Downtown Revitalization Projects Receive Honors from Main Street Program

For Immediate Release: April 27, 2007
Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce

MADISON - Successful downtown revitalization techniques were honored at the 17th annual Wisconsin Main Street awards reception held April 27 in Rice Lake.

"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 Secretary Mary P. Burke. "Since the program's inception in 1988, the state's Main Street communities have attracted 3,121 new businesses, 14,224 new jobs, and $756 million in new investment to their downtowns."

Main street communities include Algoma, Beloit, Chippewa Falls, Columbus, Darlington, De Pere, Eagle River, Fond du Lac, Gillett, On Broadway (Green Bay), Lake Mills, Lincoln Village (Milwaukee), Marshfield, Mishicot, Monroe, Osceola, Pewaukee, Platteville, Portage, Prairie du Chien, Rhinelander, Rice Lake, Richland Center, Ripon, Sharon, Sheboygan Falls, Stevens Point, Sturgeon Bay, Tigerton, 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:

Best New Building Project:
West Bend Savings Bank
West Bend

Honorable Mention:
Heritage View
Hendricks Development Group
Beloit

Best Design Committee Project:
Harmony Courtyard
Chippewa Falls Main Street, Inc.

Best Downtown Business Development Program:
Business Recruitment Kit
Positively Pewaukee
Economic Restructuring Committee
Pewaukee

Best Interior Renovation Project:
Mr. Kevin Voysey
Voysey Investment Group
Two Rivers

Best Volunteer Program/Project:
Volunteer Friend-Raiser Project
Positively Pewaukee Organization Committee

Honorable Mention:
Join Hands Day
Tigerton Main Street Design Committee

Best New Downtown Business:
Hoop-La!
Portage

Honorable Mention:
Bello's Cheese & Wine Store
Tabatha Frerks & Chris and Laura Carter
Stevens Point

Honorable Mention:
Annie's Downtown Wine & Cheese
Platteville

Best Creative Fund Raising Effort:
The Painted Ladies Mask.art.rade
Lake Mills Main Street Design Committee
Arts Alliance of Greater Lake Mills

Best Promotional Item:
www.downtownfonddulac.com
Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership
Promotion Committee

Best Downtown Public Improvement Project: Beautification
ArtScape on Main
ArtScape Committee
Rice Lake

Best Adaptive Reuse Project:
Topper's Pizza World Headquarters
Scott Gittrich
Whitewater

Best Historic Restoration Project:
Whitewater Hotel
RR Walton & Company, LTD
Whitewater

Honorable Mention:
Fox Theatre Marquee
Sanders Family
Stevens Point

Best Public-Private Partnership:
The Village of Osceola
Osceola Main St/Chamber

Best Façade Rehabilitation over $7,500:
Virginia Little
West Allis

Honorable Mention:
La Flor de Trigo Bakery
Ignacio & Eva Mosso
Lincoln Village, Milwaukee

Honorable Mention:
Edward Jones Investments
Viroqua

Best Upper Story Rehabilitation Project:
State Farm Insurance/Red Brick Inn
Fond du Lac

Best Façade Rehabilitation under $7,500
Althof's Television Center
Prairie du Chien

Best Downtown Image Campaign:
Broadway District Businesses
Wedding Campaign
On Broadway, Inc.
Green Bay

Honorable Mention:
2006 Holiday Promotion
Wausau

Honorable Mention:
ArtScape on Main
ArtScape Committee
Rice Lake

Best Main Street Workplan:
2006 Workplan
On Broadway, Inc.

Best Downtown Retail Event:
"Ladies Night Out"
Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street

Best Downtown Public Improvement Built Environment:
Leicht Memorial Park
City of Green Bay

Best Downtown Special Event:
Green Bay's Taste on Broadway
On Broadway, Inc.
Green Bay

Honorable Mention:
Merry Darlington Holiday Parade & Festival
Kay Wang-Lindsey Wessel-Sara Shilling-Angela Innerst-Brooke Olson
Darlington

2006 Volunteers of the Year:
Ellen Luchsinger, Watertown
Tamela Gallagher, Prairie du Chien
Dr. Jerry Bower, Richland Center
Jac Gruenwald, Ripon
Debra Heller, Fond du Lac
Kurt Gaber, Chippewa Falls (Hon. Captain)
Mel Donny, Beloit
Chris Lewis, Two Rivers
Michael Christian, West Bend
Teresa Hernandez, Lincoln Village
Lois TeStrake, Marshfield
Sharon & Bob Hall, Sheboygan Falls
Ralph Kluseman, Platteville
Norman & Ruby Christensen, Gillette
Michael Peters, On Broadway, Green Bay
Dave Eulberg, Portage
Bob Salmi, Darlington
Judy Aron, Pewaukee
John Holevoet, Lake Mills
John Gardner, Stevens Point
Trina Rabida, Algoma
Tom Polzin, Tigerton
Bob Moullette, Rice Lake
Patrick Strickler, Viroqua
Marianne Shira, Osceola
Roger Eineichner, West Allis
Kristine Zaballos, Whitewater
Ruth Sproull, Rhinelander

2006 Honorary Board of Directors:
Palmer Draeger, Watertown
Judy Wall, Prairie du Chien
Bonnie Richardson, Richland Center
Troy Farrell, Ripon
Nancy Schuller, Eagle River
Gary Ott, Fond du Lac
Jamie Leibrandt, Chippewa Falls
Betsy Schmiechen, Beloit
Ken Beine, Two Rivers
Larry Haldeman, Marshfield
Joyce Hackel, Sheboygan Falls
Cheryl MacDowell, Platteville
Dr. Evelyn Hauser-Frederick, Gillett
Addie Tamboli, Portage (Hon. Chair)
Jane Cleary, Darlington
Dennis Smith, Pewaukee
Hope Oostdik, Lake Mills
Bill Smith, Stevens Point
Don Fitzgerald, Algoma
Amy Jensen, Tigerton
Bridget Gargulak, Rice Lake
Bette Schoenemann, Viroqua
Aaron J. Mork, Osceola
Alex Geiger, West Allis
Russell Devitt, Whitewater
Glenn O'Dell, On Broadway, Green Bay
Larry Frasier, Rhinelander

Executive Director Years of Service Awards

Two Years:
Terri Fleming, Fond du Lac
Wayne Strei, Gillett
Jami Gebert, Stevens Point

5 Years:
Naletta Burr, On Broadway, Green Bay
Neil White, Lincoln Village, Milwaukee
Michael Zimmer, Two Rivers

11 Years:
Kathy Wellsandt, Rice Lake

13 Years:
Ingrid Mahan, Viroqua

15 Years:
Craig Tebon, Ripon
Jim Schuh, Chippewa Falls

"Recognition for completing 5 years of Main Street training":
Revitalize Gillett, Inc.
Main Street Wausau, Inc.

2006 Spirit Award:
Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street

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