NATCHEZ &045;&045; Teachers, doctors and business leaders interested in moving to Natchez now have an interactive way of learning more about the town.

A year of work and a grant from the Mississippi Development Authority have created an interactive CD-ROM on Natchez that covers everything from history to medicine. The Chamber of Commerce started sending out the CDs to prospective residents about a month ago. The chamber received word at the end of last year that they would receive $11,182 to develop the CD, a marketing method already in use in many other towns.

&uot;It’s one-stop shopping,&uot; Chamber Director Laura Godfrey said. &uot;It’s very easy to use and we use it for just about everything.&uot;

The Natchez-Adams School District is using the CD to recruit teachers, the Economic Development Authority uses it for businesses and hospitals use it for recruiting doctors, Godfrey said.

The CD is also being sent to retirees to persuade them to move to Natchez. The CD, half the size of a regular CD, comes in a protective plastic covering and mails for 37 cents, Godfrey said. It opens with a historical narrative set to photos before going to a menu with categories including history, medicine, education and business.

Residents including Ron and Mimi Miller of the Historic Natchez Foundation, Fred Middleton of Big M Supply and Millicent Mayo of the school district are featured giving comments about various areas of the town.

&uot;It talks about the quality of life and general information about Natchez,&uot; Godfrey said. &uot;The imagery is so good with that medium and it’s just a great piece for us to use.&uot;

The CD also includes contact information for a variety of Natchez organizations.