Somewhere between the hat-wearing cats and where the wild things reside, lives a lesson or two. Those lessons fade in Natchez, however, when it rains.

Most children’s books usually contain an underlying life lesson. Usually, those lessons fall into the category of doing good for others, being honest, sharing with others or seeking to apply the Golden Rule, etc.

Countless children have been reared on such good, homespun lessons.

Unfortunately, some of those lessons appear lost on Natchez’s leaders.

How else could, nearly four months after the winds of Hurricane Gustav ripped through the area, our public library still have a leaky roof?

Since that time, the city has allocated funds to resurface tennis courts at Duncan Park, but the public library roof remains over the fault line.

Without taking anything away from the tennis court needs, we’d be willing to bet the library gets much more use than the tennis courts do.

And the roof needs seem more urgent; the lack of a solid roof leaves the valuable assets of the library at risk. More damage is just a rainstorm away.

We urge the city to find funds for the roof repairs. The building is owned and insured by the city, and ultimately, the city is responsible for maintaining it.

Doing what is right is a lesson that should be clear, even if the pages are still a bit damp.