NATCHEZ &045;&045; Remembering our history and preserving our community’s beauty should be at the top of each citizen’s agenda, said Jim Heaney, supervisory park ranger for the National Park Service. Each year tourists come from around the world to capture the splendor of Natchez’s historical monuments and sites, he said.

&uot;Here in Natchez we can do a great service to the town we love by volunteering,&uot; he said, adding that there is no better way to display pride than to lend a helping hand.

On Saturday, the Natchez National Historical Park will host &uot;Take Pride in America,&uot; a volunteer event that will take place at the Melrose estate.

Take Pride in America is a national partnership established by the U.S. Department of the Interior and its mission is to empower volunteers from every corner of America to improve parks, refuges, recreation area and cultural and historical sites.

&uot;We have something incredibly special in this town with there being national historical parks here,&uot; said Heaney. &uot;There’s not a national park in Los Angeles, Detroit, or even Dallas. … What we have here is a compelling, fascinating history. We’re inviting everyone out to preserve that history.&uot;

The Take Pride in America program is a government-wide initiative that works on the local and national level. There are similar events taking place in other parks around the nation.

Volunteers are needed at Melrose to join park staff in planting cherry laurels, painting historic structures and other beautification projects. Lunch and tours of the Melrose mansion will be free. &uot;We are looking for as many volunteers as possible to come out and show their support,&uot; said Heaney. &uot;We’re proud of what we have and we hope to instill that pride in others.&uot;

Heaney said volunteers should dress down, bring changes of clothes for the tours and have a hearty appetite at hand. Food and cake will be served. Volunteers will receive T-shirts.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1 Melrose-Montebello Parkway.

Interested volunteers should contact Jim Heaney at 442-7049, extension 14 for details.