Gov. Ronnie Musgrove’s visit to Natchez Monday for his &uot;capital for a day&uot; tour came at just the right time &045; when we should be making our New Year’s resolutions for the community.

Musgrove pledged to get the city a grant for a study on the strengths of the region &045; and how the city should market those strengths.

We’re pleased to see Musgrove taking an interest in the area &045; as well he should &045; but we’re concerned that another study will simply tell us what we already know.

The real test, of course, is in what we do with that knowledge.

And that’s not Musgrove’s responsibility, ultimately. It is the responsibility of each one of us &045; community leaders, residents, concerned citizens.

In a luncheon speech Monday, Musgrove told community leaders that one of the most important things they can do for economic development is support public schools.

The state of public education is one of the first things an interested business asks about when investigating a community. The schools are important not only for a company’s present employees &045; and their children &045; but also for the future workforce.

So our community’s New Year’s resolutions, perhaps, should involve those things that we all can do to improve our chances of attracting business and industry. It’s not just the job of public officials; it’s our responsibility, too.

Among those resolutions: Support public schools. Keep our neighborhoods and streets clean. Present a friendly, welcoming attitude to all you meet.

Maybe next year’s resolutions, then, will involve keeping those new businesses.