Posted by blackwood (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 8:27 p.m.

The new administration needs to take a good hard look at how our town looks to outsiders. Think about what kind of first appearance we make to potential developers, tourists, retirees, etc. This includes, roads/streets, signs/directions, and dilapidated buildings. You NEVER get the chance to make a 2nd first impression. Look at the town as if you were just seeing it for the first time. Then realize that you/we need to be as hard and flexible as necessary to get this town into shape. We cannot wait years for the church on Main to come down or be restored. We cannot wait years for the buildings near the City Auditorium to rot to the ground. We cannot wait years for the entrances into the city to be beautified. Please, get busy on the basics.

Marc Blackwood

Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 8:33 a.m.

I am with Marc in his above post. The City has terrible roads, whenever I bring people to Natchez for the first time, they ask if we ever repair our roads. Its embarassing.

Posted by ladyrider (anonymous) on June 5, 2008 at 9:11 a.m.

I agree with Marc and Mike8427. The first impression of Natchez is embarrassing. The entrance into 61S is ugly - Smith Heating & Cooling has rusty parts lying around on their property, the business with all the yard art, etc. Thank goodness for Jordan Carriers and all they're going to be doing to their property.

Posted by frogprincenessntz (anonymous) on June 6, 2008 at 3:45 a.m.

We should be focused on fixing our streets instead of messing with businesses who provide jobs and tax dollars. One man's junk is another man's treasure, so how do you know the tourists are not looking for exactly what you do not like? We have a lot of infrastructure that needs repairing before we go off on a tangent trying to make houses and businesses look like what we think is attractive.

Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on June 6, 2008 at 6:54 a.m.

Not only how it looks to outsiders, but what about the inside segment of citizens who DO care about Natchez. I am of the belief Natchez can be both appealing to her residents and to visitors! Viable, long-standing, hiring jobs and a nice clean up of properties would not hurt. I think what we are going to see is what Natchez has seen for years, and it is that it takes more than a one man show to run a city. The mayor can't and won't do it alone. It takes the council, the boards, the law enforcement and they citizens at large, to make Natchez as beautiful and as functional as it CAN be.

Posted by grrbrts (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 1:24 a.m.

One word....HOUSING. Without housing, we, the people, are primitive. And just what does housing have to do with economy? EVERYTHING. Just think of what goes into just one single home....plumping, carpentry, appliances, electricians, hardware, and countless others. All these create a source of sales (business). That leads to employment (jobs). The list is much too long to account for, here.

Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 10:53 a.m.

Parents who give a damn. That's why Adams County schools have a bad reputation. Well, that coupled with Fill-Up West and Company's bad decision to ruin the system. Just think, that small handful of rabble rousers destroyed the huge and once well-scoring Natchez school system.

Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 12:39 p.m.

Ya think maybe they could seriously clean up the drug problem in Natchez? If that could be accomplished then other things would fall into place.

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 11:21 p.m.

I think about the best that we can expect of our mayor and aldermen is to do the basics of their jobs as is expected in most towns of Mississippi. Creating a large number of well paying jobs, making the area drug and crime free, convincing parents to be good at parenting.... these would all fall into the hurculean category. This would be nice, but its certainly not expected. If they will simply fix what they have neglected and accept public input and scrutiny we'll have a good start.

Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 8, 2008 at 10:01 a.m.

Good old wisdom from OldGrandDad. Makes perfect sense to me.

Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 11:05 a.m.

Well according to the Democrat, the city needs to work on getting off State Handouts. So looks like the city should also work on getting off federal handouts too. So much for public housing.

Get out!

Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 4:42 p.m.

They first have to clean up or finish what the former officials have started, sort of like what the upcoming president has to do.

Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 10, 2008 at 4:45 p.m.

or mayor of Ferriday or Natchez.

Posted by fedup21 (anonymous) on June 10, 2008 at 9:41 p.m.

kpage,
Do you really think West is the cause the scores are low in the NASD? If desegregating the schools caused the scores to be low and the students to under achieve, then all over the US would be lack luster school systems. Thoughts like these make me think you are part of the problem or you have not recieved your GED yet.....

Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 7:35 a.m.

Ahhhhh, one of the straggling few who still think that was a good idea. GED!!! It's more like the Dean's List in college.

Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 7:43 p.m.

First order of business? Get cops on horse patrol downtown on weekends!
It would look nice and people could feel a bit safer!

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 9:35 p.m.

A little more horse poo on the streets would be in historical context. Good idea.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on June 11, 2008 at 10 p.m.

Double-edged sword....public education now will help bring in future jobs...which will be accredited to whomever may be in the mayors office at that time...and bring in REAL industry to the area NOW that will help average joe to provide for his family TODAY.

Repairing the streets and basic infrastructure is a basic responsibility of local governments across the nation and should not be dependent on who sits in the mayors chair at the moment. The best thing the mayor can do is make sure that everything he does and tries to do is the very best for every citizen in Natchez. He needs to make sure he does not become a figure-head for any particular group. FOR ME, this would be the tourism industry. I hope the next mayor does not fall in to doing everything they want as he sits in the office.

Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 12:21 a.m.

LOL at OlegrandDad!
Okay, I wasnt thinking about the horse poo...lol

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 12:58 a.m.

ntzmom, I was just funnin' with you. I know that mounted police are used in other places but I don't know how they control their horse products. I tend to watch where I walk so it would make me no never-mind. Other places have their downtown police on bikes or on foot. Maybe if we brought the doughnut shop closer to downtown??? (smile)

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 9:02 a.m.

Don't they put that "diaper bag" looking thing on the horses to collect their poo? I think horses on our city streets both day AND night would not only be a good thing but also eco friendly!

Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 10:39 a.m.

Thanks sayitloud! I thought it would look really cool for our little historic town.
And the poo bag diaper things would handle the problem that OleGrandDad pointed out!
Feeding those horses is bound to be cheaper than gas....wonder if its do--able. (not sure how to spell that)

Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 3:05 p.m.

That horse poo could be used for fertilizing all the green areas in downtown Natchez. In Vidalia, we have a chipper truck that chips up our sticks 'n stuff. But I've seen the city buying mulch, instead of using the chipper truck refuse. Go figure! I say use the resources available that are free...like pookey and sticks.

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 9:56 p.m.

Y'all ever seen the town policemen in Banff?

http://rantsinyourpants.com/mike/stories...

But hey, that's a real "tourist" town.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 10:34 p.m.

If you spent trillions on the schools would the students act any different or try harder. The kids do what they want in school now,pumpin more and more monies into a failing system won,t help.The money is not the problem,what and why the children are motivated about or for is the problem.
Will they care more and treat one another and others with respect if more monies are pumped into the system..no they won,t.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 10:38 p.m.

If you buy them more and give them more,they will just tear up what you build. They don,t appreciate things that are handed to them,make them work for it. Like we did

Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on June 13, 2008 at 10:56 a.m.

Very nice pictures OleGranddad. Thanks for the link!
I would love to go there.

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on June 13, 2008 at 8:46 p.m.

ntzmom, You're quite welcome. I've only been there once, years ago. Head west by northwest from Natchez, turn right at the Rocky Mountains, stay on the prairie and keep the mountains on your left until you get to the Bow River, then turn left. Its a nice place.

Its amazing to see what many other towns are doing, and have been doing over the years, to attract tourists. Sometimes its just an accumulation of small things like putting your foot patrolmen in mountie uniforms to answer questions and be visible as policemen.