- Wisconsin Department of Commerce Newsletter

"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," Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Cory L. Nettles said. "Since the program's inception in 1988, the state's Main Street communities have attracted 2,403 new businesses, 11,924 new jobs, and $519 million in new investment to their downtowns.

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

For more information on the state's Main Street Program, contact Jim Engle, COMMERCE, at 608/267-0766.

Best Public Private Partnership in Downtown Revitalization
Winner:
City of Chippewa Falls
Chippewa Falls Main Street

Honorable Mention:
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Career Services & Revitalize Gillett, Inc.

Best Creative Fund Raising Effort
Winner:
Petunias Unlimited
Rice Lake

Honorable Mention:
2003 Gala Committee
Positively Pewaukee

Best Volunteer Program/Project
Winner:
Promotion Committee
Tigerton Main Street Program

Best Downtown Retail Event
Winner:
Elvis Stroll on the Avenue and Classic Car Show
Main Street Marshfield

Honorable Mention:
Pumpkin-Palooza on Broadway
Green Bay

Best Downtown Special Event
Winner:
Hog Wild Street Dance
Downtown West Bend Association

Honorable Mention:
Farmers Market
Downtown West Bend Association

Best Promotional Item
Winner:
Organization Committee
2003 Business Directory
Black River Falls

Honorable Mention:
Organization Committee
Platteville Main Street Root Beer

Honorable Mention:
WWW.ONBROADWAY.ORG
On Broadway, Inc.

Honorable Mention:
"Mainstream-The Shops of Downtown Waupaca Main Street

Best Cultural Preservation Project
Winner:
Green Bay's West Side: The Fort Howard Neighborhood
Gail Ives
On Broadway, Inc.

Best Historic Restoration Project
Winner:
Mathew Melchoir Building - 1894
Jim & Lynn Truckey, owners
Algoma

Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $7,500
Winner:
Todd Frey
Colonial Carriage Works
Columbus

Honorable Mention:
Thyme Worn Treasures
Tonja & Dennis Jerman, owners
Rice Lake

Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $7,500
Winner:
101 Pine Street
Neil Eigenberger
Sheboygan Falls

Honorable Mention:
CDDC/Main Street
The Popcorn Station
Columbus

Honorable Mention:
Marc Brummel
The National Bank Building
De Pere

Best Interior Renovation Project
Winner:
Soda Pops
Jason Meinholz, owner
Eagle River

Best Downtown Business Development Program
Winner:
Two Rivers Main Street
NxLevel Entrepreneurs Course

Honorable Mention:
"Grow It - Make It - Market" Conference
Revitalize Gillett, Inc.

Best New Business
Winner:
Badger Brothers Coffee and Internet Café
Platteville

Honorable Mention:
Whey Cool Café and Chocolate Factory
D.J. Anderson and Janet Wifneske
Marshfield

Honorable Mention:
Soda Pops
Jason Meinholz, Owner
Eagle River

Best Adaptive Reuse Project
Winner:
Bridget O'Brien and Mark Nelson
Chestnut Avenue Center for the Arts
Marshfield

Historic Preservation Planning
Winner:
City of Marshfield
Certified Local Government Status
2003

Winner:
Joe Carroll, Community Development Director
City of Platteville Historic Preservation Commission
Certified Local Government Status

Best Real Estate Development Project
Winner:
Siepmann Realty
Old Main Street Building
Pewaukee

2003 Volunteers of the Year
Algoma, Bob & Jane Kuhn
Beloit, Sharon Burnett
Black River Falls, Lu Schneider
Blanchardville, Donald "Woody" Alan
Chippewa Falls, Dave Kuhn
Columbus, Heidi Poser
Crandon, Clare Russell
Darlington, Audrey Aylesworth
De Pere, Kathy Kolanchick
Eagle River, Nancy Berg
Gillett, Heather Fifield, Honorary Captain
Green Bay, Promotions Management, Inc.
Lincoln Village (Milwaukee), Jim Hishmeh
Marshfield, Strategic Committee
Mishicot, Jen Wegner
Pewaukee, Lori Callen
Platteville, Nekole and Dan Frommelt
Richland Center, Debbie Shields
Rice Lake, Larry Sharp
Sharon, Ray Ennis
Sheboygan Falls, Mari LeRoy
Sturgeon Bay, James Murphy
Tigerton, Leota Bennett
Two Rivers, Rick Inman
Viroqua, Margaret Severson
Waupaca, Paulett Mayou
Wausau, Theresa Shepherd
West Bend, Dan Martin

2003 Honorary Board of Directors
Algoma, Deb Polster
Beloit, Todd Colling
Blanchardville, Ken Hulet
Chippewa Falls, Fred Kuss
Columbus, Bernetta Mather, Hon. Chair
Crandon, Linda Kau
Darlington, Kay Wang
De Pere, Nancy Friebel
Eagle River, Paula Hendrickson
Gillett, Dave Pelow
Green Bay, Jim Lemke
Marshfield, Dave La Fontaine
Mishicot, Jim Sustman
Pewaukee, Dennis Smith
Platteville, Bob Metzger
Rice Lake, Eric Thoreson
Richland Center, Ward McDonald
Sharon, Virginia Harvey
Sheboygan Falls, Dr. Christine Tempas, D.D.S.
Sturgeon Bay, Mark Jinkins
Tigerton, Marie Tauferner
Two Rivers, Colleen Inman
Viroqua, John Iverson
Waupaca, Paul Mayou
Wausau, Mr. Joseph Mella
West Bend, Jon T. Lange

Completion of Five Years of Training in Downtown Revitalization
Downtown West Bend Association
Platteville Main Street Program, Inc.
Eagle River Revitalization Program

Main Street Manager Years of Service Awards
One Year of Service
Elaine Kroening, Pewaukee
Amy Altenburgh, Wausau
Amy Melvin, Black River Falls
Brian Preiss, West Allis
Ann Phillips, Waupaca
Diane Nichols, Gillett

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

Four Years of Service
Cheryl Zmina, Platteville
Nancy Verstrate, Sheboygan Falls

Five Years of Service
Rita Fritz, Eagle River
Theresa Fuerbringer, West Bend
Virginia Kauffman, Tigerton

Six Years of Service
Amy Charles, Blanchardville & Darlington
Gene Hackbarth, De Pere
Becky McKee, Sturgeon Bay

Ten Years of Service
Sheila Ashbeck Nyberg, Marshfield
Ingrid Mahan, Viroqua

Assistant Main Street Coordinator Todd Barman (on left) and Downtown Development Bureau Director/Main Street Coordinator Jim Engle get ready to tee off at the "Chipping for Success" 13th Annual Main Street Awards Banquet in Waupaca on April 30.

Main Street Wisconsin Small Business Specialist J.D. Milburn (on left) greets Main Street Council member Terry Martin, Waupaca, at the 13th Annual Main Street Awards Banquet at the Foxfire Golf Club in Waupaca on April 30, 2004.