A united front. A unified voice. A shared vision. Simply soundbites? Or a glimmer of hope.

We’d like to think the phrases – the public pledges to support a new recreational project – offered by the Adams County supervisors on Monday herald a true shared vision, a unified front.

The issue at hand is recreation – particularly the development of the &uot;bean field&uot; area near Natchez High School. City aldermen, public school representatives and supervisors met last week to discuss the project and how the three groups could work together to make it a reality.

The meeting was promising, a hope reassured by the supervisors’ vote on Monday to endorse the concept of a joint recreational project – even if that vote was tempered with concerns about funding.

The complex concept includes baseball, soccer and softball facilities, as well as community areas such as a walking track.

Ultimately, it could even include a natatorium with an indoor public swimming pool. And, ultimately, it will be a pricey investment for the city, county and school district.

But the key word is investment. Because creating this type of recreational complex is truly an investment in our community’s future. And, by pooling resources and efforts, the three entities can create a stellar complex that would serve the youth – and the adults – of Natchez and Adams County now and into the future.

We agree with supervisor Virginia Salmon who said, simply, &uot;if we’re going to be a part of the ‘we’ and not the ‘them-and-us’ concept, we need to get together on it.&uot;

She’s right, of course, and supervisors, aldermen and school board members are poised to reap the benefits of a &uot;we&uot; mentality if they choose to accept the challenge.

We hope they will.