NATCHEZ &045; People who are new to Natchez bring creativity and vigor to the city, said Tammi Gardner of the Downtown Development Association.

She was one of those newcomers only a dozen years ago and remembers how it felt to see Natchez for the first time. Now, she also sees what makes Natchez unique and how important it is to keep that part intact.

&uot;You want to preserve some of the nuttiness that makes Natchez Natchez,&uot; Gardner said. &uot;But you can see Natchez becoming a destination much like Aspen. Like Aspen, Natchez is hard to get to, but you’re so charmed when you do that you want to stay or buy property before you leave.&uot;

Natchez will always be a diamond in the rough, she said. It will maintain its quirkiness, which is central to its charm, she said.

&uot;I love the incredible closeness of friends and neighbors,&uot; she said. And recently she witnessed other downtown shop owners convince another shop owner not to move out of town &uot;because they all needed each other. I think they network in their own way and they are very good about helping each other with referrals.&uot;

Gardner told the story of the state Main Street director coming to Natchez with a friend, walking down a residential street on a hot summer day. &uot;Someone came out of a house and told them they looked hot and must come in for a glass of iced tea. That’s the epitome of what Natchez is,&uot; Gardner said.

Not too long ago, Gardner interviewed for a Chamber of Commerce director position in Colorado. It was a dream position back in her native state, in a town near her family.

&uot;They picked me out of 75 people from around the country,&uot; Gardner said. &uot;I was a fit for them when they needed a native to come and sell that area.&uot;

She couldn’t leave Natchez. &uot;And it ended up being the best thing I could have done,&uot; she said. &uot;This (Natchez) organization may not do a big-bang thing every year, but what we do with a $75,000 budget with one paid employee and the rest volunteer help is something we don’t want to lose.&uot;

The Historic Natchez Foundation makes a big difference in how she can manage Downtown Development, Gardner said. She has office space in the Historic Natchez Foundation building, and the Foundation oversees all the city’s preservation efforts, relieving her of a big responsibility that often falls to a local Main Street program.

&uot;They are committed to this program,&uot; Gardner said.

Downtown Development has about 200 members, individuals and businesses.