The Lane Company’s Ted Doody must have been a student of my freshman college English professor, Brenda Sartoris.

After listening to the many hopeful comments from those who had just finished listening to Doody speak at the Natchez Rotary Club Wednesday, I was reminded of those hard-earned lessons in Sartoris’ class.

It took only a few steps into my accelerated English class in 1986 for me to know that I was no longer in high school any more.

For a student who barely studied and was practically every high school teacher’s pet, I quickly discovered that Sartoris was not looking for a pet. She was looking for intelligent students.

That point was made absolutely clear two weeks into college when I looked down at a huge D- scrawled across the cover page of my very first college essay.

I can still remember that rush of panic passing through my body as I stared blankly at the grade. And I can remember those fearful steps towards Sartoris’ desk as I inquired about my future in her class.

“Mr. Hillyer,” she said. “You have demonstrated that you have good ideas. Unfortunately, good ideas are not enough.”

That was the start of a long, difficult semester. But in the end I learned the hard lesson that all ideas, no matter how good they are, are inaccessible until they are communicated clearly and concisely with thought and imagination.

Ted Doody must have been schooled by Sartoris or someone very much like her.

Standing in front of a packed house at the Carriage House Restaurant, Doody communicated the Lane Company’s plans for the development at the end of Roth Hill with finesse.

Using words like community, cooperation, listening, learning and openness and communication, Doody gave listeners the impression that the Lane Company is interested in becoming a vital piece of the community.

His message was simple and concise — the Lane Company wants to be a part of Natchez.

To show his company’s commitment to the community, Doody said Lane wants to give over half of the land on the riverfront to a city park that will “be one of the most sought after parks in the Southeast.” And if it all works out, Lane will combine efforts with the city’s Trails Project to offer architects and engineers for that endeavor.

And if that wasn’t enough, Doody expressed concern that whatever his company decides to do at the bottom of Roth Hill will not take away from the energy that is already at the top of the hill in the downtown area.

What local businessmen heard Wednesday was very different from the message that city leaders were sending to residents a little more than a year ago about the proposed pecan factory project.

In late 2005, the mayor and board of aldermen tried to force their plans to put condominiums on top of the Mississippi River bluff. With only the explanation that the project will happen whether residents like it or not, the aldermen failed to communicate their ideas to residents. On one occasion, questions about the future condo development from citizens were met with complete silence by the board of aldermen.

Now the issue is tied up in a protracted legal battle that could doom the project altogether.

Unfortunately, city leaders have since decided that stonewalling is the response of choice whenever met with resistance from residents.

The condominium project on the bluff may have been a good idea but as my teacher once said, “Unfortunately, good ideas are not enough.”

Maybe city leaders could learn a lesson from Ms. Sartoris. If not, maybe they could learn a few from Mr. Doody.

Ben Hillyer is the web editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3552 or ben.hillyer@natchezdemocrat.com.