The past doesn’t define a place, but history does shape its present and in some ways guide its future.

Much is planned for Natchez this year in celebration of the city’s 300 years of permanent existence. A yearlong celebration is under way to mark the milestone and, hopefully, lure thousands of additional visitors to Natchez for the party.

As our staff sat down last year to plan our annual Profile edition we debated whether or not to tie Profile’s theme to the Natchez’s tricentennial celebration.

Instead Profile focuses on the present. Its theme “Our Place, Our Time,” celebrates the current residents of our area and both their unique commonality and their beautiful diversity.

We tend to think of Profile as an annual snapshot of our community, a quick glance in the mirror to see who we are, what we do and how we’re making things work.

Profile, like Natchez, isn’t perfect, but it’s among the most comprehensive reviews of Natchez we ever stop to do. The effort takes months of time to get the section created, and much of the thanks go to the businesses whose marketing investments make Profile financially possible. If you enjoy the section, please thank those advertising businesses for their support.

We hope you enjoy Profile today and over the next several days. Let us know what you think and let us know if you see something inside that inspires you to have an idea that can shape Natchez’s future. If so, we’d love to hear it.