KILGOROUND

I RARELY COMMENT ON local news issues, or city government and things related to it, because I don't want to stick my foot in my mouth if I'm not completely familiar with a situation.

The city of Kilgore has renewed interest in the Main Street Association program, a subject in which I am fairly wellversed.

I moved here just over four years ago from east Mississippi, and I had spent about three years as the news reporter for The Neshoba Democrat in Philadelphia. While I was there, Philadelphia decided to become a Main Street city. Mississippi, by the way, was at the time one of the national Main Street Association's elite states.

Philadelphia invited Main Street in and for three years, I chronicled developments of the evolution of the program. I covered everything from the mundane aspects (such as counting how many parking spaces there were throughout the Philadelphia downtown area - yes, I really did that - to the more elaborate (architectural renderings of what a much-improved Philadelphia would look like).

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A GLIMPSE OF THINGS to come, should the city re-join Main Street (and should Main Street accept the city's application):

 An architect familiar with all things Main Street will be brought to the downtown area to examine it and offer suggestions on how its look and efficiency could be improved.

 This architect will want to host a town meeting, and he or she will try to get a consensus of what the people who attend believe is downtown Kilgore's best assets and biggest detractions, or problems. Eventually, they'll present designs, a vision, of what an ideal downtown Kilgore would look like.

 An individual improvement cost assessment for the businesses downtown after one-on-one interviews with each of the business owners.

 The city will have to establish a Main Street budget and designate a Main Street director. Make no mistake, either - if done correctly, being the coordinator of a Main Street program is quite the time-consuming position.

Some of the things the architect is likely to suggest (not require, but suggest):

 That awnings on the fronts of businesses, put in place during the urban renewal of the 1960s and 1970s, be removed in favor of the original brick behind those awnings (get ready to hear the term "original brick" a lot).

After hearing that Kilgore was considering becoming a Main Street city, I spent a little bit of time driving downtown ... the urban renewal/awning

salesmen made a killing here, as he did in most small town downtown areas.

 That the city get a hold on signage and set some limitations. This probably caused more debate in Philadelphia than anything else, because Philly leaders adopted a pretty restrictive sign ordinance.

 The relocation of power lines running throughout the downtown skyline to underneath the city streets.

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ULTIMATELY, the success - or failure - of Main Street falls on three groups of people: the Main Street committee, the merchants that are asked to help make the improvements, and the local Main Street management circle.

If you don't know much about the Main Street program, here's a view from the layman's perspective - it works. It champions the history and heritage of a city while allowing change for necessary improvements.

Like anything, a properlyorganized Main Street program takes time, patience and money (and a good portion of all three), but it does work. And it does help bring senses of pride and teamwork to a city, not just the downtown area.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY locally to Jalayna Bass, Lila Pearce, Christian Tucker, Peggy Howard, Carter Thomas Grooms, Kay Wallace, Melainie Bass, Richard Fowler, Kay Wren Michel, Andrew Simon, Angie Taylor, Tommy Swanson, James Hawley, Jim Wylie, Mary Morrison, Sheila Washington, Teresa Kingsbury, Doris Oglesby, Alec Stone, Karissa Lemly, Rev. E.L. Warren, Wendi Ann Baker, Daniel Garcia, Diane Biggs, Emily Ivins.

Actor Tab Hunter (75) and actress Brett Somers (82).