Construction projects, an influx of new residents after Hurricane Katrina, interest from several companies who want to locate in the Miss-Lou &8212; all of these things seem to be building momentum for a brighter future for the area.

Perhaps Katrina was our tipping point &8212; the moment when what happened in our past didn&8217;t seem nearly so terrible, and what was ahead seemed brighter than ever.

But to keep the promise of that brighter future, our community leaders and residents must keep working hard to attract industry and rebuild our economy.

So many local residents showed how we can unite in the face of adversity by welcoming Katrina evacuees and giving them not only a home but a place to open new businesses.

Local officials showed their strength in numbers last week when they converged en masse on Jackson to lobby the Senate for funding to improve infrastructure at the site of a proposed coal gasification plant in the county.

None of our potential success stories has happened overnight, and none has happened without hard work on the part of residents and officials.

We have so much on our plate &8212; the Rentech fuel manufacturing facility, a rubber recycling plant, condos, two hotels and more &8212; and we have no guarantee that any of these projects will reach fruition.

But mixing a sense of optimism with hard work and strategic planning is the best recipe we know for success.