Things don’t just happen; people make things happen.

From helping an elderly neighbor with household chores to much larger, grander community events and development projects, things move in a community only through the hard work and determination of people.

Today, we honor a few of the special people in our community who make good things happen around us.

We honor nine individuals in the Citizen of the Year/Unsung Heroes section of today’s edition. Inside we recognize The Natchez Democrat’s 2013 Citizen of the Year, James Biglane.

Known by many simply as a successful local businessman, many residents may be surprised to know the military veteran and father has filled a number of important roles in the community through the years.

From his then-crazy idea of bringing a hot-air balloon race to Natchez to his bank’s involvement in dozens of local charitable events, his impact has been felt for years in Natchez.

His efforts in restoring and reusing historic Natchez properties were among the first such in our modern history.

More recently, Biglane has served as a valued, stabilizing force on the fledgling Natchez Inc. board as the group first was formed.

For those and a myriad of other reasons, Biglane epitomizes the benevolent traits that make great community leaders. We’re proud to name him our Citizen of the Year.

In addition, we honor eight other individuals, each of whom was nominated by our readers as Unsung Heroes.

Their self-sacrificing acts make big differences in the lives of those around them, from the personal acts of kindness to grand community efforts.

All are appreciated and deserving of recognition. Please join us in celebrating their gracious, giving to our community.