MONTICELLO – “Monticello is open for business,” town mayor Dave Nichols likes to say.

To back up that statement, Nichols is able to point to the many improvements being made around town, so many in fact that Monticello received the Mississippi Municipal League’s 2014 Excellence Award for Planning and Economic Development for towns with populations under 10,000 earlier this week.

“The town realized that, in today’s global market place, attracting industry for a small, rural Mississippi town would be very difficult,” the MML stated in a press release about Wednesday’s award presentation.

“So, they set out to grow the retail, service and tourism sectors in Monticello by beautifying downtown, adding a splash pad, getting on the Blues Trail, obtaining a new Readiness Center and making many improvements to Atwood Water Park that now truly makes Monticello ‘Just Feel Like Home,'” the MML said.

The Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Merchants Association, Garden Club, Cooper’s Ferry Trust and the Town of Monticello have all worked hard in the process of beautifying and growing the small, rural town.

The town has completed landscaping projects such as hanging baskets and planting knockout roses in downtown as well as landscaping around the splash park. Plans to continue to landscape more in the city will be discussed with Mississippi Department of Transportation at the next Lawrence County Board of Supervisors meeting near Highway 184.

The Blues Trail marker commemorates locally born musician J.B. Lenior, a Monticello native, who was known for his hit song in 1955 titled “Mama, Talk to Your Daughter.” Lenior was also famous for his musical activism addressing issues associated with the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War over the course of his career.

The Readiness Center, since the town of Prentiss moved its drills to Monticello, has doubled the use of the premises and has given a slight boost to the economy in Monticello, city officials say.

Improvements at the Atwood Water Park include a newly lit one-mile walking trail complete with exercise stations, six new Katrina cottages for rent and renovations to the stage.

The city of Monticello already boasts the industry of Georgia-Pacific, but Nichols has announced the coming business from Bonaventure Fire and Safety Company.

The company will be available to service local fire trucks throughout the area as needed and also sells the fire trucks.

Nichols said he is very excited about having Bonaventure come to Monticello because of the jobs and top-quality fire trucks they produce.

Nichols mentioned that one other coming business to Monticello, but declined to name the company at this time. The undisclosed company’s plans to put down roots in Monticello are reportedly in the works, but will formally be announced later in the year.

“We already have one world-class business here, and we are excited about getting two more,” said Nichols.

The MML Excellence Awards began in 1993 and recognize cities that demonstrate innovative problem solving, superior management and community participation that, as a whole, improve the quality of life for the local citizenry. This year’s awards were presented during a luncheon Wednesday in Biloxi.