Though we lift up prayers for friends to the northeast, one of the greatest things about life in the Miss-Lou last week was not being in the eye of a storm.

Too often the gulf states sit in the path of hurricanes, and we were thankful that wasn’t the case last week as Irene approached the U.S.

The week was a hot, dry, but pleasant one here. Let’s review a few great things from last week.

4 A community project led by the Master Gardeners and Community Alliance received a nice donation from the Symphony of Gardens tours. The groups plan to plant and replace trees downtown, starting with the wells in which they’ll sit.

4 Teachers at Frazier Primary School are thinking creatively and children are reaping the benefits. It’s too early to tell whether an experiment to have an all girls’ class and an all boys’ class will improve achievement, but the students are already enjoying a new style of learning.

More important, the project is proof that our public schools are ready and willing to try new things and be flexible with learning styles. That’s something we all need to see more often.

4 The city and county have agreed to fund air conditioner repairs at the George Armstrong Library. The project is over due, and we hope next summer will be a cool one for reading.

4 At least one Natchezian, Red Cross volunteer Ann Thornhill, is already helping out along the eastern coastline. We know our caring community will be ready to assist if needed as we begin a new, hurricane-free week.