Tucked into the $447 billion omnibus spending bill signed by President Obama last week, the $1.5 million earmarked for the Vidalia port project was practically a rounding error.

What may be a small amount in terms of Washington, D.C., math is a huge boost to Vidalia’s plans to bring a port to Louisiana bank of the Mississippi River.

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland has been working on bringing a port to the parish for years.

His long years of work are finally coming to fruition.

Copeland’s constant work to develop Vidalia should serve as a model for other nearby communities. Through his work and determination, things are moving in Vidalia, the town that boasts itself as the “City on the Move.”

As the port project continues to move forward and become a reality, we congratulate Copeland and the many others who have worked the project to its current state.

But we also hope and encourage Adams County’s leadership to work with Vidalia and find ways that partnering together can benefit both sides of the river.

When the Vidalia port is completed, it doesn’t have to compete head to head with the Adams County port. They could, potentially, partner together, sharing common leadership and sales efforts.

Together they may be able to make what’s currently a federal rounding error into a truly community-changing venture for our area.