FERRIDAY — Less than a month ago, there was a lot of work to be done for Ferriday to submit its application to the Louisiana Main Street Program.

But after a few minor changes between now and then, Ferridian Carol Tomko plans to hand deliver the application Wednesday — two days before deadline.

The community realized the urgency of completing the then- nowhere near complete application after the Aug. 6 meeting of the Ferriday Downtown Revitalization Foundation when the state Main Street director gave a presentation about participation in the program.

“Suddenly, it became critical and the entire town came together,” Tomko said.

The Main Street program is a grant program aimed at preserving and developing historic properties, and encouraging economic development to foster further preservation.

For Ferriday Mayor Glen McGlothin, that kind of thinking only makes sense.

“When you make something more aesthetically pleasing, when you fix something up, usually good things happen,” McGlothin said.

Those who worked on the application completed a sample budget for the program Friday, and will meet again Monday to assemble the final application package.

If the application is accepted, Tomko and Town Attorney Anna Ferguson will have to do a presentation before the program’s board in mid-September.

And that is where the town can help again.

“What I need from the public for the presentation are pictures of things like the old Pasternack House or the old Methodist church on Louisiana Avenue,” Tomko said.

If citizens want to help provide photos for the presentation, they can leave them at town hall in the next two weeks, Tomko said.

One of the ways the public showed support for the project was by writing letters of support for Ferriday to the application review committee, something the program’s director said might sway the application committee.

Tomko said they would still accept letters of support at town hall until Wednesday morning.

Those who exerted a special effort to complete the application included Mike Rabb, the Rev. Louis Sklar, Jane Vaughan, Liz Brooking, Alton Hall, Cotrina Johnson and Phyllis Stevens, Tomko said.

“Everything just came together and it is doing really well,” she said.

McGlothin agreed.

“I think our application is going to be top notch,” he said.