NATCHEZ &045; Dozens of individuals and groups could be found Saturday picking up trash by the side of the road and, in a few cases, undertaking planting and other beautification projects.

Despite the threat of rain, cleanups were done throughout Natchez as part of a community-wide cleanup spearheaded by newly formed citizens’ group Vision Natchez.

Waste Management, which received the bags and buckets of trash as they were dropped off at the Mississippi River bluff near Rosalie, weighed the trash that afternoon. The weight was not available, however, as of press time Saturday.

The weigh-in &045; and a community picnic on the Rosalie grounds to celebrate the completion of the group’s first project &045; were held shortly after 1 p.m. But the cleanups themselves started hours earlier, with some groups starting as early as 7 a.m.

&uot;We’re doing this because Natchez is our home &045; we came here by choice,&uot; said Maxine Brice, who originally hails from northeast Louisiana.

&uot;It’s a great cause,&uot; said Megan Roberts, a Natchez High student. She, other Mayor’s Youth Council members and individuals such as Brice gathered at Main Street Marketplace at 9 a.m. to clean up downtown.

&uot;It’s one of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever lived in,&uot; Roberts said. &uot;And we’re here to help make it even better.&uot;

On Woodlawn Avenue, Ruby Gaylor &045; a 40-year resident of the area &045; was among a group of citizens picking up bags of trash.

&uot;It’s our responsibility to help keep our community clean,&uot; Gaylor said. Beside her, fellow volunteer Darryl Grennell said the group had already filled a trailer full of trash by just 10 a.m.

In front of Cathedral School, Boy Scouts from troops 158 and 168 dug up the spot where they would place azaleas, crape myrtles and other plants.

In addition to being a beautification project, the plantings are also a tribute to the late Pope John Paul II.

Plans were, for example, to place a statue of Mary in the middle of the plantings &045; a reference to the late pope, who had a special devotion to Mary.

It was also part of scout Matt Goss’ Eagle Scout project. &uot;It’s service to our community,&uot; Goss said.

&uot;We wanted to do something that’s going to be here for a while,&uot; Scoutmaster Ricky Warren said.

What’s Vision Natchez’s next project? Group founder Rena Jean Schmieg said the group’s members will have to decide that at their next meeting, a date for which has yet been set.

&uot;It depends,&uot; she said, &uot;on what they feel is the most needed thing to be done.&uot;