Things are considerably calmer at The Democrat after many intense weeks of work selling, writing and photographing for our annual Profile edition, which you will find in today’s issue.

It’s always nice to deliver a heftier version of your hometown newspaper, but it’s nicer to give you a &8220;Profile&8221; of your own community.

Inside today you will find 10 sections devoted to such topics as &8220;Our Life,&8221; &8220;Our People,&8221; and &8220;Our Future.&8221;

You’ll find stories about the people, places and things in the Miss-Lou that are worth celebrating.

&8220;Celebrate&8221; is the theme we chose for Profile this year, and we find it appropriate as we celebrate two major events this year &045; the bicentennial of Natchez’s incorporation and the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase.

The first section is devoted to our own local heroes, including our Citizens of the Year, Sisters Clare Hogan, Mary Junkin and Emmanuel Schott.

The three sisters, the last of the Daughters of Charity who live in Natchez, represent the generations of nuns who have lived in, worked in and served this community for more than 150 years.

This year will be their last year in Natchez, because of the dwindling numbers of the order in this community, but the legacy of love and service they leave will last long after they have moved on.

Also in that section are the Unsung Heroes, nominated for their quiet acts of kindness and generosity.

Most of the Unsung Heroes who were selected know why they were chosen, but they do not know who nominated them. We’ll keep it our little secret.

Other sections in this year’s Profile look at our lifestyle, including sports and education, businesses and people.

You’ll meet the man who umpired a game between two Negro League teams back in 1951.

You’ll meet a Natchez resident with the amazing story of growing up from Nazi youth to American war hero.

You’ll meet grandparents taking care of their grandchildren, a couple who have moved downtown to be closer to the heart of Natchez, parents who make a difference in their children’s schools.

In our annual photography section, this year titled &8220;A Day in Our Life,&8221; you’ll see Miss-Lou residents as they go about the business of one day &045; from the mundane tasks such as making breakfast and folding laundry to minor miracles such as performing surgery.

You’ll meet students, volunteers, seniors, businesspeople, &045; all the folks who make our community what it is.

And our annual Profile edition would not be possible without the support of our advertisers.

It also wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of all of the departments at The Democrat, the people who sell the ads and the newspapers, write the stories, take the photographs and print the newspaper.

We’re honored once again to present this slice of our community’s life, as we’re honored every day to bring you the news of your community.

Kerry Whipple

is editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at (601) 445-3541, or by e-mail at

kerry.whipple@natchezdemocrat.com

.