The Natchez City Cemetery’s Angels on the Bluff tour has won Natchez the honor of best overall city in this year’s Excellence Awards.

Mayor F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith and city Cemetery Director Don Estes will be among city officials receiving the award tonight at the league’s annual conference in Biloxi. The awards recognize joint city-private program designed to address community problems, according to the Clarion-Ledger, which co-sponsors the awards with the Mississippi Municipal League.

Smith has originally nominated the award for another league award, the City Spirit Award &045; but when winners were announced, Angels on the Bluff received the state overall award, Estes said.

&uot;To get the best overall award is just more free publicity for the city,&uot; Smith said.

&uot;It recognizes the volunteer efforts the people in this city are so good for. It’s a great honor. And a lot of people have put a lot of work into this (tour), so it’s really a tribute to them.&uot;

Estes agreed, saying volunteers are what have made the program successful for its first four years &045; keeping crowds coming back even during the last two years, which were affected by rainy weather.

&uot;And I attribute it to the people in the cemetery. Š They each have interesting stories that are so unique,&uot; Estes said. &uot;Natchez has got its characters.&uot;

This is not the first state or national honor Natchez has received in recent years.

In 2003, the city received a statewide award as runner-up for the Governor’s Community Excellence for renovations to an old school building, now the Natchez Senior Citizen Multi-Purpose Center.

The city has also won the Making Mississippi Move Award from the Mississippi Municipal League, the Most Livable Community Award from the Clarion-Ledger and multiple City Livability Awards from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, among other honors.