THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1981
Page 5
'Downtown Navasota tries to recapture past
^ ...... . r_ ; —it.. •• 11, I—i. „t,) I “I thinli ilii-rri a lot of interest in it
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Hi Like the grandmother who replaced her beauti-
hand-sewn quilts with electric blankets, mer-
^chants in Navasota over the years have covered
Utheir elegant 19th century storefronts with 20th
l^century plastic and neon.
A But with the help of the federal government
Ijancl Texas A&M University architecture stu-
^•dents, Navasota is finding a way to recapture a
little of its past.
A Navasota was one of five Texas towns selected
pearlier this year to participate in the National
^Main Street Project which is funded through the
^National Trust for Historic Preservation.
qKDavid Woodcock, a Texas A&M architecture
^professor, and 10 of his students started the first
'Ijpfise of the project this summer by taking mea-
Ssurements of seven historic buildings on Railroad
* ’Street that will be used to make record drawings
(I
of the structure.
The Main Street project started two years ago
as a pilot program when three cities were
selected to be studied. Later, Texas was among
six states chosen to participate. The University of
Texas and Texas Tech University are involved
with the other cities selected, Woodcock said.
Although glaring plastic signs dominate down
town Navasota, the intricate details of century-
old cast-iron storefronts are also present.
Among the seven buildings selected for the
record drawing study are the P.A. Smith Hotel,
circa 1876, and the Giesel Building, built in
1860, and the oldest commercial structure in
Navasota, Woodcock said.
Restoring attractive and appropriate facades to
the buildings is just one element of the Main
Street project goal — the other is economic re
vitalization.
The project is aimed at trying “to help historic
downtown areas to meet the challenge of con
temporary shopping,” Woodcock said.
The Highway 6 bypass built around the town
about five years ago has become the location for
several businesses, he said, which is a contribut
ing factor to declining shopping in the downtown
area.
There are several reasons for the decline,
Woodcock said, including erratic nighttime store
hours, parking problems and an unwillingness on
the part of some merchants to dress up their store
windows.
But Navasota, which was chosen one of the
best small towns in Texas by Texas Monthly last
year, has many positive aspects.
“One thing they do have going for them is that
it’s a very friendly town, ” Woodcock said, “and
they’re becoming very aware of their history.”
There have also been several indications that
the merchants affected by the Main Street pro
ject want to cooperate and ultimately to revitalize
the downtown area.
At a special conference held in June two banks
and one savings and loan institution announced
that they had set aside $10,000 loans at eight
percent interest for merchants interested in
storefront improvements, Woodcock said.
“This is the kind of thing the Main Street
program has been trying to encourage,” he said.
Robert H. Whitten, publisher of the Navasota
Examiner and owner of four buildings on Rail
road Street including the Giessel Building, said
the community is behind the project.
“I think there’s a lot of interest in it here, ” he
said, “but I think for it to really work they’re
going to have to be real practical.”
Whitten said even with the low-interest loans a
$3,000-$5,000 figure for improvements would be
“feasible.”
Woodcock said the $3,()()0-$5,()()() range for the
cost of improvements is reasonable and the last
phase of the project will include practical sugges
tions to the merchants such as color schemes.
Although the funds for the Navasota project
are initiated at the federal level, Woodcock said,
Texas is committed to another nine years of Main
Street projects.
Five towns will be selected each year to parti
cipate with the nominations coming from town
officials. Woodcock said there are already 99 ap
plications for next year’s projects.
A&M student to try for Miss Texas title
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[fit s true that the third time is a charm, Miss Texas A&M
nay be the next Miss Texas.
Sheri Ryman, 19, this week will compete in the Miss
exas Pageant for the third time. She first competed in the
tate pageant at 17 as Miss Big Thicket. Last year she was
^mong the 10 finalists as Miss Bay Area,
i jTliis year the sophomore industrial distribution major
dll compete as Miss Texas A&M. Shell be up with 70
contestants in the pageant held July 8-11 at the Tarrant
County Convention Center in Fort Worth. KB IX, Chan
nel 3 in Bryan, will televise the pageant Saturday at 10:30
p.m.
In talent competition, Ryman will perform a gymnastic-
jazz routine to the theme from “Close Encounters of the
Third Kind.” She also will compete in evening gown and
swimsuit competition as well as in the preliminary 7 inter
views.
Miss Texas A&M says the pageant is stiff competition but
a trip to Atlantic City, N.J. for the Miss America Pageant
would be exciting.
“After coming this far there is no sense in not going all
the way,” she said. “I feel good about competing for the
title again. I’m older, more mature and I’m going to give it
my all.”
County line dispute causes
reapportionment problems
United Press International
AUSTIN — One of the plaintiffs
:hallenging the legislature’s reap-
portionment of the House said the
plan is unfair to Mexican-
\mericans, but that’s not why
they have filed suit to stop it.
Rep. Al Luna, D-Houston, said
:he suit was filed because of the
:utting of county lines, which the
iuit claims violates the state con-
ititution.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs said
Tuesday the plan illegally divides
14 counties in forming the new
egislative districts.
The plaintiffs in the class action
-uit, including three Hispanic
egislators and six private citizens,
ire trying to convince Travis
bounty State Judge Harley Clark
oj issue a temporary restraining
irder blocking implementation of
he redistricting plan.
The state constitution says that
®unty lines are not to be cut dur-
ng apportionment unless it is
Hessary to form equal represen-
ative districts or adhere to federal
aw.
JGeorge Korbel, a lawyer with
he Texas Rural Legal Aid, said
hat districts with populations
dthin acceptable ranges could
ave been created in most cases
nthout cutting county lines.
He also maintained that several
ounties with sufficient popula
tion to form one district were cut
for no apparent reason.
In particular, Tarrant and El
Paso counties, both with large
populations, could have been re
districted without making cuts, he
said.
However, Rick Gray, an assis
tant attorney general defending
the state, said the legislature was
only using its power to “move the
surplus population” in the coun
ties when the county lines were
cut.
Gray also said many of the coun
ty lines were cut so that the overall
plan would conform to federal reg
ulations for treatment of minor
ities and equal representation.
He said that if the county lines
were not cut, in many cases urban
districts would become overpopu
lated and as a result would not be
represented adequately.
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Yout Choice of
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Two Cheese and
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Mexican Rice
Patio Style Pinto Beans
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THURSDAY EVENING SPECIAL
Italian Candle Light Spaghetti Dinner
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Mashed
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NOON and EVENING
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Cornbread Dressing
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