Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Doris.

Doris who?

Door is locked that’s why we had to knock!

And knocking is precisely what we plan to do over the next four months, so get ready.

Our newspaper staff has kicked off our largest annual project — Profile — and we’ll soon be coming to you for help.

The theme this year, “Door by door: Unlocking the character of our community,” is aimed straight for the heart of the Miss-Lou — you.

Our area has so many wonderful people and so many stories to tell that we couldn’t think of a better way to reveal them all than by going door by door.

We want to tell the stories of love, loss and joy. We want to share your life experiences, your life lessons. We want to unlock your character.

So, don’t be surprised if you get a knock on the door (or maybe a phone call first) from one of our reporters, photographers or marketing people.

And, since we obviously don’t have the manpower to knock on every single door, if you have a story to tell, drop me an e-mail or give us a call.

We’ll be doing the majority of the work on Profile during November and December. The publication, a 100-plus page magazine, will come with your newspaper on Sunday, Feb. 22.

Because it is such a large product, we need most of the month of February to get it printed and bound.

And we like to save January for design and finishing touches.

Our marketing representatives are already working with local businesses to create Profile marketing plans, and reporters are beginning to work on stories this week.

But, in typical Democrat fashion, we had to get a little crazy before we got to work.

Those of you driving by the Natchez Little Theatre Sunday afternoon might have caught a glimpse of just how crazy we can be. From the giant, inflatable sumo wrestler to granny in her pajamas with a boiled egg and a potato in tow, our staff came out in full regalia for our Profile 2009 kickoff party.

The star of the show? Monty Hall, of course.

Monty — plaid jacket and microphone in hand — welcomed us all to the marketplace of America, “Let’s Make a Deal.”

Monty — better known locally as the wonderfully talented Mike Gemmell — traded joke prizes for cash and cash for jokes prizes.

Among the take-home booty were a matching pair of furry cougar claws, a 1982 toy car courtesy of Hot Wheels and a tube of Boudreaux’s Butt Paste.

But other, more skilled dealers, walked away with cash, a kitchen appliance and an MP3 player.

The point?

The Big Deal in “Let’s Make a Deal” centered on three doors. Players had the chance to choose Door 1, Door 2 or Door 3, all in hopes of finding the Big Deal.

And since our Profile theme this year is all about doors, and our kickoff is traditionally a bit whacky, “Let’s Make a Deal” seemed perfect.

Of course, we owe a big thank you to Mike Gemmell for his willingness to be our Monty. Thanks also goes to Layne Taylor at Natchez Little Theatre for sharing the theatre’s facility, offering up a prize and being our sound guy for the game, and to Don Vesterse for setting up our doors.

But now, our costumes are off, our prizes are at home, and our focus is on you.

This year, we’ve got a deal for you and we are bringing it to your door.

Julie Cooper is the managing editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at julie.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com or 601-445-3551.