Maybe we needed a mariachi band.

Lawrence leaders competed against 19 other communities last week to win the designation of an All-America City. Lawrence didn’t come home with the title. But it also didn’t take its own mariachi band either.

Laredo, Texas, did.

Other communities had delegations of about 50 people attend the three-day event in Anaheim, Calif. Lawrence was a little lower key. It sent a delegation of seven people – the second smallest of the competing cities – and its main drawing card was fresh-baked bread from Wheatfields Bakery that was shipped overnight to the event.

Despite not winning, city officials said they thought the trip was a worthwhile experience because it gave Lawrence some national recognition.

“We were really happy with what we did,” said Jonathan Douglass, the city’s management analyst that prepared Lawrence’s application. “If we apply for it in the future, I think we will have a really good shot to win.”

And Lawrence residents can take solace: the mariachi band didn’t help Laredo, Texas, win over the judges.

The contest is sponsored by the National Civic League, a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen democracy at the local level. Ten communities took home the designation of an All-America City: Flowing Wells, Ariz.; Santa Rosa, Calif.; Sierra Madre, Calif.; Hollywood, Fla.; Polk County, Fla.; Dubuque, Iowa; Lewiston, Maine; Barnstable, Mass.; Clinton, N.C.; and Hickory, N.C.

Each city made a presentation to a jury of 10 civic, business and community leaders from across the country. Lawrence leaders focused their presentation on three areas:

¢ Downtown Lawrence and the contribution it makes to the overall community.

¢ Lawrence’s Tenants to Homeowners project that works to provide affordable housing in the city.

¢ The efforts of the Success by Six Coalition of Douglas County to help area children start life on the right path.

The city spent about $9,000 to send its delegation to the competition, Douglass said. In addition to Douglass, the city’s delegation included City Manager David Corliss; Chamber President and CEO Lavern Squier; downtown business owner Lora Wiley; Elaine McCullough, a board member for Success by Six; Rebecca Buford, executive director of Tenants to Homeowners; and former Lawrence mayor Bonnie Lowe. The chamber paid for Squier’s expenses. The city paid for the rest of the delegation.

Wiley, who owns the specialty food store Au Marche in downtown, said she thought it was a good investment on the city’s part.

“If we had actually gotten the designation it would have been an additional marketing tool for the city,” Wiley said. “I think it is probably a great way to attract new businesses and families.”

City leaders said they may be able to use the fact that Lawrence was chosen as a finalist for the award as a selling point. A little more than 60 cities applied to become an All-America City. Only 20 were selected to compete for the award.

In the next few weeks, the city will receive written feedback from the jury about the city’s presentation and programs, Douglass said. Wiley said if the city does the program again, she thinks the city probably needs to present how the community has solved specific problems it has encountered.

Douglass said the city would consider applying for the program again, although it is uncertain whether it will do so in 2008.

In addition to taking part in the competition, Lawrence received a booth at the organization’s “Civic Action Fair,” which attracted a variety of civic and business leaders.

“That was a real good opportunity to get our name out there to people across the country,” Douglass said.