Something important has almost gotten lost between the EDA funding squabble and the quibbling over how our city’s tourism marketing money is being spent.

People in Natchez and Adams County are talking and expressing their opinions about the direction the city should be going.

After literally decades of gum flapping and no real work being done, city and county leaders are sitting at the same table and talking about recreation.

Despite the ugly manner in which it began, the discussion of the EDA was at least a baby step in the right direction, too. Ultimately, our community — from formal, elected leaders to Joe Taxpayer — needs to come to the table not to merely be heard, but to find common ground.

At Monday’s meeting of the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Council, the participants were talking about how to capitalize on Christmas. Yes, Christmas.

Some of the ideas discussed included ways to make Natchez — particularly downtown — a destination for people during the holiday season.

Similar seeds are what ultimately germinated into now must-have events such as Pilgrimage, the balloon race, the blues festival and increasingly the Phatwater Kayak Challenge.

If we don’t continue creatively thinking out of the box of status quo, we’re destined to never change.

We see positives ahead of our community — on a number of fronts — the biggest key is to keep communication flowing.