Top of the Morning is a great feature in The Natchez Democrat.

In that space on the opinion page every day, we give readers the opportunity so sound off on whatever it is they have on their minds.

Some people take the opportunity to opine on a topical issue that really grinds their gears. Some people use the space to promote upcoming events and still others use the space to advocate for charitable causes.

It is a long-standing tradition at The Natchez Democrat. In fact, in the editorial conference room at the newspaper office, several framed historical front-page issues grace the walls.

The Aug. 9, 1974, edition announcing Richard Nixon’s resignation, has a Top of the Morning column running right along side the main story.

That “Top ‘O the Morning,” as it was tagged at the time, was written by Al Benn, The Natchez Democrat’s-then managing editor, and he used the space to write about how Nixon’s resignation was proof that the United States is a nation of law and order.

Nowadays, staffers don’t write the Top of the Morning columns, and I’m not sure when or why that was changed but I think it is great that it is open to readers.

I love the Top of the Morning columns, and I’m glad readers make good use of the space. Sometimes a letter to the editor, with a limit of 300-500 words, just isn’t enough space for people to properly address whatever topic it is they want to address.

Plus, the Top of the Morning, which gives you 500-700 words, is more personal, and we run a picture of the writer with every Top of the Morning.

I’ve learned about a lot of different topics in the short few months that I have been here from editing and reading the Top of the Mornings.

For instance, the one in Sunday’s edition, written by Jennifer Ogden Combs, executive director of Visit Natchez and Natchez Convention Promotion Commission, challenged residents to get out and experience Natchez as tourists would for National Travel and Tourism Week, which is this week.

That is a great idea, and one that I took Combs up on by visiting some of the area’s historic sites this weekend, including the historic Melrose and Auburn houses.

Of course, the challenge was not difficult for me since I have only been in Natchez for a couple of months. It’s all new to me, but I challenge you, as Combs did, to be a tourist in your own community, to look at the area from a fresh perspective.

That column was just one of the many gems we have had in Top of the Mornings lately.

News Editor Ben Hillyer, who has been managing the Top of the Morning columns for quite a while, warned me that they arrive in spurts. Sometimes we don’t get any for a few days, then we get several at once, which has been the case lately.

You might have noticed that in recent days we’ve been doubling up on them and putting two on the pages to accommodate time-sensitive material.

I encourage you to utilize our Top of the Morning space, and I urge you to give us early notice so we can put you on the schedule to meet your date requests. Also be sure to get the written column to us at least two days before publication date, with a good head and shoulders picture of the writer, so we will be able to prepare it for publication. If you don’t have a good photo, we can take one for you.

Scott Hawkins is editor of The Natchez Democrat. Reach him at scott.hawkins@natchezdemocrat.com or 601-445-3540.