Dept. of Commerce: Wisconsin Main Street 2009 Award winners announced

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

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Commerce recognized the best downtown revitalization projects of 2008 at the 19th Annual Wisconsin Main Street Awards on Friday, April 24, 2009 in Wausau, Wisconsin.

“These awards honor the many great Wisconsin Main Street Communities and the efforts of their volunteers, business and property owners to restore local economic vitality,” said Department Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel.

Since the program’s inception in 1988, the state’s Main Street communities have attracted 3,652 new businesses, 14,633 new jobs and more than a billion dollars in public and private reinvestment ($1.046 billion)

Wisconsin Main Street is an economic development program targeting Wisconsin’s historic commercial districts. Staff members provide technical support and training to Wisconsin communities that have expressed a grass roots’ commitment to revitalizing their traditional business districts using a comprehensive strategy based on historic preservation and developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Wisconsin’s 36 Main Street Communities range in population from 750 to larger neighborhoods in Milwaukee and Green Bay.

Main Street communities include Algoma, Beloit, Chippewa Falls, Columbus, Darlington, De Pere, Eagle River, Fond du Lac, On Broadway (Green Bay), Lake Mills, Lincoln Village (Milwaukee), Manitowoc, Marshfield, Monroe, Osceola, Pewaukee, Platteville, Portage, Port Washington, Prairie du Chien, Rhinelander, Rice Lake, Ripon, Sharon, Sheboygan Falls, Stevens Point, Sturgeon Bay, Tigerton, Tomahawk, Two Rivers, Viroqua, Watertown, Wausau, West Allis, West Bend and Whitewater.

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

The award recipients are as follows:

19th Annual Wisconsin Main Street Awards – Wausau

Best Public Private Partnership

Wausau Police Dept. And Wausau Area Events

Best Creative Fund raising Effort

Algoma’s New Vibe Raffle

Community Improvement of Algoma

Best Downtown Retail Event

Taste of Chocolate

Downtown Rhinelander, Inc.

Best Promotional Item

Historic Sheboygan Falls Rack Card

Sheboygan Falls Chamber/Main Street

Best New Business: Independent

Co-winners

Bushel and Peck’s Local Market – Beloit

Driftless Market – Platteville

Best New Business: Franchise/Chain

ShopKo Express – On Broadway, Green Bay

Honorable Mention – Lillian’s – Rice Lake

Best Downtown Special Event

2008 Maritime Heritage Festival

Maritime Heritage Festival Committee – Port Washington

Honorable Mention

Screen on the Green

Wausau Area Events, Inc.

Best Business Development Program

Co-winners

Business Recruitment Market Profile

Downtown Whitewater, Inc. Economic Restructuring Committee

Northwoods Entrepreneurial Boot Camp

Eagle River Revitalization Program

Best Downtown Image Campaign/Event

Downtown Whitewater Commercial Co-op

Downtown Whitewater, Inc.

Best Volunteer Development Program/Project

Lake Mills Main Street Ning Site

Lane Smith – Lake Mills

Honorable Mention

Gazebo Park

Tigerton Main Street and Tigerton Clinic

Best Historic Restoration Project

Ozaukee County Courthouse Restoration- Port Washington

Best Design Committee Project

CO-WINNERS

Streetscape Plan – Downtown West Bend Association

Sheboygan Falls Chamber Main Street

Main Street 20th Anniversary DVD – “Everything Old is New Again”

Best Façade Rehab Under $7500

Dr. Scott Patterson – Monroe

Best Façade Rehab Over $7500

Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Vince Hanoski – Lincoln Village, Milwaukee

HONORABLE MENTION

Boca Grande Capital, 303 Watson Street, Ripon

Sam Meyer, 28 N. Main St. (Fond du Lac)

Best Public Improvement – Built Environment

Franklin Street Streetscape

City of Port Washington

HONORABLE MENTION

Downtown Street and Utility Improvements

Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization & City of Prairie du Chien

Best Public Improvement – Beautification

Railroad Depot Landscaping Project

Community of Eagle River

HONORABLE MENTION

Lincoln Village Plaza/Tres Hermanos

Lincoln Village Business Association

Best Interior Renovation Project

Bemis Bath Shoppe – Sheboygan Falls

HONORABLE MENTION

John Boyle – 447 Main Street, Darlington

Best Adaptive Reuse Project

North Water Bakery & Deli

Dennis & Joann Schneider, Mike De Prez

Best Upper Story Rehabilitation Project

Boca Grande Capital 303- 305 Watson Street, Ripon

HONORABLE MENTION

Darrell Walsh, Watertown

Best New Building

CO-WINNERS

Stevens Point – Executive Place

Pewaukee – Village Hall/Police Department

2008 Volunteer of the Year

Algoma – James Rabas

Beloit – Mel Donny

Columbus – Deb Bevan

Darlington – Jason King

Eagle River – Kelly Haverkamp

Fond du Lac – Joan Pinch

Green Bay – Sandi Walch

Lake Mills – Troy Kloss

Marshfield – Tim Kraus

Monroe – Karen Stollenwerk

Pewaukee – Bruce Bennett, Hon. Captain

Platteville – Holly Kaiser

Port Washington – Scott Huebner

Prairie du Chien – Kay Wessling

Rhinelander – Sandy Buss

Rice Lake- Bill Zabel

Sheboygan Falls – Larschelby “Schel” Kidd

Stevens Point – Amanda Loomis

Tigerton – Hailey Kauffman

Tomahawk – Pat Haskin

Two Rivers – Nancy Hartfield

Viroqua – Niki Steele

Watertown – Darlene Roedl

Wausau – Janet Herring

West Allis – Justin Eineichner

West Bend – Lisa Wise

Whitewater – Harriet Kaluva

2008 Honorary Board of Directors

Algoma – Craig Peterman

Beloit – Aron Bussan

Columbus – Jorie Habenicht

Darlington – Becky Taylor

Eagle River – Barry McLeane

Fond du Lac – Tom Meiklejohn, III, Hon. Chair

On Broadway – Mary Walch

Lake Mills – Lane Smith

Monroe – Ryan Wilson

Pewaukee – Matt Hohner

Platteville – George Ohlendorf

Prairie du Chien – Michael Douglass

Rhinelander – Bob Berns

Rice Lake – Casey Allen

Ripon – Bill Neill

Sheboygan Falls – Michael Kennedy

Stevens Point – Debbie Werra

Two Rivers – Bonnie Timm

Viroqua – Kile Martz

Watertown – John Meyers

Wausau – Phil Valitchka

West Allis – Douglas Persich

Whitewater – Bill Bowen

Executive Director Years of Service Awards

Two Years

Barb Nelson, Monroe

Todd Trimberger – Sturgeon Bay

Amy Hansen – Fond du Lac

Tamara Brodnicki – Whitewater

Five Years

Kathleen Braatz, Beloit

Karen Kenney, Sharon

Ten years

Rita Fritz, Eagle River

Virginia Kauffman, Tigerton

Thirteen Years

Kathy Wellsandt, Rice Lake

Seventeen Years

Craig Tebon, Ripon

2008 Spirit Award

Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Inc.

“Recognition for completing 5 Years of Main Street Training”

Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership

Association of Downtown Businesses Stevens Point

2008 Hall of Fame Inductees

Dorothy Schueffner, Sheboygan Falls

Trudy Wallin, Viroqua

John Schroeder, Two Rivers