Dept. of Commerce: Downtown Revitalization Projects Receive Honors From Main Street Program

Contact:
Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608/267-9661

MADISON – Successful downtown revitalization techniques were honored at the 15th annual Wisconsin Main Street awards reception held April 22 in Viroqua. Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton attended the awards program on behalf of Gov. Jim Doyle.

“The Main Street Program has proven its worth as a successful downtown revitalization tool, and every year we recognize the efforts put forth by volunteers, businesses, and communities to restore local economic vitality,” said Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Mary P. Burke. “Since the program’s inception in 1988, the state’s Main street communities have attracted 2,617 new businesses, 13,304 new jobs, and $599 million in new investment to their downtowns.”

Main street communities include Algoma, Beloit, Blanchardville, Chippewa Falls, Columbus, Crandon, Darlington, De Pere, Eagle River, Fond du Lac, Gillett, On Broadway (Green Bay), Lincoln Village (Milwaukee), Marshfield, Mishicot, Osceola, Pewaukee, Platteville, Portage, Rice Lake, Richland Center, Ripon, Sharon, Sheboygan Falls, Stevens Point, Sturgeon Bay, Tigerton, Two Rivers, Viroqua, Watertown, Waupaca, Wausau, West Allis, and West Bend.

For more information on Wisconsin’s Main Street Program, contact Jim Engle, Commerce, at 608/267-0766.

The award recipients are as follows:

Best New Building Project

Winner: Korger’s Decorating & Fine Furniture; Chippewa Falls

Best Downtown Special Event

Winner: Hot Air Balloon Rally and Chalk Fest; Wausau
Honorable Mention: Fall Festival; Fond du Lac
Honorable Mention: Remember When Dance; Gillett
Honorable Mention: Wild West Adventure and Farmers Market; Sharon

Best Cultural Preservation Project

Winner: Viroqua’s Main Street History Book; Viroqua
Honorable Mention: Living Windows 2004 – Peering into the Past; Portage

Best Downtown Public Improvement Project

Winner: 4th Street Enhancement Project; Algoma
Honorable Mention: Sharon Streetscape Project; Sharon
Honorable Mention: Rivermen Mural; Stevens Point

Best Historic Restoration Project

Winner: Tie – The Thomas House; Marshfield
Winner: Tie – Mishicot Historical Museum; Mishicot

Best New Downtown Business

Winner: The Guys Shop; Marshfield

Historic Preservation Planning Award

Winner: Viroqua Downtown Historic District; Viroqua

Best Downtown Business Development Program

Winner: Young Professional Group; Platteville

Best Downtown Retail Event

Winner: “Meet and Greet,” Platteville
Honorable Mention: Holidazzle 2004; Beloit

Best Volunteer Development

Winner: WITC Business & Marketing Department “Race to Reveal Rice Lake Secrets I-Spy Contest,” Rice Lake

Best Promotional Item

Winner: Historic Algoma Walking Tour Brochure; Algoma
Honorable Mention: Merge; Green Bay
Honorable Mention: “River District – Upstream from the Ordinary” business directory; Wausau

Best Interior Renovation Project

Winner: Clay on Steele Pottery & Gallery – Ellen Levenhagen, Mark Kolinski and Kris Kolinski; Algoma
Honorable Mention: Schalla Jeweler; West Bend
Honorable Mention: Dorothy Scheuffner upstairs residence; Sheboygan Falls

Best Facade Rehabilitation Over $7,500

Winner: Don Falk, B & K Bar Supply; West Allis
Honorable Mention: Sharrow Drugs, Inc., Nicholas L. Sharrow, R.Ph. and Margaret Sharrow Agnew; Columbus

Best Facade Rehabilitation Under $7,500

Winner: Darlington Development Corporation; Darlington

Best Creative Fund Raising Effort

Winner: Taste of Lake Country; Pewaukee

Best Downtown Adaptive Reuse Project

Winner: Main Street Station Public Market; Viroqua
Honorable Mention: Rural Eyecare Clinic and Baker Construction; Blanchardville

Best Public-Private Partnership in Downtown Revitalization

Winner: City of Green Bay and On Broadway, Inc.; Green Bay

Main Street Director Years of Service Awards
One year:

Kathleen Braatz, Beloit
Gary Cyrus, Crandon
Susan Price, Richland Center
Karen Kenney, Sharon
Gail Towers MacAskill, Watertown
Christine Hulet, Blanchardville

Two years:

Elaine Kroening, Pewaukee
Amy Altenburgh, Wausau
Brian Preiss, West Allis

Three years:

Naletta Burr, On Broadway, Green Bay
Neil White, Lincoln Village, Milwaukee
Kathy Lindsey, Mishicot
Michael Zimmer, Two Rivers

Four years:

Michael Glime, Algoma

Five years:

Cheryl Zmina, Platteville
Nancy Verstrate, Sheboygan Falls

Six years:

Rita Fritz, Eagle River
Virginia Kauffman, Tigerton
Theresa Fuerbringer, West Bend

Seven years:

Amy Charles, Darlington
Becky McKee, Sturgeon Bay

Nine years:

Kathy Wellsandt, Rice Lake

Eleven years:

Sheila Ashbeck Nyberg, Marshfield
Ingrid Mahan, Viroqua

Thirteen years:

Craig Tebon, Ripon
Jim Schuh, Chippewa Falls

Honorary Board Members:

Jan Langlais, Algoma
Tom Hankins, Beloit
Linda Flanigan, Blanchardville
Fred Kuss, Chippewa Falls
Nancy Osterhaus, Columbus
Peggy North, Darlington
Philip J. Danen, De Pere
Elizabeth (Betsy) Reach, Eagle River
Gary Ott, Fond du Lac
Lorraine Gentz, Gillett
Greg Larsen, On Broadway-Green Bay
Jim Reigel, Marshfield
Randy Kliment, Mishicot
Debbie Bayee, Pewaukee
Mary Huck, Platteville
Jennie Dumbleton, Portage
Sandy Bonneville, Rice Lake
Dr. Jerry Bower, Richland Center
Marianne Danielsen, Sharon
Kate Holfeltz, Sheboygan Falls
Danial Johnson, Stevens Point
Brenda Paschke, Sturgeon Bay
Kathi Polzin, Tigerton
Russell Rothwell, Two Rivers
Steve Felix, Viroqua
Brian Konz, Watertown
Gary Freels, Wausau
Jackie Ellington, West Allis
Julie Sears, West Bend

Volunteer of the Year:

Tom Levy, Algoma
Bruce Slagoski and the Department of Public Works, Beloit
Evalyn Frasch, Chippewa Falls
Susan Faulhaber, Columbus
Jane Cleary, Darlington
Gary Fawcett, Eagle River
Esther Pietrowski, Fond du Lac
Gary Pemrich, Gillett
Mary Walch, On Broadway-Green Bay
Shirley Mook, Marshfield
Tom Franz, Mishicot
Laurie Schwefel, Pewaukee
Louise Jensen, Platteville
Gil Meisgeier, Portage
Carol Brown, Rice Lake
Heidi Shiere, Richland Center
Ronnie Gerhardt, Sharon
Connie Buehler, Sheboygan Falls
Kelly Grenier, Stevens Point
Dixie Vanness, Sturgeon Bay
Lee & Sue Langsten, Tigerton
Elvera Timm, Two Rivers
June Pedretti, Viroqua
Ellen Luchsinger, Watertown
April Rosemurgy, Wausau
Walter Zehm, West Allis
Jan Werhand, West Bend

Main Street Spirit Award:

Positively Pewaukee

Award for Outgoing Main Street Council Members:

Ed Wendland
John Rogers
Trudy Wallin
Dean Amhaus
Bev Anderson

Completion of 5 Years of Main Street Technical Assistance:

Crandon Main Street Program
Community Improvement of Algoma
Watertown Main Street Program