Our fair city has been caught up in a whirlwind of activity lately!

We have been blessed with an abundance of good news on the economic front; our schools have nurtured and released a new class of graduates; we have a new direction for our public schools; we have chosen city leaders for the next four years and Tuscaloosa Shale has become the hot buzz-word in the area.

I must take this opportunity to commend the leaders and visionaries in southwest Mississippi who have helped shape new programs and provided support for the progress we are seeing.

We also owe a great debt to the citizens who have come out to push, encourage and applaud the successes. We must not forget that a portion of this success has certainly been driven by our leaders at the state level.

At 7:30 a.m. Monday at the Natchez Eola Hotel, four of our state legislators will be on hand to summarize the actions of the 2012 legislative session in Jackson.

Kelvin Butler, Robert Johnson, Sam Mims and Melanie Sojourner will be attending our Natchez-Adams County Chamber Legislative Breakfast to communicate their impressions of the work that was done this year, describe how these actions will impact southwest Mississippi, convey what they see as our most important challenges and opportunities and to take written questions from those in attendance in order to be sure that they are communicating with the citizens and voters in the area in as direct a manner as possible.

With so many opportunities ahead of us in the areas of economic development, education, tourism, oil exploration, community improvement and in the advancement of so many projects “uniquely Natchez,” including our trails project and the blessing of having “national park” status, we all need to be as well-versed as possible as we start down the path toward the future.

We continue to be extremely fortunate to have state legislators who are always mindful of the importance of staying connected to the people they represent.

This Chamber breakfast opportunity is the perfect venue for these open and honest discussions.

Breakfast ($10 payable at the door) begins at 7:30; the program starts at 8, and we will dismiss by 9.

I hope to see a room full of people on Monday morning — bright-eyed and smiling — and ready to make the most of the many opportunities that are coming our way.

 

Stephanie Hutchins leads the Chamber Legislative Committee.