A population boom is in the near future for Covington County when 10 Babe Ruth teams from eight states arrive in Andalusia for the 2003 Southeast Regional Tournament.

Everyone wants to make sure the players and their fans, mostly family members, have a good time in Andalusia and leave Covington County with fond memories. We all want them to leave with smiles on their faces - and not just because they won a baseball game. We want them to have a good time - win or lose.

All we have to do is be ourselves and everybody will have a grand time.

Some citizens of Covington County may be worried about approximately 150 15-year-old baseball players coming to town for the tournament. They may worry about problems.

They should not have anything to worry about. The Babe Ruth Baseball League, like Little League, promotes not just baseball but good citizenship. The young men on these teams should be first-class citizens and if they aren't, they will be on the first bus home.

The tournament will be played at Foshee Field on the campus of LBW Community College beginning Friday, July 25.

Ironically, the Covington County Junior Miss Program will also begin on Friday, July 25 and continue through late Saturday night. The Junior Miss Program will also be held on the campus of LBW Community College in the Solon Dixon Performing Arts Center.

The Junior Miss Program is once again made up of several of the best young women in Covington County. They are much more than just beauty queens. Each participant is involved in the community, extracurricular activities and usually have one of the highest grade point averages in their graduating class.

So, regardless of all the bad news on TV and in newspapers reporting about teenagers involved in drugs and crime, it is nice to know there are still young people out there who strive to be their best.

Both the Babe Ruth Southeast Regional Tournament and the Covington County Junior Miss Program will feature some of the finest young adults from our area and throughout the south.

Show them how much their good works means to us as a society by attending one or both of these events. It will mean a lot to them and no doubt put a smile on your face.