Main Street 2007 Award Winners

Successful downtown revitalization techniques were honored at the 20th annual Wisconsin Main Street awards reception held May 22nd at the Monona Terrace in Madison.

"The Main Street Program has proven its worth as a successful downtown revitalization tool for the past 20 years, and every year we recognize the efforts put forth by volunteers, businesses, and communities to restore local economic vitality," said Governor Jim Doyle. "Since the program's inception in 1988, the state's Main Street communities have attracted new businesses, new jobs, and nearly $1 billion in new investment to their downtowns. Main Street staff members were pleased to present a symbolic check reflecting that amount to the people of the State of Wisconsin at the awards ceremony."

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), 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:

2007 Wisconsin Main Street Awards Winners

Best Facade Rehabilitation Over $7,500
Warhawk Country LLC, Ryan Hughes, 200-214 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater
Honorable Mention: Collins & Associates , Prairie du Chien

Best Downtown Image Campaign/Event
The Viroqua Writer's Workshop
Honorable Mention: Lake Mills Main Street Program

Best Upper Story Rehabilitation Project
Hotel Stebbins, Kristine & Kendall Ruehl, Algoma

Best Downtown Special Event
Co-Winner: Cinco de Mayo Festival, Darlington
Co-Winner: Fondue Fest , Fond du Lac
Honorable Mention: Eagle River Sesquicentennial Celebration, Eagle River

Best Design Committee Project
Co-Winner: The Broadway District Masterplan, Design Committee, Green Bay
Co-Winner: Facade Improvement Grant Program, Donna Glynn, Committee Chairperson, Monroe

Best Business Development Program/Project
Platteville, Prairie du Chien & Viroqua , Main Street Programs , CBED Grant Collaboration

Best Promotional Item
The Downtown News, West Bend

Best Public Improvement: Built Environment
New Claude Allouez Bridge, City of De Pere
Honorable Mention: Bridge Street, Village of Tigerton, Tigerton Main Street
Honorable Mention: Wall Street Reconstruction, City of Eagle River
Honorable Mention: South Mound Removal Project, West Bend

Best Downtown Retail Event
Date Nite, Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street

Best New Building Project
Viroqua Area Medical Office Building, Vernon Memorial Healthcare

Best Public Improvement: Beautification
Walldog Wave: Harboring History, Walldog Wave Committee, Algoma
Honorable Mention: Historic Building Banners, Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street

Best Adaptive Reuse Project
Co-Winner: The Frey Group LLC, Colonial Carriage Works LLC, 134 & 140 N. Dickason Blvd., Columbus
Co-Winner: Katie's Place, Katie Vaclavik, Platteville

Best Public-Private Partnership in Downtown Revitalization
Ginny Coburn, Jerry Wendt & the City of Whitewater, Stone Stable Project
Honorable Mention: Monroe Main Street & the City of Monroe
Honorable Mention: Downtown Rhinelander, City of Rhinelander, Downtown Parking Lot Project

Best Historic Restoration Project
1905 Village Hall, Tigerton Main Street
Honorable Mention: Mike Mair, 45 S. Fourth Street, Platteville

Best Interior Renovation Project
Café Claudeen, Ryan & Claudia Wilson, Monroe
Honorable Mention: Lucy's Delicatessen, Deb Linc & Cindi Pulver, Chippewa Falls

Best Creative Fund Raising Effort
On Broadway, Inc., The Larsen Redevelopment Site: Recovery Operation, Green Bay
Honorable Mention: 17th Annual Downtown West Allis Classic Car Show
Honorable Mention: Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Inc. , "Tastes, Toasts and Tomfoolery"

Best Facade Rehabilitation Under $7,500
Sugar Cubed, Rick & Andi Oppermann, Stevens Point
Honorable Mention: Fran Hill, 314 Watson Street, Ripon

Best New Downtown Business
Bridge St. Station, Stationmaster Don Baker, Chippewa Falls
Honorable Mention: Thyme Worn Treasures Home Furnishings, Rice Lake
Honorable Mention: Dan's Meat Market, Dan Malone, Whitewater

2007 Volunteer of the Year
Dave Petri, Algoma
Larry Kane, Beloit
Chuck Card, Chippewa Falls
Wayne Osterhaus, Columbus
Antonio Ruesga, Jr., Darlington
Joe Schinkten, De Pere
Al Pittelko, Eagle River
Liz Engh, Fond du Lac
Marcelo Cruz, On Broadway, Green Bay
Katie Otto, Lake Mills
Mary Schmidt, Monroe
Positively Pewaukee Sweat Shop: (Marilyn Watson, Mary Buerosse, Trixie Lawrence, Karen Semrad, Judy Litvin, Judy Aron), Pewaukee
Dave Zmina, Platteville
Jerry & Joan Indermark, Portage
Dan, Shodi & Gavin Moris, Prairie du Chien
Michelle Smith-Grage, Rhinelander
Berni Rivard, Rice Lake
Judy Selk, Sheboygan Falls
Bernice Sevenich, Stevens Point
Tanja Ellis, Tigerton
Steve Bacalzo, Two Rivers
Debbie Abt, Viroqua
Sandra Budewitz, Watertown
Judith Hoppe, West Allis
Kristine Bruendl, West Bend
Dr. John Patterson, Whitewater

2007 Honorary Board of Directors
Donna Gridley, Algoma
Brad Austin, Beloit
Jamie Leibrandt, Chippewa Falls
Dan Burnard, Columbus
Peggy North, Darlington
C. David Stellpflug, De Pere
Barry McLeane, Eagle River
Dave Schneider, Fond du Lac
Dan Roarty, On Broadway, Green Bay
Brad Glassel, Lake Mills
John Baumann, Monroe
Pattie Iwen, Pewaukee
Robin Timm, Platteville
Sue Weyh, Portage
Kathleen Hein, Prairie du Chien
Shirley Larsen, Rhinelander
Shelly Schoening, Rice Lake
Jim Fasse, Sheboygan Falls
Carolyn Weiland, Stevens Point
Colleen Inman, Two Rivers
Trudy Wallin, Viroqua
Leah Reese, Watertown
James Melotte, West Allis
Michael Koebel, West Bend
Bill Bowen, Whitewater

Executive Director Years of Service Awards
Two Years:
Leah Alters, Wausau
Pam Ritchie, Prairie du Chien
Josephine Minskey, West Bend
Susan Dascenzo, Watertown
Lisa Maurer, Lake Mills
Renae Rogers, Osceola
Kim Bates, Columbus
Suzi Osterday, Darlington

Five Years:
Elaine Kroening
Brian Preiss

Twelve Years:
Kathy Wellsandt, Rice Lake

Fourteen Years:
Ingrid Mahan, Viroqua

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

2007 Spirit Award
Brian McCormick

"Recognition for completing 5 Years of Main Street Training"
Main Street Portage

-- Tony Hozeny