Hundreds of people are signed up for a cleanup and beautification day Saturday &045; a huge number of volunteers who will help pick up litter and plant flowers in both the county and the city.

The effort is the first project of Vision Natchez, a group whose mission is to promote a better quality of life in Natchez.

This first project was meant to be an initial step &045; a project the group could accomplish in just one month.

And it sounds as if the group is off to a good start, if those who have signed up participate in the cleanup event on Saturday.

If you’re interested in participating, you can join the group between 7 and 9 a.m. on the bluff Saturday. There, team captains will receive supplies and groups will begin working in the areas they have chosen from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Everyone will join in a picnic lunch on the bluff at the end of the project.

We have much to gain from a short-term project like this. The work itself is important, as beautification is so important to our quality of life and to the image that we project to visitors, whether they are tourists or industrial prospects.

Also, the emphasis on everyone’s working together will help our community now and in the future as we work on more long-term projects.

We hope everyone will participate in this project, not only because beautification of our community is such a worthwhile activity but also because the teamwork behind this event is crucial to our succcess as a community.