NATCHEZ &045;&045; In order for Natchez to prosper, its citizens must work together to address the challenges before them, Mayor Phillip West told the Natchez Rotary Club Wednesday.

West, once a baseball player at Alcorn State, compared the city to a baseball team. Different residents have different strengths and weaknesses &045;&045; but, when they come together, they have a better chance of reaching their goals, he said.

&uot;And unless we work together, … we will not be able to take advantage of the real opportunities we do have,&uot; West said.

Natchez has many things going for it, from a rich history to its current diversity, &uot;but all these things will not be rewarded unless we come together as a team,&uot; he said.

A case in point is that a team representing a cross-section of Natchez-Adams County’s governmental and economic development leaders plans to meet soon with state officials.

That team, West said, will include Adams County supervisors President Darryl Grennell and Vice President Sammy Cauthen, Natchez Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem David Massey and Woody Allen, chairman of the Economic Development Authority.

That meeting, originally scheduled for Friday, had to be postponed by Gov. Haley Barbour’s office, but West said he will work to get it rescheduled as soon as possible.

The purpose of the meeting, he said, will be to impress on Barbour that there are many things he can do to help Natchez achieve prosperity.

A few specific projects will be discussed with Barbour and possibly with Leland Speed of the Mississippi Development Authority, &uot;but nothing I can comment on at this time,&uot; West said following the Rotary meeting.

West also said after the meeting that while EDA is the lead agency on economic development, he wants city and county leaders to become more involved in economic development.

They can do that, he said, by following up with any business contacts they have about the possibility of locating in this area, then routing the prospects to the EDA.

West also called on the community at large to display another example of teamwork. West said he is asking businesses throughout Natchez to encourage each of their employees to volunteer for just 40 hours a year.

That type of community service not only benefits the area’s good causes, &uot;but goes a long way toward developing (a positive) attitude and unity in this community,&uot; West said.