For children playing at Providence Park, Rentech is probably just a funny word.

The name of the coal-to-liquids fuel technology company doesn’t mean much to them. In fact, most of them may not have even heard of the company.

Yet, even before the company has produced a drop of its fuel at the site of its planned Natchez production facility, Rentech’s impact is being felt here, and its impact is about to be seen by the park goers.

No, we’re not talking about the more than $1 million the county received as a result of Rentech’s purchase of the former International Paper mill site.

Nor are we talking about the adjacent property that Rentech deeded to the county.

We’re talking about something much more tangible to a 12-year-old — lights.

Rentech recently donated dozens of streetlights that were being taken down from the former IP site to the county.

The first use of the lights is expected to be at the Providence Park.

We thank Rentech for being a good, civic-minded citizen long before its production has even begun.

And going forward, a generation of county residents will enjoy the light flooding the field at the park as a result.

Maybe one day soon the word “Rentech” will mean as much to our economy as “International Paper” once did. In the meantime, however, we’ll enjoy the gift of the lights.