March 5, 2012
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Main Street Center announced today the top three finalists for 20 competitive awards. All three will be honored and the winner announced at the 23rd annual Main Street Awards Banquet, April 24, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
“These awards each year highlight and represent truly the best from the businesses, communities and programs throughout Oklahoma,” said Linda Barnett, Oklahoma Main Street Center director. “These awards, sent in by the local Main Street Programs, showcase the enthusiasm, creativity and responsibility toward increasing revenue and creating jobs for their local downtown business districts.”
Each award category falls under one of the “four points” in the Main Street Approach – Organization, Promotion, Economic Restructuring and Design. Panels of outside judges for each point review the entries and determine the winners.
The Community of the Year Award will recognize the Main Street Community who led other towns by earning the most quality assurance points during the 2010 calendar year. The top 10 communities (in alphabetical order) include: Altus, Laverne, Muskogee, Newkirk, Okmulgee, Pauls Valley, Ponca City, Prague, Sulphur, and Woodward. The top community will be announced at the banquet.
In addition, the top Main Street program managers will be recognized at the banquet. Those making the top three this year include Lindy Chambers, Main Street Enid, Inc., Carol Ervin, McAlester Main Street Association, and Jayne Detten, Ponca City Main Street.
The award finalists are:
ORGANIZATION:
Premier Partner-
Bartlesville – Bartlesville Area History Museum
Claremore – Youth Leaders in Action
Muskogee -- Three Rivers Museum
Best Community Education/ Public Awareness
Altus – Walkin’ on Chalk
Durant – Downtown Durant/ iPhone App
Muskogee – First Night: Muskogee’s 140th Birthday Celebration
Best Volunteer Development Program
Durant – Give a Day/Get a Day
Hobart – Hobart Jr. Main Street Program
Mangum – Main Street and 4-H Members Centennial Park Improvements
Main Street Hero
Broken Bow – Billie Tomlison
Duncan – Bill and Mary Black
Guymon – Steve Long
Best Creative Fundraising Effort
Mangum -- Highway Sign
Muskogee – Light Pole Banners
Tahlequah – Movies in the Park
PROMOTION:
Premier Special Event –
Altus – Walkin’ on Chalk
Hobart -- Celebration Freedom
Hobart – Pumpkin Palooza & Punkin’ Chunkin’ Festival
Best Retail Event –
Claremore – Santa’s Clauset
Okmulgee – Sparkle Spree
Woodward – Girls’ Night Out
Outstanding Image Promotion –
Bartlesville – The New Logo of Downtown Bartlesville Inc
Muskogee – 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations Award
Perry -- Plaque Project
Creative New Event –
Enid – Criterium Bike Race
Wilburton – Flash Sale Fridays
Wilburton – Twenty Men Who Cook
Outstanding Web Presence –
Guymon – Main Street Guymon Website and Facebook
Hobart – Hobart Main Street Website
Sapulpa – sapulpamainstreet.com
ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING:
Best Adaptive Reuse Project –
Hobart – Stanley Building
Miami – Coleman Theater Conference Center/ Ballroom
Perry – HeBrews Coffee & Gallery
Sayre – The Brick Coffee House
Best Business Practices –
Altus – The Cotton Patch
Collinsville -- Reach Clothing LLC
Stockyards City – Cowtown Company
Best New Business Downtown --
Altus – Dora Lou’s Place
Durant – Roadhouse Bar & Grill
Stockyards City – Cowtown Company
Downtown Business of the Year –
Altus – Belles and Beaux
Stockyards City – Cattlemen’s Steakhouse
Tahlequah -- Meigs Jewelry
DESIGN:
Best Public Improvement Project –
Claremore – Public Art Mural
Collinsville -- Collinsville Streetscape Phase 2
Ponca City – Historic Mural Project
Best Interior Design Project –
El Reno – El Reno Main Street Office
Hobart – New 2-U Antique Store
Ponca City – Poncan Theater Ticket Office
Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $10,000 –
El Reno – El Reno Main Street Office
Hobart -- Peet’s Station
Mangum – Mangum’s Star Emporium
Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $10,000 --
Altus – Ragsdale Bakery
Duncan – Historic Fowler House
El Reno – Centre Theatre
Best Window Display –
Ada – The Curiosity Shop
Altus – Abby Lane
Muskogee – Ruth Kelly Studio
Best Building/Business Signage –
Durant – Roadhouse Bar & Grill
El Reno – Centre Theatre
Okmulgee – Church on the Square.
The dinner and program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from your local Main Street Program for $38 if purchased before March 30, 2012. After that date tickets will be $40.
For more information about the Oklahoma Main Street Program, please call (405) 815-5271 or visit www.OKcommerce.gov/mainstreet.