Main Street Projects Honored at Annual Banquet 

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce (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 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 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

-- Catherine Dunlap, Barbro McGinn