Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608/267-9661
MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Commerce recognized the best downtown revitalization projects of 2010 at the 21st Annual Wisconsin Main Street Awards on Friday, April 29, 2011 at the Historic Turner Hall in Watertown, Wisconsin.
“The results of the Wisconsin Main Street program have been impressive and are illustrated through the great projects that are being honored tonight,” said Commerce Secretary Paul F. Jadin. “I congratulate the winners and the great volunteers and staff members that make it happen.”
This year’s theme is “A Billion Reasons to Celebrate” highlighting the more than $1.1 billion impact on the state of Wisconsin through its public and private reinvestment. Since the program’s inception in 1988, the state’s Main Street communities have attracted 4,122 new businesses, 18,280 new jobs.
Also this year, Wisconsin Main Street is inducting four additional members into its Hall of Fame. They include Jan Dart of Algoma, Jim Seipmann of Pewaukee, Shelly Schoening of Rice Lake and Palmer Draeger of Watertown. They join previous inductees: Bev Anderson of Darlington, Fred Nelson of Viroqua, Frances Williams of Sharon, Steve Schmidt of Sheboygan Falls, Greg Larsen of Green Bay, Russ & Teddy Kostrzak of Tigerton, John Schroeder of Two Rivers, Trudy Wallin of Viroqua, Dorothy Schueffner of Sheboygan Falls, Peggy Miller of Tigerton, Tim McGettigan of Darlington and Rick Vesper of Rice Lake.
The Hall of Fame indentifies individuals that have set themselves apart from the rest based on their contributions to their local Main Street Programs over a long period of time.
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 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 Engle, Commerce, at 608/267-0766.
The 2010 award recipients are as follows:
Best Business Citizen Award
Co-winner
Vernon Memorial Healthcare
Garith Steiner, CEO
Viroqua
Co-winner
William Whitford
Darlington
Best Creative Fund Raising Effort
Winner
Whitewater Gone Wild Safari
Promotions Committee
Whitewater
Honorable Mention
Roun’du Manure Bicycle Tour
Sharon
Honorable Mention
Legendary Ghost Stories of Lake Mills Book
Lake Mills
Best Public-Private Partnership in Downtown Revitalization
Winner
TID #5 Façade and Upper Floor Housing Grant
City of Beloit and Downtown Beloit Association
Honorable Mention
Vision Plan and Comprehensive Plan
Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership/City of Fond du La
Best Downtown Image Campaign/Event
Winner
River District Retour
Wausau
Best Downtown Retail Event
Winner
Reindeer Run
Organization/Promotions Committee
Platteville
Best Downtown Special Event
Winner
Eagle River Area Festival of Flavors
Honorable Mention
Knickerbocker Ice Festival
Lake Mills
Best Business Development Program/Project
Winner
Think Whitewater Buy Local
Downtown Whitewater Economic Restructuring Committee
Honorable Mention
Downtown Works
City of Rhinelander, Downtown Rhinelander Inc. and James E. Cleary Foundation
Best New Downtown Business
Co-winner
Optimo Farm Market Restaurant and Café
Viroqua
Co-winner
Heavy Pedal Bicycles
Dan and Ann Holsen, owners
Manitowoc
Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $7,500
Winner
Fat Bruce’s Expansion
Ripon
Honorable Mention
Quiet Hut Sports, 186 W. Main Street
Dave Saalsa
Whitewater
Honorable Mention
TKI Enterprises, LLC
Marshfield
Best Upper Story Rehabilitation Project
Winner
Bill Widmer, House of Homebrew
On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay
Honorable Mention
Franklin Energy
Franklin Energy and Jan & Paul Schueller
Port Washington
Best Design Committee Project
Winner
Steam Heritage Mural/Fest
Algoma
Best New Building Project
Winner
YMCA
Fond du Lac
Honorable Mention
American Legion Building Committee
Clarence Natzke, Chairperson
Tigerton
Best Public Improvement
Winner
John Rose Canoe/Kayak Launch
City of Beloit
Honorable Mention
Green Space Project
Downtown Rhinelander, Inc.
Best Adaptive Reuse Project
Co-Winner
Hendricks Center for the Arts
Diane Hendricks and Beloit College
Beloit
Co-winner
Kavarna Coffeehouse
On Broadway, Inc., Green Bay
Best Historic Restoration Project
Winner
Bagels and More
David and Joan Siekierski
Beloit
Best Interior Renovation Project
Co-winner
Wes and Julie Crnkovich
Tribeca Gallery Café and Books
Watertown
Co-winner
Dockside Deli – Mary Ann Voigt
Port Washington
Sustainability Award
Winner
The Innovation Center
The City of Whitewater and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Honorable Mention
Clean Marina
Port Washington Marina
2010 Volunteer of the Year
Algoma – Joe Feld
Beloit – Danielle Clifton
Columbus – Liz and Bill O’Donnell
Darlington – Angela Innerst
Green Bay – Jennifer Bukouricz
Eagle River – Al and Mary Pittelko, Captain
Fond du Lac – Kevin Miller
Lake Mills – Jeanne Sherer
Lincoln Village – Jim Mroczkowski
Manitowoc – Jill Iverson
Marshfield – Judy Shookman
Pewaukee – Mary Boersma
Platteville – Faye Millage
Port Washington – John Sigwart
Prairie du Chien – Vickie Howe
Rhinelander – Tina Werres
Rice Lake – Mike Miller
Ripon – Casey and Howard Hansen
Sheboygan Falls – Diane Krostag
Sharon – Jamie Swanson
Tigerton – Cindy Mueller
Tomahawk – Rejeana Ebert
Viroqua – Ryan Callan
Watertown – Peg Theder
West Allis – Kurt Potochich
West Bend – Scott Schmidt
Whitewater – Kim Scharine
2010 Honorary Board of Directors
Algoma – Pam Ritchie
Beloit – Tim McKearn
Columbus – Carolyn Fredericks
Darlington – Beverly Anderson
Eagle River – Sy Syvertsen
Fond du Lac – Joe Tasch
Green Bay – Billie Jo Horsens
Lake Mills – Katie Otto, Honorary Chairperson
Manitowoc – Diane Thorson
Marshfield – Rob Wickersham
Pewaukee – Matt Hohner
Platteville – Wendy Brooke
Prairie du Chien – Becky Hackett
Rhinelander – Sally Latimer
Rice Lake – Justin Thole
Ripon – Jeff Liddicoat
Sharon – Mary Kay Black
Sheboygan Falls – Dr. Christine Tempas
Viroqua – Mary Christenson
Watertown – Sandra Budewitz
West Allis – Chet Parker
West Bend – Jon Kieckhafer
Whitewater – Jon Kachel
Hall of Fame Inductees
Jan Dart, Algoma
Palmer Draeger, Watertown
Shelly Schoening, Rice Lake
Jim Seipmann, Pewaukee
Main Street Executive Director Years of Service
Two Years: Dianne Eineichner, West Allis
Sara Grover, Port Washington
Jill Nadeau, Lake Mills
Denise Sonnemann, Marshfield
Jamie Zastrow, Manitowoc
Five Years: Kim Bates, Columbus
Susan Dascenzo, Watertown
Josie Minskey, West Bend
Suzi Osterday, Darlington
Ten Years: Michael Glime, Algoma
Neil White, Lincoln Village (Milwaukee)
Twelve Years: Rita Fritz, Eagle River
Virginia Kauffman, Tigerton
Fifteen Years: Kathy Wellsandt, Rice Lake
Nineteen Years: Craig Tebon, Ripon
Celebrating 20 Years in Main Street
Rice Lake Main Street Association
Main Street Achievement Awards
For completing five years of intensive training in the Main Street Approach
Lake Mills Main Street Program
Downtown Rhinelander, Inc.
Downtown Whitewater, Inc.
