When the Texas Main Street Program announced its five choices Thursday for 2007 Main Street Cities, Palestine Mayor Carolyn Salter didn’t hear the news she’d wanted.  Palestine finished sixth, behind Bastrop, Bridgeport, Cotulla, Kilgore and Spur.

But the city’s application impressed the judges enough that the panel extended an invitation for Palestine to become a “provisional” Main Street City for 2007, something none of the other applicants were offered.  “We were the only one out of the group invited,” Salter said.

Debra Farst, the state coordinator for the Texas Main Street Program, said Thursday that the judges break down each city’s application and score it mathematically, ranking them numerically.  While Palestine’s application fell short of the top five, it stood out enough, nonetheless, for the panel to recognize the quality of effort committed to the city’s downtown revitalization, she said.  “A key point to this is Palestine showed enough, had done enough, that they really wanted to get back into the program,” Farst said.

Palestine was a Main Street City from 1986-1991.

“The ones selected to get in tended to rank higher than others in every category,” Farst said.  Categories included the historic fabric of the community, things already being done in the community, letters of support and meetings showing broad-based community support and involvement, as well as a sample budget showing financial support by the applying city, Farst said.

During the summer application process, a group of 55 local residents and business people worked to put together the detailed information and goals required by the Texas Historical Commission, which oversees the Texas Main Street Program.  “They have done so much, they’ve been impressive enough — it’s a great community with a lot of potential,” Farst said. “It’s not officially a Main Street City but then, the next year, being part of the program, they can be part of the training.”

Some of the training that the city can take advantage of includes economic development and board training, Farst said.  To enter the program as a provisional city, Palestine must add a Main Street director to its city staff, Farst said, something the city already had anticipated during its recent budget sessions.

“They still want us to have a Main Street director. The Main Street director can do all the training,” Salter explained, adding that the difference between full and provisional status comes in the amount of services available free of charge. “We don’t have access to the design services. That was the main reason I applied.”  In addition, if the city does accept the invitation, it will be required to reapply next year for Main Street status, Farst said. Cities can be provisional one year and full status the next, moves that Bridgeport and Spur both made.

“No promises are ever made, but two of the five this year were provisional last year,” Farst said.

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Beth Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com