Looking around a familiar place often enough can lead to the belief that nothing ever changes much.

This is especially true when the national economy has slowed a bit.

And in a relatively rural part of Mississippi, especially one as steeped in history and historic preservation as ours, it’s easy to think that nothing ever changes.

But the reality is that even during economic slow periods, development happens.

Here in the Miss-Lou, where lots of residents may think change comes too slowly, change is evident all around us, particularly in the form of a number of large, public projects.

The City of Natchez has two large project under way — one fun and educational and the other, perhaps boring, but necessary.

Construction of the Natchez Trails Project is under way, and when completed, the trails will be a great thing for both city residents and city visitors.

On the less interesting but massively important end of the spectrum, the north Natchez drainage project will provide a greatly needed modernization of drainage infrastructure that is long overdue.

Across the river in Vidalia, phase 1 of a new marina is done and more work is planned. The city is also nearing construction dates on a recreational facilities and a new municipal complex. All will be value additions to the community when finished.

Our area may not be as bustling as a large, metropolitan city, but a great number of projects are in the works and we should all be thankful for how each one will improve our community.