a great place that offers a unique blend of natural beauty, excellent education, top-notch healthcare, small-town charm and vast land opportunities. It is a place where community spirit thrives. Now I would like to introduce our editor, Emily Banks Wooten, who is going to talk to us about ways we can support each other for a stronger community,” Bland said.
“Thank you for having us today. We’ve all heard the real estate adage – location, location, location. To be a stronger community, I say we need to promote, promote, promote. Some of the ways we can do this are to shop local, eat local, share fellow businesses on social media, cross-promote, refer local businesses, leave reviews, offer your skills or expertise in volunteer work, and try new things locally,” Wooten said.
“Sharing fellow businesses on social media is simple and my husband is very good at this. He’s always sharing posts, whether it’s the Nashville hot chicken at Indulge or the loaded baked potatoes at Alma’s Courthouse Whistlestop, the fresh tomatoes at Hensley’s Produce or live music at Across the Tracks. Refer local businesses to people, especially what I call the momand-pops. Starbucks will always have business, but what about The Bull Shack? Send people their way. It costs you nothing, yet means so much. And we have so many wonderful opportunities through which to volunteer. Go pack food boxes for MannaFest Food Pantry or grab your hammer and go build beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace,” Wooten said.
“I heard something at a conference a few years ago that stuck with me. ‘You have to find the value and importance of your job. Once you do, you will be a rockstar.’ That’s so true. But it can also apply to our community … how we view it … and how we portray it to others. What would you say are the top reasons people come to our community?
“Lake Livingston? The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas? The slower pace? My husband, daughter and I enjoy traveling and we love it when the owners of the Airbnb in which we’re staying leave a little list of places to eat and things to see and do.
Sometimes, they even leave some coupons. My brother and his family own a number of Airbnbs in the Waco area and they, too, usually provide a notebook that has the wifi password and the various places of interest in the area,” Wooten said.
“I attended a really neat Travel & Tourism Workshop last year and gleaned a wealth of information on ways to promote our area. My biggest takeaway, however, was very similar to what I just described. Stop and think about your favorite things in our community. If you were having friends visit from out of town, where would you take them? Maybe HomeGrown … for a Lake Livingston Tshirt? Or maybe Petalz … so they could build their own bouquet? What do you consider to be the ‘must-sees’ and ‘must-dos?’
“Come up with a list. Where do you get the best … Coffee? Margarita? Sunset view? Antiques? Soul food? Selfie spot? The list can go on and on. Maybe even come up with a list of neat Airbnbs and VRBOs in the area. Additionally, think about some of the fun events that we have that people enjoy … Smoke in the Pines Barbecue Cook Off, the Fourth of July Fireworks Display in Onalaska, Livingston’s Hometown Christmas. When it comes to tourism, or promoting our community, the number one thing we can do is talk to people and share with them,” Wooten said.
“There are numerous types of tourism and we’re blessed to have a bountiful offering of two specific types – heritage tourism and ecological tourism. Heritage tourism draws the history buffs, the Civil War enthusiasts, the people working on their genealogies. For them, we have the Polk County Memorial Museum, Heritage Park with the W.T. Carter & Bro. Locomotive #5 and the Jonas Davis Log Cabin. We have hundreds of historic markers throughout the county and then there’s the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation. And as for ecological tourism, we have a bonanza there too. We have Piney Wood Lakes Chapter Texas Master Naturalist, Friends of Lake Livingston, the Gazebo Nature Preserve, Lake Livingston State Park, Lake Livingston Fishing Club aka The Happy Hookers, the Big Thicket National Preserve. And I’ve recently learned that our area is very popular with the folks who are into birding.
“Some of these places we probably drive by every day and never give a second thought or look. And I’m just as guilty as anyone. But maybe it’s time we took a closer look at our community … and with a fresh set of eyes. There’s an old saying, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ which basically means that a healthy economy benefits everyone. And I truly believe that. When one of us wins, we all win. Be happy for others. There’s room for all of us to be successful,” Wooten said, as Barnes returned to the lectern.
“To wrap this up, I want to talk to you about what part your community’s newspaper plays to help keep our community strong and growing,” Barnes said. “Ancient writers discovered their power to make and alter myth and history. For a long time, the masses were illiterate and so they had public readings. As people became more educated, it was common for readers to be considered ‘the rebellious ones.’ They recognized their responsibility and power in a community. They demanded better from things they were reading, and some went on to write themselves. Periodicals, or newspapers, came on the scene in the early 18th century, further increasing the population of dedicated readers,” Barnes said.
“Not everyone is a reader and that is okay. Some of us listen to what others have read in the form of conversations or interactions and then are informed. The 10,000 papers and then the added digital readers we have are not read by everyone in the community but they are read by 10% of the community, who then use that information to spark conversations and spread the word,” Barnes said.
“News organizations are a central location for accurate public information. Schools, meetings, student achievement, elections, county government, law enforcement, emergency management, criminal activity, emergencies such as the pandemic, hurricanes, floods, abductions are all in the newspaper. There are also legal notices that tell of upcoming elections, infrastructure changes, development. And as for business development, it is a place for businesses to advertise their goods and services to the public and opportunities for participation in special products,” Barnes said.
“Statistics show that communities with legitimate community news organizations have more voters, more volunteers, more thriving businesses and more accountability from government bodies. Polk County Publishing is committed to promoting professional journalism. We are equally committed to providing platforms for businesses to communicate directly with homeowners, taxpayers, voters, the readers in society – our customers – the information they are looking for to support local businesses and stay informed about the community,” Barnes said.
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